NBA Daily Fantasy Picks: DraftKings + FanDuel Ownership Projections

Happy Monday, everybody. For tonight’s slate, we get seven games to target, and below are some of my favorite 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 + Ownership | Jan. 11

Center: Chris Boucher

DraftKings Grades: C, Values: C

FanDuel Grades: C, Values: D

The Raptors experimented with Alex Len and Aron Baynes at center to start the season, but they have finally realized that Boucher is their best option going forward after Marc Gasol and Serge Ibaka both leaving this past offseason. In their past two games, Baynes has been completely been taken out of the rotation and Len has only seen five total minutes, while Boucher has logged 53. He has produced an immense 1.4 DraftKings points per minute this year, and with 26.5 minutes per contest across these last two, Boucher has supplied 43.3 DraftKings points per game. Last night against the Warriors, Pascal Siakam got the start, but it was only him and Boucher that saw time at the center spot for Toronto. Boucher would have obtained more than 24 minutes if he didn’t foul out in the fourth quarter.

Tonight Boucher should receive 25-30 minutes in a juicy matchup with the Blazers. This contest carries the second-highest over/under of this seven-game slate (230.5 points), and this Portland club has allowed the fifth-most rebounds per game in 2020-21. Boucher is averaging 38.9 DraftKings points per game in his last 10 with at least 20 minutes, and he is a value that needs to be attacked at only $6,000 on DraftKings. He is more expensive on FanDuel, but the higher price tag and only center eligibility has Boucher projected for essentially no ownership on that site, per Awesemo’s projections.

Projected NBA DFS ownership projection: DraftKings 6.8% FanDuel 0.7%

Point Guard: Tyrese Maxey

DraftKings Grades: B, Values: A

FanDuel Grades: B, Values: A

Maxey is arguably the best value play we have seen so far in 2020-21. With only seven players available for the 76ers on Saturday due to the NBA’s COVID-19 policies, Maxey drew his first career start and did not disappoint. In 44 minutes of work, the rookie point guard posted a ridiculous 61.25 DraftKings points against the Nuggets. He commanded a team-high 31.1% usage rate, and even with Joel Embiid (probable, back) and Mike Scott (probable, knee) returning for the Sixers on Monday, Maxey should still garner a large usage rate and play upwards of 40 minutes tonight.

He is the only healthy point guard left on this roster, and the 2020 first-round pick will be matched up with Trae Young, who ranked dead last among 95 eligible point guards in real defensive plus/minus last season. Coming off an epic performance on Saturday, Maxey should be oozing with confidence, and I believe the 20-year-old needs to be a core play for all DFS players this evening.

Projected NBA DFS ownership projection: DraftKings 71.3% FanDuel 59.1%

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Point Guard: Malcolm Brogdon

DraftKings Grades: A, Values: B

FanDuel Grades: B, Values: B

New Pacers head coach Nate Bjorkgren has not been shy about Brogdon’s minutes as of late. In his last four, the point guard has handled a whopping 40 regulation minutes per game. As you could have guessed, this extreme volume has produced excellent fantasy scores, with Brogdon scoring 52.75 DraftKings points per game over this time.

Barring foul trouble, we can project him for roughly 40 minutes again on Monday, considering the tight spread of this tilt against the Kings (Indiana -5.5). Additionally, this game’s total currently sits at 227 points, which is the highest-total game the Pacers have competed in this season. The Kings rank last in defensive efficiency, and Brogdon has a ceiling well over 50 fantasy points in this spot.

Projected NBA DFS ownership projection: DraftKings 13.1% FanDuel 19.0%

Power Forward: Cameron Johnson

DraftKings Grades: D, Values: C

FanDuel Grades: D, Values: C

Tonight’s slate-high game total goes to Suns – Wizards in Washington (231 points). This Wizards squad is currently the fastest unit in the league, and the Suns are slated for the most points of the 14 teams on Monday’s schedule (118.75 points). Obviously, they are one of the best teams of the night to target, and Johnson is an easy way to gain access to their hefty implied team total. In his last two, the second-year forward has generated 27.4 DraftKings points per game in 28.2 minutes per game. This ranks fifth in playing time on the team during this stretch, and Johnson is attempting a notable 6.7 6 3-pointers per game this season, converting them at a 40% clip.

Not only is this Wizards’ team he is going against extremely fast-paced and defensively inept (27th in defensive efficiency), but they are allowing their opponents to hit 3’s at the second- highest rate in the league (39.6%). Johnson has knocked down multiple 3-pointers in nine straight games, and the sharpshooter should expose this Wizards’ defense for 25-30 fantasy points.

Projected NBA DFS ownership projection: DraftKings 11.4%% FanDuel 7.9%

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