NBA Daily Fantasy Projections & DFS Picks for DraftKings & FanDuel 1/19

On the menu for Wednesday night is a massive 13-game slate, and with 26 teams in action, NBA fantasy lineups on DraftKings and FanDuel will be flush with high-level talent and value plays. The Awesemo NBA Starting Lineups page will provide breaking news when starters are announced as well as a full injury report on players who might be missing in action. Below are some NBA daily fantasy options that stand out for tonight’s slate using Awesemo’s Boom/Bust Tool and NBA DFS projections.

Boom/Bust NBA Daily Fantasy Projections & Picks

Boom: Jordan Clarkson: $5,500 DraftKings/$5,600 FanDuel

40.7% DraftKings Boom/30% FanDuel Boom

Tonight the Jazz will be without Donovan Mitchell (concussion), creating a direct path for Clarkson to see an expanded role against the Rockets. In the three games he has been active for with Mitchell out this season, Clarkson has produced 39.2 DraftKings points in 31 minutes per game. In the 631 minutes Clarkson has played with Mitchell off the court this year, his usage has increased 4.3 percentage points to a team-high 30.5%, lifting him to 1.1 DraftKings points per minute. To put the icing on the cake, Clarkson could not ask for a better matchup. Not only does Houston rank second-to-last in defensive efficiency, but they also rank third in pace. The Jazz carry the highest implied team total on the slate in this dream spot (122.25 points), and this game’s total is also the third largest on the board (231 points).

Clarkson brings much higher upside than his current salaries suggest, particularly at only $5,500 on DraftKings, where he is rating as a top-10 value on the slate in Awesemo’s projections.

Boom: De’Anthony Melton: $3,700 DraftKings/$4,100 FanDuel

61.4% DraftKings Boom/53.3% FanDuel Boom

Melton is an elite punt play with the Grizzlies shorthanded. Dillon Brooks will be inactive due to an ankle injury, while Desmond Bane, Kyle Anderson and Tyus Jones will be out due to health protocols. In this situation, Melton should get the spot start and handle around 30 minutes against the Bucks, which is more than enough time for him to smash value at these low price points. In the 110 minutes Melton has played with those three players off the floor since the start of last season, his assist rate has nearly doubled to 27.5%. Fantasy-wise, this translates into a terrific 1.4 DraftKings points per minute for Melton, and this matchup with the Bucks presents the fourth-highest total on the slate (229 points).

Melton is a strong bet for over 30 fantasy points in this environment, and not only is he the No. 1 value on the board for both DraftKings and FanDuel, but he boasts the top boom score on the slate for both sites in Awesemo’s Boom/Bust Tool.

Boom: Domantas Sabonis: $10,100 DraftKings/$9,400 FanDuel

17.3% DraftKings Boom/18.6% FanDuel Boom

Myles Turner (foot) will be sidelined for at least few weeks, and Sabonis should flourish in his absence. When healthy the combination of Turner and Sabonis is one of the largest frontcourts in the NBA, and naturally, when one of these players is removed from the equation the other benefits greatly. In the 1,925 minutes Sabonis has played with Turner off the court since the start of last season, all of his rates have seen slight upgrades, resulting in 1.4 DraftKings points per minute. Furthermore, in the two games Turner has missed this season, Sabonis has generated 57 DraftKings points per game.

In addition to the expanded workload, Sabonis is in an outstanding spot against the Lakers tonight. No team in the league plays at faster pace than Los Angeles, and they also rank 18th in defensive efficiency. To put more gas on the fire, they are extremely vulnerable to big men, giving up the fifth-most rebounds and fifth-most points in the paint. This matchup’s total ranks fifth on the slate (225 points), and Sabonis’ ceiling is well over 60 fantasy points in this optimal situation. With Awesemo projecting him for less than 5% ownership on DraftKings, Sabonis is an incredible GPP target for this full slate. As for FanDuel, he is projecting for more ownership, but nothing out of control, and is extremely underpriced at only $9,400. That is the cheapest Sabonis has been in seven games.

Latest NBA DFS Content

Boom: De’Aaron Fox: $8,400 DraftKings/$8,000 FanDuel

13% DraftKings Boom/16% FanDuel Boom

Tonight is a tremendous time to buy low on Fox. With Tyrese Haliburton (health protocols) inactive Sunday, Fox was the chalk of the slate but unfortunately was ejected from the game early in the fourth quarter due to a Flagrant 2 foul, ruining his fantasy performance. Haliburton will remain sidelined tonight against the Pistons, and Awesemo is projecting Fox to come with low ownership on both DraftKings and FanDuel in this perfect spot to redeem himself. In the seven starts he has made without Haliburton over the last two seasons, Fox has contributed 48.3 DraftKings points per game. Additionally, in the 1,654 minutes he has played with Haliburton off the floor, Fox has supplied 1.2 DraftKings points per minute, thanks to a 3.4-percentage-point upgrade to his assist rate.

Detroit ranks 22nd in defensive efficiency and is playing its second game in two nights. The Kings boast an implied team total of 114.75 points in this spot, and this game’s total is the sixth highest on the slate (222.5 points). Fox has 50-fantasy-point upside tonight and is one of the better ways differentiate in large tournaments.

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