NBA Daily Fantasy Projections & DFS Picks for DraftKings & FanDuel 3/9

On tap for Wednesday night is a massive 12-game slate. As always, be sure to watch the Awesemo NBA Starting Lineups page closely for updates on each team before making NBA picks today. The biggest name that is listed as questionable is LeBron James (knee). The forward missed Monday’s loss to the Spurs and if James remains sidelined tonight, Talen Horton-Tucker would need to be on your radar against this Rockets’ club that ranks dead last in defensive efficiency and fourth in pace. He started in place of James on Monday and finished with 30 DraftKings points across 30 minutes. Also, despite his recent struggles, Russell Westbrook would have to be considered in this dream spot. The guard struggled with only 37.5 DraftKings points Monday but recorded 45.5 DraftKings points against the Hornets in the one other start he has made without James and Anthony Davis (foot) this season. Overall, in the 467 minutes Westbrook has played with James and Davis off the floor, he has scored 1.3 DraftKings points per minute, thanks to a team-high 34.7% usage rate, which is a 7.3 percentage point upgrade from his season average. 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 Today

Boom: Damian Jones: $3,400 DK/$3,600 FD

61% DraftKings Boom/58% FanDuel Boom

With Domantas Sabonis suspended for tonight’s matchup against the Nuggets, Jones is a no-brainer for all formats. Given he has been Sabonis’ primary backup as of late, Jones should get the start at center tonight for the Kings and play big minutes in this spot that requires his size to match up with Nikola Jokic. Awesemo is projecting Jones for 28.1 minutes tonight, which is more than enough time for him to destroy his near minimum price tags.

Jones is contributing 0.94 DraftKings points per minute this season and 26.1 DraftKings points per game for the 10 instances he has logged at least 20 minutes. This matchup’s total is the second-highest on the slate at 238 points and Jones is a legitimate threat to reach 10-times value in this high-scoring affair. In Awesemo’s Boom Bust Tool, the center owns the highest Boom score on the slate for both DraftKings and FanDuel.

Boom: Giannis Antetokounmpo: $12,000 DK/$11,900 FD

26% DraftKings Boom/24% FanDuel Boom

Antetokounmpo is the best stud to build around tonight. Last night, the superstar erupted for 67.8 DraftKings points in a road win over the Thunder, marking his seventh effort of at least 60 DraftKings points in his past 10 starts. In the new year, Antetokounmpo is supplying an absurd 1.8 DraftKings points per minute behind a 36% usage rate. The Bucks will be back at home tonight, hosting the Hawks. Atlanta ranks 27th in defensive efficiency and this matchup’s total is the high mark of this 12-game slate at 240 points. The Bucks also carry the second-largest implied team total on the board at 122.25 points and this game is expected to be a competitive affair, with Milwaukee only favored by 4.5 points.

Throughout his career, Antetokounmpo has always been a more productive fantasy player on his home floor and this season has been no exception. The two-time MVP is generating a notable 6.6 more DraftKings points per game at home than when on the road and is averaging a whopping 64.1 DraftKings points per game for the eight times he has been at home and competing in a total of at least 230 points. Do not hesitate because Antetokounmpo is playing his second game in two nights. When the forward has been on the second leg of a back-to-back on his home floor this season, he has been a monster, with 67 DraftKings points per game in a sample size of three contests.

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Boom: Marvin Bagley: $5,000 DK/$5,700 FD

34% DraftKings Boom/17% FanDuel Boom

With Isaiah Stewart only seeing nine minutes of work Monday against the Hawks due to a knee injury, Bagley benefited the most, posting a double-double of 40.5 DraftKings points in a season-high 36.2 minutes. That night he started the second half in place of Stewart and with Bagley’s efforts, the Pistons upset the Hawks. Now, with Stewart ruled out for Wednesday’s meeting with the Bulls, Bagley should enter Detroit’s starting five and handle a large workload. Since being acquired by the Pistons last month, Bagley has provided 1.03 DraftKings points per minute with a 23.6% usage rate. The big man should see 30-35 minutes and this is a strong spot, with Chicago ranking 22nd in defensive efficiency. Plus, they are allowing the seventh-most points in the paint, which is great news for Bagley.

This season, 69% of his attempts have come in the paint. This contest’s total is set at a high 228 points and Bagley is averaging 31 DraftKings points per game for the 10 occasions he has logged a minimum of 25 minutes this season. At only $5,000 on DraftKings, Bagley is rating as a top-five value on the slate in Awesemo’s projections. As for FanDuel, his price tag is more appropriate, but Bagley still has the potential to beat this salary and is very enticing for large tournaments, with Awesemo projecting him for essentially no ownership.

Boom: Rudy Gobert: $7,800 DK/$7,700 FD

22% DraftKings Boom/26% FanDuel Boom

Even with the Jazz as huge 18-point favorites over the Blazers tonight, Gobert needs to be included in your player pool. The center is priced under $8,000 on both DraftKings and FanDuel, after costing around $10,000 on both sites earlier this season. Even if Utah does live up to this large spread and blow out Portland tonight, Gobert will almost certainly be a huge factor in the easy win. When the Jazz have been favored by double-digit points this season, the center has not disappointed, amassing 44 DraftKings points per game in a sample size of 20 contests.

Plus, this will be the third time these two clubs have gone head-to-head this season, and in the first two meetings, Gobert was dominant, collecting 48 DraftKings points per game. The Blazers rank second to last in defensive efficiency and in this juicy spot, the Jazz present the fourth-highest implied team on the slate with 119.75 points. In the 23 starts he has played behind an implied team total of 115 points or greater this season, Gobert has eclipsed 40 DraftKings points at a 70% clip. With Awesemo projecting the center for single-digit ownership on both DraftKings and FanDuel, Gobert is one of the best contrarian targets of the night.

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