NBA Daily Fantasy Picks: DraftKings + FanDuel Ownership Projections

For Thursday night, we get a smaller three-game slate, and below are some of my favorite NBA daily fantasy picks for both FanDuel and DraftKings based on Awesemo’s grades and values.

Join AWESEMO+ today!

Use accurate data and advanced tools crafted by the #1 DFS player.

NBA Daily Fantasy Picks: Awesemo Grades | Feb. 18

Power Forward: Giannis Antetokounmpo

DraftKings Grades: A, Values: A

FanDuel Grades: A, Values: A

Antetokounmpo erupted for 72.5 DraftKings points against the Raptors on Tuesday, and he will face this club again tonight. The two-time MVP has now eclipsed 70 DraftKings points in three of his last four, mostly due to some huge playing time. The Bucks lost their fourth straight Tuesday, and during this losing streak, Mike Budenholzer has had no choice but to keep Antetokounmpo on the floor for 37.2 minutes per game. This is a large upgrade from the 30.9 minutes per game the forward logged in his previous five, and this rematch between two of the East’s best teams calls for another competitive setting (Milwaukee -6).

In desperate need of a win, it’s hard to imagine Antetokounmpo seeing anything less than 35 minutes tonight, and he is averaging 57 DraftKings points per game when the Bucks have played in a single-digit spread this season. Let’s not forget that Jrue Holiday is still in quarantine. Without Holiday, Antetokounmpo’s assist rate goes up a significant 8.6%, and it’s difficult to build a lineup without the superstar Thursday.

Projected NBA DFS ownership projection: DraftKings 38.3%, FanDuel 49.5%

Small Forward: Pat Connaughton

DraftKings Grades: D, Values: C

FanDuel Grades: D, Values: C

In the absence of Holiday, Bryn Forbes has been starting at point for Milwaukee, but with him struggling to make an impact, the Bucks gave Connaughton an expanded role off the bench Tuesday. Connaughton finished with a season-high 31 minutes of work, including 10.7 minutes of the fourth quarter. The end result was a season-best 35.25 DraftKings points. I expect Forbes to continue starting Thursday, but Connaughton should have earned himself 25 to 30 minutes for this rematch with the Raptors that carries a slate-high game total of 235.5 points.

When he has topped 25 minutes this year, Connaughton is supplying 27.2 DraftKings points per game. He is a solid punt to target from this hefty total.

Projected NBA DFS ownership projection: DraftKings 13.9%, FanDuel 14.3%

Latest NBA DFS Content

Small Forward: Jimmy Butler

DraftKings Grades: A, Values: B

FanDuel Grades: A, Values: A

The Heat dropped their third in a row last night, but Butler continued to put up massive numbers. For the second straight start, he tallied a triple-double, and he is now contributing 50.5 DraftKings points per game in these first 10 since he returned from a 10-game absence due to the NBA’s health protocols. Butler’s usage has been at 27.1% during this run, compared to the 25.4% he was handling before his self-isolation for the team.

With the Heat continuing to lose and sitting at an ugly 11-17 record, Butler should maintain this robust role as he tries to save their season, and tonight’s matchup against the Kings is gorgeous for him. Based on efficiency, no defense in the league is worse than Sacramento, and they could be even weaker than usual with Richaun Holmes (knee) out. The center is no Rudy Gobert by any means, but he is the Kings’ highest-rated defender this season in terms of real defensive plus/minus. The lackadaisical Hassan Whiteside is going to earn more time at center, and the Heat should produce one of their higher scores of the season as a team. Butler is a legitimate threat for another triple-double, and I feel like he could end up being a little under-owned compared to the other stars on the slate.

Projected NBA DFS ownership projection: DraftKings 25.7%, FanDuel 26.2%

Point Guard: Cory Joseph

DraftKings Grades: C, Values: A

FanDuel Grades: C, Values: A

With the Kings down one starter in each of their last three, Joseph has received 28.56 minutes per game. He has improved in each contest, scoring 22.25, 25.75 and 32.5 DraftKings points. That final score came with Holmes inactive Monday, when the Kings went with a smaller starting lineup against the Nets with Joseph at shooting guard. Now, with Harrison Barnes (out, foot) joining Holmes on the sidelines, Joseph should remain with the first unit and approach 30 minutes against the Heat.

Sans Barnes and Holmes, Joseph produces a solid 0.8 DraftKings points per minute, and if we look at all the times he has obtained 25 minutes or more this season, he is amassing 23.2 DraftKings points per game. At sub-$4,000 salaries on both DraftKings and FanDuel, Joseph is a necessary punt play for this three-game slate. He is rating as a top-five point-per-dollar value on both sites, per Awesemo’s projections.

Projected NBA DFS ownership projection: DraftKings 14.7%, FanDuel 26.1%

Follow us on all of our social channels! Check out our Twitter, Facebook, Instagram and YouTube for more great Awesemo content.

Looking for more NBA daily fantasy picks content? We have loads of NBA daily fantasy picks articles, data, FanDuel cheat sheets and more on the Awesemo NBA home page. Just click HERE.