FanDuel NBA DFS Picks for Today (Wednesday, 2/26/25): Daily Fantasy Basketball Advice

Wednesday night brings a nine-game NBA DFS slate for FanDuel and possibly some unlikely heroes for our lineups, as we have fewer big-name stars on this slate than usual.

I always make it a point to recommend some higher-priced players for cash games and GPPs while highlighting some of my favorite value plays and game stacks. If you want DraftKings picks, see who Zach Thompson likes by reading his piece here.

This article will provide my daily fantasy basketball lineup picks for FanDuel on 2/26/25. 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. 

FanDuel NBA DFS Core Picks

Josh Giddey, CHI - PG/SG ($8.3K) 

The Bulls are creeping closer and closer to full tank mode as Nikola Vucevic is now hurt and likely to miss tonight's game again. Zach LaVine is in Sacramento, and Josh Giddey has emerged as the guy who has free reign to run the offense and pad his stats in the process.

Josh Giddey’s last three games:

27 PTS - 16 REB - 4 AST - 61% FG
24 PTS - 8 REB - 10 AST - 43% FG
25 PTS - 16 REB - 6 AST - 73% FG pic.twitter.com/mbpO2GmDmB

— Hoop Central (@TheHoopCentral) February 25, 2025

I'm not promising 50-60 FD points again for the fourth straight night, but I do think that Giddey's ability to pile up counting stats in this lead role gives him a very high floor, even if the Bulls get beaten by the Clippers tonight. But I wouldn't count Chicago out, and they are arguably playing some of their best basketball lately with some young players in the lineup who don't know that they are supposed to lose.

Alperen Sengun, MIN - C ($7.8K)

The last time I wrote up Sengun, he crushed the Jazz for a 27-12-7 line last Friday. He should have a major mismatch tonight against Bismack Biyombo, who is only 6-foot-9 playing center for the Spurs, and San Antonio has very few other big men to plug in there to protect the rim.

San Antonio has been handled by big men most of the season, even when Wemby was playing, so this matchup is a good one for Sengun. Even if Fred VanVleet does return tonight, I expect the Rockets to continue to run a lot of their offense through the Turkish big man who has proven that he's among the elite passing centers in the NBA.

Others Under Consideration: Jalen Brunson (if Towns is out) - PG ($9.1K), Domantas Sabonis - PF/C ($9.8K)

FanDuel NBA DFS Tournament Pivots

Deni Avdija, POR - SF/PF ($7.3K)

Do you believe in revenge games? I usually don't, and I have been known to poke fun at those who try to play every narrative angle (because, at some point, they get to be pretty ridiculous, and there are simply too many of them).

But tonight, I think Deni will be out to show the team that drafted him and gave up on him by trading him to Portland in the offseason that he can still be a very good NBA player.

Deni Avdija returns to D.C. tonight 🍿 pic.twitter.com/NFsd5JLJNz

— Greg Finberg (@GregFinberg) February 26, 2025

Deni has thrived in Portland this season and has taken advantage of every opportunity to start when other Blazers have been hurt. With Deandre Ayton still out, I think we will see Deni continue to clean the glass tonight (14 boards on Monday) while also scoring and handing out assists as a point forward in this offense.

Avdija has 40+ FD points in two of his last three and this matchup (even without the extra motivation) against Washington is one of the best there is in DFS for opposing teams.

Kawhi Leonard, LAC– SF/PF ($7.8K)

Can we get 30+ minutes of Leonard tonight in a smash spot against the Bulls?

Kawhi should be well-rested and fully recovered from a foot injury that kept him out of the last two games. In his first game after the break, Kawhi played 32 minutes against the Bucks and dropped 41 FD points.

If he continues to get regular starters' minutes going forward, we will see him priced at 8k or more sooner rather than later. This is a great spot to target him tonight in tournaments, especially with how stackable this game is - we can roll Leonard and Giddey together for correlation and add some cheap Bulls pieces (more on those next) as well.

Others Under Consideration: Dyson Daniels - PG/SG ($8.0K), De'Aaron Fox - PG/SG ($9.6K)

FanDuel NBA DFS Value Picks

Killian Hayes, BKN – PG ($4.4K)

We are a bit starved for value tonight, and the Nets are one team we can look to for salary relief. Hayes has been starting at point guard with D'Angelo Russell, along with a bunch of other Nets. He had his best game last time out against Washington with 29 FD points in 24 minutes.

Zach Collins, CHI - PF ($5.0K)

Collins has been a guy we have leaned on a lot in the past at the end of the season as a "Silly Season stud." He's a stretch five who can hit threes and pass the ball effectively (think Kelly Olynyk) in addition to rebounding the ball. He played 30 minutes on Monday and is probably tonight. I'm guessing he starts and plays another 30 minutes tonight.

Matas Buzelis, CHI - SF/PF ($5.5K)

Again, without Vucevic in the lineup, we should see the other Bulls forwards and big men soak up more shots and boards. The rookie played 35 minutes against Philly on Monday and posted 31 FD points. He has a solid fantasy skill set and is still too cheap here for his potentially expanded role.

Bismack Biyombo, SAS – C ($5.3K)

Biyombo continues to start at center for the Spurs with Charles Bassey out and Coach Pop reluctant to thrust Mamu into a bigger role. He's a very boring play, but he's double-doubled in two straight games and is still a threat to block some shots.

Others Under Consideration: Andre Drummond - C ($5.0K), Keldon Johnson - SF/PF ($5.2K), Bub Carrington - PG ($5.1K)

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: Josh Giddey
• My favorite CASH play on the slate: Josh Giddey
• My favorite GPP play on the slate: Deni Avdija
• My favorite VALUE play: Zach Collins

NBA DFS News and Injury Alerts

More DFS Lineup Picks and Analysis