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 Thursday’s seven-game main slate.

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

DraftKings & FanDuel NBA DFS Lineup Advice Today

Giannis Antetokounmpo, F/C, Milwaukee Bucks

The Bucks have recently played in a bunch of blowouts, so Antetokounmpo’s elite play has gone a bit underappreciated. He’s been limited to 30.8 minutes or fewer in three of his past five games, but he’s been phenomenal in the two games where he’s seen full minutes. He racked up 82.0 DraftKings points vs. the Lakers on Tuesday and 75.75 DraftKings points vs. the Wizards last week. Overall, Antetokounmpo has averaged a mind-boggling 1.91 DraftKings points per minute over the past month.

He’ll face a step up in weight class on Thursday vs. the Suns in Phoenix, but the matchup could actually be a positive. The spread on this game is just 3.5 points, which suggests this game should be competitive. That hopefully means Giannis is looking at a full workload. The Suns have also played at the ninth-fastest pace this season, so this game should feature plenty of possessions.

Antetokounmpo is the most expensive player on the FanDuel slate, but he’s actually -$400 cheaper than Luka Doncic. That feels wrong, and I would expect Antetokounmpo to stand out as the superior value in our NBA Projections.

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Pascal Siakam, PF/C, Toronto Raptors

Siakam is another player who feels underappreciated at the moment. Head coach Nick Nurse is playing his starters an absurd number of minutes, and Siakam has been one of their busiest players. He’s logged at least 39.4 minutes in eight of his past nine games, which has allowed him to post some monster fantasy totals. He’s been particularly hot of late, racking up at least 50.75 DraftKings points in four straight games.

Siakam can do significant damage with that much playing time vs. the Rockets. They have been the best matchup in fantasy this season, ranking first in pace and dead last in defensive efficiency.

Siakam’s ownership projection will be interesting in this spot. He’s someone who is often overlooked, and DFS players could flock to studs like Doncic and Antetokounmpo on Thursday. He should own an elite leverage score in the Boom/Bust Probability tool if that happens.

Alec Burks, G/SF, New York Knicks

The Knicks are going to be an essential team to monitor on Thursday. They could be active before the trade deadline, so they may be shorthanded vs. the Warriors. They’re also expected to be without R.J. Barrett, who is doubtful with an injury. Barrett has played a ton of minutes for the Knicks recently, so his absence would be a huge deal.

Burks is someone who could see a few additional minutes. His playing time has been slashed recently, but he’s still averaged 0.85 DraftKings points per minute over the past month. That gives him upside if he’s going to have an expanded role.

The trade deadline could also create major value in the player prop market. Make sure to take advantage of the Awesemo Player Prop tool, which highlights the most exploitable prop bets each day.

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