The majority of NBA teams made their returns to game action from the All-Star break on Thursday, but with a 10-game slate on Friday that includes multiple teams playing the second halves of back-to-backs, the NBA DFS player pool is stacked with elite options again. Thunder guard Shai Gilgeous-Alexander had 31 points against the Clippers, one of the best defenses in the NBA, on Thursday and will take the court tonight against the Wizards, who have the worst-scoring defense. Would it be a wise NBA DFS strategy to spend up on Gilgeous-Alexander for NBA DFS lineups?
The Bucks play the Timberwolves in one of the most notable games on the evening with options such as Giannis Antetokounmpo, Damian Lillard, Anthony Edwards and Karl-Anthony Towns to consider when making NBA DFS picks. The Wolves have the best-scoring defense in the NBA, and the Bucks are allowing seven points fewer under head coach Doc Rivers than before he was hired. How should these stronger defenses factor into your NBA DFS strategy on sites like FanDuel and DraftKings? Before making your NBA DFS picks, be sure to check out the NBA DFS advice, player rankings, stacks, and top daily Fantasy basketball picks from SportsLine’s Jimmie Kaylor.
Kaylor is a DFS and betting expert for SportsLine, who won a DraftKings Millionaire Maker contest in 2022. He uses a combination of his background as a former college and professional athlete and his keen eye for statistical trends when making his picks and locking in his DFS lineups. Kaylor enters the 2024 calendar year with multiple five-figure tournament cashes on his DFS resume.
Kaylor’s approach allows him to find the best NBA DFS values and create optimal lineups that he only shares on SportsLine. They’re a must-see for any NBA DFS player.
On Wednesday, Feb. 14 (when Kaylor last made picks), Kaylor highlighted Spurs power forward/center Victor Wembanyama as one of his top picks in his NBA DFS player pool on both sites. The result: Wembanyama finished with 26 points, nine rebounds, five assists, three blocks and a steal, returning 52.75 points on DraftKings and 54.3 points on FanDuel. Anybody who included him in their lineups was well on the way to a profitable day.
Kaylor has turned his attention to NBA action on Friday and locked in his top daily Fantasy basketball picks. You can only see them by heading to SportsLine.
Top NBA DFS picks for Friday, February 23
For Friday, one of Kaylor’s top NBA DFS picks is Thunder center Chet Holmgren ($7,600 on DraftKings and $8,200 on FanDuel). Holmgren had 17 points, 10 rebounds, three assists and three blocks in a 129-107 win over the Clippers on Thursday. The No. 2 overall pick in the 2022 NBA Draft missed all of last season due to a foot injury sustained before the year, and he’s averaging 16.7 points and 7.6 rebounds in his first season on the court. He has at least eight rebounds in four of his last five games as he continues to take on a more prominent role for the Thunder as the season progresses.
The Thunder play the Wizards, who are allowing a league-high 124 points per game this season. The Wizards are coming off a 130-110 loss to the Nuggets on Thursday, dropping their ninth straight contest. Washington has allowed at least 130 points in four of its last seven games as there’s little sign the defensive unit is getting any stronger any time soon. Holmgren had 31 points in their first meeting of the season and could be in store for another huge performance.
Another part of Kaylor’s optimal NBA DFS strategy includes Raptors guard/forward Scottie Barnes ($8,800 on DraftKings and $9,100 on FanDuel). Barnes had 18 points, 12 rebounds and three assists in a 121-93 win over the Nets on Thursday fresh off his first NBA All-Star Game appearance. Barnes is averaging career highs across the board, averaging 20 points, 8.2 rebounds, 5.9 assists, 1.4 blocks and 1.3 steals per game.
The Raptors play the Hawks, who are allowing the second-most ppg (123.9) in the NBA. Atlanta is playing in its first contest since the All-Star break and is coming off allowing 128.6 ppg over its final seven games before the time off. Opposing teams are shooting 50.2%, the second-highest in the league, against the Hawks, and that will favor Barnes. The 22-year-old had 24 points and eight assists in their first meeting of the season as the 2021-22 Rookie of the Year has scored at least 23 points in five straight contests against Atlanta. See Kaylor’s other NBA DFS picks right here.
How to set your NBA DFS lineups for Friday, February 23
Kaylor is also targeting a player who could go off for massive numbers on Friday because of a dream matchup. This pick could be the difference between winning your tournaments and cash games or going home with nothing. You can only see who it is here.