On Friday night’s menu is a seven-game slate. With 14 clubs competing, 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.
NBA Fantasy Projections & Optimal Lineup Picks Tonight
Boom: Jimmy Butler: $8,700 DraftKings/$9,200 FanDuel
37% DraftKings Boom/28.5% FanDuel Boom
Awesemo’s projections love Butler against the Hornets tonight. His usage and assist rates have been strong this season, at 28% and 26%, respectively, helping Butler score 1.3 DraftKings points per minute. He has led the Heat in minutes per game with 34.5, and Butler has been brilliant on the defensive end, ranking second in the league in steals per game (3.3). Both the Heat and Hornets are top 10 in pace this season, setting up a fast-paced setting Friday night. Charlotte also ranks 21st in defensive efficiency, and in this spot Miami has the second-highest implied team total on the slate (114.5 points).
Butler has the fifth-highest ceiling on the slate tonight, making him a great investment at his reasonable price points. Lastly, Bam Adebayo (knee) has been downgraded to questionable, and if he is inactive, Butler’s already strong projection would see a boost. In the four games he played without Adebayo last season, Butler led the Heat in DraftKings points per game with 54.6.
Boom: Nikola Jokic: $10,700 DraftKings/$11,100 FanDuel
37.1% DraftKings Boom/21.3% FanDuel Boom
Jokic (knee) is questionable tonight, but the Nuggets are 1.5-point favorites over the Mavericks, suggesting that he will be available. Do not forget that Jokic did not miss a single game during his MVP season a year ago, and if he suits up tonight, he will be a tremendous pay-up option that could come with depressed ownership given the injury tag. With Jamal Murray (knee) still on the shelf, Jokic has been incredible this season, scoring 1.8 DraftKings points per minute behind team highs in both usage rate (32%) and assist percentage (23.5%).
The Nuggets will be at home tonight, and their implied team total is 110 points. Throughout his career Jokic has notoriously been a better fantasy player on his home floor, scoring 4.5 more DraftKings points per game. When Denver has an implied team total of at least 110 points at home over the last two seasons, Jokic averages 59.2 DraftKings points per game. For both DraftKings and FanDuel, he has the highest ceiling on the slate
Boom: Bruce Brown: $3,800 DraftKings/$4,700 FanDuel
34% DraftKings Boom/17.1% FanDuel Boom
After riding the bench for the season opener, Brown has been a key piece of the Nets rotation. Over their last three games he ranks third on the team in playing time, with 30.7 minutes per game, only trailing Kevin Durant and James Harden. Brown has turned this opportunity into 22.1 DraftKings points per game, and since the start of last season he has provided 0.82 DraftKings points per minute with Kyrie Irving (out, personal) off the floor. For Friday night, Awesemo’s projections have Brown slated for 28.1 minutes against the Pacers, who rank third in pace and 24th in defensive efficiency. Vegas gives the Nets the highest implied team total on the slate (115.75 points), and this game’s total is the highest of the night (223 points).
Brown’s salary on FanDuel is correct, but at $3,800 on DraftKings, he is a terrific punt that allows access to the Nets’ large total. He is the No. 1 point-per-dollar DraftKings value available this evening.
Boom: Richaun Holmes: $5,800 DraftKings/$7,500 FanDuel
32.9% DraftKings Boom/10.5% FanDuel Boom
Holmes is way overpriced on FanDuel but is a standout value at only $5,800 on DraftKings. The Kings have played four games this season. In one of those games Holmes fouled out in 18 minutes against the Jazz, but in the remaining three he logged at least 29 minutes in every game. This season Holmes has produced an outstanding 1.37 DraftKings points per minute, and his playing time should approach the 30-minute mark, with the Kings only favored by 2 points over the Pelicans. In addition to the tight spread, this game’s total is the fourth highest on the slate (222.5 points), and Sacramento’s implied team total is the fifth highest (111.25 points). When the Kings have had totals of at least 110 points over the last two seasons, Holmes has averaged 32.2 DraftKings points per game.
Furthermore, he has tallied a double-double in three of his first four starts this season, and Awesemo’s Player Props Tool have Holmes favored to go over his 13.5-point and 8.5-rebound props. Holmes has a top-seven boom rating for DraftKings, and he is a great option for both cash-games and GPPs.
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