With three of Monday’s eight games carrying totals above 235 points, we can safely expect some huge fantasy scores this evening. Many of these teams are still jockeying for playoff position, and there are a few key injury situations to monitor, most specifically LeBron James, who exited last night’s loss to the Raptors after tweaking his ankle. With Dennis Schroder currently away from the team in quarantine, the Lakers will be very short on ball handlers if James is unable to suit up, making players like Alex Caruso, Ben McLemore and Talen Horton-Tucker NBA daily fantasy picks to consider. So, per usual, be sure to be watching all the news outlets very closely and to be checking back to Awesemo to see how our NBA DFS rankings and projections for both DraftKings and FanDuel adjust after any breaking news.
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NBA Daily Fantasy Picks: Awesemo Grades | May 3
Point Guard: Russell Westbrook
DraftKings Grades: A, Values: B
FanDuel Grades: A, Values: B
Westbrook is honestly unavoidable at only $11,00o on DraftKings tonight. The Wizards and Pacers will go head-to-head in Washington, and the over/under for this matchup is set at a mammoth 246 points. Unsurprisingly, this is the highest total on the board tonight by nearly 10 points, and Westbrook should flourish in this high-speed affair. Over their last 10 games, the Wizards and Pacers rank third and fourth in pace, respectively, and Washington’s slate-high 124.75-point implied team total is a new season high for the club.
When the Wizards have boasted an implied team total of 120 points or more this season, Westbrook has led the way with 61.25 DraftKings points per game. Additionally, with his team fighting to improve their position in the standings as the playoffs quickly approach, Westbrook has played over 40 minutes in three of his past four starts. The hefty volume should continue Monday night with the Wizards only 3.5-point favorites, and the last 10 times Westbrook has competed in a spread under 5 points, he has averaged 64.5 DraftKings points per game. Westbrook currently has the highest raw point total in the Awesemo NBA DFS projections at 58.84 — almost 5 points higher than any other player on the slate.
NBA DFS Ownership Projection: DraftKings 39.6%, FanDuel 30.2%
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Power Forward: Oshae Brissett
DraftKings Grades: B, Values: C
FanDuel Grades: B, Values: C
Regardless of if Goga Bitadze (questionable, ankle) returns tonight, Brissett is still a great target for this shootout between the Pacers and Wizards. Brissett has played well in the absence of Myles Turner (out, toe) and has solidified himself a big role as Indiana’s starting power forward for the rest of the season. Since entering the starting lineup six games ago, Brissett has led the Pacers with 37.8 minutes a night, and he has responded with 40.5 DraftKings points per game.
Despite these strong numbers, Brissett is slated for essentially no ownership on either DraftKings or FanDuel tonight, per Awesemo’s NBA DFS ownership projections. He brings 40-fantasy-point upside in this track meet with the Wizards, and Brissett is an outstanding contrarian way of attacking the top game environment on the slate.
NBA DFS Ownership Projection: DraftKings 1.8%, FanDuel 0.4%
Power Forward: Draymond Green
DraftKings Grades: B, Values: B
FanDuel Grades: B, Values: B
Heading to New Orleans tonight, Green is one of the best plays of this eight-game slate. As the ninth seed out West, the Warriors can’t afford to lose any games right now, and this date with the Pelicans carries a 3-point spread and a high 237 point total. Green has contributed 38.1 DraftKings points per game across his last five starts and is averaging 40.3 DraftKings points per game in the last 10 Warriors games that have been decided by fewer than 10 points.
Also, the Pelicans and their 27th-ranked defense have been extremely susceptible to power forwards this season. They have given up the a league-high 57.1 DraftKings points per game to the position, and Golden State will once again be without Kelly Oubre (wrist) and James Wiseman (knee). In the six games these two starters have missed, Green has supplied 37.9 DraftKings points per game, and the potential absence of Andrew Wiggins (questionable, knee) would just be an additional boost to Green’s already strong case.
NBA DFS Ownership Projection: DraftKings 17.8%, FanDuel 13.8%
Small Forward: Saddiq Bey
DraftKings Grades: B, Values: B
FanDuel Grades: C, Values: A
Despite competing in the lowest total on the slate, Bey needs to be on radars with the Pistons so short-handed tonight. For the third straight game, Detroit will be missing Cory Joseph (ankle), Mason Plumlee (rest), Jerami Grant (rest), Jahlil Okafor (personal), Rodney McGruder (elbow), Wayne Ellington (calf) and Dennis Smith (knee). Bey has received a team-high 35.9 minutes per game in the six sans Grant and Plumlee this year, pushing him to 31.3 DraftKings points per game.
Bey is coming off a career-high 48.75 DraftKings points against the Hornets on Saturday night, and on tap for Monday is a meeting with a Magic team that has been a mess on the defensive end, rating as the fifth-weakest group over their last 10. Bey should return at least five times value tonight and is rating as a top-10 forward value for both DraftKings and FanDuel according to Awesemo’s NBA DFS projections.
NBA DFS Ownership Projection: DraftKings 17.4%, FanDuel 27.4%
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