NBA DFS First Look & Optimal Lineup Picks Today

The Slate Starter is a daily first look at to get your daily fantasy basketball lineup-building process started before lock tonight. Each day, we will go through some of the best NBA DFS picks, top stacks and optimal lineup construction for DraftKings and FanDuel. Be sure to check Awesemo’s NBA Starting Lineups page, as it will be updated throughout the day as the NBA injury reports are released and breaking news surfaces. Let’s dive into some players who stand out as key options on Wednesday’s nine-game slate.

Want to see how your lineup stacked up against yesterday’s winning NBA DFS lineups on DraftKings, FanDuel and Yahoo? Check out our Optimal Lineup Review, which uses Fantasy Cruncher Rewind to analyze the winning plays from the night before.

NBA DFS Picks & Optimal Lineup Construction | Dec. 1

Cole Anthony, PG/SG, Orlando Magic

Anthony has missed the past six games for the Magic, but he is not listed on the injury report for Wednesday’s game against the Nuggets. That means he should be back in the lineup, and he has the potential to step right into a massive workload. Jalen Suggs has been ruled out with a thumb injury, and Anthony has been the teams’ unquestioned playmaker with Suggs off the court. He leads the team with a 28.9% usage rate and a 33.9% assist rate in that situation, resulting in an average of 1.25 DraftKings points per minute.

Anthony will likely command lower ownership in his first game back, making him an intriguing option in tournaments. If he is projected to be under-owned, he will pop with a positive leverage score in the NBA Boom/Bust Probability tool.

Karl-Anthony Towns, C, Minnesota Timberwolves

It has been a bit of a down season for Towns, which has caused his price tag to drop to just $8,800 on FanDuel. That is a bargain. Towns has historically exceeded salary-based expectations by nearly 4.5 fantasy points with a comparable price tag. Towns also owns a solid matchup against the Wizards, who have struggled against opposing centers this season.

However, Towns really stands out because of the Timberwolves’ injury report. They are already playing without Patrick Beverley, and Anthony Edwards, Jarred Vanderbilt, and Jaden McDaniels are all questionable with illnesses. Edwards is the key name to monitor. Towns has increased his usage rate by a team-high +6.6% with Edwards off the court, bringing his mark to 35.5%. That is an elite number, especially for someone as talented as Towns. He has also seen a nice boost in fantasy production, averaging 1.34 FanDuel points per minute.

Towns stands out as a solid play even if Edwards is active, but expect him to grade out extremely favorably in our NBA Projections if Edwards is ruled out.

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Kevin Porter Jr., PG/SF, Houston Rockets

The Rockets have won three straight games – bringing their record to a comical 4-16 for the year – and Porter has been the driving force offensively. He has scored at least 44.5 FanDuel points in each of his past two games, and he has racked up fantasy points in a variety of ways.

One thing he has done a lot lately is rack up assists. He has tallied at least nine in each of the Rockets’ recent wins, and he has racked up at least 11 in back-to-back games. If his assist prop has yet to catch up to his increased role as a distributor, take advantage. Make sure to also take advantage of the Awesemo Player Prop tool, which highlights the most exploitable wagers on each slate.