The NBA is back with a six-game slate on Wednesday. Using Stokastic’s NBA DFS Boom/Bust tool, let’s dive into the player pool to discuss the best NBA DFS contrarian picks on DraftKings this evening, which include Devin Booker and Amen Thompson.
NBA DFS Contrarian Picks — Plays For Today
Contrarian Studs — Devin Booker & Kevin Durant: Phoenix Suns-Houston Rockets
Devin Booker and Kevin Durant are the top contrarian studs on DraftKings at $9,600 and $9,500, respectively. Booker is coming into tonight’s action averaging 27.4 points, 8.3 assists and 5.4 rebounds per game, and he has continued to produce at a high level despite an inconsistent start to the season by the Suns. His 48.8 DraftKings points per game rank sixth overall on the slate, and his price tag continues to fall after a few lackluster performances.
The story is similar for Durant, who is averaging 30.3 points, 6.2 rebounds, 5.5 assists and 1.9 steals/blocks en route to 49.5 DraftKings points per game. The Suns are losers of three straight and five out of the past six games and have fallen under .500 for the first time all season, and their reward is a matchup with a Rockets team that is 1.5 games above them in the standings.
With Booker and Durant both looking rather pedestrian lately, the field isn’t all that interested in getting to either one of them in a tough matchup against the Rockets. As of this writing, Booker is only projected to be 1.80% owned on DraftKings. Durant is projected for slightly higher ownership at a cheaper price tag with forward eligibility, with 3.60% of the field expected to roster him. Given optimal percentages of 5.20% for Booker and 6.90% for Durant, however, the field is sleeping on the Suns, and using either Booker or Durant (or both) is an elite way to get different in GPPs without sacrificing upside.
Contrarian Value — Amen Thompson: Phoenix Suns-Houston Rockets
Pivoting to the other side of the Suns-Rockets game, Amen Thompson is DraftKings’ top contrarian value at $3,300. Thompson is starting to get actual minutes, and if Dillon Brooks (right abdominal oblique strain) misses tonight’s game, he could find himself firmly entrenched in Houston’s rotation.
While these numbers will definitely change as news comes out closer to lock, Thompson is currently the highest-graded leverage play on the slate and one of the best leverage plays we’ve seen all year. He is projected for only 8.50% ownership but has a whopping 29.00% optimal percentage despite projecting for only 15.04 DraftKings points, and his $3,300 price tag can go a long way in terms of roster construction.
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