Thursday’s NBA action will be dramatically shaped by the trade deadline, and there will be lots of moving parts to assess prior to the 7 p.m. ET lock time 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 Nikola Jokic, who is cranking out triple-doubles like no other.
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NBA DFS Picks Today: Thursday, Feb. 9
Core Play of the Day — Nikola Jokic: Denver Nuggets-Orlando Magic
- Stokastic’s Preliminary Point Projections: DraftKings: 61.1 | FanDuel: 58.21
- Stokastic’s Preliminary Rostered Projections: DraftKings 41.6% | FanDuel: 20.0%
- DFS Salary: DraftKings: $11,000 | FanDuel: $11,700
The NBA trade deadline will be official this afternoon at 3 p.m. ET. Already three of the teams on Thursday’s slate have been involved in major deals, including Brooklyn, Los Angeles and Phoenix. Atlanta is rumored to be moving John Collins, Denver is looking for a 3-and-D wing, Chicago has seen interest around the league in several of their players and Orlando could easily become part of a multi-team trade facilitator. Oh, and even Milwaukee could be in the mix for someone like Jae Crowder, Royce O’Neale or Dorian Finney-Smith, as they are looking for another defensive stalwart. The point is that today is going to be rather chaotic when it comes to predicting rotations, even after the dust has settled on the deals.
Ho-hum, Nikola Jokic recorded his 10th triple-double in his last dozen appearances on Tuesday against Minnesota. The two-time reigning NBA MVP got there in the first half in just 18 minutes. This is the second fastest triple-double of his career. Jamal Murray is questionable with knee soreness, and if he is out, then Jokic will see even more opportunities as a scorer and facilitator. We know what we are getting here, and tonight’s salary should not be an issue. Preload lineups with Jokic and move on.
From Orlando, Markelle Fultz and Franz Wagner look like decent options, and their salaries are not going to break the bank. They can be considered differentiation options, and they will each get a slight boost to their fantasy production if Gary Harris (groin) is ruled out.
Phoenix Suns-Atlanta Hawks
Devin Booker, Cameron Payne and Landry Shamet are all out with injuries. Cameron Johnson, Mikal Bridges and Jae Crowder were traded to Brooklyn last night for Kevin Durant and former Phoenix Sun T.J. Warren. That means we have a shorthanded squad that will be relying on Chris Paul and Deandre Ayton to do the heavy lifting on offense.
Edit: Jae Crowder now with the Bucks
Damion Lee, Dario Saric, Saben Lee, Ish Wainright, Torrey Craig and Josh Okogie will fill out the rest of the rotation, and each has a path to 20-ish fantasy points as a baseline. Saric, Craig and both Lees have tournament upside.
Edit: Dario Saric has been traded to the Thunder
Everyone is healthy for the Hawks tonight in Atlanta, though Collins could be dealt prior to the deadline. If he stays put, then it will be business as usual for the Hawks. If he is on the move, then De’Andre Hunter, Clint Capela and Onyeka Okongwu will see a bump in their opportunities as the main frontcourt options.
Trae Young is underpriced on DraftKings, and while carrying a fair salary on FanDuel, he is currently the best point-per-dollar Atlanta option.
Chicago Bulls-Brooklyn Nets
Chicago has listed Alex Caruso (foot), DeMar DeRozan (hip) and Patrick Williams (groin) as game-time decisions with their various maladies. DeRozan has also been bandied about as a potential trade acquisition for various playoff-bound teams.
Until we have more information, it is too difficult to list out all the potential iterations of minutes beneficiaries. If things stand pat, then Nikola Vucevic, Zach LaVine and DeRozan are all solid options against a shorthanded Brooklyn squad.
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The Nets have moved on from both Durant and Kyrie Irving, plus they may still be dealing Spencer Dinwiddie, O’Neale and Finney-Smith.
Cam Thomas has scored 40 or more points in three consecutive games, becoming the youngest player in NBA history to do so — and he could add to that streak tonight. Though his salary is creeping up, that should not dissuade the savvy gamer on this wild slate.
If Dinwiddie and O’Neale are still with the team, they are likely to start and are fine options in all formats. Nicolas Claxton is also in play, though there are a lot of centers, despite this being a four-game slate.
Additional NBA DFS Building Blocks Pick – Sports Betting Opportunities
Torrey Craig is an interesting option in the sports wagering market tonight, with a 5.5 rebounds prop. The Suns are going to be shorthanded after their blockbuster trade, which bodes well for Craig to have ample time to collect counting stats.
Through 53 games this season, including 43 starts, the 10-year veteran is averaging 25.4 minutes and 5.7 rebounds, and he has a per-36-minute rate of 8.0 rebounds.
NBA Bet Pro has Craig earmarked for 6.5 rebounds tonight for his matchup against the Hawks in Atlanta. Currently BetMGM is offering this wager at -120, and there is a 56% probability that Craig will surpass this threshold. While that is a lower than preferred 3% expected ROI, this is the perfect wager to work into a parlay for additional upside payout potential.
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Milwaukee Bucks-Los Angeles Lakers
Bobby Portis is still injured, and Joe Ingles has been ruled out of tonight’s contest. Despite being questionable, Giannis Antetokounmpo (knee) and Brook Lopez (non-COVID illness) are expected to start as usual.
Antetokounmpo rivals Jokic as the top player of the night, and over his last eight games, he has averaged 31.5 minutes and 22.6 field goal attempts with an absurd 60.8% success rate. During this stretch, he is also making 8.8 free-throw attempts per game. This works out to 37.5 points, 14.5 rebounds, 5.4 assists, and 0.9 combined blocks and steals.
Jrue Holiday and Khris Middleton are both tournament targets tonight on the main slate. Grayson Allen and Pat Connaughton are adequate differentiation plays, though there are more appealing discount dandies in the earlier games.
LeBron James set the all-time NBA scoring record on Tuesday, and there is a chance he will take tonight off, depending on how much revelry he has embraced over the last 48 hours. If he is out, then Anthony Davis is the perfect pivot, so be sure to construct rosters accordingly to handle their positional eligibility. Davis is also a strong option in his own right, regardless of James’ availability.
Edit: LeBron James OUT tonight.
Russell Westbrook being moved to Utah opens up additional minutes for Dennis Schroder, Patrick Beverley and Lonnie Walker IV. None are must-plays; however, much like their Milwaukee counterparts, they will carry far less popularity in tournaments than the cheapies from the Suns and Nets.
Edit: Patrick Beverley traded to the Magic
Final Thoughts on NBA DFS Picks Building Blocks Today
Tonight we should have the starting lineups for the first three games prior to lock, but rotations and playing time are likely to be up in the air. Be sure to get all the latest analysis and information by tuning in to the Stokastic Live Before Lock show at 5 p.m. ET on YouTube, courtesy of Sorare.
