NBA DFS picks and lineup: Daily fantasy advice for Fanduel and DraftKings - February 19th, 2021
The NBA DFS player pool is brimming with quality talent tonight, despite Friday's slate being smaller than originally planned. The Dallas Mavericks vs. Houston Rockets game has been postponed because o severe weather conditions in Houston.
Among the star-studded 18 teams set to take the floor tonight is Joel Embiid and the Philadelphia 76ers, who will be in action against Zach LaVine and the Chicago Bulls at 7:30 PM ET. Their encounter will happen simultaneously to Trae Young and the Atlanta Hawks' game against Jayson Tatum and the Boston Celtics.
Would Embiid, LaVine, or Tatum be a wise centerpiece in your Friday NBA DFS lineup? With such a large variety of options in the NBA DFS player pool, it can be difficult to determine which players to start-or-sit.
Before finalizing any of the players for your NBA DFS lineup, read below to see the top studs and value picks available for each position in today's NBA fantasy pool.
Top Studs and Values for today's NBA DFS Draftkings and Fanduel picks
Each player is determined by data-driven analysis with player stats, matchup history, and previous performance. They are listed with Fanduel and Draftkings prices and projections along with value ratings.
*When referring to a player's value rating, it is the number of fantasy points scored for every $1,000 in salary. For example, a value figure of 5.0 means they will earn 5.0 fantasy points for every $1,000 in salary*
NBA DFS Point Guard:
Stud: Trae Young
FD- $9200 DK - $9500 | Proj Pts FD - 42.8 DK - 45.0 | Value FD - 4.7x DK - 4.7x
Trae Young will have a matchup advantage as he prepares to face off against the Boston Celtics. The Celtics allow a fantasy point increase of 9.91% per minute compared to the league average.
He scored 40 points and dished out eight assists against Boston earlier this week for a total of 55+ fantasy points and will likely produce similar numbers tonight.
Value: Michael Carter-Williams
FD- $4500 DK - $5100 | Proj Pts FD - 23.0 DK - 23.4 | Value FD - 5.1x DK - 4.6x
Michael Carter-Williams is a great NBA DFS value selection at the point guard position. With the Orlando Magic having multiple injuries in the backcourt, Carter-Williams has seen a significant increase in his playing time.
Over the last three games, Carter-Williams has scored over 25 fantasy points while averaging 13.7 points and six assists. He will likely have another strong showing tonight against the Golden State Warriors, who play at the league's second-fastest pace.
NBA DFS Shooting Guard:
Stud: Zach LaVine
FD- $9500 DK - $9300 | Proj Pts FD - 41.8 DK - 44.1 | Value FD - 4.4x DK - 4.7x
Zach LaVine is a must-have NBA DFS pickup with the current form he is in. Over the last seven games, he is averaging 34 points, five assists, and six rebounds and has scored over 45 fantasy points in every game.
Expect LaVine to have another big night against the Philadelphia 76ers, who, according to rotoballer.com, boost the fantasy points per minute of shooting guards by 7.29% above league average.
Value: Cam Reddish
FD- $4500 DK - $4500 | Proj Pts FD - 24.8 DK - 24.8 | Value FD - 5.5x DK - 5.5x
Cam Reddish continues to improve during his sophomore year in the NBA. During his previous three outings, he has scored a total of 47 points on 52% of shootings.
Look for him to have another strong outing against the Boston Celtics, as he has played 34+ minutes in the last two games.
NBA DFS Small Forward:
Stud: Malik Beasley
FD- $6900 DK - $6900| Proj Pts FD - 34.7 DK - 36.6 | Value FD - 5.0x DK - 5.3x
Beasley is a great NBA DFS pickup with his current listing price of under 7k. With D'Angelo Russell out of the lineup for the Minnesota Timberwolves, Malik Beasley's role in the offense will increase significantly. In his last outing, he scored 31 points and tied his career-high in shot attempts with 25.
Value: Mikal Bridges
FD- $5300 DK - $6000 | Proj Pts FD - 28.7 DK - 28.9 | Value FD - 5.4x DK - 4.8x
Mikal Bridges is averaging 14 points and 5.3 rebounds on 50.4% shooting for the Phoenix Suns this season. He is likely to have a big game against the New Orleans Pelicans tonight, who allow teams to shoot an effective field goal rating of 57%, three percentage points more than the league average.
NBA DFS Power Forward:
Stud: Giannis Antetokounmpo
FD- $11300 DK - $10800 | Proj Pts FD - 56.4 DK - 58.4 | Value FD - 5.0x DK - 5.4x
Giannis Antekounmpo is a two-time reigning MVP for a reason and is averaging 28 points, 11.4 rebounds, and 5.9 assists on 55.6% shooting this year. The Greek Freak will always produce a massive amount of fantasy points, making him worth his high listing price.
Expect him to put up a big stat line against the Oklahoma City Thunder tonight. When he faced them earlier this week, he accumulated 70+ fantasy points.
Antekounmpo has scored 70 daily fantasy points or more in three of his last five games.
Value: Juan Toscano-Anderson
FD- $5000 DK - $4400 | Proj Pts FD - 23.3 DK - 23.2| Value FD - 5.0x DK - 5.3x
Juan Toscano-Anderson has started the last eight games for the Golden State Warriors due to injury issues in the frontcourt. Toscano-Anderson is playing with high motivation, as he is hopeful of earning a guaranteed contract with the team.
Expect him to have a solid outing against the Orlando Magic, who are suffering from multiple injuries. He is capable of producing a double-double in rebounds and points.
NBA DFS Center:
Stud: Nikola Jokic
FD- $10600 DK - $11000 | Proj Pts FD - 55.5 DK - 57.5 | Value FD - 5.2x DK - 5.2x
Nikola Jokic is in contention for the regular season MVP, as well as the NBA DFS MVP. He has scored over 50 fantasy points in 21 games this season, including an 80+ fantasy point explosion against the Sacramento Kings earlier this month.
Expect Jokic to continue his high fantasy production as he prepares to face off against the Cleveland Cavaliers tonight, who rank 24th in defensive efficiency.
Value: Guillermo (Willy) Hernangomez
FD- $4400 DK - $3900 | Proj Pts FD - 32.7 DK - 33.7 | Value FD - 7.4x DK - 8.7x
Willy Hernangomez is a favorable NBA DFS value pick at the center positions. With Steven Adams likely out for the New Orleans Pelicans with an ankle injury, the 26-year-old may earn his first start of the season.
In Hernangomez's previous matchup, he recorded 11 points and had 19 rebounds for a total of 30+ fantasy points.
Other valuable NBA DFS pickups at a low listing price:
Ricky Rubio - PG
FD- $5300 DK - $6200 | Proj Pts FD - 30.2 DK - 30.7 | Value FD - 5.7x DK - 5.0x
Kent Bazemore - SG/SF
FD- $3900 DK - $3600 | Proj Pts FD - 21.1 DK - 20.9 | Value FD - 5.4x DK - 5.8x
Cedi Osman - SF/PF
FD- $4200 DK - $4800 | Proj Pts FD - 29.8 DK - 30.8 | Value FD - 7.1x DK - 6.4x
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