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 Tuesday’s six-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

Kyle Kuzma, SF/PF, Washington Wizards

It may be time to start considering Kuzma a legit stud. He has served as the Wizards’ top scoring threat following the injury to Bradley Beal and the trade of Spencer Dinwiddie. He has exceeded salary-based expectations in five of his past seven games on DraftKings, and he has gone for at least 58.75 DraftKings points in two of his past four. That includes back-to-back games of at least 62.75 DraftKings points in his last two outings. Kuzma has contributed as a scorer and a rebounder, and he has also seen an uptick in his assist numbers.

Kuzma’s price tag has risen across the industry, but he still stands out as underpriced at $9,200 on DraftKings. He should be able to put together another strong fantasy performance vs. the Pistons, who rank just 25th in defensive efficiency. He should own strong marks in our NBA Projections.

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Jordan Poole, PG/SG, Golden State Warriors

Klay Thompson missed the Warriors’ last game, and he is listed as out on the injury report once again on Tuesday. That should result in a boost in value for Poole. He did not move into the starting lineup in place of Thompson in their last outing – Moses Moody drew that designation – but Poole has been one of the biggest beneficiaries in games without Thompson of late. Since returning to the lineup on January 9, Poole is averaging 29.88 DraftKings points in five games without Thompson. That is only slightly less than Stephen Curry is averaging in that situation (35.25 DraftKings points).

The Warriors will also take the court in a strong spot vs. the Timberwolves. They have played at the second-fastest pace over their past 10 games, and they are 24th in defensive efficiency over that time frame.

Poole’s NBA DFS ownership projection will be interesting on this slate. There is a possibility that he is overlooked following his subpar outing, especially if he comes off the bench again. If that is the case, expect him to own a strong leverage rating in the Boom/Bust Probability tool.

Dwight Howard, C, Los Angeles Lakers

The Lakers feel like a team that should provide value. They are currently without Anthony Davis, and LeBron James is not capable of doing everything by himself. Russell Westbrook is the most obvious candidate to help pick up the slack, but he is in the midst of one of the worst years of his career.

As crazy as it sounds, Howard might be the most interesting DFS option on the Lakers. He put together a massive performance two games ago, scoring 44.5 DraftKings points over 26.2 minutes. He was a bit more mediocre in his last outing, but he still managed to return value. Howard is averaging 1.07 DraftKings points per minute this season, and he should play around 26 minutes if this game stays competitive. That gives him plenty of upside at just $4,300.

Howard could also be worth some consideration in the player prop market. Make sure to take advantage of the Awesemo NBA Player Prop tool, which highlights the most exploitable prop bets each day.

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