NBA DFS: Top Daily Fantasy Expert Picks for DraftKings, FanDuel (2/22/25)

We have officially survived the All-Star break and are on to the final stretch of the NBA season as we barrel toward the playoffs. In these articles, I focus on the top plays, traditionally geared toward cash games. However, with over a decade of NBA DFS experience under my belt—and as someone who rarely dives into cash formats—I'm selecting picks that also typically come with high upside. That means they offer the steady floor needed for cash games while packing the high ceiling we need for tournaments.

This intriguing four-game slate features the highly anticipated Western Conference showdown between the new-look Lakers and the surging Nuggets, who have won nine in a row. We want to focus on that game in DFS, as it holds the fastest projected pace and the highest implied total on the slate (by far) at 243.5 points. An unexpected amount of value is available for a four-game slate, with the short-handed Nets and too-cheap Blazers popping as values early in the day. Unexpected news always happens, but we have a nice and clean player pool today, besides Fred VanVleet and Collin Sexton. Let's get to it.

This article will provide my daily fantasy basketball lineup picks for DraftKings and FanDuel on 2/22/25. Remember to monitor NBA injury news and our excellent NBA injuries report tool, as the slate can completely change before lineups lock at 7:30 p.m. EST on DraftKings and FanDuel. Good luck, RotoBallers!

Today's NBA DFS Core Picks

Here is a look at some of the higher-priced players we can use as building blocks for cash and GPP contests.

I'm running out of ways to describe how I play Nikola Jokic on every slate he's a part of. It makes more sense to look at it this way: he has exceeded what he needs for 5x value in 12 of his last 15 games. That stretch includes eye-popping games of 99, 83.25, and 76 DK points. No one on the slate, or the NBA, can even sniff that type of upside. He's playing in the best game environment on the slate, and while the Lakers have strong season-long numbers defensively, they also swapped Anthony Davis for Luka Doncic recently. Jaxson Hayes and Alex Len are not remotely close to being good enough defensively to slow him down.

Luka Doncic will eventually figure it out in LA, but I will generally take a "wait and see" approach with him. He's averaging 32.4 DK PPG over his first three games on the Lakers, and while he played 33 minutes last time out, he doesn't look like himself, missing too many shots and turning the ball over at a high rate. However, the game environment is juicy and the Nuggets don't defend particularly well, so taking some shots on him returning to form makes some sense.

I'd rather play LeBron James, though. "The King" has put up back-to-back games with over 58 DK points and posted 82.25 DK points against the Warriors on 2/6. He's playing all the minutes he can handle, and the Lakers need him to continue doing his thing, with Luka struggling and lacking firepower outside of Austin Reaves. Denver allows the sixth-most fantasy points per game this season and they play at the fifth-fastest pace in the NBA, so LeBron will have an opportunity to go off in this spot.

Jalen Green has been on fire, exceeding 35 DK points in five of his last six games, including a 51.75 DK point explosion against Minnesota last night with a 32.6% usage rate. His offensive role has been growing, and tonight’s matchup is ideal — Utah allows the fourth-most fantasy points per game and the most to shooting guards, making Green a core play.

Top Core Plays:

1. Nikola Jokic, DEN vs. LAL - C ($12,200 DK; $12,800 FD)
2. LeBron James, LAL @ DEN - SF/PF ($10,300 DK; $10,100 FD)
3. Jalen Green, HOU @ UTA - SG ($7,200 DK; $7,400 FD)
4. Nic Claxton, BKN @ PHI - C ($5,400 DK; $6,400 FD) Prefer on DraftKings

Today's NBA DFS Value Picks

This is where we talk about saving salary. Whether it's a severely underpriced backup or even as simple as a guy playing like someone who should be priced higher, this is where you'll find guys who make lineups work.

Sorting the best value picks of the day by fantasy points per dollar:

Cameron Thomas, D'Angelo Russell, and Noah Clowney remain out of the lineup for Brooklyn, so there will be value pieces to be mined out for the tanking Nets tonight. Nic Claxton, Killian Hayes, and Cameron Johnson will be popular picks on this slate, as they're far cheaper than they should be with a 28+ minute projection against a middling Philadelphia defense. Claxton is averaging 36 DK PPG over his last four, Hayes should see a starter-level workload, and Cam Johnson is cheap due to being in poor form. Keon Johnson and Ziaire Williams are also in the mix, with Johnson being my priority of the two.

Lastly, Day'Ron Sharpe is always an intriguing play. He has averaged 25.6 DK PPG while playing just 17.4 minutes per game over his last five outings, and his price point is low enough for us to gamble on his potential upside. He scored 33 DK points over 20 minutes last game despite shooting just 3-for-10 from the field.

For non-Nets, I'm looking at Deni Avdija, Donovan Clingan, Jabari Smith Jr., Aaron Gordon, and Robert Williams. Given their current roles and favorable matchup against Charlotte, Avdija, Clingan, and Williams are too cheap. Avdija has games of 44.5 and 37.5 DK points the last two times he played at least 30 minutes, and he's projecting for 30 minutes tonight. Clingan has 50+ DK point potential (52 DK points @ DEN on 2/12), and Charlotte allows the fourth-most fantasy points per game to Cs. Williams gets the same matchup and is $3,900 on DraftKings.

Smith Jr.'s salary hasn't been adjusted to where it should be, as he just played 38 minutes and scored 30.75 DK points last night. He should see a similar workload tonight in a much more appealing matchup against the Jazz, so I'm happy with rolling him out as a key value piece. Gordon seems to have had his minutes restriction lifted, so his low salary feels very intriguing in the top game environment on the slate.

Top Value Plays:

1. Deni Avdija, POR vs. CHA - SF/PF ($6,100 DK; $7,000 FD) Prefer on DraftKings
2. Nic Claxton, BKN @ PHI - C ($5,400 DK; $6,400 FD) Prefer on DraftKings
3. Jabari Smith Jr., HOU @ UTA - PF/C ($5,000 DK; $5,200 FD)
4. Killian Hayes, BKN @ PHI - PG ($3,600 DK; $3,800 FD)
5. Donovan Clingan, POR vs. CHA - C ($5,300 DK; $6,100 FD) Prefer on DraftKings
6. Aaron Gordon, DEN vs. LAL - PF/C ($4,800 DK) DraftKings Only

Want more NBA DFS tools and exclusive content? Check out our premium daily content from proven winner Will Priester! Grab an NBA season pass and get access to our daily projections, optimizer, Will's personal picks, props, advice, and VIP chat rooms. Use promo code BALLER at checkout to save 10%

Today's NBA DFS Picks: Point Guard

Hayes has been with the G-League for much of the season, but he will get another chance to prove himself with the tanking Nets moving forward. Russell's absence frees up minutes and usage rate in the backcourt, and that will be Hayes and Keon Johnson tonight. The Sixers rank middle-of-the-pack defensively against PGs for the season, but they've allowed the fourth-most fantasy points per game to the position over their last seven games. There is some upside in this spot.

Amen Thompson is in a beautiful spot to produce against the Jazz, but the back-to-back scares me a little, and we have to make sure we get to Jokic in most of our lineups. Thompson needs 44 DK points for 5x value tonight, and he has missed that mark in five of his last seven games. I prefer to save money and take a chance on a bounceback from Anfernee Simons, who gets a Hornets defense that has allowed the sixth-most fantasy points per game to PGS over their last seven games. (Thompson is a better play at his FanDuel pricing).

Top PG Options:

1. Killian Hayes, BKN @ PHI ($3,600 DK; $3,800 FD)
2. Anfernee Simons, POR vs. CHA ($6,500 DK; $6,800 FD)
3. Keon Johnson, BKN @ PHI ($5,200 DK)

Today's NBA DFS Picks: Shooting Guard

Jalen Green is the Rockets piece I want to get exposure to. He's too cheap for his current role and form, and now he gets one of the best matchups we can ask for from a fantasy perspective. I'm not expecting another 39 minutes from him in the second half of a back-to-back, but he should crush value in this spot as long as his shot is falling.

Ziaire Williams should push for high-20's minutes, which makes him a potential value piece to consider at his current price. He's a mediocre fantasy producer at just 0.91 FPTs/min, though, and I don't see much upside for him in this spot. I'll be focusing my exposure on Green and Simons here.

Top SG Options:

1. Jalen Green, HOU @ UTA ($7,200 DK; $7,400 FD)
2. Anfernee Simons, POR vs. CHA ($6,500 DK; $6,800 FD)
3. Svi Mykhailiuk, UTA vs. HOU ($3,900) FanDuel Only

Today's NBA DFS Picks: Small Forward

Avdija and LeBron are two of my favorite plays on the slate, as covered in the 'Core' and 'Values' sections. Pieces like Ziaire Williams, Amen Thompson, and Michael Porter Jr. can be mixed in, but my exposure will be concentrated on those two. Porter Jr. is my pick if Avdija is projected to be extremely popular. He's in great form with games of 68.5, 52.75, and 43.25 DK points over his last four outings.

Top SF Options:

1. LeBron James, LAL @ DEN - SF/PF ($10,300 DK; $10,100 FD)
2. Deni Avdija, POR vs. CHA - SF/PF ($6,100 DK; $7,000 FD) Prefer on DraftKings
3. Michael Porter Jr., DEN vs. LAL ($6,200 DK; $6,800 FD) Prefer on DraftKings
4. Cameron Johnson, BKN @ PHI ($5,700 DK) DraftKings Only

Today's NBA DFS Picks: Power Forward

As covered in the 'Values' section, Avdija, Cam Johnson, Gordon, and Jabari Smith are the plays here. All four have multi-positional eligibility and are in great positions to produce at their respective salaries. I am also interested in John Collins and Jerami Grant but to a lesser extent due to their volatility.

Top PF Options:

1. LeBron James, LAL @ DEN ($10,300 DK; $10,100 FD)
2. Cameron Johnson, BKN @ PHI ($5,700 DK) DraftKings Only
3. Jabari Smith Jr., HOU @ UTA - PF/C ($5,000 DK; $5,200 FD)
4. Aaron Gordon, DEN vs. LAL ($4,800 DK) DraftKings Only

Today's NBA DFS Picks: Center

As always, Jokic will be a staple of my lineup builds tonight. I don't expect he will let us down in a nationally televised, pivotal showdown against the Lakers on his home floor. Nic Claxton is way underpriced, considering his current form (36 DK PPG over his last four) and jump in usage rate (from 17.9% to 20.2%) with Russell, Thomas, and Clowney off the floor.

Lastly, taking shots on the upside centers for Portland makes sense against a highly vulnerable Charlotte frontcourt tonight. De'Andre Ayton remains out, so it'll be up to Donovan Clingan and Robert Williams (aka "Time Lord") to fill all the center minutes. It's the second half of a back-to-back set, as they just took a loss against the Lakers last night. Clingan was disappointing in a starting role (20 DK points in 17 minutes), while Williams was OK (25 DK points in 25 minutes), but they both have considerable upside and may be overlooked in this spot.

The Hornets allow the fourth-most fantasy points per game to Cs this season, and they're allowing the most over their last 30 games. They particularly struggle in limiting points, rebounds, and blocks to the position - three metrics where Clingan can shine.

Top C Options:

1. Nikola Jokic, DEN vs. LAL ($12,200 DK; $12,800 FD)
2. Nic Claxton, BKN @ PHI ($5,400 DK; $6,400 FD) Prefer on DraftKings
3. Donovan Clingan, POR vs. CHA ($5,300 DK; $6,100 FD) Prefer on DraftKings
4. Robert Williams, POR vs. CHA ($3,900 DK) DraftKings Only
5. Day'Ron Sharpe ($4,700 FD; $4,500 DK)
6. Trendon Watford ($4,100 FD; $4,400 DK) Prefer on FanDuel

Today's Top NBA DFS Game Stacks

1. Lakers @ Nuggets (243.5 o/u; 102.6 projected pace)
2. Rockets @ Jazz (229.5 o/u; 102.7 projected pace)

Today's Top NBA DFS Avoids

I won't take him out of my lineups entirely, but I won't be getting to Luka Doncic very much on this slate. Jokic is too much of a priority for me to be able to afford Doncic; the opportunity cost of missing out on an 80-burger is too high to ignore. He also has been himself in a Lakers uniform yet, and I'd rather get the safety and upside with LeBron if I'm paying up for a Laker.

Austin Reaves is far too expensive for my tastes. He has been in great form for a few months now, but almost all of that has come with Doncic not playing with him. Doncic and his 30+% usage rate will eat into his production in a big way, and I can't stomach paying over $8,000 for the third option on a team behind LeBron and Luka.

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: Nikola Jokic
• My favorite CASH play on the slate: Nikola Jokic
• My favorite GPP play on the slate: Donovan Clingan
• My favorite value play: Deni Avdija

NBA DFS News and Injury Alerts

More DFS Lineup Picks and Analysis