For the first Friday night of the NBA season, there is a full-10 game slate. With so many clubs 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 give you 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 Boom/Bust Tool and NBA DFS projections.
NBA Fantasy Projections & Optimal Lineup Picks Tonight
Boom: Domantas Sabonis: $9,000 DraftKings/$9,700 FanDuel
48.9% DraftKings Boom/23.2% FanDuel Boom
Sabonis started his 2021 campaign with 55.25 DraftKings points against the Hornets. His role was immense, logging 39.2 minutes and posting a team-high 28% usage rate. For whatever reason, Sabonis’ DraftKings salary has dropped $700, bring him down to a reasonable $9,000 for Friday’s matchup against the Wizards.
This game’s total is the second highest on the slate (226.5 points), and Sabonis destroyed Washington for 66 DraftKings points per game across four matchups last season. Also, on BetMGM Sabonis’ prop is set at 22.5 points, 11.5 rebounds and 6.5 assists. Including DraftKings’ bonus for a double-double, this equates to 46.25 DraftKings points before defensive stats, which is already over 5x value at his current price. Plain and simple, Sabonis is a steal on DraftKings tonight and can be deployed with full confidence.
Boom: Christian Wood: $7,100 DraftKings/$8,100 FanDuel
67.2% DraftKings Boom/41.6% FanDuel Boom
At only $7,100 on DraftKings, Wood is the cheapest he has been since the first game of last season. After getting blown out by the Timberwolves on Wednesday, he and the Rockets find themselves in a strong game setting tonight against the Thunder. This matchup’s total is the fifth highest on the slate (221.5) and the Rockets boast an implied team total of 112 points. Furthermore, Houston is only favored by 2.5 points.
A year ago the Thunder ranked 24th in defensive rating, and they yielded the eighth-most points in the paint. Across three matchups Wood exposed them for 38 DraftKings points per game last season. Additionally, he was a stud in competitive environments, producing 45.4 DraftKings points per game when the spread was under 3. There is a good chance Wood will not be this cheap again this season, and he is a must-have value play on DraftKings. Awesemo’s Boom Bust Tool gives Wood the highest DraftKings boom rating for this full slate.
Shia Gilgeous-Alexander: $6,700 DraftKings/$7,500 FanDuel
65% DraftKings Boom/42.9% FanDuel Boom
Gilgeous-Alexander is another elite DraftKings value play from this Thunder – Rockets matchup. After struggling with only 26 DraftKings in the season opener in Utah, Gilgeous-Alexander’s DraftKings salary dropped all the way down $6,700. He has not been this cheap in two seasons, and to put it in perspective how underpriced he is, his DraftKings salary peaked at $9,100 last year. Facing the Jazz’s stout defense in Utah is one of the toughest matchups in all of basketball, and Gilgeous-Alexander is a lock to bounce back against the Rockets.
Houston ranked 27th in defensive rating last season, and in game totals of at least 220, Gilgeous-Alexander averaged 42.3 DraftKings points per game. Per Awesemo’s projections, Gilgeous-Alexander is the No. 1 DraftKings value on the slate, and he only trails Wood in terms of boom rating.
Tyrese Maxey: $5,300 DraftKings/$5,800 FanDuel
27.3% DraftKings Boom/16.2% FanDuel Boom
Ben Simmons will remain inactive for tonight’s marquee matchup with Nets, keeping Maxey as an outstanding option. As the starting point guard Wednesday, Maxey carved up the Pelicans for 36.75 DraftKings points across 33.4 minutes. Maxey generates 1 DraftKings point per minute sans Simmons, and Awesemo’s projections forecast him for 31.6 minutes in a top game environment. This clash between two of the best clubs in the East presents the highest total on the board (228.5 points). Plus, the 76ers have the seventh-largest implied team total (113), and the Nets are only favored by 2.5 points. Maxey averages 40.5 DraftKings points per game in games in which he played at least 30 minutes, and he should easily outperform his current salaries on both DraftKings and FanDuel.
Thanks for reading to the end of this article! If you appreciate this free content and want to see more of it every day, you can help us out by sharing this article on social media!
[NBAPAGE]
