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, values and sleepers 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 12-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.

Be sure to check out the Eric Lindquist and Rayen Patnaik every morning with the NBA Slate Starter Podcast, where they give you the best first-look NBA DFS analysis and daily fantasy advice to start your process.

DraftKings & FanDuel NBA DFS Lineup Advice Today

Giannis Antetokounmpo, SF/PF, Milwaukee Bucks

Antetokounmpo is coming off back-to-back subpar games, including a 47.5-DraftKings-point disaster against the Warriors. However, Giannis remains one of the best fantasy producers in the league. He’s averaged 1.81 DraftKings points per minute over the past month, and he had scored at least 62.75 DraftKings points in five of six games prior to his recent duds.

That’s caused his price tag to drop to $11,700 for an excellent matchup against the Kings. That might be an unthinkable price tag for most players, but it’s very reasonable for Antetokounmpo. The Bucks are currently implied for a ridiculous 124.5 points, which is not surprising against the Kings’ 28th-ranked defense.

Ultimately, this is the perfect time to buy low on one of the best players in fantasy. He’s been priced below $12,000 in just 31 previous contests this season, and he’s scored at least 74.5 DraftKings points two of the past four times he was priced in that range. Expect him to own one of the highest projections on the slate and a better value rating than usual.

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Tre Mann, PG, Oklahoma City Thunder

The Thunder have the potential to be extremely shorthanded offensively on Wednesday. They’re already without Josh Giddey and Lu Dort, and now Shai Gilgeous-Alexander is questionable. If he’s unable to suit up, it’s going to leave the team without their three best playmakers.

Mann would be asked to carry the offense in that case. He’s increased his usage rate by a team-high +6.8% with Gilgeous-Alexander, Dort, and Giddey off the floor this season, resulting in an average of 0.87 DraftKings points per minute. Mann has already been playing well of late, scoring at least 28.0 DraftKings points in back-to-back games, and his fantasy value would be supercharged if Gilgeous-Alexander is ruled out.

The only potential concern with Mann is his likely ownership. He would become the mega chalk if Gilgeous-Alexander is ruled out, and if his ownership projection is too high, he’ll own a negative leverage score in the Boom/Bust Probability tool.

Clint Capela, C, Atlanta Hawks

Capela has been playing some of his best basketball of the season recently. He’s scored at least 30.0 DraftKings points in three straight games, and he’ll have an opportunity for another big performance on Wednesday. John Collins remains out of the lineup, so Capela should continue to see a few additional minutes. Capela hasn’t been quite as dominant this season on a per-minute basis as he has in years past, but he’s still averaged 1.15 DraftKings points per minute.

The matchup between the Hornets and Hawks also stands out as one of the best of the day. The total currently sits at 237.5 points, and the Hornets are just 1.5-point favorites. The Hornets also rank just 29th in team rebound rate, so Capela could do some serious damage in this spot.

Capela 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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