With football taking a hiatus until next week’s Super Bowl, the NBA blesses us with a seven-game slate on Sunday. Using Stokastic’s NBA DFS Boom/Bust tool, let’s dive into the player pool to discuss the best NBA DFS contrarian picks on DraftKings this evening, including Scottie Barnes and G.G. Jackson.
NBA DFS Contrarian Picks — Plays For Today
Contrarian Stud — Scottie Barnes: Toronto Raptors-Oklahoma City Thunder
Scottie Barnes is the highest-graded leverage play on DraftKings in Stokastic’s tools. Averaging 20.3 points, 8.1 rebounds, 5.7 assists and 2.8 stocks per game, Barnes has become an elite DFS commodity in his third year in the Association. With Toronto trading O.G. Anunoby and Pascal Siakam, it’s clear the Raptors are building around Barnes, and his upside on any given night is among the best players in the league. Despite that, the field isn’t interested in building around Barnes at $8,900.
Barnes is projected to be optimal 15.60% of the time this slate plays out on DraftKings. With a bunch of other good spend-up options scattered across every position, it’s not surprising that Barnes is only projected to be in 7.70% of lineups, but it is worth getting over the field on him in tournaments.
Contrarian Mid-Tier — PJ Washington: Indiana Pacers-Charlotte Hornets
P.J. Washington has been a staple in this article recently, and he continues to play a big role for a Charlotte team that no longer has the services of Terry Rozier and is currently missing LaMelo Ball, Gordon Hayward and Mark Williams. Washington still isn’t properly priced for his current role, and in a dream spot at home against the Pacers, he’s the top contrarian mid-tier play on DraftKings.
Washington is projected to be optimal 15.90% of the time this slate plays out on DraftKings, yet he is only projecting for 9.70% ownership. He is playing big minutes for a shorthanded Hornets frontcourt right now, and if Charlotte can somehow keep this game competitive, he has tournament-winning upside at $5,900.
Contrarian Value — G.G. Jackson: Memphis Grizzlies-Boston Celtics
G.G. Jackson grades out behind only Barnes with the second-best leverage on the slate. The Grizzlies come into tonight’s action missing at least 10 regulars in their rotation, as they’ve been cursed with an awful case of the injury bug. NBA spreads rarely get to 19 points, but this depleted Memphis team is that big of an underdog tonight in Boston against the Celtics. While it’s almost impossible to trust anyone on the Grizzlies to play well in this spot, Jackson is getting completely slept on by the masses.
Jackson is currently projected to be only 4.50% owned on DraftKings, yet his optimal percentage is strong at 11.90%. When he gets on the court, Jackson has been a really good player for DFS purposes, and it’s hard to imagine him not getting good run tonight, especially if this game gets out of hand.
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