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After last week's miniature four-game slate we get a little bump which means more options for us to choose from as we have seven of the nine games on the main slate tonight leaving off the Lakers(Thank God) vs the Nuggets, as well as, the Blazers vs Pistons. This is by far one of the toughest slates of the year with the trade deadline looming I will do my best to bring as up-to-date lineup picks as possible. Anything else make sure you keep up with all the Woj Bombs that come throughout the morning and afternoon.
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 2/8/24. 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!
Today's NBA DFS Core Picks
Make sure to review our premium projections to see who our system is singling out as particularly strong plays tonight.
Luka and Giannis are both always options on every slate because they are just fantasy machines but with price and matchup, I don't hate the fade on them. Luka isn't a traditional PG but the Knicks give up the least amount of fantasy points to PGs over the last fifteen games. On top of that Giannis will have to go against the two towers in KAT and Gobert.
Bradley Beal might be out for the first time since December 27th so who else to go to than Kevin Durant and Devin Booker? Both of these guys are in great spots to pop off for a game. The Jazz give up the second most fantasy points to PFs and and third most to PGs which I assume is where Booker might land if Beal ends up being out.
Pascal Siakam is by far one of my favorite plays on today's slate. He gets an elite matchup against a Warriors team that gives up the second most fantasy points to SFs and fourth most to PFs. On top of that, he is in the game with the highest point total. I will have a ton of Pascal in my lineups tonight!
Paolo Banchero has played extremely well over the last seven games averaging over 45 fantasy points a game in that period including a fifty FP night against the Spurs just a week ago. If the Spurs keep this one relatively close we could see a repeat of that.
Top Core Plays:
- Kevin Durant, PHX vs. UTA ($9,600 DK; $9,900 FD)
- Pascal Siakam, IND vs. GSW ($8,400 DK; $8,300 FD)
- Paolo Banchero, ORL vs. SAS ($8,200 DK; $8,600 FD)
Today's NBA DFS Value Picks
If we get a decent trade deadline then more and more value can open up but here's a peak as of right now where our projections lie.
I hate sounding like a broken record but Donte DiVincenzo is once again one of the best plays on the board at his price and with Jalen Brunson's injury looming. I believe you can fire him up in all leagues, he rounds out our projections as one of our highest FP/$ on today's slate and should be highly considered regardless of whether Brunson is playing or not.
Santi Aldama probably benefits the most from the Xavier Tillman trade that happened yesterday afternoon. They are beginning to run thin at the PF/C position and with JJJ questionable coming into this one he could end up being in a crucial role, the total for this game is low but he should see 30+ minutes which could result in a 30-35 FP showing at only 5,500$
This is a wait-and-see kind of play but I like Miles McBride if Jalen Brunson is out. In the two games he played when Brunson was out back on the 13th and 16th of last month, he finished with 32 and 36 FP in those games and averaged 37 minutes. Over the last couple of games as well we have seen him get an increase in minutes. At this price, I don't think you can pass it up and on top of it Dallas is giving up the fourth most fantasy points to Guards over the last fifteen games.
Top Value Plays:
- Donte DiVincenzo, NYK vs. Dallas - SG/SF ($7,900 DK; $8,100 FD)
- Santi Aldama, MEM vs CHI - PF/C ($5,500 DK; $6,000 FD)
- Miles McBride, NYK vs. Dallas – PG ($4,100 DK; $4,700 FD)
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Today's NBA DFS Picks: Point Guard
I just realized looking at the optimizer that the Cavs players aren't in it at the moment. That being said I think you can go back to Donovan Mitchell in your lineups he gets a great matchup against a Nets team giving up the fifth most fantasy points to opposing PGs.
Just to get a little different I like Tre Jones and Jeremy Sochan quite a bit. Tre has been a bit more consistent but I think Jeremy has the higher ceiling. Both guys crushed Orlando dropping 30+ fantasy points against them and getting a premium matchup at a cheap price. Orlando has given up the most FP to PGs in the league over the last fifteen games.
As I said before if Brunson is out then fire McBride up as his price is too good for how he has played in Brunson's absence.
Top PG Options:
- Donovan Mitchell, CLE at BKN ($9,900 DK; $10,400 FD)
- Tre Jones, SAS at ORL ($5,900 DK; $6,100 FD)
- Miles Mcbride, NYK vs. DAL ($4,100 DK; $4,700 FD)
Today's NBA DFS Picks: Shooting Guard
Devin Booker without Bradley Beal has been a fantasy monster and his usage % increases quite a bit when he is off the court. Like I said before the Jazz are bleeding fantasy points to opposing guards.
It's hard to tell which Jazz guard is going to have a great game each night but they are in a solid position to do well. I start with Sexton but I think Clarkson and Keyonte George can both be used as well and don't mind mixing them into your lineups. This game has a high total which should lead to some high-scoring fantasy players as well.
Donte has been on a tear, he has seen his price increase quite a bit but like I said about Miles McBride he gets a Grade-A matchup against the Mavs and in the case Brunson is out, Donte is only going to see even more of an increase in production. Over his last five games, he has averaged 39 minutes and with a day of rest, he should be good to continue seeing that.
Top SG Options:
- Devin Booker, PHX vs. UTA ($9,700 DK; $9,700 FD)
- Collin Sexton, UTA at PHO ($6,700 DK; $7,000 FD)
- Donte DiVincenzo, NYK at Dallas ($7,900 DK; $8,100 FD)
Today's NBA DFS Picks: Small Forward
Paolo is SF/PF eligible but with PF being so stacked I don't mind throwing him in at SF. He has a great matchup like I said before and they just played each other and he looked incredible. Don't overthink this one.
Jonathan Kuminga has finally broken through and got on to Kerr's good side it seems. He has been consistently in the starting lineup for quite a few games now and is seeing 30+ minutes a game. This game also has a very high total and with that, this is going to be fast-paced and I want to stack this one quite a bit!
Okay, this one is a bit of a turn but hear me out. Pat Connaughton... I know I think that is the last name you probably thought I was going to say. Middleton is out, Lillard, Giannis, and Cameron Payne are all questionable. Doc Rivers seems to really want to get Pat his confidence back and surprisingly enough he gets a good matchup as the T-Wolves give up the fourth most fantasy points to SFs. This is a complete punt option and should only be used in GPPs but in his last game, he had 30 fantasy points in 32 minutes of play. He is also extremely cheap at only 4k.
Top SF Options:
- Paolo Banchero, ORL vs. SAS ($8,200 DK; $8,600 FD)
- Jonathan Kuminga, GSW vs. IND ($7,300 DK; $7,700 FD)
- Pat Connaughton, MIL vs. MIN, ($4,000 DK; $4,000 FD)
Today's NBA DFS Picks: Power Forward
Kevin Durant sees a big usage increase just like his co-start Devin Booker when Bradley Beal is out. He also gets a crisp matchup like I said before. The Suns are one of my favorite teams to stack on this slate and for good reason.
Good matchup, Good minutes, great player! What more could you ask for out of Pascal Siakam? Hopefully, he pans out as he is by far my favorite player on the slate. With Buddy Hield getting traded as a typed this, this only helps Pascal Siakam even more!
As you can tell I really like the Knicks stack tonight! Precious Achiuwa is another fantastic option with a great matchup. Precious hasn't quite had the numbers Donte has been putting up but his minutes alone along with his price makes him an intriguing option. He's averaged 40 minutes per game and about 32 FPPG over the last four games. With that, Dallas has given up the fourth most FPPG to PFs over the last fifteen games which makes him an even better option
Top PF Options:
- Kevin Durant, PHO vs. UTA ($9,600 DK; $9,900 FD)
- Pascal Siakam, BOS vs. ATL ($8,400 DK; $8,300 FD)
- Precious Achiuwa, NYK at DAL ($6,400 DK; $6,800 FD)
Today's NBA DFS Picks: Center
Another Suns player I know but the Jazz just give up fantasy points like it's candy and with the total on the game being so high this game is so highly stackable. The Jazz are giving up the third most fantasy points to Centers over the last fifteen games and Nurkic has been playing extremely well over the last four averaging nearly 42 FPPG in that period.
Vucevic is probably our top Center option, he is our third-highest projected overall Center and the second-best bang for your buck only behind Wendell Carter Jr. My only worry with going here is how low this game is projected for scoring and he only had 26 FP in their previous matchup. Since then, however, he has averaged 41 FPPG over seven games and should have no issue getting what he wants in the paint against a smaller frontcourt in Memphis.
Last but not least, Wendell Carter Jr. grades out as our best value center on the slate. He didn't have a great outing against San Antonio last time as he has been a bit up and down at times this season. Hopefully, we see Orlando give him more minutes which should lead to a 30+ fantasy night.
Top C Options:
- Jusuf Nurkic, PHO vs. UTA ($10,100 DK; $10,500 FD)
- Nikola Vucevic, CHI vs. MEM ($7,600 DK; $8,200 FD)
- Wendell Carter Jr., ORL vs. SAS ($5,300 DK; $6,100 FD)
Today's Top NBA DFS Game Stacks
- Warriors at Pacers (250.5 total)
- Jazz at Suns (243.5 total)
- Mavericks at Knicks (232.5 total)
Today's Top NBA DFS Avoids
- Minus some Grizzlies value plays, this game has the lowest point total on the slate and can probably be avoided in the majority of cash games and even some GPPs.
- I might get heat from it but I think you can safely avoid Giannis and Luka, their price and matchup have me worried a bit. I would save some money and go cheaper at those positions.
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: Pascal Siakam
- My favorite CASH play on the slate: Kevin Durant
- My favorite GPP play on the slate: Paolo Banchero
- My favorite value play: Miles McBride
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