NBA DFS action on Thursday, Feb. 11, locks at 7:30 p.m. EST with a five-game main slate on Yahoo, DraftKings, FanDuel and SuperDraft. Before you lock in your lineups on Yahoo, DraftKings, FanDuel and SuperDraft, make sure to check out Awesemo’s daily fantasy basketball rankings and projections. Let’s dig into some daily fantasy basketball picks, including Ben Simmons, Nikola Vucevic, Stephen Curry and more.
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Awesemo’s NBA DFS Picks: Building Blocks
Yahoo Play of the Day – Ben Simmons: Philadelphia 76ers at Portland Trail Blazers
- Awesemo’s Preliminary Point Projections: Yahoo and FanDuel: 39.5 | DraftKings: 40.04
- Awesemo’s Preliminary Rostered Projections: Yahoo 27.4% | FanDuel 15.1% | DraftKings 16%
- DFS Salary: Yahoo $35 | FanDuel $8,800 | DraftKings $8,300
This is a cherry matchup for Ben Simmons, who is a nightly threat for a triple-double. Though he has just three through 22 games, he is averaging 33.0 minutes, 13.5 points, 8.2 rebounds, 8.0 assists and 2.5 combined blocks/steals. Over their last 10 games, Portland has been hemorrhaging points, allowing 117.5 per 100 possessions. Even better for Simmons, there is no real rim protector, with Enes Kanter and Robert Covington supplying the interior defense. Simmons missed this matchup in Philadelphia when the Trail Blazers surprised the 76ers with a 121-105 upset without Damian Lillard. He is easily the best option on Yahoo tonight.
Stephen Curry: Golden State Warriors vs. Orlando Magic
- Awesemo’s Preliminary Point Projections: Yahoo and FanDuel: 47.82 | DraftKings: 51.56
- Awesemo’s Preliminary Rostered Projections: Yahoo 9.2% | FanDuel 11.9% | DraftKings 14.1%
- DFS Salary: Yahoo $47 | FanDuel $10,500 | DraftKings $10,100
Tonight’s salary may keep Stephen Curry’s popularity in check, but that is just making him more of a targeted option in my opinion. Curry has been phenomenal this season, even with coach Steve Kerr looking to keep him in the 33- to 35-minute range most nights. Knowing that we are unlikely to get extra minutes, we are counting on efficiency and pace to get Curry to his big performances. To this point Curry is flirting with career highs in several categories, including field-goal attempts (20.1), 3-point attempts (11.3), free throws (5.6), points (29.6) and rebounds (5.4). The 5.9 assists are below his 6.6 career average, but there are not that many shooters on the team to convert his passes to buckets.
Orlando may be without rookie Cole Anthony (shoulder) and Evan Fournier (back spasms), and they are already without Markelle Fultz, Jonathan Isaac and Aaron Gordon. This has really weakened their defense, and over their last 10 games, the Magic are allowing the sixth-most points per 100 possessions.
Nikola Vucevic: Orlando Magic at Golden State Warriors
- Awesemo’s Preliminary Point Projections: Yahoo and FanDuel: 51.3 | DraftKings: 53.17
- Awesemo’s Preliminary Rostered Projections: Yahoo 17% | FanDuel 16.4% | DraftKings 24.7%
- DFS Salary: Yahoo $45 | FanDuel $9800 | DraftKings $9400
Over his last 10 games, Nikola Vucevic has tallied at 30.0% usage rate. This is nearly a 10% boost over his season usage rate (28.2%) and would have him just outside the top 15 in the season-long rankings. With Orlando missing all those players listed above, Vucevic is now leading the team in points and rebounds, and he potentially has the highest assist rate if both Fournier and Anthony are unable to suit up. He has 4 or more assists in six of his last 10 games, including four of his last five.
James Wiseman and Kevon Looney are both out, so that leaves Draymond Green, Eric Paschall and Juan Toscano-Anderson as the likely candidates left to slow down Vucevic. Advantage goes to Vucevic, who is also sinking a career-best 41.7% of his 6.2 3-point attempts per appearance.
Good Value
Furkan Korkmaz: Philadelphia 76ers at Portland Trail Blazers
- Awesemo’s Preliminary Point Projections: Yahoo and FanDuel: 14.71 | DraftKings: 15.5
- Awesemo’s Preliminary Rostered Projections: Yahoo 2% | FanDuel 9.7% | DraftKings 22.9%
- DFS Salary: Yahoo $10 | FanDuel $4,100 | DraftKings $3,700
Mike Scott (knee) is out, and now Shake Milton (ankle) is doubtful. That leaves Furkan Korkmaz as the likely recipient of 22 to 25 minutes off the bench tonight. Korkmaz has closed out four of the last six games for the 76ers, so that bodes well for potential minutes of the upper end of his range. Portland tends to play small, particularly now that Kanter is their only true big man. On a five-game slate, Korkmaz is a decent discount dandy. Seth Curry is also going to be a popular value option. To answer your next question, yes, we can play both Korkmaz and Curry together tonight.
Risky Value
Detroit Pistons Backcourt vs. Indiana Pacers
The trade of Derrick Rose brings back the oft-traveled Dennis Smith Jr. We are hopeful for some news regarding his playing time, though we may not be fortunate for anything concrete. Rose last took the court for Detroit at the end of January. This has given the salary algorithms time to catch up to his absence. Regardless of Smith’s status, Delon Wright should still see 32 to 35 minutes, though more of it will be at shooting guard when he shares the court with his new teammate.
Wayne Ellington (calf) will probably stay in the starting lineup alongside Wright. My guess is that in this first game Smith will come off the bench. If he is announced as the starter, then Smith is a tremendous option across the board as a near minimum salary. Frank Jackson (illness) is doubtful for tonight, so the most likely candidates for minutes reductions will be some combination of wings Saddiq Bey, Sekou Doumbouya and Svi Mykhailiuk.
If Smith comes off the bench, or we have uncertainty with his minutes role, that is where this becomes a risky play. In addition to curbing potential upside for Wright and Ellington, it makes Smith himself a tricky decision point. He started 50 of 53 games a few years ago, averaging 13.6 points and 4.8 assists. But then last year he fell out of favor, playing in just 34 games and starting only three. This year that has continued, and he has appeared in just three games for a total of 28 minutes.
Yahoo Daily Fantasy Basketball Discount Dandies
- Tristan Thompson: BOS at TOR – $10
- T.J. McConnell: IND at DET – $12
- Doug McDermott: IND at DET – $12
SuperDraft Daily Fantasy Basketball Picks
- Jerami Grant: DET vs. IND – 1.40x multiplier
- Kemba Walker: BOS at TOR – 1.55x multiplier
- DeMarcus Cousins: HOU vs. MIA – 1.70x multiplier
Final Thoughts on the Thursday, Feb. 11 NBA DFS Slate
Tonight we have two of our five games tipping off at 10:00 p.m. ET. This means that there could be news coming out well after lock. We will want to be near our computers or mobile devices in order to properly react. 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.
