Fantasy Basketball Picks: Top DraftKings NBA DFS Targets, Values for February 26

Sundays are NBA days now. There are day slates, but the night slates and sweats remain supreme. These slates are not very big, so the research process can be light. We can get ahead by digging into the five-game evening slate that starts at 6 p.m. ET.

Delay the work week a few more hours. Get in on some NBA DFS action, and start by enjoying another colorful weekend edition of the NBA Targets.

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Guard

Studs

Damian Lillard, Portland Trail Blazers vs. Houston Rockets, $11,400 — He took the night off on Thursday. Lillard will be expected to play and to carry a heavy load on Sunday after a week off. This shouldn’t be too tall of an order against one of the worst defenses in the NBA — Houston ranks 28th in Defensive Efficiency Rating. In Lillard’s last full game, he played 39 minutes and had a 44.3% Usage Rate. It’s hard to pass on those number against the best defense in the NBA. Against the worst, Lillard is a lock.

Value

Josh Christopher, Houston Rockets at Portland Trail Blazers, $3,400 — It’s not easy predicting rotations or minutes for a young team in last place. This could be a wait-and-see spot for Christopher. If he can sustain a second-unit role with playing time in the low 20s, then he can work at his current price. His usage rate is around 20%, but he needs regular minutes. The Trail Blazers’ starters are not good defensively and their second unit is worse. Christopher can turn usage into actual production if he gets the run.

Kentavious Caldwell-Pope, Denver Nuggets vs. Los Angeles Clippers, $4,500 — Are the Nuggets contractually obligated to play the Sunday night game every week? Are DFS players contractually obligated to pick KCP at home? As has been mentioned countless times in the weekend targets article, KCP’s home splits are striking. His mile-high advantage allows him to out perform his salary in home games. Also, this will be Denver’s third game in four nights and they’re on game two of a back-to-back. This could lead to more minutes from bench players and role players like SG Christian Braun ($3,100).

Forward

Studs

Anthony Edwards, Minnesota Timberwolves at Golden State Warriors, $9,500 — Fantasy basketball boils down to minutes and volume. Very few players rank higher than Edwards in minutes per game and usage rate. On any night, he is a terrific play. On Saturday, take his raw numbers and multiply them because the Warriors play at the fastest pace in the NBA and have a below-average defense.

Value

KJ Martin, Jr. , Houston Rockets at Portland Trail Blazers, $5,500 — His usage rate could be higher but Martin gets plenty of minutes in up-tempo games. At his current salary, he still works in his current role. Martin is not an elite offensive option but the Trail Blazers rank 27th in Defensive Efficiency Rating. In nine of the 11 games before the All-Star break, Martin returned 5x value or better.

Luguentz Dort, Oklahoma City Thunder vs. Sacramento Kings, $4,600 — The Thunder and the Kings play at an express speed. It doesn’t take many extra shots and rebounds for a value pick to come through, especially if that value player is willing to chuck and chuck beyond the 3-point line. Dort is a steady producer of peripheral stats and gets plenty of minutes. Shai Gilgeous-Alexander (out) is the usage leader on the team, but the other star, Josh Giddey ($7,300), is a deferential guard that deals more in assists and rebounds. In an up-tempo matchup, the only question for Dort is will his shots fall. If he hits the threes, he’s an optimal pick.

Center

Studs

Domantas Sabonis, Sacramento Kings at Oklahoma City Thunder, $9,900 — The Thunder could sneak into the playoffs, but it won’t be due to their frontcourt. Their back court is strong, but the frontcourt is lacking. Sabonis doesn’t go off as often as one would expect, but he can, and this is an explosive spot. The Thunder rank 21st in points allowed in the paint and have allowed the most second chance points. They have the third lowest defensive rebounding percentage. On top of this, the Thunder play at the fourth-fastest rate in the NBA.

Value

Kevon Looney, Golden State Warriors vs. Minnesota Timberwolves, $5,000 — It might be time to reframe Looney. He was a spot DFS play from time to time in the past. However, heading into the All-Star break, Looney scored 19, 37 and 34 DKFP. That was good enough for 6.8x, 8.8x and 8.2x returns. The Warriors play at a fast pace. These are cheap minutes. Looney isn’t great, but he’s getting plenty of frontcourt minutes on a fast team. On Sunday, he faces another fast team. It will not take much for Looney to return value.

Jaylin Williams, Oklahoma City Thunder vs. Sacramento Kings, $3,400 — Be careful with this pick. The Thunder’s frontcourt rotation has been highly unpredictable this season. That being said, Jaylin Williams has established a steady role as a starter over the last month. In the final game before the All-Star break, he scored 32.5 DKFP in 26 minutes. On Thursday Feb. 23, he scored 21.5 DKFP in 26 minutes.

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I am a promoter at DraftKings and am also an avid fan and user (my username is greenflagradio2) and may sometimes play on my personal account in the games that I offer advice on. Although I have expressed my personal view on the games and strategies above, they do not necessarily reflect the view(s) of DraftKings and do not constitute a representation that any particular strategy will guarantee success. All customers should use their own skill and judgment in building lineups. I may also deploy different players and strategies than what I recommend above. I am not an employee of DraftKings and do not have access to any non-public information.