Sunday, June 20, brings the final two-game slate of the year. There is a new series tipping off with the Clippers and Suns as well as a hotly anticipated Game 7 between the Hawks and 76ers. Let’s look at the four-team player pool and discuss the top NBA DFS picks for DraftKings, FanDuel and Yahoo lineups. Don’t forget to head over to the Awesemo NBA DFS home page for more great written daily fantasy basketball content, including the FREE NBA Deep Dive — the most in-depth article in the industry.
NBA DFS Picks: Building Blocks, Sunday, June 20
Yahoo Play of the Day — Devin Booker: Phoenix Suns vs. Los Angeles Clippers
- Awesemo’s Preliminary Point Projections: Yahoo and FanDuel: 46.03 | DraftKings: 49.11
- Awesemo’s Preliminary Rostered Projections: Yahoo 50.0% | FanDuel 57.2% | DraftKings 44.0%
- DFS Salary: Yahoo $35 | FanDuel $7,900 | DraftKings $8,900
This is going to be the first time Devin Booker takes the reins of the Phoenix offense under the bright lights of the postseason. Though Chris Paul is in the health and safety protocol, the Suns have had a full week off to recharge after sweeping the Nuggets. Los Angeles, on the other hand, has had to play three hard-fought battles in the last week, and they were without Kawhi Leonard for two of them. By the second half it may seem like the Clippers are running in the sand, while the fresh legs of Phoenix give the host team a marked advantage.
NBA WOWY shows that in 142 postseason minutes without Paul on the court, Booker gets a 10% bump to his per-minute fantasy production. Awesemo is projecting Booker for 41.4 minutes, which makes him an excellent point per dollar option on Sunday.
Trae Young: Atlanta Hawks at Philadelphia 76ers
- Awesemo’s Preliminary Point Projections: Yahoo and FanDuel: 44.05 | DraftKings: 47.49
- Awesemo’s Preliminary Rostered Projections: Yahoo 40.8% | FanDuel 39.4% | DraftKings 30.0%
- DFS Salary: Yahoo $42 | FanDuel $10,300 | DraftKings $10,100
The last week has been an amazing one for Trae Young, as he has tallied at least 57 fantasy points in three straight games while leading the Hawks to victory twice and nearly knocking off the 76ers on Friday in Atlanta. This one is for all the marbles, and even though Young is dealing with a sore shoulder, he is going to see north of 40 minutes tonight. In his last three games he is averaging 40 minutes, nearly 27 field-goal attempts and 10 trips to the charity stripe. This has culminated in 32.7 points, 3.3 rebounds, 12.3 assists and 2.3 steals per game. Young is a tremendous tournament option, as the questionable tag should have the less sophisticated gamers looking for safer plays.
Paul George: Los Angeles Clippers at Phoenix Suns
- Awesemo’s Preliminary Point Projections: Yahoo and FanDuel: 52.82 | DraftKings: 56.75
- Awesemo’s Preliminary Rostered Projections: Yahoo 53.8% | FanDuel 45.8% | DraftKings 45.4%
- DFS Salary: Yahoo $43 | FanDuel $10,600 | DraftKings $10,300
Once again Paul George should surpass 40 minutes, put up 25 shots and flirt with 60 fantasy points. There is not much actual analysis here, as the Clippers have no choice but to make George the focal point of their offense.
Good Value
Cameron Payne: Phoenix Suns vs. Los Angeles Clippers
- Awesemo’s Preliminary Point Projections: Yahoo and FanDuel: 34.96 | DraftKings: 36.35
- Awesemo’s Preliminary Rostered Projections: Yahoo 55.6% | FanDuel 63% | DraftKings 79.8%
- DFS Salary: Yahoo $12 | FanDuel $5,000 | DraftKings $4,000
It would appear that the DFS salary algorithms were expecting Chris Paul to be available for Game 1, as Cameron Payne has by far the most fantasy-friendly salary in the entire Sunday player pool. NBA WOWY shows him with 149 minutes this postseason without Paul on the floor, and Payne is averaging 1.17 fantasy points per minute in that time. This afternoon he should play somewhere between 30 and 35 minutes, and he is a very real threat to reach 40 fantasy points.
Yahoo Daily Fantasy Basketball Discount Dandies
- Terance Mann: LAC at PHX – $11
- Furkan Korkmaz: PHI vs. ATL – $10
- Kevin Huerter: ATL at PHI – $13
Final Thoughts on the Sunday, June 20 NBA DFS Slate
This will be the Clippers’ third game without Leonard, though it will be Phoenix’s first without Chris Paul. Do not be afraid to ride with the masses and include Payne on most rosters. Keep in mind that salaries and scoring formats differ across the various fantasy sites, and a slam-dunk play on Yahoo may be a below-average NBA DFS pick on DraftKings or FanDuel.
