NBA Daily Fantasy Picks: DraftKings + FanDuel Ownership Projections

There is a value-packed seven-game slate for the first NBA night in April, and below are some of the best NBA daily fantasy picks for both FanDuel and DraftKings based on Awesemo’s grades and values.

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NBA Daily Fantasy Picks: Awesemo Grades | April 1

Point Guard: Kyrie Irving

DraftKings Grades: A, Values: A

FanDuel Grades: A, Values: A

Last night James Harden exited the win over Houston early with hamstring tightness and did not return. The Nets will be playing it safe with the former MVP, already ruling him out for Thursday night. Kevin Durant will also remain inactive, along with Blake Griffin, who will be rested with this being the second night of a back-to-back.

In all the minutes he has played without Griffin, Durant and Harden since Harden joined Brooklyn, Irving has posted a 37.8% usage rate and an absurd 45.1% assist percentage. Not playing alongside Harden, who is the NBA’s leader in assists, clearly translates to Irving becoming a more prominent playmaker, and he is producing a tremendous 1.56 DraftKings points per minute in this situation. This matchup with the Hornets is average (16th in defensive efficiency), but it is hard to imagine building a lineup without Irving tonight.

Projected NBA DFS ownership projection: DraftKings 32.2%, FanDuel 38.6%

Point Guard: Nickeil Alexander-Walker

DraftKings Grades: B, Values: A

FanDuel Grades: B, Values: A

Tonight the Pelicans will be without Lonzo Ball for the sixth straight game, and both Zion Williamson and Brandon Ingram will be joining him on the inactive list. Down three starters, New Orleans is producing a plethora of appealing value plays tonight, with Alexander-Walker being my favorite of the group.

Whenever Alexander-Walker has been on the floor without Ingram, Williamson, Ball and J.J. Reddick (traded to Dallas) this season, Alexander-Walker has a 27.2% usage rate and provided 1.32 DraftKings points per minute, both of which are team-highs for this scenario. He has exceeded 30 DraftKings in all of these last five as the replacement starting point guard for Ball, and in the one game that New Orleans played without Williamson and Ball this season, Alexander-Walker exploded for a career-best 52.5 DraftKings points. At reasonable price tags on both DraftKings and FanDuel, he is a value play that can’t be ignored.

Projected NBA DFS ownership projection: DraftKings 9.2%, FanDuel 14.6%

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Center: Clint Capela

DraftKings Grades: A, Values: A

FanDuel Grades: A, Values: A

After spraining his ankle against the Suns on Tuesday, John Collins will miss his first game of the season tonight. Collins ranks second on the Hawks in rebounding this season, only trailing Capela, who is the NBA’s leading rebounder at 14.1 per game. When Capela doesn’t have to share the paint with Collins, he is even more active on the glass than usual. Capela’s rebound percentage has seen a 2.4-point boost when on the court without Collins since the All-Star break, bringing him up to 29.7%.

Now, for his first full start sans Collins, Capela will face a Spurs team that yielded the fifth-most rebounds per game in the NBA during the month of March. Capela has 20/20 upside in this spot and is a top-10 point-per-dollar value on DraftKings via Awesemo’s projections.

Projected NBA DFS ownership projection: DraftKings 29.8%, FanDuel 21.2%

Small Forward: Kawhi Leonard

DraftKings Grades: A, Values: B

FanDuel Grades: A, Values: B

In this marquee matchup with the Nuggets, the Clippers are going to be very understaffed. Paul George (foot), Serge Ibaka (back) and Patrick Beverley (knee) have all been ruled out, while Marcus Morris (calf) is questionable. The high-usage Lou Williams was also just traded for Rajon Rondo last Thursday, and Rondo will not be making his Clipper debut Thursday due to a groin injury. Even if Morris is available, Los Angeles should only use nine players tonight, inflating all the starters playing time and rates.

Since the All-Star break, Leonard has been a beast in the 95 minutes he has played without Ibaka, George, Beverley and Williams, leading the Clippers with a 32.5% usage rate, a 25.8% assist percentage and 1.4 DraftKings points per minute. Denver’s defense rates as the sixth-weakest group in the league over their last 10 games, and Leonard is a terrific high-end spend for Thursday night.

Projected NBA DFS ownership projection: DraftKings 24.4%, FanDuel 33.2%

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