Thursday’s is the final day of NBA DFS action prior to All-Star Weekend, so enjoy the three-game slate tipping off at 7:30 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 Anthony Edwards, who will be making his All-Star Game debut on Sunday.
NBA DFS Picks Today: Thursday, Feb. 16
Core Play of the Day — Anthony Edwards: Minnesota Timberwolves-Washington Wizards
- Stokastic’s Preliminary Point Projections: DraftKings: 46.73 | FanDuel: 45.46
- Stokastic’s Preliminary Rostered Projections: DraftKings 41.7% | FanDuel: 38.0%
- DFS Salary: DraftKings: $9,000 | FanDuel: $9,400
Yes, we can and absolutely should be rostering Giannis Antetokounmpo in the majority of our lineups tonight. Turning our attention to the rest of the field, Anthony Edwards is in a cherry matchup tonight against a visiting Washington team that has been all over the place with defensive efficiency this season.
Somehow the Wizards limited the Trail Blazers to just 101 points in Portland on Tuesday, but in the six prior games they allowed an average of 119.2 points. Minnesota is favored by 3.5 points at home tonight, and this is shaping up to be a potentially close game, as the suddenly surging Wizards have won three of their last four tilts.
Edwards is making his debut this weekend in the All-Star Game as the injury replacement for Kevin Durant. The 21-year-old was the top overall selection in the 2020 NBA Draft, and he is posting career highs across the board this season. In 36.2 minutes per game, he is averaging 24.7 points, 5.9 rebounds, 4.5 assists, and 2.2 combined blocks and steals.
The Timberwolves are currently staying out of the Play-In Tournament on the strength of a tiebreaker over the Dallas Mavericks. A victory tonight in front of their home crowd would go a long way towards setting the tone for a post-break run.
Josh Okogie: Phoenix Suns-Los Angeles Clippers
- Stokastic’s Preliminary Point Projections: DraftKings: 28.5 | FanDuel: 28.86
- Stokastic’s Preliminary Rostered Projections: DraftKings 37.9% | FanDuel: 42.6%
- DFS Salary: DraftKings: $4,900 | FanDuel: $5,600
In case you have missed it, Josh Okogie has been on a heater since arriving in Phoenix. Through three games, including joining the starting lineup for the last two, he has averaged 35.6 minutes, 20.3 points, 5.3 rebounds, 2.0 assists, and 2.3 combined blocks and steals. Of course, he is not going to continue averaging over two steals and three made 3-pointers per game, but he is likely to see mid-30s minutes until Durant is healthy enough to play.
Additional NBA DFS Building Blocks Pick – Sports Betting Opportunities
Josh Okogie is also a strong option in the betting market, with his 4.5 rebound prop. He has nabbed 5, 6 and 6 caroms in his three outings for the Suns, and his career per-36-minutes rate of 5.5 indicates this is not a fluke.
NBA Bet Pro has Okogie projected for 6.2 boards and a 62% win probability that he surpasses this milestone. BetMGM currently has this wager available at -130 on the over, giving it a solid 6% expected ROI.
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Chicago Bulls Value
DeMar DeRozan (hip/thigh) was out last night, and he is not expected to suit up tonight. Alex Caruso is also listed as doubtful while dealing with a sore foot and having played 29.8 minutes last night. If this duo is out, Ayo Dosunmu will be the discount dandy du jour. If Caruso starts, he is a strong option in this matchup against the Bucks, while Dosunmu would still be an above-average point-per-dollar salary saver.
Last night, Dosunmu and Zach LaVine led the team with 42.5 minutes in a close 117-113 loss to the Pacers in Indiana that went down to the wire. Chicago ran a tight rotation with only three reserves getting action, and Coby White’s 33.2 minutes were the fourth most on the team and well above Dalen Terry and Andre Drummond, who combined for just 26.5 minutes off the bench.
LaVine and Nikola Vucevic are primary targets in tournaments, particularly if we continue to see their popularity diffused by the top-end talent from Phoenix, Los Angeles and Milwaukee. White and Patrick Williams are neutral options, though if for some reason another regular is out aside from DeRozan and potentially Caruso, their fortunes could fluctuate.
Edit:Â DeRozan, Caruso, Derrick Jones Jr. and Goran Dragic ruled out.
Final Thoughts on NBA DFS Picks Building Blocks Today
Tonight looks like it will be a rollercoaster ride, with this being the last big slate until next Friday. Be sure to get all the latest analysis and information by tuning in to the Stokastic Live Deeper Dive and Before Lock shows at 5:30 p.m. ET on YouTube, courtesy of Sorare.