NBA Daily Fantasy Projections & DFS Picks for DraftKings & FanDuel 2/16

For Wednesday night, there is a massive 11-game slate to attack. Be sure to watch the Awesemo NBA Starting Lineups page closely today for updates on each team before making your NBA picks, specifically for the status of Ja Morant (questionable, ankle). With the guard inactive last night, Tyus Jones got the spot start at point guard and finished with 44.3 DraftKings points across 32.3 minutes against the Pelicans. At near-minimum salaries on both DraftKings and FanDuel, Jones would be a must-play if Morant is inactive again. Below are some NBA daily fantasy basketball picks 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: Trae Young: $9,400 DraftKings/$10,200 FanDuel

28% DraftKings Boom/10% FanDuel Boom

With John Collins (foot) inactive last night, Young went off for 60.3 DraftKings points in a difficult matchup against the Cavaliers, who rank fourth in defensive efficiency. The guard is now averaging 58.5 DraftKings PPG for the six starts he has made without Collins this season. The forward will remain sidelined Wednesday against the Magic and in the 518 minutes Young has played with Collins off the court this season, his usage has risen three percentage points to a team-high 37.7%.

This results in an elite 1.5 DraftKings PPM for Young and after destroying a stout Cleveland defense last night, he gets a plus matchup against the Magic this evening, who rank 22nd in defensive efficiency. The Hawks carry the fourth-highest implied team on the slate in this spot with 117.75 points and this contest’s total is also the fourth largest on the board at 229 points. Young is a strong bet for over 50 fantasy points tonight and is a steal at only $9,400 on DraftKings. At this reasonable price point, the guard is rating as the best DraftKings value above $7,000 in Awesemo’s NBA projections.

Young is one of the top options on the entire fantasy basketball slate today. To see all of the other players who are rating out as some of the best NBA DFS picks tonight, check out the DraftKings Fantasy Basketball Cheat Sheet, FanDuel Fantasy Basketball Cheat Sheet and Yahoo Fantasy Basketball Cheat Sheet today.

Boom: Darius Bazley: $6,500 DraftKings/$7,100 FanDuel

13% DraftKings Boom/7% FanDuel Boom

Bazley has topped 40 DraftKings points in three straight starts and should handle a huge role tonight with the Thunder extremely depleted. Shai Gilgeous-Alexander (ankle), Lu Dort (shoulder), Jeremiah Robinson-Earl (foot), Kenrich Williams (knee), Mike Muscala (ankle) and Ty Jerome (hip) have been ruled out, leaving Oklahoma City with only nine healthy players. Gilgeous-Alexander and Dort lead the Thunder in usage this season and when these two players have been off the court, Bazley has produced one DraftKings PPM behind a 22% usage rate in a sample size of 311 minutes.

The forward has logged at least 33 minutes in seven of his past eight games and should approach 40 minutes tonight against the Spurs with the Thunder so shorthanded. San Antonio ranks sixth in pace and Bazley certainly has the potential for his fourth consecutive effort of over 40 fantasy points in this up-tempo spot. Awesemo is projecting Bazley for decently low ownership on both DraftKings and FanDuel and he is one of the better GPP targets available for this full slate.

Latest NBA DFS Content

Boom: Quentin Grimes: $4,100 DraftKings/$5,200 FanDuel

28% DraftKings Boom/9% FanDuel Boom

With RJ Barrett (ankle) missing his fourth straight, Grimes is a tough value to overlook at only $4,000 on DraftKings. The rookie has started in place of Barrett for the past three contests. Even though Grimes disappointed with only 12.8 DraftKings points in the first of these three starts, he looked excellent in the next two, recording 35 DraftKings points on each occasion. During this three-game stretch, Grimes has ranked third on the Knicks in playing time with 34.3 regulation minutes a night.

In a sample size of 465 minutes, Grimes supplies 0.83 DraftKings PPM with Barrett off the floor and he should have zero issues beating his low DraftKings salary tonight against a terrible Nets’ defense that has been the third-worst rated unit in the league since the start of the new year. In Awesemo’s Boom Bust Tool, Grimes is rated as a top-10 option in terms of Boom score for DraftKings.

Boom: Al Horford: $5,600 DraftKings/$6,000 FanDuel

20% DraftKings Boom/17% FanDuel Boom

Tonight, the Celtics are expected to be without Robert Williams (doubtful, calf). Horford moves over to center in this situation and unsurprisingly benefits from not having to share the paint with Williams. In 11 starts without Williams this season, Horford has eclipsed 30 DraftKings points on seven occasions. Furthermore, in the 860 minutes he has played with Williams off the floor, all of Horford’s rates have increased, most notably a three-percentage point upgrade to his assist rate, resulting in 1.1 DraftKings PPM.

Tonight, Horford gets an excellent matchup against the Pistons, who rank 25th in defensive efficiency and 10th in pace. Additionally, they are extremely vulnerable to opposing big men, allowing the third-most rebounds and ninth-most points in the paint. The Celtics boast an implied team total of 112.75 points tonight and Horford is a terrific mid-tier target that Awesemo is projecting for low ownership on both DraftKings and FanDuel.

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