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 11-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

Jaylen Brown, SG/SF, Boston Celtics

Brown is often overlooked when it comes to the most promising young players in the league. He’s overshadowed by teammate Jayson Tatum, but Brown is a stud in his own right. He’s averaging 23.5 points, 3.2 assists, and a career-best 6.6 rebounds per game this season, resulting in an average of 1.10 FanDuel points per minute. That’s not an elite mark, but it’s still pretty darn good.

Brown put his skill set on display Tuesday vs. the 76ers. The Celtics cruised to an easy blowout win – their ninth straight – and Brown finished with 41.1 FanDuel points in just 29 minutes.

However, his price has actually decreased to $7,800 on FanDuel for Wednesday’s matchup vs. the Pistons. That’s nearly -$1,000 cheaper than it was just two games ago. It makes him a strong buy-low target in an excellent matchup, with the Pistons ranking just 25th in defensive efficiency. Expect him to stand out from a value perspective in our NBA Projections.

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Tyus Jones, PG, Memphis Grizzlies

Ja Morant missed Tuesday’s game for the Grizzlies, which allowed Jones to step into the starting lineup. He took full advantage, finishing with 44.25 DraftKings points over 32.5 minutes. Jones has averaged 1.02 DraftKings points per minute over the past month, so that kind of production isn’t all that fluky.

If Morant is ruled out again, Jones will become massive chalk vs. the Blazers. His ownership projection deserves to be massive, and it would be hard to classify him as anything other than good chalk. Not only has Jones historically been excellent when given the chance to play big minutes, but the Blazers also represent an outstanding matchup. They rank 29th in defensive efficiency, so Jones can do even more damage than usual.

Jalen Smith, PF, Indiana Pacers

Smith is another player who figures to be very popular on Wednesday. He moved into the Pacers’ starting lineup in their last game, giving him sizable upside at just $3,900. He finished with just 25.25 DraftKings points over 17.1 minutes, but he ended up fouling out. Smith racked up 36.0 DraftKings points over 23.2 minutes in his previous out despite coming off the bench. It’s very likely that he would’ve played more minutes as a starter if not for the foul trouble.

That makes him an absolute smash at his current price tag. He’s already proven he can return value in a limited role, and the sky is the limit if he plays more than expected. He’s averaged 1.13 DraftKings points per minute this season, which is an elite number for his price tag.

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

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