Wednesday’s NBA action marks the middle of the work week with a nine-game featured slate that begins 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 LaMelo Ball as he continues to race up fantasy leaderboards.
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NBA DFS Picks Today: Wednesday, Feb. 8
Core Play of the Day — LaMelo Ball: Charlotte Hornets-Washington Wizards
- Stokastic’s Preliminary Point Projections: DraftKings: 49.93 | FanDuel: 47.81
- Stokastic’s Preliminary Rostered Projections: DraftKings 11.6% | FanDuel: 9.9%
- DFS Salary: DraftKings: $10,100 | FanDuel: $9,900
LaMelo Ball has been stellar over the last week, with 55 or more fantasy points in three of his last four games. Washington has been league average on defense over the last fortnight, though they have been somewhat shorthanded during this timeframe, with Bradley Beal, Kyle Kuzma and Kristaps Porzingis all missing games.
Now that he is approaching full health, Ball has seen his fantasy salary rise to a level commensurate with his recent baseline production. Even though he has reached the five-figure threshold, his upside still allows for profit potential. It will be interesting to see where the final popularity for Ball lands in the large-field tournaments as injury information and player availability evolves throughout the day.
Minnesota Timberwolves-Utah Jazz
Tonight is the third game in four nights for the Timberwolves, and they are on the second leg of the “elevation” back-to-back, having been rolled over by the Nuggets 146-112 last night in Denver. None of the Minnesota starters played more than 20 minutes last night, so we will have to wait and see if anyone is ruled out prior to Wednesday’s action.
Rudy Gobert has been working through a sore groin, so he may not play against his former franchise. Kyle Anderson (back spasms) did not play on Tuesday, and he has been dealing with this issue for over a week. Jordan McLaughlin played limited minutes in each of the last two tilts after missing 30 games.
Most of the team is underpriced on DraftKings, so if anyone is ruled out, the remaining ambulatory T-Wolves will surge to the top of the point-per-dollar list. On FanDuel, the core options such as Anthony Edwards, D’Angelo Russell and Gobert are neutral options that will become primary targets if anyone sits.
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First-time All-Star Lauri Markkanen is someone to keep in mind tonight in this above-average matchup. Though he is an average point-per-dollar option, he does have a realistic 40-fantasy-point baseline projection that will have utility as more discount dandies are unveiled throughout the day.
Kelly Olynyk is someone to target wherever he has power forward availability in this matchup. Mike Conley and Jordan Clarkson are top targets on the late slate, and both are viable tournament differentiators on the main slate.
Additional NBA DFS Building Blocks Pick – Sports Betting Opportunities
Trendon Watford is an interesting option in the sports wagering market tonight, with a 3.5 rebounds prop. Though he will likely be coming off the bench while Drew Eubanks continues to start, both should see ample time filling in for the injured Jusuf Nurkic.
Through 38 games this season, including two starts, Watford is averaging 15.8 minutes and 3.2 rebounds, and he has a per-36-minute rate of 7.4 rebounds.
NBA Bet Pro has the second-year forward projected for 5.4 rebounds tonight against the visiting Golden State Warriors. Currently BetMGM is offering this wager at -115, and there is a 63% likelihood that Watford will surpass this threshold. That works out to a tremendous 18% expected ROI.
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Miami Heat Value
Tonight it looks like the Miami Heat will likely have eight players available, along with the venerable Udonis Haslem, who rarely sees the court anymore. Kyle Lowry, Victor Oladipo, Duncan Robinson, Nikola Jovic and Omer Yurtseven all remain out with injuries, and Dewayne Dedmon and a second-round selection were sent to the San Antonio Spurs yesterday for the ever nebulous “cash considerations” return. This helps clear the way for Miami to make another deal before the deadline.
This is a terrific matchup for the available Miami players, as Indiana has posted a 118.6 defensive efficiency rating over the last three weeks, which is in the bottom quarter of the Association. Jimmy Butler, Bam Adebayo and Tyler Herro will do the heavy lifting tonight, and we have a long track record of how they perform without Lowry and Oladipo.
Caleb Martin and Gabe Vincent look good from a point-per-dollar perspective on the main DFS sites. Max Strus and Haywood Highsmith are placeholder options who will likely fall out of favor as other discount dandies appear in Wednesday’s 18-team player pool.
The Pacers are back to full strength, so none of their players stand out in the projections. Tyrese Haliburton, Myles Turner and Buddy Hield all warrant tournament consideration, though they are far from must-plays.
Final Thoughts on NBA DFS Picks Building Blocks Today
Wednesday brings uncertainty with tomorrow’s trade deadline looming large. 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 No House Advantage.
