FanDuel Daily Fantasy Basketball Picks and Helper: Wednesday 2/7/24

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Since NBA DFS is easier to predict than baseball or football, it would likely get plenty of votes as the best sport to play on FanDuel. Basketball players usually stick to the same minutes and produce at roughly the same rate. Sounds easy, right? Trust me -- it's not!

As a result, NBA daily fantasy is highly reliant on a player's opportunity, so you'll need to ensure that you're up to date with key injuries. Our projections -- which are powered by numberFire -- update throughout the day to reflect current news. You can also turn to numberFire for player news updates as well as a matchup heat map and lineup optimizer to help give you an edge.

On top of all that, here at FanDuel Research, we'll come at you each day with this NBA DFS primer, which breaks down some of the day's top plays at each position.

Let's dive into today's main slate on FanDuel.

NBA DFS Picks

Wednesday's main slate on FanDuel features seven games, but only one matchup with a spread tighter than seven points.

For a full breakdown, see numberFire's matchup heat map. Lines and totals via the NBA odds on FanDuel Sportsbook.

Top matchups:

Other games:

Guards

Top Plays

Donovan Mitchell ($10,400) -- Donovan Mitchell's ceiling is sky-high tonight. According to FantasyPros, the Wizards allow the most FanDuel points per game (FPPG) to opposing SGs and the fourth-most to PGs. They're 28th in overall defensive rating but lead the league in pace. That sets up nicely for Mitchell as he continues to flash slate-winning upside, posting a pair of 60-FP outings over his last four games. FanDuel Sportsbook has Mitchell's points prop at 27.5 points.

Derrick White ($7,300) -- Derrick White would become even more appealing if Jrue Holiday (questionable) is ruled out, but he has stand-alone value, too. The Celtics have the slate's highest implied total (128.25) in their matchup with Atlanta. The Hawks are a dream matchup for perimeter players -- they're 27th in defensive rating, fourth in pace, and bottom 10 in FPs allowed to both guard spots. White's been held under 40 FPs in seven straight, but he's in a good spot to snap his cold spell.

Malik Monk ($6,000) -- Malik Monk has notched a pair of 40-FP outings over his last three games, and tonight's matchup with Detroit is as good as it gets. The Pistons are bottom five in FPs allowed to both guard positions, 29th in defensive rating, and seventh in pace. As a result, Sacramento has a 127.5-point implied total. Monk profiles as a high-upside salary saver.

Others to Consider

De'Aaron Fox ($9,200) -- Detroit is the single-best fantasy matchup for opposing PGs, so we need to consider De'Aaron Fox. The consistency hasn't been ideal in recent weeks, but he's gone for 50 FPs in two of the last three. As of Wednesday afternoon, Fox's 46.9-FP numberFire projection leads all guards.

Terry Rozier ($7,000) -- It took a few games, but Terry Rozier has found his footing in Miami, exceeding 30 FPs in four straight. A date with San Antonio (24 in defensive rating; second-most FP allowed to PGs) could be the right matchup for a true breakout.

Kevin Huerter ($5,700) -- There's a lot to like with Sacramento's offense tonight, so it's easy to consider Kevin Huerter at $5.7K. The sharpshooter has scored at least 25 FPs in eight of his last 11 games.

Jaden Springer ($4,700) -- Tyrese Maxey is questionable, which could lead to extended run for Jaden Springer. The former first-round pick was already trending up, averaging 22.9 FPPG and 21.5 minutes over his last four outings.

Wings

Top Plays

Jayson Tatum ($10,200) -- Jayson Tatum has scored 55 FPs in three of his last four and now faces Atlanta. Sign me up. The Hawks are a trainwreck on defense right now, allowing 133 points per game over their last six. Within those: Luka Doncic's 73-point game and Stephen Curry's 60-pointer. We can't bank on one of those games from Tatum, but Atlanta has given up the sixth-most FPs to SFs. Tatum could break the slate and is +105 to score 30 points tonight.

RJ Barrett ($7,100) -- Immanuel Quickley, RJ Barrett, and Scottie Barnes have played six games together. Per RotoGrinders CourtIQ, Barrett has posted the highest usage rate (26%) in those outings. He tacked on 37.5 FPPG -- a mark well within tonight's range of outcomes given the matchup. Charlotte is dead last in defensive rating this season, and they've yielded the fourth-most FPs to SFs. Even with the slate's lowest over/under (226.0), Barrett has upside.

Josh Richardson ($4,900) -- I can get behind any of Miami's wings, but Josh Richardson takes the cake thanks to his low salary and recent production. Richardson has exceeded 23 FPs in four of his last five games, averaging 27 minutes over that span. It helps that the Heat are at home -- Richardson is shooting 42% from three at the Kaseya Center, compared to 28% on the road.

Others to Consider

Tobias Harris ($8,300) -- We can consider Tobias Harris regardless of Maxey's status. Harris has finished with 45.0, 50.5, and 41.2 FPs over his last three games -- one of which came against tonight's opponent, Golden State. He's averaging 43 FPs without Embiid and posted a 30% usage rate in one game without both Maxey and Embiid.

Brandon Miller ($7,700) -- Brandon Miller is red-hot right now, exceeding 50 FPs in three straight. I'm optimistic he'll keep it going against Toronto. The Raptors have sunk to 30th in defensive rating over their last 15 games, and they've given up the most FPs to SFs over that span.

Ausar Thompson ($5,600) -- Ausar Thompson is fresh off a 36.9-FP outing, and he could see a bump with Bojan Bogdanovic and Cade Cunningham both questionable. The rookie averaged 24.1 FPPG in the previous two games in which both Cade and Bojan sat.

Sam Hauser ($4,200) -- I'm looking Sam Hauser's way only if Jrue Holiday is out, but he's worth a mention. Boston has a monstrous implied total tonight, and Hauser went for 31.4 FPs in Holiday's only other absence.

Bigs

Top Plays

Domantas Sabonis ($10,500) -- With three triple-doubles in his last four games, Domantas Sabonis carries the highest raw projection tonight (52.6) and is the No. 1 player I want to build around. Sabonis is coming off a 12-point, 10-rebound, 15-assist outing against the Cavs -- one that saw him score 52.3 FPs against the league's second-best defense. Things get substantially easier tonight as the Pistons have given up the fourth-most FPs to centers and rank 29th in defensive rating. The upside is clear, and the floor is top notch -- he's failed to crack 40 FPs just once over the last 10 games. Sabonis to record a triple double is +135 on FanDuel Sportsbook.

Jakob Poeltl ($6,100) -- We're starved for obvious value tonight... aside from Jakob Poeltl. The seven-footer carries a 34.6-FP numberFire projection, making him easily the top point-per-dollar value on the board (as of Wednesday afternoon). He's played three games since returning from injury, finishing with 16.5, 41.9, and 32.3 FPs. With those performances in mind, it's easy to get excited about his date with Charlotte. The Hornets have given up the third-most FPs to opposing Cs, and they're just 27th in rebound rate.

Harrison Barnes ($5,400) -- Rostering Harrison Barnes in DFS often feels like playing with fire, but the boom games have been more common of late. Over his last eight, Barnes has averaged 20.9 points and 3.5 threes per game. He's cleared 25 FPs four times over that span -- something that's well within the range of outcomes tonight. Detroit has given up the sixth-highest three-point field goal percentage (38%) this season, and Sac-Town's 127.5-point implied total should allow everyone to feast.

Others to Consider

Kristaps Porzingis ($8,100) -- Kristaps Porzingis is my favorite pivot off Sabonis -- though you can squeeze them both into the same lineup thanks to their dual-eligibility. He's posted 45 FPs in consecutive games and now faces a Hawks defense allowing the fifth-most FPs to centers. I want as many shares of Boston's 128.25 implied total as I can get.

Jonathan Kuminga ($7,600) -- Jonathan Kuminga's salary is getting up there, but it's hard to argue with his recent production. Over his last 10 games, Kuminga has averaged 39.9 FPPG -- that's Lauri Markkanen-level production. The tightest spread on the slate (Warriors -5.5) makes this a quality game environment, too.

Nick Richards ($6,200) -- Nick Richards is the second-best point-per-dollar value on the board thanks to his 32.1-FP projection. Although Richards has failed to reach 30 FPs in five straight, the Raptors have yielded the ninth-most FPPG to Cs over their last 15 games.

De'Andre Hunter ($4,700) -- Despite a minute's restriction, De'Andre Hunter deserves a look after he went for 39.9 FPs in Atlanta's most recent outing. A sub-20-minute player going up against Boston isn't ideal, but he's a sneaky salary-saver given the game's 245.0-point over/under.

FanDuel Sportsbook users can take advantage of this 30% Profit Boost to use on a live wager on any NBA game happening February 7th. See the promotions page for more information.

Interested in playing NBA daily fantasy? FanDuel has plenty of contest options to make every moment more. Be sure to check out the NBA betting options, as well.

The above author is a FanDuel employee and is not eligible to compete in public daily fantasy contests or place sports betting wagers on FanDuel. The advice provided by the author does not necessarily represent the views of FanDuel. Taking the author’s advice will not guarantee a successful outcome. You should use your own judgment when participating in daily fantasy contests or placing sports wagers.

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