The NBA DFS Big Board is a one-stop shop for building your lineups. It gives each player on the slate a Points Rating, Value Rating and Leverage Rating on a scale from 1 to 100, which allows you to easily decipher some of the top options on the slate. The season got underway with a two-game slate on Tuesday, but the main course takes place on Wednesday. There is an 11-game main slate starting at 7 p.m. ET, so there are plenty of options to choose from. The one big theme for today’s slate is rookies. Rookies can be an excellent source of value early in the year. They are typically priced like reserve role players, but some players will start the year with significant roles for their respective clubs. Let’s dive into some of the rookies who are popping in the NBA DFS projections and on the Big Board daily fantasy rankings tonight.
NBA Daily Fantasy Rankings & DFS Projections Today
Scottie Barnes, SF/PF, Toronto Raptors
DraftKings Value Rating: 98
Barnes stands out as one of the best values of the day on DraftKings. He is currently projected for 28.6 DraftKings points in our NBA Projections, which would be good for nearly 8x on his current salary. The Raptors selected Barnes with the No. 4 pick in the 2021 NBA Draft, and he should step into a primary role given their current injury situation. Pascal Siakam and Yuta Watanabe are recovering from injuries, so Barnes should get plenty of time at power forward. He averaged 1.07 DraftKings points per minute during the preseason, so he should be able to play off his $3,400 salary without much playing time.
Even though Barnes stands out as an excellent DFS play, the under on his scoring prop is grading favorably in Awesemo’s Player Prop Tool. Barnes can contribute to every category across the board, so he does not necessarily need to rely on scoring for his fantasy value.
Evan Mobley, C/PF, Cleveland Cavaliers
DraftKings Value Rating: 96
FanDuel Value Rating: 84
Mobley is one of the best rookie values across the industry. The Cavaliers selected him with the third overall pick, and he averaged 1.04 FanDuel points per minute during the preseason. He can rack up fantasy points on the defensive end – he totaled eight blocks and five steals during the preseason – and he also has upside as a scorer. His 3-point shooting remains a work in progress, but he did knock down one triple during the preseason.
The only real concern with Mobley is his ownership. He is currently projected for 24.3% ownership on FanDuel and 21.3% on DraftKings, so he will be one of the more popular big men on the slate.
Jalen Suggs, PG/SG, Orlando Magic
DraftKings Value Rating: 94
FanDuel Value Rating: 71
Suggs was the No. 5 pick in the draft, and he was excellent in his only season at Gonzaga. He averaged 14.4 points, 4.5 assists and 5.3 rebounds in 28.9 minutes per game, and the Magic hope he is their long-term answer at point guard.
Suggs will also be asked to pick up some of the slack given their current injury situation. Michael Carter-Williams, Markelle Fultz and Jonathan Isaac are rehabbing long-term injuries, while Chuma Okeke will miss Wednesday’s game with a hip injury. That leaves Suggs, Cole Anthony and Terrence Ross to handle most of the scoring responsibilities. Suggs also benefits from a solid matchup on opening night. The Spurs ranked 22nd in defensive efficiency last year, and they do not figure to be much improved on that end this season.
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