Tuesday, Feb. 15, brings a nine-game main slate beginning at 7:30 p.m. ET. Let’s look at the player pool and discuss the top NBA DFS picks for DraftKings, FanDuel and Yahoo lineups. Do not forget to head over to the Awesemo NBA DFS & Fantasy Basketball home page for more great written daily fantasy basketball content.
NBA DFS Picks: DraftKings, FanDuel & Yahoo Fantasy Basketball Building Blocks Today | Tuesday, Feb. 15
Yahoo Play of the Day — Karl-Anthony Towns: Minnesota Timberwolves vs. Charlotte Hornets
- Awesemo’s Preliminary Point Projections: Yahoo and FanDuel: 44.79 | DraftKings: 46.78
- Awesemo’s Preliminary Rostered Projections: Yahoo 26.0% | FanDuel 14.2% | DraftKings 16.8%
- DFS Salary: Yahoo $40 | FanDuel $9,900 | DraftKings $9,800
Karl-Anthony Towns is coming off a disaster of a performance against the Pacers that saw him limited to only 22 minutes after getting in early foul trouble. The team ended up winning 129-120, so coach Chris Finch clearly did not feel the need to force Towns back into the game. This was his first outing with less than 30 fantasy points since Thanksgiving, which is quite a stretch. Charlotte plays fast with lackadaisical defense and marginal rebounding, making this a fine time to ride with Towns and his tantalizing Yahoo salary. Tonight’s matchup has a projected point total of 244.5, which is by far the highest on the slate.
LaMelo Ball: Charlotte Hornets at Minnesota Timberwolves
- Awesemo’s Preliminary Point Projections: Yahoo and FanDuel: 40.71 | DraftKings: 42.02
- Awesemo’s Preliminary Rostered Projections: Yahoo 6.0% | FanDuel 28.0% | DraftKings 12.6%
- DFS Salary: Yahoo $42 | FanDuel $8,700 | DraftKings $9,100
Sticking with the same matchup, LaMelo Ball is a nice play with or without Towns on fantasy rosters. Currently Ball is not projecting to be particularly popular, but that figure is likely to climb as additional value plays begin to appear. Over the last 10 games these two squads are playing at top-three paces, and the Timberwolves have the fifth-worst defensive efficiency, allowing 117.2 points per 100 possessions.
Ball should be in line for 33 to 36 minutes tonight, and he has show his upside with a pair of games of 59-plus fantasy points in two of his last three. Fellow guard Terry Rozier has been in the zone with back-to-back 60-fantasy-point games, and he has been pouring in the points while averaging a triple-double in these outings. Naturally, he will come back to earth sooner rather than later, but this is still a great matchup for one more shot at grabbing the brass ring.
Atlanta Hawks vs. Cleveland Cavaliers
John Collins is out through the All-Star break with a strained foot, which led to Clint Capela getting 31 minutes on Sunday against Boston. That was the first time in 10 games that he played more than 25 minutes. Capela and Onyeka Okongwu may even play alongside each other for a couple minutes against the talented Cleveland frontcourt. Trae Young sees close to a 10% increase in his fantasy points per minute without Collins on the court, and though the Cavaliers have a good defense, Young can produce against anyone. Delon Wright (groin) and Bogdan Bogdanovic (ankle) are both questionable. If either is out, then Kevin Huerter and De’Andre Hunter would likely see a bit of a minutes and opportunity boost.
Cleveland saw their four-game winning streak end in Philadelphia on Saturday, but they did get Darius Garland back and they have been off since that game, so they should be at full strength with most of their core players. Caris LeVert has been solid working his way into the offense, and he and Garland are solid options tonight. Depending on the DFS site of choice, newly minted All-Star Jarrett Allen, potential rookie of the year Evan Mobley and resurgent veteran Kevin Love are also in play against a thinned-out Atlanta frontcourt.
Tonight the NBA player props market for Kevin Love against Atlanta is one to consider, as Awesemo has him projected for just over 14.8 points. Currently NBA player prop today for points is over/under 12.5, and that is a mark he has surpassed in seven of his last 10 games. Love tends to get most of his offense when he is featured with the Cavs second unit, and they have a nice matchup against what could potentially be a shorthanded Hawks rotation.
Milwaukee Bucks vs. Indiana Pacers
Last night the Bucks lost to the Trail Blazers 122-107, and while they were without Giannis Antetokounmpo, they were still 11.5-point favorites at tipoff. Antetokounmpo’s status is still unknown, but it would not be a surprise to see him receive another night off, as Milwaukee clearly has eyes on another deep postseason run. If Antetokounmpo is out, look to Jrue Holiday, Khris Middleton, Bobby Portis and recent acquisition Serge Ibaka in all formats. Keep in mind that Pat Connaughton is out, Donte DiVincenzo was recently dealt to Sacramento, and George Hill is dinged up. The Bucks are once again 11-point favorites, and this game has an appealing 234.5 projected point total.
Myles Turner is still out, and Malcolm Brogdon has played in just two games since Christmas, so it is hard to believe he will have a dramatic impact if he finally returns tonight. Isaiah Jackson (ankle) has been ruled out for a second straight game, and Chris Duarte (toe) will not return until after the All-Star break. Tyrese Haliburton has averaged 40 minutes in his first two games for the Pacers, and while that is not sustainable, he should be in the mix for 40 to 45 fantasy points until Brogdon returns. Buddy Hield, Oshae Brissett and Jalen Smith are value options across the various DFS sites. Hield is appealing everywhere, while Brissett and Smith are best on Yahoo and DraftKings
Final Thoughts on NBA DFS picks for the Tuesday, Feb. 15 Fantasy Basketball Slate
Tonight six of the seven games tip off within the first 30 minutes of lock, with a lone West Coast nightcap two hours later at 10 p.m. ET. Keep in mind that salaries and scoring formats differ across the various fantasy sites, and a slam-dunk play on Yahoo may be a below-average NBA DFS pick on DraftKings or FanDuel.
