NBA Daily Fantasy Projections & DFS Picks for DraftKings & FanDuel 2/24

The NBA makes its return following the All-Star break tonight and on tap for DFS players is a seven-game slate. As always, be sure to watch the Awesemo NBA Starting Lineups page closely today for updates on each team before making your NBA picks. Below are some NBA daily fantasy basketball picks that stand out for tonight’s slate using Awesemo’s Boom/Bust Tool and NBA DFS projections.

Boom/Bust NBA Daily Fantasy Projections & Picks

Boom: Devin Booker: $8,800 DraftKings/$8,800 FanDuel

33% DraftKings Boom/32% FanDuel Boom

During the All-Star break, the Suns received the unfortunate news that Chris Paul (thumb) is expected to miss four to six weeks, leaving Devin Booker in a massive role. While Paul has yet to miss a game this season, he missed three last year and Booker was a stud on those occasions, generating 54 DraftKings PPG, including the first triple-double of his career during last year’s Western Conference Finals. Cameron Payne (wrist) will also be unavailable tonight and in the 729 minutes Booker has played without Payne and Paul since the start of last season, the shooting guard’s usage has seen a 5.1 percentage point upgrade to a team-high 37%. Additionally, Booker’s assist rate skyrockets 11.4 percentage points to 31.2%.

The Kentucky product provides 1.4 DraftKings PPM with this immense workload and will be going against a Thunder squad that will be without their best wing defender in Lu Dort (shoulder). Booker’s ceiling is well over 50 fantasy points tonight and he is far and away rating as the best value north of $8,000 for both DraftKings and FanDuel in Awesemo’s projections.

Boom: Rajon Rondo: $3,900 DraftKings/$3,900 FanDuel

43% DraftKings Boom/39% FanDuel Boom

Tonight, the Cavaliers will be without Darius Garland (back) and Caris LeVert (foot). In the past two contests Garland has sat out, Rajon Rondo has been the primary beneficiary, scoring 41.5 DraftKings points in 32.3 minutes per game off the bench. Also taking LeVert out of the equation will likely push Rondo into the Cavs’ starting five. Even if he does not get the start, expect Rondo to act as the team’s primary point guard and play at least 30 minutes tonight in a friendly matchup against the Pistons. This season, Detroit ranks 25th in defensive efficiency. They rank 10th in pace compared to the Cavs, who rank second to last.

Playing way up in pace is obviously extremely optimal for a point guard like Rondo and with a hefty 34% assist rate, he is producing one DraftKings PPM this season. Furthermore, Rondo is amassing 29.4 DraftKings PPG in the last 10 contests he has surpassed the 25-minute threshold. At only $3,900 on both DraftKings and FanDuel, Rondo is a perfect example of good chalk and is a must-play for all formats.

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Boom: Trae Young: $9,900 DraftKings/$9,800 FanDuel

15% DraftKings Boom/12% FanDuel Boom

The Hawks will begin the second half of the season tonight without John Collins (doubtful, foot). Before last Wednesday, when Atlanta blew out the Magic limiting Trae Young to only 25 minutes, the point guard was averaging 58.5 DraftKings PPG in the first six contests of the season Collins missed. Young is already one of the league leaders in usage this season, but his role grows even further sans Collins. In the 544 minutes Young has played with Collins off the court this season, the guard has garnered a 37.3% usage rate, which is a 2.7 percentage point upgrade from his season average. Young provides an elite 1.5 DraftKings PPM with this godly role and is in an elite spot tonight against the Bulls.

Since the start of the new year, Chicago ranks 25th in defensive rating. Atlanta has not been much better during this time, ranking 24th. Unsurprisingly, this clash of poor defenses is expected to generate a ton of scoring, with this contest’s total the high mark of this seven-game slate at 240 points. Plus, this game is expected to stay competitive throughout, with the Bulls only favored by 3.5-points, and the Hawks’ implied team total being the fifth largest on the slate at 118.5 points. All things considered, it is hard to imagine Young records anything less than 50 fantasy points tonight and Awesemo is expecting his ownership to stay relatively in check on both DraftKings and FanDuel, certainly making him a sharp choice for large tournaments.

Boom: Trendon Watford: $3,400 DraftKings/$3,500 FanDuel

34% DraftKings Boom/34% FanDuel Boom

With Jusuf Nurkic (foot) ruled out tonight, Trendon Watford is a strong punt play on both DraftKings and FanDuel. The rookie has been Nurkic’s direct backup as of late and should receive the first start of his career this evening. Watford is supplying 0.9 DraftKings PPM this season and Awesemo is projecting him for 26.5 minutes against the Warriors. Obviously, facing Golden State and their best defense is not ideal, but Watford’s expected role trumps any concerns about the matchup, given how cheap he is.

Just last Monday, Watford exposed the Bucks for a near double-double of 30.5 DraftKings points in only 23 minutes of work. The center brings similar upside tonight and is rating as a top-five option on the slate in terms of Boom score for both DraftKings and FanDuel in Awesemo’s Boom Bust Tool.

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