NBA DFS First Look & Optimal Lineup Picks Today

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.

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

DraftKings & FanDuel NBA DFS Lineup Advice Today

Devin Booker, SG, Phoenix Suns

The Suns were dealt a massive blow over the All-Star break when it was revealed that Chris Paul would miss the next 6-8 weeks with an injury. The Suns have been the best team in basketball this season, and they currently own a 6.5-game lead over the Warriors for the No. 1 spot in the Western Conference. That means they have plenty of cushion to work with, but they’re going to need some other players to step up over the final third of the regular season.

Booker figures to be one of the biggest beneficiaries. He’s increased his usage rate by +1.8% with Paul off the floor this season, resulting in an average of 1.18 DraftKings points per minute. Paul has yet to miss a game this season, but Booker averaged 50.5 DraftKings points in three postseason games without CP3 last year. I wouldn’t expect him to replicate that production – he averaged 39.8 minutes in those contests – but he still carries increased appeal Thursday vs. the Thunder. Booker owns one of the highest marks in our NBA Projections, and he stands out as the clear best value among the stud tier.

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Clint Capela, C, Atlanta Hawks

Capela has historically been one of the best per-minute producers in fantasy, and he’s averaged 1.15 DraftKings points per minute this season. However, his playing time has been sporadic with the team at full strength.

Luckily for Capela, the Hawks have some additional minutes available on Thursday with John Collins out of the lineup. Capela racked up at least 30.5 minutes in two of his past three games without Collins, and he can do plenty of damage with that much playing time. Capela also owns a solid matchup vs. the Bulls, who rank merely 24th in defensive efficiency over their past 10 games.

Capela has been slightly disappointing with Collins out of the lineup – he’s scored 24.75 DraftKings points or fewer in two of his past three games – so it will be interesting to see what his projected ownership looks like vs. the Bulls. If it’s too low, he’ll grade out as an elite GPP play using the Boom/Bust Probability tool.

Rajon Rondo, PG, Cleveland Cavaliers

The Cavaliers are another team dealing with some critical injuries at the moment. Darius Garland and Caris LeVert have both been ruled out, leaving the team without their top two playmakers.

Rondo should see an expanded workload in their absence. He’s averaged 0.89 DraftKings points per minute this season, and he has the potential to play upwards of 30 minutes vs. the Pistons. The Pistons also own the third-lowest defensive rating over their past 10 games.

Rondo could provide some value in the player prop market as well. Make sure to take advantage of the Awesemo Player Prop tool, which highlights the most exploitable prop bets each day.

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