The NBA schedule has seven games on the main slate for Sunday night. Two games you'll want exposure to are the Brooklyn Nets versus the Los Angeles Clippers and the Sacramento Kings versus the Milwaukee Bucks. Both of these matchups have a total of 238 or more points. Here are three tips on how to attack the overall slate when assembling lineups.
First of all, it’s important to look at the pace and Vegas lines. Second, it’s also useful to understand the number of fantasy points a team gives up to a specific position. The final tip is to identify value plays that are critical on a slate of any size. You don’t have to necessarily go for the cheapest value, but you want to identify players who have a high floor and a high ceiling.
This article will supply you with my daily fantasy basketball lineup picks for the DraftKings on 2/21/21. You can also check out today’s FanDuel lineup picks. It’s also important to monitor injury news as a result of COVID-19 as the slate can completely change before line-up lock. Without further ado, let’s dive into the picks!
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DraftKings DFS Guards
Trae Young - PG, ATL vs. DEN ($9,700)
Young scored 31 points, accumulated 11 assists, four rebounds, and three steals in 37 minutes against the Celtics last Friday. He's averaged 36.6 minutes, 30 points, 3.3 rebounds, 10 assists, one steal, 0.4 blocks, and 4.4 turnovers per game over his last 14. Did you know the only other point guard with a higher Usage Rate than Young (32.5%) is Luka Doncic (36.2%)? Usage Rate is an estimate of the percentage of team plays used by a player while he was on the floor. Young faces a Nuggets team that has allowed the 12th most DraftKings fantasy points to point guards this season.
Fred Vanvleet - PG, TOR vs. PHI ($8,200)
VanVleet disappointed fantasy players last Friday night against the Timberwolves. He only made four of 20 field goals for 12 points. VanVleet also accumulated seven rebounds, three assists, three steals, and two blocks. The good news is that he's averaging a career-best 20.3 points per game this season. VanVleet is in a great position to bounce back against a 76ers team that has allowed the seventh-most DraftKings fantasy points to point guards this season.
Norman Powell - SG/SF, TOR vs. PHI ($6,900)
Powell eviscerated the Timberwolves last Friday night. He scored 31 points, accumulated six rebounds and two steals against Minnesota. He has a Usage Rate of 22.7% this season. Did you know that Powell has exceeded 20 points in 11 of his last 14 games? He faces a 76ers team that has allowed the sixth-most DraftKings fantasy points to shooting guards this season. Powell is a nice value if you are looking to conserve salary when assembling your lineups.
Bonus Guards: De'Aaron Fox ($7,700), Khris Middleton ($7,800), Collin Sexton ($7,300), Tyrese Haliburton ($6,300)
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DraftKings DFS Forwards
Giannis Antetokounmpo - PF/C, MIL vs SAC ($11,000)
Antetokounmpo scored 29 points, accumulated 19 rebounds, eight assists, one steal, three blocks, and three turnovers against the Thunder last Friday. He's been a juggernaut over the last 16 games. Antetokounmpo has averaged 35.4 minutes, 29 points, 13 rebounds, 6.5 assists, 1.3 steals, 1.6 blocks, and four turnovers per game over that time frame. He has the fourth-highest Usage Rate among all players this season. Antetokounmpo has the highest ceiling among all players on the slate. The Kings have allowed the most DraftKings fantasy points per game this season.
Pascal Siakam - PF/C, TOR vs PHI ($7,900)
Siakam had a quiet night last Friday. He only scored 10 points, accumulated nine rebounds, six assists, and three blocked shots against the Timberwolves. Siakam is posting a career-high in rebounds (7.7), assists (4.5), and steals (1.2) per game this season. He has the eighth highest Usage Rate (25.3%) among power forwards. Siakam is in a very good spot to bounce back on the offensive end against the 76ers.
Michael Porter Jr. - SF/PF, DEN vs ATL ($5,900)
Did you know this was the second game in a row that Porter has exceeded 30 minutes? He scored 22 points, accumulated seven rebounds and one assist against the Cavaliers last Friday. Porter has averaged 29.8 minutes, 12 points, 6.1 rebounds, 1.3 assists, 0.8 steals, 1.5 blocks, and one turnover per game since being inserted into the starting lineup on February 6. He's another solid value on tonight's slate.
Bonus Forwards: Kawhi Leonard ($9,500), Jerami Grant ($7,600), Terrence Ross ($6,800), John Collins ($6,500)
DraftKings DFS Centers
Nikola Jokic - C, DEN vs ATL ($10,800)
Jokic continues to be a fantasy basketball dynamo. Over the last 16 games he's averaged 36.2 minutes, 28.6 points, 11 rebounds, 7.3 assists, 1.4 steals, 0.8 blocks, and 2.8 turnovers per game. Jokic has the third-highest Usage Rate (29.5%) and second-highest Player Efficiency Rating (36) among centers. Even at his high salary, Jokic has the ability to exceed expectations on any given night. He's had five consecutive games with 55 or more DraftKings fantasy points.
Jarrett Allen - C, CLE vs OKC ($7,100)
Allen scored 20 points, accumulated 10 rebounds, four assists, one steal, and one block in 34 minutes against the Nuggets last Friday. Did you know that he's had four double-doubles in his last five games? Allen is in a great spot against an Oklahoma City team that has allowed the sixth-most DraftKings fantasy points per game to centers this season.
Bonus Centers: Nikola Vucevic ($10,300), Hassan Whiteside ($4,900)
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