Need a jump start on your lineups before Awesemo’s NBA DFS rankings or projections? No worries, Damien Mathews has you covered his Pick 3! favorite NBA DFS Picks for DraftKings and FanDuel for Thursday, January 30. With six games on tap, we have a myriad of options to choose from. Damien has some takes on Kawhi Leonard and more!
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NBA DFS Pick No. 1: Kawhi Leonard $10,500 FanDuel $10,800 DraftKings
In 703 minutes played without Paul George on the floor, Kawhi Leonard is averaging 1.66 fantasy points per minute with a 38.3 usage percentage and 26.9 assist percentage. Nobody seems able to slow him down as he has posted in 36 games played: 27.4 points, 7.6 rebounds, 5.2 assist and a combined three steals/blocks. He is shooting a commanding 46.6 percent from the field on 20 attempts, 5.5 from 3. Leonard is matchup-proof and can be rostered with confidence on any NBA DFS slate.
*Honorable Mention: Donovan Mitchell $7,200 FanDuel $7,200 DraftKings
**Honorable Mention: Buddy Hield $6,200 FanDuel $6,800 DraftKings
NBA DFS Pick No. 2: Gordon Hayward $6,400 FanDuel $7,500 DraftKings
Gordon Hayward is too cheap for the upside he brings to the table and must be considered versus the Warriors who are basically tanking the year away. They have the fifth-worst defensive rating in basketball and are allowing the eighth-most points to opposing offenses. Hayward has a 21.2 usage percentage on 13 attempts for an average of 1.04 fantasy points per minute. He’s playing 32.4 minutes per game, getting you 17.0 points, 6.2 rebounds and 4.0 assist for 32.0 fantasy points on average.
*Honorable Mention: Draymond Green $5,900 FanDuel $5,900 DraftKings
**Honorable Mention: Bradley Beal $9,000 FanDuel $9,400 DraftKings
NBA DFS Pick No. 3: Joel Embiid $9,000 FanDuel $9,300 DraftKings
Joel Embiid was disappointing in his first game back from his finger injury, but I’m willing to go back to him in this spot against a weak Hawks frontcourt in a paced-up matchup. This game should have a lot of opportunities for Embiid to get back on track. Plus, he is underpriced considering his upside and skill set. For the season, Embiid is averaging 1.49 fantasy points per minute with a 32.8 usage percentage and 29.6 defensive rebounding percentage. Averaging a double-double on the year, Embiid looks great in this spot and my model projects 50-plus fantasy points tonight from him.
*Honorable Mention: Serge Ibaka $5,600 FanDuel $7,100 DraftKings
**Honorable Mention: Davis Bertans $5,600 FanDuel $6,200 DraftKings
