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Today's free NBA DFS picks for DraftKings, FanDuel (February 20th, 2026). Max Kulish's daily fantasy basketball lineups, values, stacks, pivots, sleepers for NBA DFS.
Welcome back, RotoBallers! Tonight, we have a nine-game slate of NBA games. Note that DraftKings and FanDuel are not including the Clippers vs. Lakers and Nuggets vs. Blazers games on the main slate. For this article, I will only feature players in games on both sites. Whichever site you're playing on, there are plenty of good DFS fantasy basketball options to consider. These articles focus on the best overall plays, which are typically more suited to cash games. However, some exceptions may apply, depending on the size of the slate.
As always, watching the injury report updates will be critical to finalizing your strategy. Some big names, such as Shai Gilgeous-Alexander, Pascal Siakam, Keyonte George, Cooper Flagg, and Alexandre Sarr, are already confirmed out. There are many more players out, and there will undoubtedly be players who pop up on the injury report tomorrow, or even get ruled out, so keep a close eye on the NBA injury news and make adjustments as needed.
This article will provide you with my daily fantasy basketball lineup picks for DraftKings and FanDuel on 2/20/26. Remember to monitor NBA injury news and our awesome NBA injuries report tool, as the slate can completely change before lineups lock at 7:00 p.m. ET on FanDuel and DraftKings. To keep up with all the latest developments and get access to updated projections, grab the RotoBaller Premium Pass, which is highly discounted and includes DFS, betting, props, and season-long tools like the Team Sync platform. Also, gain access to our RotoBaller Premium Discord, where our experts are talking about the slate up until lineups lock!
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Today's NBA DFS Core Picks
Jalen Johnson, ATL - PF on DK, SF/PF on FD
- DraftKings: $10.5K
- FanDuel: $11.3K
Johnson continues to put up impressive numbers this season and is essentially a Nikola Jokic-lite in terms of his level of production. As always, teams playing on back-to-backs provide us the opportunity to look for soft spots in pricing, since salaries are released before the previous night's games are actually played.
$10.5K isn't cheap by any means, but after a sixth straight game of scoring 59+ fantasy points, it feels fair to say Johnson is underpriced given his high-level production and consistency. Until his price increases significantly, Johnson is essentially a cash game lock at this price every slate he's a part of.
Jalen Johnson dominated in the Hawks road win 😤
32 PTS
10 REB
5 AST
3 STL pic.twitter.com/RKgPDVTnPo— NBA (@NBA) February 20, 2026
Bobby Portis, MIL - PF/C
- DraftKings: $7K
- FanDuel: $6.9K
Portis is going to be one of the most popular players tonight for several reasons. The glaringly obvious one is the absence of Giannis Antetokounmpo and Myles Turner; this will open the door for Portis to play a healthy amount of minutes and should lead to him shoulder the brunt of the scoring for Milwaukee's bigs.
The second reason is the matchup; the Pelicans are bottom-5 defensively in both opponent PPG and defensive rebounding %, and they will be missing their best interior defender, Yves Missi. The final reason is lineup flexibility; Portis is PF eligible on both sites, making him an easy pairing with any of the cheap center options available tonight.
Pro Hog & Bucks F/C Bobby Portis @BPortistime had a dbl-dbl = 15 pts (6-11 FGs, incl 3-6 from 3), 12 rbs, 4 stls, 3 asts, box +19 in 29 mins in Milwaukee's 110-93 road win over the OKC Thunder on Thurs ... BP's 8th dbl-dbl of the szn ... pic.twitter.com/QfAKgsWI5P
— Kevin McPherson (@ARHoopScoop) February 13, 2026
Today's NBA DFS Tournament Pivots
Bam Adebayo, MIA - C on DK, C/PF on FD
- DraftKings: $9.2K
- FanDuel: $8.2K
On a slate with so many cheap options at center, I am very interested in the idea of flipping the build and paying up. Adebayo's ownership is projected to be extremely low, given all of the cheaper options in play. If he can have the pop-off game we're looking for (like his previous game against New Orleans), that gives him a real possibility of truly separating from all of the cheap centers.
If that happens, you will have massive leverage on the rest of the field and a unique lineup piece, which is exactly what you're looking for when trying to take down a GPP.
Andrew Nembhard, IND - PG on DK, SG/PG on FD
- DraftKings: $7.3K
- FanDuel: $7.4K
To put it mildly, Nembhard put up an absolute stinker last night in the first of back-to-back Pacers-Wizards matchups in our nation's capital. Both projections and opinions will presumably be trending down after a performance like that one.
When factoring in how many people will avoid Nembhard after he burnt them and sank their lineups last night, this feels like a perfect time to buy the dip.
The Wizards are the rare combination of horrible defensively and extremely fast-paced, making them an ideal fantasy matchup for all positions. Indiana is depleted top to bottom, and with the expected roster Indiana is projected to roll out tomorrow night, Nembhard will comfortably be its best player on the floor.
It's not exactly a secret that the Pacers are tanking this season, and with all their injuries, most people will gravitate toward the cheaper options. This gives Nembhard a ton of leverage over the rest of his teammates.
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Today's NBA DFS Value Picks
Taelon Peter, IND - SG/SF on DK, PG on FD
- DraftKings: $3.7K
- FanDuel: $3.7K
Speaking of that depleted Pacers roster, Peter seems to be in line for a sizable role tonight. He's slowly climbed up the depth chart over the past few weeks and might even find himself starting tonight, with Aaron Nesmith already ruled out for load management and Kam Jones' status uncertain after exiting last night's game at halftime with back tightness. Even if Jones does play, I'd much prefer Peter and the $800 in savings he can provide.
Brandon Williams, DAL - PG/SG on DK, PG on FD
- DraftKings: $5.1K
- FanDuel $5.5K
When Cooper Flagg was forced to sit out Dallas' final game before the All-Star break, Williams made his first start in nearly a month and posted 34.25 fantasy points. With Flagg sitting, Williams will yet again be the primary ball-handler in a short-handed Dallas backcourt, with Max Christie and Caleb Martin seeming to be on the wrong side of questionable.
Memphis Grizzlies Value
Somehow, we've gone this entire article without mentioning the most depleted team on the slate tonight -- the Grizzlies. Memphis is poised to be without five of its top six guard options tonight, with Cam Spencer the last man standing. As a result, Spencer will be in the mix for the most-owned player on the entire slate.
At only $5.5K, Spencer is Memphis' most expensive player, which seems borderline impossible. Given the two defenses participating in this game, anyone who is starting or active for Memphis is worth considering as a salary-saving option tonight.
My Favorite NBA DFS Picks for Today
Here is where I leave you with some of my favorites.
- My favorite OVERALL play on the slate: Jalen Johnson
- My favorite CASH play on the slate: Bobby Portis
- My favorite GPP play on the slate: Andrew Nembhard
- My favorite VALUE play: Memphis Grizzlies
More DFS Lineup Picks and Analysis
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