Daily Fantasy

NBA DraftKings & FanDuel DFS Primer: Feb 13

FantasyPros considers the best player values for DraftKings and FanDuel NBA DFS.

Joel Bartilotta, FantasyPros

February 13, 2023 7:08 PM

Donovan Mitchell and the Cavaliers host the Spurs at 7 p.m. ET tonight on NBA League Pass.

With the trade deadline officially over, this is a great time to play DFS. Many of these trade acquisitions are still undervalued, and we have to bank on those mistakes before the price tags skyrocket. With that in mind, let’s kick things off.

Injury Report

As of 10:30 a.m. ET:

Devin Vassell (knee) OUT
Keldon Johnson (ankle) Probable
Tre Jones (foot) OUT
Kevin Porter Jr.(foot) OUT
Saddiq Bey (trade) Available
Kelly Oubre Jr.(hand) OUT
Jamal Murray (knee) Questionable
Aaron Gordon (rib) Questionable
Kyle Lowry (knee) OUT
Seth Curry (adductor) OUT
Mitchell Robinson (hand) OUT
Lonzo Ball (knee) OUT
Zion Williamson (hamstring) OUT
Karl-Anthony Towns (calf) OUT
Tim Hardaway Jr.(hamstring) Questionable
Kyle Kuzma (ankle) Questionable
Stephen Curry (leg) OUT
LeBron James (ankle) Questionable
Jerami Grant (concussion) Questionable
Jusuf Nurkic (calf) OUT

Core Plays

Joel Embiid (PF/C – PHI): $11,400 DraftKings, $11,700 FanDuel
Using the opponent’s best player against Houston has been a cheat code in DFS for years. This team ranks 25th in points allowed and 28th in defensive efficiency. That’s scary against an MVP like Embiid, averaging over 57 DraftKings points per game. He’s been even better recently, posting a 60-point average over the last two months. Embiid has at least 54 DK points in five straight matchups with the Rockets, and that should be his floor with the way he’s playing.

Donovan Mitchell (PG – CLE): $8,700 DraftKings, $8,500 FanDuel
If you think Houston is a good matchup, wait until we talk about San Antonio. The Spurs sit last in both points allowed and defensive efficiency while surrendering the most fantasy points in the NBA. That makes Mitchell one of the best plays as Cleveland’s best player, averaging 44 DK points per game. He’s also coming off a 59 DK-point gem in his most recent outing, and that could be in play again in this superb matchup.

Jordan Poole (PG/SG – GSW): $7,800 DraftKings, $7,800 FanDuel
Poole is the new point guard in Golden State with Chef Curry sidelined, and he needs to be $1,000 more in this expanded role. The shifty guard is averaging over 40 fantasy points per game with Curry out, seeing a massive boost in minutes, shot attempts, assists, and usage. That’s led to Poole scoring at least 46 DK points in three straight outings, and he shouldn’t have any issues with Washington posting a 26th OPRK against opposing guards.

Cash Game Considerations

Nikola Jokic (C – DEN): $12,000 DraftKings, $12,000 FanDuel
The Joker has been the best cash game player for three years now, averaging nearly 60 fantasy points per game this season. He’s actually scored at least 52 DraftKings points in all but two games over the last two months, posting triple-double averages in that span. He’s also got at least 59 DK points in 13 of his previous 14 games, and it doesn’t really matter that he faces one of the best defenses in the NBA. In their last matchup with Miami, Jokic collected 19 points, 12 rebounds, and 12 assists.

Trae Young (PG – ATL): $9,700 DraftKings, $9,800 FanDuel
Don’t look now, but Young is starting to get going. The former All-Star has scored at least 46 DK points in six of his last seven games, dropping 59 and 66 DraftKings points in his two most recent outings. That’s what we’ve been waiting to see, and it should continue against a 28th-ranked Charlotte defense. In their three matchups this season, Trae is averaging nearly 50 fantasy points per game, despite shooting just 40% from the field.

Damian Lillard (PG – POR): $11,100 DraftKings, $10,400 FanDuel
Dame is on another level right now. This superstar has scored at least 56 DraftKings points in 12 of his last 16 games, generating a 56-point average in that span. That’s one of the best stretches from any player all year, and it should continue with Lillard attempting 21 shots across 37 minutes a night. We don’t expect the Lakers to slow him down, ranked third in pace and 27th in points allowed. It’s also a premier matchup for this motivated guard, scoring 49 and 52 DK points in his two matchups with Los Angeles this year.

GPP Targets

Mark Williams (C – CHA): $4,000 DraftKings, $5,200 FanDuel
It’s wild that Williams remains this cheap. This guy saw one of the biggest bumps at the trade deadline, taking over starting center duties in the absence of Mason Plumlee. That increased role is massive when looking at his elite per-minute numbers, averaging 17 DK points per game across 14 minutes a night. Those totals should double from here on out, which means he should be at least $6K on both sites. We also don’t mind that Atlanta owns a 22nd OPRK against opposing centers either.

John Collins (PF – ATL): $5,300 DraftKings, $5,700 FanDuel
It’s strange to see Collins so far below $6,000. This guy has sat around $7K for most of his career and is still averaging nearly 30 fantasy points per game. What makes him enticing here is a meeting with the 28th-ranked defense, with Collins averaging 27 DK points per game in their two meetings this year. We have to assume Collins will play his usual 30-35 minutes from here on out and get back to his usual $6K price tag.

Gordon Hayward (SG/SF – CHA): $4,900 DraftKings, $5,200 FanDuel
We like Hayward for all the same reasons as Collins. These veterans have struggled at times this season, but they’re too good to be this cheap. The former All-Star has been slow in his return from a hamstring injury, but dropping 32 DK points across 36 minutes in his most recent outing shows the sort of upside this guy presents. He could duplicate that against Atlanta, with the Hawks owning a 26th OPRK against opposing wings this year.

Value Plays

Wendell Carter Jr. (C – ORL): $5,700 DraftKings, $6,500 FanDuel
This is another price tag I don’t understand. Carter Jr. has sat around $6K all year, but he’s been playing at a $7K level. The big man is averaging 33 DK points per game as a starter, showcasing a 25-point floor. That makes him a sensational option against Chicago because Carter has always been more motivated against his former team. In fact, he has at least 36 DK points in six of his last seven meetings with the Bulls while averaging nearly 40 fantasy points per game.

Gabe Vincent (PG/SG – MIA): $4,500 DraftKings, $5,000 FanDuel
Vincent has been a sneaky DFS option whenever Kyle Lowry has been injured this year. That’s turned Vincent into the starting point guard, regularly playing 35 minutes a night in this role. In his nine starts this year, Vincent is averaging 28 DK points per game across 36 minutes a night. That’s more typical of a $6K player, and it’s hard to understand why he remains so affordable. The matchup with Denver is excellent, too, allowing the sixth-most fantasy points to opposing point guards this year.

Collin Sexton (PG/SG – UTA): $5,200 DraftKings, $5,500 FanDuel
This is Sexton’s show now with Mike Conley being shipped to Minnesota. They already made the first big step of acquiring him in the Donovan Mitchell trade, but that Conley trade should make him the starting point guard going forward. That means 15 shots and 30 minutes should be a regular thing, and we’ve seen Sexton play at a $7K level in that sort of role in the past. Sexton is scoring nearly 40 fantasy points per game in the three games since the trade! Not to mention, Indiana allows the most fantasy points to opposing point guards this season.

Advantageous Pricing