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Free daily fantasy basketball lineup picks for today's slate on DraftKings and FanDuel. Use Mike Barner's NBA DFS expert picks to building winning DFS lineups on February 29, 2024.
We have a fun eight-game slate in the NBA on Thursday. Both DraftKings and FanDuel will include six of the games in their main slates.
The key to being successful in NBA DFS comes down to making adjustments during the day as injury information becomes available. But it's always really important to have a game plan and the best players and spots circled first before making those adjustments. To keep up with all the latest developments and get access to updated projections, grab an NBA season pass and also gain access to our RotoBaller Premium Discord where @chiefjustice6 is talking about the slate up until lineups lock!
This article will provide you with my daily fantasy basketball lineup picks for DraftKings and FanDuel on 2/29/24. 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. EST on FanDuel and DraftKings. Good luck, RotoBallers!
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Today's NBA DFS Core Picks
Let's first take a look at our matchup ratings to see who we want to target for our top spend-ups tonight.
The injury to Trae Young (finger) means that Dejounte Murray is going to be in line for a busy stretch run. He fell a rebound short of a triple-double with Young out against the Magic, then he followed that up with 17 points, four rebounds, and 11 assists versus the Jazz on Tuesday. With a hefty usage rate likely coming his way and his ability to rack up assists, he is an extremely appealing option against the Nets.
The Suns struggle to slow down opposing point guards. Enter Fred VanVleet, who is logging 37 minutes per game for the season. When he faced the Suns last week, he produced 23 points, five rebounds, five assists, and two steals across 37 minutes.
With the Nets being involved in several blowouts lately, Nicolas Claxton has often found himself on the bench more in the fourth quarter. With the Hawks missing Young, the Nets should at least be able to keep this close enough for Claxton to log around his season average of 29 minutes. Onyeka Okongwu (toe) is still out and Clint Capela has been on a minutes restriction, so Claxton has the potential to exploit their lack of depth at the five.
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- Dejounte Murray, ATL at BKN – PG/SG ($9,400 DK; $8,800 FD)
- Fred VanVleet, HOU at PHO – PG ($6,600 DK; $7,700 FD)
- Nicolas Claxton, BKN vs. ATL – C ($6,400 DK; $7,000 FD)
Today's NBA DFS Value Picks
De'Andre Hunter has come on strong down the stretch. Over his last eight games, he has averaged 19.0 points, 4.5 rebounds, and 2.3 three-pointers. As one of the leaders of the Hawks’ second unit, Hunter should receive plenty of shot attempts moving forward.
Nick Richards continues to churn out valuable stat lines for the Hornets. Across eight games since the trade deadline, he has averaged 12.5 points, 9.3 rebounds, and 1.3 blocks. There is blowout potential against the Bucks, who defeated the Hornets by nearly 40 points Tuesday. However, Richards’ salary is cheap enough that he still presents upside.
Tre Jones has been more productive since returning to the starting lineup, providing 11.8 points, 3.7 rebounds, 7.0 assists, and 1.2 steals over his last 25 games. He hasn’t played against the Thunder yet this season, but with them and the Spurs both ranked inside the top 10 in the league in pace of play, Jones is an appealing option.
Top Value Plays:
- De'Andre Hunter, ATL at BKN – SF/PF ($5,500 DK; $5,700 FD)
- Nick Richards, CHA vs. MIL – C ($5,500 DK; $6,200 FD)
- Tre Jones, SA vs. OKC – PG ($5,000 DK; $5,700 FD)
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Today's NBA DFS Picks: Point Guard
In addition to VanVleet and Jones, Tre Mann is another point guard to consider. LaMelo Ball (ankle) remains out, which means that Mann should continue to start at point guard. Since joining the Hornets, he has averaged 12.3 points, 5.3 rebounds, 4.9 assists, and 1.7 steals.
Top PG Options:
- Fred VanVleet at PHO, ($6,600 DK; 7,700 FD)
- Tre Mann vs. MIL, ($5,400 DK; $6,100 FD)
- Tre Jones vs. OKC, ($5,000 DK; $5,700 FD)
Today's NBA DFS Picks: Shooting Guard
Working our way further down the salary scale from Murray at shooting guard brings us to Donte DiVincenzo, who has become a key member of the Knicks’ starting five. They remain shorthanded with Julius Randle (shoulder) and OG Anunoby (elbow) out, which should mean plenty of scoring opportunities for DiVincenzo. Over his last 12 games, he has averaged 23.7 points on 19.4 shot attempts per game.
The Hawks are a fantasy-friendly matchup because they have played at the third-fastest pace in the league and have the fourth-worst defensive rating. Dennis Schroder has started the last two games and could remain in that role with Cam Thomas (ankle) having been ruled out again. In those two starts, Schroder averaged 16.5 points and 3.5 assists.
Top SG Options:
- Dejounte Murray at BKN, ($9,400 DK; $8,800 FD)
- Donte DiVincenzo vs. GS, ($7,500 DK; $7,200 FD)
- Dennis Schroder vs. ATL, ($5,200 DK; $5,200 FD)
Today's NBA DFS Picks: Small Forward
While Hunter can provide value at small forward, Franz Wagner and Mikal Bridges are two top-tier options to consider. Bridges has the great matchup against the Hawks, and with Cam Thomas out, there should be added shot attempts to go around.
Wagner also has a great matchup, taking on a Jazz team that has played at the seventh-fastest pace and has the eighth-worst defensive rating in the league. This game being played in Orlando is also noteworthy. Wagner is averaging 22.4 points and shooting 51.4 percent from the field at home, compared to averaging 19.3 points and shooting 45.0 percent on the road.
Franz Wagner ➡️ Mo Wagner 💥🔨 pic.twitter.com/0MSZXbhybk
— NBA TV (@NBATV) February 25, 2024
Top SF Options:
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- Franz Wagner vs. UTA, ($7,600 DK; $7,900 FD)
- Mikal Bridges vs. ATL, ($7,000 DK; $7,600 FD)
- De'Andre Hunter at BKN, ($5,500 DK; $5,700 FD)
Today's NBA DFS Picks: Power Forward
The Hawks have been deploying more small lineups with Okongwu out and Capela being limited. That has contributed to Jalen Johnson posting four straight double-doubles. He also scored at least 19 points in three of those games, including back-to-back performances with at least 21 points with Young out.
Jalen Williams has returned from a three-game absence (because of an ankle injury) with a vengeance. Over the last eight games, he has averaged 21.9 points, 4.1 rebounds, and 5.6 assists. With both teams playing at such fast paces, expect Williams to have a high floor.
For those looking to take a chance on a player with a cheap salary in tournament play, consider Bol Bol, especially on DraftKings. The Suns has given him at least 24 minutes in both of the last two games as they look for a spark within their second unit. He posted 25 points and 14 rebounds in one of those games against the Rockets, who he will face again Friday.
Top PF Options:
- Jalen Johnson at BKN, ($8,100 DK; $8,500 FD)
- Jalen Williams at SA, ($7,200 DK; $7,800 FD)
- Bol Bol vs. HOU, ($3,900 DK; $5,600 FD)
Today's NBA DFS Picks: Center
Claxton and Richards present two viable options at reasonable salaries. For those looking to shoot the moon at the center spot, Victor Wembanyama is the player to target. Over his last six games, he has averaged 23.0 points, 11.5 rebounds, 4.8 assists, 2.7 steals, 5.3 blocks, and 1.8 three-pointers. Basically, there is nothing that the rookie can’t do.
VICTOR WEMBANYAMA. 🔥🔥🔥
— Hoop Central (@TheHoopCentral) February 28, 2024
Top C Options:
- Victor Wembanyama vs. OKC, ($10,100 DK; $11,600 FD)
- Nicolas Claxton vs. ATL, ($6,400 DK; $7,000 FD)
- Nick Richards vs. MIL, ($5,500 DK; $6,200 FD)
Today's Top NBA DFS Game Stacks
- Thunder at Spurs (236 total)
- Rockets at Suns (234 total)
- Jazz at Magic (226 total)
Today's Top NBA DFS Avoids
- Stay away from Clint Capela, who should still be on a minutes restriction.
- It’s tough to have much confidence in any of the players on the Jazz when you consider that the Magic have the fifth-best defensive rating in the league.
- Until Isaiah Hartenstein is officially no longer on a minutes restriction, he’s someone to avoid.
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: Fred VanVleet
- My favorite CASH play on the slate: Victor Wembanyama
- My favorite GPP play on the slate: Jalen Johnson
- My favorite value play: Tre Jones
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