NBA Daily Fantasy Picks
Thursday’s slate of games features four matchups, headlined by the Bucks taking on the Lakers in Los Angeles. This game has the highest over/under total of the day, sitting at 239 points. The night kicks off with a pair of non-conference matchups between the Nuggets and Magic as well as the Suns traveling to take on the Hawks.
Tuesday Recap
- Shai Gilgeous-Alexander: 48 | Result: 47
- Trae Young Projection: 46 | Result: 46.25
- Anthony Edwards Projection: 42 | Result: 29.25
- CJ McCollum Projection: 37 | Result: 40.5
- Immanuel Quickley Projection: 27 | Result: 31.75
- Cole Anthony Projection: 24 | Result: 14.75
- Tyus Jones Projection: 22 | Result: 6
- Rui Hachimura Projection: 22 | Result: 21.5
With the exception of Tyus Jones and Immanuel Quickley – who exploded for 31.75 last night – FantasyData’s NBA Projections were on point Tuesday. Every week I hope to share fire emojis when recapping player performances, but there is something to be said for projection consistency. I think this is another strong performance. Grade: C+
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Studs DFS Player
Nikola Vucevic | Chicago Bulls
FantasyData Projection: 40 | DraftKings Cost: $9000
Vucevic comes into the game as one of the better options in terms of time on the floor, ranking 6th among today’s players in minutes played and has seen a spike in his usage rate over his last three games. He has also surpassed his fantasy projection in each of his last five games. On this slate, he is 4th in fantasy points per game, at 41.3 DFS points per contest. In today’s game, he could also pick up some extra free-throw opportunities, as the Nets are 25th in free-throw attempts allowed per game.
Giannis Antetokounmpo | Milwaukee Bucks
FantasyData Projection: 52 | DraftKings Cost: $12300
Even with the heavy price tag, Antetokounmpo is a candidate to outperform his projections, having done so in 53.5% of his games. This year, Giannis Antetokounmpo is averaging 58.6 fantasy points per contest, which is 2nd among today’s options. Compared to his average usage rate of 39.3%, he has increased that number by 16.5% over his last 3 games. Given that both teams prefer to play at a face pace, with the Bucks ranked 11th and the Lakers sitting 1st, Antetokounmpo will benefit from the extra possessions. Averaging 12.4 boards per game, he is always a good option to rack up additional rebounding points.
Spencer Dinwiddie | Brooklyn Nets
FantasyData Projection: 32 | DraftKings Cost: $8100
In his last five games, he has exceeded his fantasy projection four times and is taking on a Bulls defense that has struggled to defend the three-point line this season, ranking 25th in three-pointers allowed per game. He is coming into today’s game as the 14th-best option in projected fantasy scoring and has averaged 31.0 fantasy points per contest, which is 14.6% higher than his season average. Dinwiddie should continue to get plenty of opportunities as he will be one of the primary options in the Nets’ lineup against Chicago.
Dejounte Murray | Atlanta Hawks
FantasyData Projection: 43 | DraftKings Cost: $8700
Out of all of today’s options, Murray is the top player in terms of minutes player at 36.6 minutes per contest. He is also a key component of the Hawks’ offense, having taken 19.9% of Atlanta’s field goal attempts this year. His projection of 43.7 fantasy points places him 5th among today’s players. The Hawks will be looking to control the tempo of this game as they enter as the 9th-ranked team in possessions per contest, which could also help out Murray’s rebounding numbers with an average of 5.4 boards per game.
Value DFS Player
John Collins | Atlanta Hawks
FantasyData Projection: 26 | DraftKings Cost: $5200
For the season, John Collins has an effective field goal percentage of 55.2% and is averaging 13.2 points per game. Look for him to pick up some extra free-throw opportunities against a Suns defense ranked 24th in free-throw attempts allowed per game. His season average of 31.3 minutes per contest is the 14th-highest figure among today’s options. So far this season, he has 10 double-doubles and could add to that number vs. the Suns.
Dennis Schröder | Los Angeles Lakers
FantasyData Projection: 21 | DraftKings Cost: $5000
Coming into the game, Schoder has an average of 8 shots per contest on a season-long field goal percentage 41.1%. Across his last three games, he has bumped up his production at 23 fantasy points per contest. He should be able to take advantage of the league’s 16th-ranked defense at defending his position. With Russell Westbrook out of the lineup, Schröder should be in line to benefit from some increased opportunity.
Pat Connaughton | Milwaukee Bucks
FantasyData Projection: 17 | DraftKings Cost: $4700
Across his last three games, he has averaged 22.6 fantasy points per contest, which is 27% higher than his season average. He has also improved his efficiency of late and has a season-wide effective field goal percentage of 57%. This includes knocking down 35.7% of his three-point attempts. Connaughton also has an excellent matchup against a Los Angeles defense, ranked 29th in points allowed.
De’Andre Hunter | Atlanta Hawks
FantasyData Projection: 25 | DraftKings Cost: $4900
So far this year, he is averaging 15.7 points per game on an overall field goal percentage of 45.5%. For the season, he has surpassed his season average of 24.8 fantasy points per game in 56% of his contests. Even though he enters as the 27th-best option in projected fantasy scoring, he is a good candidate to outperform his projection and is a good value option.
