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Jamie's top DraftKings NBA DFS picks for today, Monday, 2/3/25. His favorite daily fantasy basketball lineup sleepers and value picks for DraftKings DFS.
What a day for the NBA yesterday! In the first Sunday without football in a while (the Pro Bowl games don't count), we woke up to potentially the most shocking trade the NBA has ever seen, as the Mavericks sent Luka Doncic to the Lakers for Anthony Davis.
Not to be outdone, the Kings put a little bow on the day by shipping off star PG De'Aaron Fox to the Spurs in a three-team deal that also saw Zach LaVine get traded to the Kings. Wow.
The Kings and Spurs both play tonight, so we will be discussing the ramifications in the RotoBaller Discord all day leading up to the games. Finding the best value from those two teams may be the key to taking down a GPP or just hanging on to double up in cash.
DraftKings NBA DFS Core Picks
Nikola Jokic, DEN - C ($12.3K)
Nikola Jokic's price tag is on the rise, but it's still not enough for what he offers. Jokic has triple-doubled in seven of his last 10 games and is averaging an insane 68.3 DK PPG. It's likely this is his best season to date, which is REALLY saying something, as he's also shooting 50% from beyond the arc and averaging 1.8 steals per game as well.
Blowout risk is in play here as the Nuggets are favored by 12 points over the Pelicans, but Jokic has shown time and time again that he can get there in three quarters. New Orleans offers a pristine matchup, as they rank 28th in defensive efficiency, 28th in rebounding rate, and have allowed the fourth most FPPG to opposing centers.
Jokic is worth the price of admission, even with viable, cheaper options.
Victor Wembanyama, SA - C ($10.8K)
You can save a bit of money at the C position with Victor Wembanyama in what is likely his last game before De'Aaron Fox joins the fray. The Spurs-Grizzlies game has the highest total of the night at 241.5 with only a 5.5-point spread, so there should be plenty of fantasy goodness here.
Memphis' seventh-ranked defensive rating is a smoke screen, as all fantasy aspects are mitigated by the fact that the Grizzlies are by far the fastest team in the NBA. Wemby has 12 double-doubles in his last 13 games and has taken 35 threes over the last four contests.
It's the defensive side that gives Wembanyama a unique upside in this contest. Memphis has allowed the second most blocks in the NBA, and Wemby has an incredible 14 blocks against them in the last two games.
Others Under Consideration: Shai Gilgeous-Alexander, OKC - PG ($11K), Cade Cunningham, DET - PG ($10.3K), Domantas Sabonis, SAC - C ($9.8K), Anthony Edwards, MIN - PG/SG ($9.5K)
DraftKings NBA DFS Tournament Pivots
Giannis Antetokounmpo, MIL - PF/C ($11.8K)
Early ownership projections have not come in yet, so I'm taking a bit of a leap here. Giannis has been major chalk the last few times he's played, and with good reason. Over the past five contests, he has a 37.3% usage rate and has seen over 55 DK points in all of them (and over 60 in his last four).
So why is he a GPP pivot? I may be wrong, but I THINK the masses will flock to the two centers listed above. Giannis played last night and theoretically has a terrible matchup against the OKC frontcourt. If he comes in lower than the other two guys, he's got slate-winning upside. He triple-doubled against OKC earlier in the year for 77.25 DK points.
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DraftKings NBA DFS Value Picks
Malik Monk, SAC - PG/SG ($7.2K)
The late-night Fox deal last night will have slate-changing effects tonight as the Kings will take the court without him (and also the new players they acquired). There may be some added cheap plays (like Keon Ellis) that are viable if in the starting lineup, but Malik Monk and Domantas Sabonis will be the main beneficiaries.
Monk is already thriving in a starting role, and Doug Christie was already playing a super-tight rotation. With Fox off the court, Monk's usage grows to 26.7% and his assist rate is at 32%. It's not a great matchup against Minnesota, unfortunately, but Monk isn't priced for a role without Fox.
Rudy Gobert, MIN - C ($6.3K)
Rudy Gobert has come alive for Minnesota over his last few games. He has three contests over 42 DK points out of his last five, and his rebounding rate is hovering around 20% in that span. Minnesota will be getting a significant pace boost against Sacramento (ninth in pace factor), and the Kings are also 19th in defensive efficiency.
Gobert is already a good play with Julius Randle ruled out. If Naz Reid (finger) also misses, Gobert is set to play mid-30s minutes. His block % goes all the way to 7.22% without those two on the court. Luka Garza is a candidate for more minutes as well.
Luke Kennard, MEM - PG/SG ($4.8K)
Ja Morant has to be ruled out for this play to work, so keep a close eye on the news today. Ja hasn't practiced, so I'm currently building on the assumption that he'll miss again. In his absence, Luke Kennard started the last two games and went 6-7x value in 30+ minutes.
Kennard is a perfect way to get cheap access to the MEM-SA and its 241.5 game total, and the Spurs have allowed the sixth-highest 3PT% in the league. Jaren Jackson Jr. was banged up yesterday as well, and any potential absence by him would open up even more rates for Kennard and company.
Others Under Consideration: Mikal Bridges, NYK - SG/SF ($6.5K), Jaden McDaniels, MIN - SF ($6.4K), DeMar DeRozan, SAC - SF ($6.3K), Stephon Castle, SA - PG/SG ($5.1K), Precious Achiuwa, NYK - PF/C ($5.1K), Santi Aldama, MEM - PF ($4.9K), Nickeil Alexander-Walker, MIN - SG/SF ($4.8K), Keon Ellis, SAC - SG ($3.5K)
Today's Top NBA DFS Game Stack
Spurs at Grizzlies (O/U 241.5)
Some of these plays have already been mentioned in the write-up as single targets, but this game is fully stackable, and another potential absence by Morant opens up the cheap play vault even more.
If using the Spurs, building around Wembanyama is key, as he has the highest upside of any player not named Jokic. Devin Vassell, Keldon Johnson, and Stephon Castle are all complementary pieces that can be used as well. I don't hate the idea of a $5,700 Chris Paul in his last game as a starter before Fox arrives.
On the Grizzlies side, Jackson is fine to play if Morant sits, but he has the toughest matchup against Wemby. He's a total pass if Ja plays. Desmond Bane has been soaking up tons of usage and is an excellent option, as the Spurs are softer on the perimeter. Kennard, Santi Aldama, and Jaylen Wells are cheap plays to round out the stack.
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: Nikola Jokic
- My favorite CASH play on the slate: Malik Monk
- My favorite GPP play on the slate: Giannis Antetokounmpo
- My favorite VALUE play: Rudy Gobert
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