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The top daily fantasy basketball lineup picks for DraftKings on February 12, 2020. Dale Johnson provides NBA DFS analysis and sleeper picks for building optimal DFS rosters.
Wednesday has the last big slate before the All-Star Break with 22 teams playing in this slate. With many teams opting to rest some players with the long break ahead, we may see the return of Luke Doncic (ankle) with the hopes we get to see him in his first All-Star appearance.
The featured game of the slate is Atlanta (-1) at Cleveland with a projected point total of 233.0. Atlanta is ranked 28th in defensive rating with Cleveland even worse at 29th. Cleveland opponents have the best effective field goal percentage in the league and Atlanta ranks 7th in pace. This battle between lottery teams will certainly be high-scoring and offer plenty of opportunities to produce in fantasy. Another game to watch in Washington at New York (-2.5). The Knicks are one of the worst offensive teams in the league, ranked at 29th in offensive rating. However, Washington is dead-last in defensive rating yet produces the 5th-fastest pace on offense. The Wizards also give up the most overall points in the league which points to offensive success for opponents, even an offense like the Knicks.
In this article, I will be providing you with my daily fantasy basketball lineup picks for DraftKings on 2/12/20. You can also check out today's FanDuel lineup picks. Remember to monitor injury news as the slate can completely change before line-up lock.
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DraftKings DFS Guards
Bradley Beal - SG, WSH @ NYK ($9,600)
On paper, this is not the perfect matchup for Beal with the Knicks giving up the 8th-least amount of DraftKings fantasy points to opposing shooting guards. However, this has caused a drop in price tag for Beal and he also performs better on the road. Beal is essentially matchup-proof. In the sole game against New York this season, Beal dropped 30 points, four rebounds, three assists and two threes in 38 minutes. The Knicks give up the best three-point percentage and third-point total threes to opposing teams this season. With these two bottom of the league teams looking to put up numbers, Beal should feast.
Elfrid Payton - PG, NYK v. WAS ($7,500)
Based on where I was taking this post, this should come at no surprise. Start guards playing against Washington, it is as simple as that. Washington just gave up a huge triple-double to Memphis rookie JA Morant then followed up by allowing 41 points to Chicago guard Zach LaVine. Payton has been a triple-double threat for weeks, which has increased his price tag. However, this has now stabilized despite the enticing matchup in Wednesday's slate. With so many players available in the slate, Payton is consistent, lower-priced guard who could easily give you five-times value at this price.
Malik Monk - PG/SG, CHA @ MIN ($4,700)
Monk has finally come alive as the Hornets have been preaching to let their young guys run a little more. Over his past nine games, Monk is averaging 16.4 points, 3.6 rebounds, 2.3 assists and 1.4 threes per game. Cody Martin (concussion) has already been ruled out in this contest, leaving even more run off the bench for Monk in a favorable matchup. The Timberwolves were abysmal before the trade deadline and, despite the many moves they made, they did not figure out their defense. The Timberwolves are the 27th-ranked team against shooting guards this season and with a projected total of 226.0 points, Monk should be able to put plenty of shots in. An alternative option would be Monk's opponent, Malik Beasley ($4,700) who is at the same price and played well despite the return of D'Angelo Russell.
DraftKings DFS Forwards
Khris Middleton - SF, MIL @ IND ($8,800)
Giannis Antetokounmpo (personal) has already been ruled out due to the birth of his child. Enter Middleton who has absolutely dominated when Antetokounmpo is out of the lineup. Middleton is coming off a 28-point, 11-rebound, eight-assist performance on Monday. It feels relevant to remind everyone Middleton also dropped 51 points when Antetokounmpo was out for a game back in the end of January. The Pacers also give up the seventh-most points off turnovers, fourth-most second chance points, sixth-most fastbreak points and fourth-most points in the paint to opposing forwards this season. Despite all this, Middleton hasn't crossed the $9k threshold in this slate, which allows you to pair him up with some other higher-priced options.
Jaren Jackson Jr. - PF/C, MEM v. POR ($6,400)
Jackson has already shown why he is one of the biggest beneficiaries of the trade deadline. Jackson saw former teammates Solomon Hill and Jae Crowder get shipped off while no real competition at the forward position returned. Jackson is coming off a 14-point, 11-rebound double-double and Friday was the first time he scored in single digits since December 18th where he only played 15 minutes. Portland is the absolute worst-ranked team against power forwards this season, giving up the most DraftKings fantasy points to opposing power forwards to date. As long as Jackson can remain out of foul trouble, which has not been too much of an issue lately, he should be line for big numbers.
Larry Nance Jr. - PF/C, CLE v. ATL ($5,100)
Nance was one of the biggest losers when it came to the trade deadline. No departure of Tristan Thompson or Kevin Love, yet they brought in Andre Drummond to clog the big rotation even further. This pick is only because Love (Achilles) is listed as questionable for Wednesday. With Love's history, the nature of Achilles injuries and the fact we are so close to the All-Star break, makes me believe Love will sit this one out. Nance would be in prime position to jump back on the fantasy scene if Love sits out. The Hawks are ranked in the bottom-10 against power forwards and dead last in overall DraftKings fantasy points. Again, if Love sits, Nance becomes a solid option. If Love doesn't sit, another low-priced option at forward would be Ersan Ilyasova ($4,800). As mentioned above, Antetokounmpo has been ruled out and Ilysova has always played well when he gets the spot start.
DraftKings DFS Centers
Dewayne Dedmon - C, ATL @ CLE ($4,700)
Dedmon's return to his former team has been an absolute blessing for his career. After being wasted away in Sacramento and publicly asking for a trade, Dedmon has put up averages of 12.0 points, 8.5 rebounds, 3.5 blocks and 1.5 threes in 30.5 minutes per game off the bench. Dedmon looks comfortable with the fast-paced offense despite playing with the second unit. The Cavaliers allow the most points in the paint and are the second-worst defensive team against centers this season. The addition of Andre Drummond did not seem to help as Cleveland gave up 25+ DraftKings fantasy points to both Montrezl Harrell and Ivica Zubac. We need value in this loaded slate and Dedmon allows you more flexibility in other positions while also producing value.
