NBA Fantasy Picks Today: DraftKings & FanDuel Fantasy Basketball Rankings

Tonight features a small two-game slate, and with that, NBA DFS injury news will be a big part of tonight’s process. Be sure to check the Awesemo NBA Starting Lineups page to see who is in, who is out and who is starting as news breaks, and look at the NBA DFS rankings and projections before making NBA fantasy picks today for DraftKings and FanDuel lineups.

DraftKings & FanDuel NBA Fantasy Rankings Today

*Grades are ordered DraftKings, FanDuel. Initial grade indicates a player’s strength of output, with the value grade indicating their strength as a play in relation to their salary.

SG Malik Monk — Grades: D, D | Values: C, B

With the big three of LeBron James, Anthony Davis, and Russell Westbrook all healthy, it is difficult to prioritize any of them even on a two-game slate. The Lakers have the lowest implied total on the slate at 107.75 points as they go on the road to face the 76ers who rank 27th in pace this season. This matchup is definitely the least appealing of the two games. Instead of paying up for the big three, Awesemo projects plugging in value option Malik Monk is the best way to go. He is the best value on the Lakers and is second to James for the highest boom percentage on both sites.

Monk can get scorching hot from the perimeter which can provide games where he pops even in bad matchups. He is coming off a 22-point performance where he shot 6-for-12 from downtown. He only took one shot inside the arc. On the season, 57.0% of Monk’s shots come from behind the arc. He is shooting a career-high 41.0% from 3-point range which leads the Lakers. The 76ers are pretty good defending the perimeter, but most of their numbers are skewed due to how slow they play in general. This is a tough spot for the Lakers on the road. Stick to the value Monk provides.

C Joel Embiid — Grades: A, A | Values: C, C

The most expensive player and the top option on the slate tonight is Joel Embiid. Awesemo projects Embiid to score the most fantasy points by a wide margin on both DraftKings and FanDuel. He is popping everywhere. In Awesemo’s Boom/Bust Tool, Embiid has the second-best boom percentage on both sites. He is playing phenomenal this season. Embiid is averaging a career-high 29.0 points per game which ranks third in the league. He also leads the league in usage rate with 36.2% per game. Embiid has single-handily kept this 76ers franchise afloat.

This matchup against the Lakers is very appealing as they rank third in pace this season. They also rank fifth in both points allowed with 112.3 and points allowed in the paint with 49.5 per game. Embiid should feast in the paint regardless of Anthony Davis back in the lineup. The 76ers have won 13 of their last 17 games in large part to Embiid’s incredible play. During that time Embiid has averaged 32.5 points, 10.6 rebounds, and a 41.0% usage rate per game. Our ownership projections have Embiid as the highest-owned player on DraftKings and third highest on FanDuel.

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C Karl-Anthony Towns — Grades: A, A | Values: C, C

Now we get to the nightcap which should be a much more fantasy friendly game. The young Timberwolves come into this game winning eight of their last 11 games. Karl-Anthony Towns has been the leader of the pack as he leads the Timberwolves in points, rebounds, blocks, and usage rate this season. Towns is not usually known as a fantastic rebounding center, but he is coming off of a season-high 17 rebounds in his last game. He also has grabbed 11 or more rebounds in each of his last 11 games against the Warriors. Odds Shopper has his rebound prop at 9.5 if you want to tail this trend.

The Warriors present a scary matchup as they lead the league in both defensive rating and points allowed with 101.6 per game. However, they are less intimidating with Draymond Green not in the lineup. In 14 games without Green this season, the Warriors have a record of just 7-7 and their defensive rating drops from 101.9 to 106.9 per game. Awesemo projects Towns as the best Timberwolves option tonight. However, if you want to take a high-upside flier instead, Anthony Edwards would be the play. In his last game at the Chase Center he scored a career-high 48 points.

SF Andrew Wiggins — Grades: C, C | Values: B, B

Whenever Andrew Wiggins is facing his former team, it feels as if he takes his play to another level. Since joining the Warriors, Wiggins has played against the Timberwolves five times. In those games, he is averaging 23.2 points per game while shooting 57.3% from the field and 38.5% from behind the arc. He also has a 25.8% usage rate per game in those games, which is pretty high for Wiggins on this team. The Warriors have a slate-high implied total of 117.75 points as they are 6-point home favorites. They have a league-high 22-4 record at home this season.

According to Awesemo’s Boom/Bust Tool, Wiggins ranks sixth in boom percentage on both DraftKings and FanDuel tonight. It helps that Draymond Green is out tonight, as Wiggins has had an increase in usage rate without Green in the lineup this season. However, another big reason Wiggins looks so good tonight, is the cold shooting from Stephen Curry and Klay Thompson. Curry has just one game where he scored over 23 points in his last seven games. He is shooting a career-low 41.7% from the field this season. For Thompson it has taken him a little bit to get his feet under him as he is also shooting a career-low 38.8% from the field. He is coming off of a season-high 26 minutes in his last game. It is only a matter of time until these two come out of their slump, but until that happens, put trust in Wiggins for another great revenge game.

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