RADIO
We have a small five-game slate to work with tonight as the NBA decided to go with a trio of afternoon matchups that fall outside of the main slate. It's not going to be an easy slate to dissect as three of the games (Nuggets-Blazers, Pistons-Hornets, Clippers-Rockets) hold solid, if unspectacular, implied totals while the other two (Pelicans-Lakers, Mavericks-Warriors) are projecting to be low-scoring and slow-paced. The balanced build is looking prime tonight, though Doncic and Jokic are always worth taking shots on and we should have enough value on the board where we can work them in comfortably.
We're having to sort through a myriad of injury situations on this slate, but the good news is that we already have confirmation on most of them. Anthony Davis and Jusuf Nurkic being inactive will open up plays on the Lakers and Blazers, while we're looking at questionable tags with Klay Thompson, Justise Winslow, Kevin Porter Jr., and Marvin Bagley III.
This article will provide you with my daily fantasy basketball lineup picks for DraftKings and FanDuel on 2/27/22. Remember to monitor NBA injury news and our live-updating NBA injury updates tool as the slate can completely change before lineups lock. As always, feel free to follow my Twitter (@RING_DFS) - I post about a variety of things but mainly NBA DFS with my K-Rate and Positional K-Rate model. Let's get to it - good luck RotoBallers!
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DraftKings and FanDuel Guards - NBA DFS Lineup Picks
Anfernee Simons - PG/SG, POR vs. DEN ($8,200 DK, $7,500 FD)
Simons is still at an affordable price point for his role as the de-facto leader of the Blazers, and he's in a terrific spot to crush value tonight. The masses may be off of him after he fell short of expectations with 32.25 DK points last time out, but he only saw 28 minutes in that game due to a blowout. He had gone for 46.75, 47, and 50.25 DK points in the three games coming into the All-Star break, so that gives you an idea of the type of production he can put up. He leads the team with a dominant 36.8% usage rate with Lillard, Nurkic, Little, McCollum (traded), and Powell (traded) off the floor, and his 1.24 FPTS/min rate is also nothing to scoff at. The Nuggets have been tougher against opposing point guards recently, but they're still allowing the fifth-most fantasy points per game to the position on the season. This is also shaping up to be the best game environment overall on this slate and the Nuggets will be playing in the second half of a back-to-back. Look for Simons to take charge in this one and soar past 5x value in the process.
Reggie Jackson - PG, LAC vs. HOU ($7,600 DK, $6,800 FD) | Better on FanDuel
We're very likely to see a Clipper or two in the optimal lineup at the conclusion of this slate, as long as this matchup stays as competitive as the current 6.5-point spread implies. The Rockets hold the worst defensive rating, allow the most fantasy points per game, and play at the fastest pace in the league. Obviously, this is a spot we want to target for fantasy purposes. They also allow the most fantasy points per game to the point guard, power forward, and center positions. This puts Marcus Morris Sr., Ivica Zubac, and Isaiah Hartenstein on the radar for tonight, but my favorite way to attack the Rockets is going to be from the point guard position in Jackson. The veteran is averaging a 30.3% usage rate and 1.01 FPTS/min with Goerge, Powell, Bledsoe, and Ibaka off the floor this season. He doesn't provide the most immense ceiling in the world, but he does have three games over 40 DK points over his last five. You can't dream up a better scenario for him to crush value tonight, though the aforementioned Clippers as well as Nicolas Batum, Terance Mann, Amir Coffey, and Luke Kennard are all in play.
LaMelo Ball - PG, CHA vs. DET ($9,600 DK, $8,600 FD) | Better on FanDuel
I just absolutely love this spot for Ball tonight, though he's much more appealing over on FanDuel at $1,000 less. He has a monster ceiling for his appealing salary, and we could easily see him reaching that level tonight in an incredible spot against the lowly Pistons. Detroit has allowed the third-most fantasy points per game to opposing point guards this season, and they're allowing the most fantasy points per game to the position over their last seven games. The Pistons are also playing in the second half of a back-to-back, which isn't going to help their ability to slow down Ball's creative playmaking style. As long as this game doesn't get out of hand at an early stage, Ball has a shot at putting up another ceiling game tonight.
Cade Cunningham - PG/SG/SF, DET vs. CHA ($7,100 DK, $6,300 FD) | Better on FanDuel
Russell Westbrook - PG, LAL vs. NOP ($6,800 FD) | FanDuel-only
Others to consider: Devonte' Graham ($3,700 FD), Jalen Green ($4,600 FD), Austin Reaves ($3,300 DK), Luke Kennard ($4,600 DK), Amir Coffey ($3,700 DK), Luka Doncic ($11,700 DK, $11,100 FD)
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DraftKings and FanDuel Forwards - NBA DFS Lineup Picks
Kelly Oubre Jr. - SG/SF, CHA vs. DET ($5,500 DK, $5,100 FD)
I don't generally like recommending guys like Oubre as targeting scoring-dependent players in daily fantasy is often a volatile exercise. That being said, knowing when to target these players and hitting on those "spike" games can be extremely valuable, especially in tournament formats. Oubre Jr. was on a major downslide heading into the All-Star break, failing to exceed 26.25 DK points in five straight contests. He came out of the break hot, though, putting up 37 DK points over 32 minutes as he was efficient from the field (8-for-14, 5-for-10 from 3PT) while also contributing four rebounds, one assist, one block, and two steals. The additional appeal here lies with the game environment and the positional matchup. This matchup is currently tied with the Clippers-Rockets affair for the highest implied total on the slate (229 points), it's projected to be the fastest-paced game, and these teams combine to allow the most fantasy points per game on the slate. On top of all that, the Pistons allow opposing small forwards to score the third-most fantasy points per game, and they rank at or near the bottom in points, three-pointers made, and steals allowed to the position.
Marcus Morris Sr. - SF/PF, LAC vs. HOU ($6,000 DK, 6,000 FD)
This is certainly the first time all season I'm recommending playing multiple Clippers as they have been pretty atrocious from an offensive standpoint this season, ranking 26th in the league in offensive rating. However, one can overlook a lot of metrics when you get the privilege of facing the Rockets. Morris Sr. just put up 40.25 DK points on them in the Clippers' last game before the break, and he got to that mark despite seeing just 25 minutes in a major blowout. The game currently holds a 6.5-point spread, so it's relatively safe to project Morris Sr. to receive playing time closer to his 30-minute season average tonight. His 25.2% usage rate ranks second on the team with George and Powell off the floor, while he's right around 1.00 FPTS/min for the season. He struggled badly in Friday's matchup against the Lakers, but there is no better remedy for a bounceback than the Rockets.
Nicolas Batum - PF/C, CLE vs. WAS ($4,000 DK) | DraftKings-only
Others to consider: Terance Mann ($6,100 DK), Herbert Jones ($4,500 FD), KJ Martin ($3,500 DK, $3,500 FD), Marvin Bagley III ($3,800 DK), Kelly Olynyk ($3,700 DK), Trendon Watford ($3,600 FD), LeBron James ($10,900 DK, $10,500 FD)
DraftKings and FanDuel Centers - NBA DFS Lineup Picks
Dwight Howard - C, LAL vs. NOP ($3,000 DK, $3,700 FD)
The well-traveled big man formerly known as "Superman" is as close to a free square as we're going to get tonight. Anthony Davis being out leaves the Lakers dangerously thin in the frontcourt, with the little-used DeAndre Jordan and small-ball centers Carmelo Anthony, Stanley Johnson, and Trevor Ariza as Howard's only competition for playing time. He saw 26 minutes on Friday against the Clippers, and he absolutely demolished his price tag with an impressive 14/16/1/3/1 line (44.5 DK points). He should see similar playing time tonight and when we consider his 1.08 FPTS/min average with AD off the floor, we have ourselves a stone-cold lock at a minimal salary. The matchup is also on his side as the Pelicans have allowed the 11th-most fantasy points per game to opposing centers this season.
Others to consider: Drew Eubanks ($3,900 DK, $4,100 FD), Nikola Jokic ($11,700 FD, $12,600 DK), Isaiah Hartenstein ($4,700 DK), Ivica Zubac ($5,100 DK), Kevon Looney ($4,200 DK)
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