NBA DFS Picks: Brandon Ingram in a Dream Matchup (February 13)

Monday’s NBA action rolls out an enormous 11-game featured slate locking at 7 p.m. ET on both DraftKings and FanDuel. There are several options in the player pool worth analyzing to find the top NBA DFS building blocks and NBA DFS picks for DraftKings and FanDuel lineups, including Brandon Ingram in a fantasy-friendly matchup against the Thunder in Oklahoma City.

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NBA DFS Picks Today: Monday, Feb. 13

Core Play of the Day — Brandon Ingram: New Orleans Pelicans-Oklahoma City Thunder

Stokastic’s Preliminary Point Projections: DraftKings: 57.03 | FanDuel: 54.26
Stokastic’s Preliminary Rostered Projections: DraftKings 31.3% | FanDuel: 36.6%
DFS Salary: DraftKings: $7,800 | FanDuel: $7,800

It seems that the DFS salary algorithms have forgotten about Brandon Ingram after his 29-game absence with a toe injury. The Pelicans are dealing with a myriad of injuries, including: Zion Williamson, who remains sidelined indefinitely after suffering a setback with his hamstring issue; Dyson Daniels (ankle) is likely out through the All-Star Break, and CJ McCollum (ankle) is a game-time decision. On a positive front, Josh Richardson is expected to make his New Orleans debut tonight.

Back to Ingram — in his last five games, he has contributed across the board, averaging 33.9 minutes and 19.6 field goal attempts per game. This has resulted in 26.4 points, 4.8 rebounds, 7.2 assists, and 1.0 combined blocks and steals. Over the last 10 games, the Thunder have the fifth-worst defensive efficiency, allowing 119.8 points per 100 possessions while playing at a top-10 pace. Ingram stands out as the best point-per-dollar shooting guard option today, making him the core building block du jour.

Washington Wizards-Golden State Warriors

There are two phenomenal “late-night hammers” that are brimming with fantasy goodness. Washington is kicking off a three-game road trip tonight against the Warriors in Golden State. Kyle Kuzma has missed the last three games with an ankle injury, and he is questionable again tonight. If he remains out, Bradley Beal and Kristaps Porzingis will carry additional scoring responsibilities and Deni Avdija will see extra minutes.

Over his last four games, Beal has averaged 31.4 minutes with 26.0 points, 4.5 rebounds, 6.0 assists, and 2.0 combined blocks and steals, topping 40 fantasy points in each appearance. It seems he has recovered from his various soft tissue injuries that have plagued his season.

Porzingis has been outstanding, with four 50-fantasy-point games in his last six outings. In this stretch, he has posted 26.3 points, 8.0 rebounds, 3.5 assists, and 2.5 blocks and steals. If Kuzma returns, Porzingis and Beal are still solid options, though Avdija falls out of consideration on the main slate due to his increasing salary.

Edit: Kyle Kuzma ruled out.

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Stephen Curry (shoulder) has been ruled out through the All-Star Break, and Andrew Wiggins popped up on the injury report with a sprained ankle. If Wiggins is out, Donte DiVincenzo will likely get a spot start and Jonathan Kuminga should see extra minutes.

Over his last two games, Jordan Poole is averaging a tick over 50 fantasy points, and he will have a chance at that upside against the Wizards. Draymond Green continues to collect stats across all categories, and his power forward eligibility is useful on both the main and late slates. Klay Thompson is always a tournament option, and if Wiggins is out, he should get a couple more looks at the basket.

Edit: Andrew Wiggins is available.

Additional NBA DFS Building Blocks Pick – Sports Betting Opportunities

Joel Embiid is an interesting option in the betting market, with his 10.5 rebound prop. On the season, the Cameroonian is averaging 10.2 rebounds per game and he has 11 or more rebounds in just half of his appearances. Even his 10.5 rebounds per 36 minutes are underwhelming for what the casual observer expects from the 28-year-old superstar.

NBA Bet Pro has Embiid projected for 8.94 rebounds in 33.1 minutes of action. Currently, the 76ers are 13.0-point home favorites, so there is a chance that Embiid could receive part of the fourth quarter off if Philadelphia takes care of business. Finally, it is important to note that Houston has the best team rebounding rate (54.2%) in the league over the last 15 games.

BetMGM currently has this wager available at -107 on the under, giving it a 7% expected ROI.

Did you know that you can get two free months of Stokastic+ Platinum for signing up and making your first bet at BetMGM? Claim here today!

Los Angeles Lakers-Portland Trail Blazers

LeBron James has not played since he set the all-time NBA scoring record last Tuesday. If he is in the starting lineup, he should be a full-go; if he is out, then we have some intriguing main slate tournament options with new Lakers.

Anthony Davis is a strong option with or without James, particularly on FanDuel, where he has power forward eligibility. D’Angelo Russell is also worthy of consideration, as he will be a key facilitator and also the third option on offense.

Edit: LeBron James ruled out

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If James is out, Rui Hachimura and Dennis Schroder should see extra offensive opportunities with the starting unit. Jarred Vanderbilt will be a late-slate value option, though he can be infuriating with his constant deferring on offense, only getting buckets on putbacks, ally-oops and fast breaks.

Jusuf Nurkic and Justise Winslow remain out with injuries, and Jerami Grant is questionable as he works through the concussion protocol. Drew Eubanks and Trendon Watford are value plays at center, though they are likely to cap each other at 24 to 26 minutes, depending on foul trouble and effectiveness.

Edit: Jerami Grant ruled out.

Damian Lillard is a player to target and was close to being listed as today’s core building block. He has 55 or more fantasy points in three of his last four games, and Los Angeles has one of the worst defenses in the league. Anfernee Simons has been in a shooting slump for the last two games, but he could snap out of it at any time, and with the second most 3-pointers in the league, he can pile up fantasy production in a hurry.

Final Thoughts on NBA DFS Picks Building Blocks Today

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Author

Eric MacPherson

Eric "EMac" MacPherson won the 2007 Fantasy Baseball grand prize (trip for two to the MLB All-Star game) in the Roto format on ESPN. He won again in 2008, this time in the H2H format. As one of the early adopters of daily fantasy sports, EMac has been providing content for baseball and basketball as well as both professional and college football since 2012 for a variety of websites including DraftKings Playbook, FanVice, RotoWorld, Daily Fantasy Bootcamp, and RotoGrinders. He is well into his third decade of fantasy sports and has a wealth of knowledge and experience. Follow him on Twitter @EMacDFS or contact EMac by emailing [email protected].