NBA DFS Leverage Picks & Optimizer Plays: Damian Lillard the Top Stud on Depleted Slate (February 8)

There is some fine, but unexceptional, value already in place for tonight’s nine game NBA slate on DraftKings, with Stephen Curry and Luka Doncic already ruled. There is a very good chance more value opens up closer to clock, as several key players are listed as questionable to play and tomorrow’s trade deadline potentially leading to depleted rosters. Make sure to keep an eye on Stokastic’s NBA DFS projections today leading up to lock.

Be sure to pay attention to news and check out the Stokastic Deeper Dive and Live Before Lock shows to hear great analysis of how the news changes the slate. And as always, Stokastic’s NBA DFS projections and Boom/Bust Tool are great resources to help make DraftKings lineups that project well and offer some leverage points on the field.

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NBA DFS Picks Leverage & Optimizer Plays | Feb. 8

High-End Tier

Damian Lillard ($10,700) has the highest projection on the entire slate. He faces a Warriors team that plays at the fastest pace in the entire league and has a middling defensive rating, although Curry’s average might change things a bit. Lillard is projected for 14% ownership, a 24% chance of booming and a 13% chance of being optimal.

LaMelo Ball ($10,100) is projected for 11% ownership against the Wizards, a 21% chance of booming and an 11% chance of being optimal.

Domantas Sabonis ($10,300) gets a Rockets defense ranked third worst in the league. Sabonis is projected for 4% ownership, a 16% chance of booming and a 4% chance of being optimal.

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Mid-Tier

Kyle Anderson ($5,000) is one of the top point-per-dollar plays of the slate against the Jazz. Anderson is projected for 12% ownership, a 21% chance of hitting his boom score and a 18% chance of being optimal. Anderson missed the game last night, so be sure to confirm that he’s starting before playing him.

Josh Richardson ($5,600) has the best leverage score on the slate tonight against the Raptors. The Spurs will be without Devin Vassell, Tre Jones, Jeremy Sochan, and Romeo Langford. Keldon Johnson is questionable. Even with Johnson in, Richardson looks like a great play. He is projected for 8% ownership, a 20% chance of booming and an 18% chance of being optimal.

Jimmy Butler ($8,100) and Tyler Herro ($7,500) are among the many Heat players who are solid point-per-dollar with Victor Oladipo, Kyle Lowry, and several other role players out.

Jordan Poole ($7,100) has seen his price go up quite a bit, but not enough to account for Curry’s absence.


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Value Tier

Jonathan Kuminga ($3,800) currently has the best value score on the entire slate, as he is expected to see extra minutes with Curry out. Kuminga is projected for 23% ownership, a 22% chance of booming and a 19% chance of being optimal.

Gabe Vincent ($4,300), Max Strus ($3,900), and Haywood Highsmith ($3,300) are all solid point-per-dollar options for the depleted Heat. Vincent is projected for 37% ownership, while Strus and Highsmith are projected for under 20% ownership.

Stanley Johnson ($3,500) and Zach Collins ($4,100) are fine GPP options, and both have a wide range of outcomes.

Drew Eubanks ($4,200) continues to benefit from Jusuf Nurkic’s absence. He has been very boom-or-bust in Nurkic’s absence, but the ceiling is there against the Warriors tonight.

These are just some of the top plays of the slate in terms of projection, value and leverage. Things can change in a hurry on an NBA slate, though, so remember to track the news throughout the day and take advantage of potential late-swap opportunities.

Author
Neil Orfield has been playing DFS regularly since 2013, but his success really started taking off in 2019 when he had a six figure payday with a hand built NFL lineup. The next day, he signed up for a Stokastic+ subscription with FantasyCruncher. Since then he has won an NFL milly and added six figure wins in XFL, MLB, and NBA. He has recently excelled at NFL Showdown, with many five- and six-figure wins since 2021.

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