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 Wednesday’s eight-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

Shai Gilgeous-Alexander, PG, Oklahoma City Thunder

The Thunder are a tough team to figure out on Wednesday. On one hand, they have a brutal matchup vs. the Nuggets. The Nuggets are listed as 13-point favorites, and the Thunder are implied for just 106 points. That’s tied for the lowest mark on the slate.

However, Gilgeous-Alexander’s upside is undeniable if this game stays competitive. The Thunder are playing without Luguentz Dort and Josh Giddey, leaving the team without their best secondary playmakers. Gilgeous-Alexander has unsurprisingly crushed with both players off the court this season. He has increased his usage rate by 6.7 percentage points and his assist rate by 8.3 in that situation, resulting in an average of 1.56 DraftKings points per minute. He was outstanding with both players out of the lineup on Monday, racking up 60.5 DraftKings points for the second straight game.

Gilgeous-Alexander has gotten a bit more expensive recently, but he’s still priced below the true studs on this slate. He should grade well in Awesemo’s NBA Projections.

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Rudy Gobert, C, Utah Jazz

The Jazz have arguably the best matchup on the slate. They’re taking on the Rockets, who have been nothing short of a disaster this season. They rank first in pace, dead last in defensive efficiency, and 20th in team rebound rate. The Jazz are currently implied for 122.5 points, which is the top mark on the slate.

This sets up as a perfect matchup for Gobert, who is underpriced at the moment. He’s owned a comparable salary in just 15 previous games this season, and he is averaging 43.25 DraftKings points in those contests.

Gobert’s ownership will be important to monitor heading into lineup lock. He’s a player who is often overlooked, and if his ownership projection is too low, he’ll be an interesting leverage option in the Boom/Bust Probability tool.

Immanuel Quickley, PG/SG, New York Knicks

The Knicks are incredibly thin in the backcourt at the moment. Derrick Rose and Quentin Grimes are injured, Kemba Walker is not with the team, and Miles McBride is in the G League. Alec Burks and Evan Fournier should handle most of the minutes, but Quickley should see a boost in playing time off the bench.

Quickley is the type of player who can do damage quickly (pun intended). He is averaging 0.88 DraftKings points per minute this season, and he’s scored at least 30.75 DraftKings points in his last two games with at least 20.9 minutes. The Knicks are going nowhere fast, so it makes sense to give Quickley as much playing time as possible to expedite his development.

Quickley could also be worth some consideration 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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