The Slate Starter is a daily first look at the day’s NBA slate 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 Thursday’s seven-game NBA slate.
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DraftKings & FanDuel NBA DFS Lineup Advice Today
Derrick White, PG/SG, Boston Celtics
The biggest piece of news on Thursday’s slate involves the Celtics. Jaylen Brown suffered an ankle sprain during Tuesday’s game against the Hawks, and he has been ruled against the Grizzlies. He is currently considered day-to-day, and White is the most obvious candidate to pick up the slack. He put together his best offensive game as a member of the Celtics on Tuesday, racking up 18 points on 7-for-13 shooting over 27.8 minutes. White has averaged 0.93 DraftKings points per minute with Brown off the court in his limited time with the Celtics.
With that in mind, Brown stands out as a nice value option on FanDuel. He is priced at just $5,700, which is significantly cheaper than his salary on DraftKings. The Grizzlies have also played at the eighth-fastest pace this season, so it is a solid matchup, as well. Expect him to own a solid value rating in our NBA Projections.
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Jakob Poeltl, PF/C, San Antonio Spurs
Poeltl’s price tag is a bit eye-popping at the moment. He has been priced up to $8,000 on FanDuel and $7,500 on DraftKings, but it is hard to say he has not been worth it. He’s racked up three straight double-doubles, and he’s also displayed increased upside as a distributor. Poeltl has handed out at least four assists in four straight games, and he’s increased his per-minute production to 1.28 DraftKings points per minute over the past month.
Poeltl also benefits from an elite matchup against the Kings. They rank seventh in pace, 29th in defensive efficiency, and 23rd in team rebound rate. Add it all up, and they are one of the best possible matchups for a big man.
It will be interesting to see what Poeltl’s projected ownership looks like in this spot. If DFS players are scared off by his elevated price tag, he will be an interesting leverage option on Thursday’s slate.
Malachi Flynn, PG/SG, Toronto Raptors
The Raptors are going to be an important team to monitor on Thursday. They were without both Fred VanVleet and O.G. Anunoby in their last contest, and both players are questionable against the Pistons. Flynn has started the past two games in place on VanVleet, and he put together massive performances in both outings. Flynn has averaged 0.86 DraftKings points per minute over the past month, so he would be a very appealing option if VanVleet is out once again.
The Pistons have also been struggling mightily of late. They have lost 14 of their past 18 games, and they have allowed an average of 118.4 points per 100 possessions. That is abysmal. To put that in perspective, no team has posted a worse mark over the course of the full year, and only the Rockets have been worse than 115.62.
Flynn could also be worth exploring in the player prop market. Make sure to take advantage of the Awesemo Player Prop tool, which highlights the most exploitable prop bets each day.
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