NBA DFS First Look & Optimal Lineup Picks Today

The Slate Starter is a daily first look at to get your daily fantasy basketball lineup-building process started before lock tonight. Each day, we will go through some of the best NBA DFS picks, top stacks and optimal lineup construction for DraftKings and FanDuel. Be sure to check Awesemo’s NBA Starting Lineups page, as it will be updated throughout the day as the NBA injury reports are released and breaking news surfaces. Let’s dive into some players who stand out as key options on Wednesday’s 13-game slate.

Want to see how your lineup stacked up against yesterday’s winning NBA DFS lineups on DraftKings, FanDuel and Yahoo? Check out our Optimal Lineup Review, which uses Fantasy Cruncher Rewind to analyze the winning plays from the night before.

NBA DFS Picks & Optimal Lineup Construction | Dec. 8

Ayo Dosunmu, PG/SG, Chicago Bulls

The second-round rookie out of Illinois has emerged as a significant part of the Bulls’ rotation, and he’s taken on a prominent role recently. The Bulls are dealing with a host of absences at the moment, with DeMar DeRozan, Coby White, Alex Caruso, and Javonte Green all expected to miss Wednesday’s contest. Dosunmu logged 41.9 minutes with all four players out of the lineup on Monday, and he responded with 31.5 DraftKings points. I wouldn’t expect quite as much playing time on Wednesday, but the Bulls have no choice but to lean on him heavily.

Dosunmu hasn’t been the best producer on a per-minute basis this season, averaging just 0.67 DraftKings points per minute. That said, that’s not a massive deal at his current salary. He’s priced at just $3,900 on DraftKings, and players with comparable price tags have averaged 26.37 DraftKings points when they log at least 30 minutes. As long as Dosunmu is projected for around 30 minutes in our NBA Projections, he should be a solid source of value.

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Norman Powell, SG/SF, Portland Trail Blazers

The Blazers are another team dealing with some crucial injuries. Damian Lillard is expected to miss around another week with an abdominal injury, while C.J. McCollum has suffered a collapsed right lung. Hopefully, McCollum can make a speedy recovery, but someone will have to score the ball in the interim.

Powell stands out as the most logical option. He’s increased his usage rate to 31.3% with Lillard and McCollum off the court this season, albeit over a small sample size. Powell has displayed the ability to rack up fantasy points in the past, and he’s priced down after a subpar start to the season.

I would expect Powell to carry significant ownership on Wednesday, so make sure to check him out in the Boom/Bust Probability Tool. It might be worth considering other options if his projected ownership is much higher than his optimal lineup rate.

Cody Martin, G/SF, Charlotte Hornets

The Hornets are running out of point guards. LaMelo Ball, Terry Rozier, and Ish Smith have all been ruled out for Wednesday’s matchup vs. the 76ers, so the team will have to turn to some unconventional options. Miles Bridges, Gordon Hayward, and Kelly Oubre could all see some time as the primary ballhandler, but Martin could also earn some of those responsibilities.

Martin has already played a considerable role for the Hornets recently. He played 32.3 minutes in his first game following a two-game absence, and he followed that up with 42 minutes in his last game.

Martin could also be worth exploring in the player prop market. He’s capable of racking up points, rebounds, and assists, so I’ll be interested to see how each of his projections grades out in the Awesemo Player Prop tool.

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