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The top daily fantasy basketball lineup picks for DraftKings and FanDuel on February 28, 2022. Juan Carlos Blanco provides NBA DFS analysis and sleeper picks for building optimal DFS rosters.
We have a solid seven-game slate on tap Monday night as the first full week of post-All-Star-break play begins. There are multiple matchups that should be very competitive, including a Timberwolves-Cavaliers clash and a Bulls-Heat showdown in Miami that would see Chicago recapture a share of the top spot in the conference with a victory.
The player pool is pretty well-stocked as well, with the injury report not inordinately prohibitive. There are some players that have earned well-deserved salary bumps, however, to the extent that they fall out of my comfort zone for recommending them in terms of their chances of delivering a 5x return on investment.
This article will provide you with my daily fantasy basketball lineup picks for DraftKings and FanDuel on 2/28/22. Remember to monitor the NBA injury report as the slate can completely change before lineups lock. Good luck, RotoBallers.
DraftKings and FanDuel Guards - NBA DFS Lineup Picks
Ja Morant - PG, MEM vs. SAS (9,700 DK; $10,100 FD)
Morant has already averaged over 55 fantasy points per game in two previous encounters with the Spurs this season, shooting a blistering 58.7 percent, including 75.0 percent from three-point range. The All-Star guard just put up a career-high 46 points in his most recent game against the Bulls on Saturday night, and he's shot better than 50 percent in five of the last seven games overall. The Spurs continue to make for good targets, having allowed the ninth-highest offensive efficiency to point guards (26.4 percent), along with more than 48 fantasy points per game to the position.
Terry Rozier - PG/SG, CHA at MIL ($7,900 DK; $7,600 FD)
Rozier has thrived in his encounters with the Bucks this season, averaging over 40 fantasy points per game while shooting 47.8 percent, including 40.7 percent from three-point range, in three games. The veteran wing has had some explosive outings of late as well, eclipsing 40 fantasy points twice and 60 on another pair of occasions in his last 10 games. Meanwhile, the Bucks have displayed some vulnerability to shooting guards of late, yielding 43.4 DK/42.4 FD points per game to twos in the last 15. Milwaukee has also seen a downgrade in its perimeter defense the last three games, allowing 38.5 percent three-point shooting in that span.
Lonnie Walker IV, SAS at MEM ($4,500 DK; $5,600 FD)
Walker makes for an intriguing salary-saving option at one guard spot Monday after averaging 20.0 points, 3.4 rebounds and 1.4 assists across 28.6 minutes in his last five games. Walker's efficiency has been impressive during that stretch, as he's shot 51.9 percent, including 40.7 percent from behin the arc. The 2018 first-round pick has the advantage of facing a Grizzlies team that's ranked in the bottom half of the league in offensive efficiency allowed to second-unit players (41.1 percent) and shooting guards (21.4 percent). Memphis has been particularly giving to twos recently, allowing the third-most DK (46.3) and fourth-most FD (44.6) points per game to the position in the last 15.
Also consider: Buddy Hield - SG, IND at ORL ($7,000 DK; $7,600 FD)
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DraftKings and FanDuel Forwards - NBA DFS Lineup Picks
Giannis Antetokounmpo - PF, MIL vs. CHA ($12,000 DK, $11,500 FD)
Antetokounmpo is the highest-salaried player on either site and deservedly so, as he's averaging 57.4 DK/56.0 FD points per game for the season. The Greek Freak comes in on quite the tear, even by his standards, averaging 32.2 points, 11.7 rebounds, 5.9 assists and 1.0 block over his last 13 games, a span in which he's shot 57.1 percent (36.5 percent from three-point range) and eclipsed 50 fantasy points on 10 occasions. Antetokounmpo has averaged 65.6 DK points in three games against the Hornets this season as well, and Charlotte is allowing the fourth-highest offensive efficiency to power forwards (28.0 percent) along with 47.6 DK/45.8 FD points per game to power forwards for the season. What's more, the Hornets allow Eastern Conference-high 61.4 percent offensive efficiency in the paint, certainly an encouraging metric with respect to Giannis' fantasy prospects.
Wendell Carter Jr. - PF, ORL vs. IND ($7,400 DK; $7,600 FD)
Carter has been on a hot streak in his own right, albeit one not quite as sensational as Antetokounmpo. However, the one-time seventh overall pick, who's enjoying a career year in Orlando, has scored over 30 fantasy points in six straight, including three tallies north of 40. Carter has rattled off four consecutive double-doubles as well and is more involved on the offensive end than ever this season, putting up a career-high 10.6 shot attempts per contest. Carter also went off for 48.5 DK/46.6 FD points in his one prior game against the Pacers this season, and Indiana comes in allowing over 47 fantasy points per game on each site to power forwards in the last seven while tying for the fourth-most points in the paint per road game allowed for the season (50.3).
Lauri Markkanen - SF/PF, CLE vs. MIN ($6,000 DK; $5,800 FD)
Markkanen sports a 22.4 percent usage rate and is averaging 32 DK/31.5 FD points per 36 minutes with Darius Garland (back) and Caris LeVert (foot) off the floor this season. Both of his teammates will remain out Monday, putting Markkanen firmly into play at very appealing salaries against a Timberwolves squad that's allowed the third-highest offensive efficiency to small forwards (25.1 percent) and that's been yielding plenty of fantasy production to the position in the last 15 games as well. Minnesota is giving up 46.7 DK/44.9 FD points per game to threes in the last 15 games, while also conceding the fifth-highest three-point percentage on the road (36.0) on the campaign.
Also consider: Oshae Brissett - SF, IND at ORL ($5,900 DK; $7,500 FD)
DraftKings and FanDuel Centers - NBA DFS Lineup Picks
Domantas Sabonis - SAC at OKC ($9,500 DK; $9,700 FD)
Sabonis eviscerated the Thunder for 71.5 DK/67.6 FD points in his one encounter with OKC this season while still a member of the Pacers, and Oklahoma City remains highly vulnerable to bigs. The Thunder has only given up fewer fantasy points to centers over the last 15 games than Sabonis' own Kings, as OKC has yielded 62.2 DK/62.4 FD points per game to fives in that span. Meanwhile, Sabonis has been a virtually seamless fit in Sacramento thus far, averaging 19.3 points, 12.7 rebounds, 5.7 assists and 1.0 steal across his first six games while eclipsing 50 fantasy points twice. With OKC also allowing the most rebounds per game (56.9) partly because of their extremely poor shooting, Sabonis should also have a very good chance at the double-double bonus on DK for the fifth time since joining the Kings.
Jarrett Allen - CLE vs. MIN ($7,300 DK; $7,200 FD)
Much like Markkanen, Allen should be good position to outperform his salaries with two of his first-unit teammates missing, as he averages 38.9 DK/39.4 FD points per 36 minutes with Garland and LeVert off the floor. Allen scored 44 DK/45 FD points in his one prior game against the T-Wolves this season, and he's generated five double-doubles in the last eight games. Minnesota has been vulnerable to centers as well, allowing the sixth-highest offensive efficiency to the position (33.0) and over 54 fantasy points per game to the position on both sites for the season. It's also worth noting the T-Wolves have been much more susceptible to scoring in the paint on the road (48.8 PPG allowed) than at home (41.2), while Allen is scoring a career-high 78 percent of his points in that part of the floor.
Also consider: Steven Adams, MEM vs. SAS ($6,000 DK; $6,500 FD)
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