PrizePicks NBA Player Picks Today: Value on Embiid, Zubac, and Simmons
With 12 games on the Monday NBA DFS slate, there are plenty of ways to make yourself some money tonight. As always, PrizePicks has you covered when it comes to NBA pick’em games with a whopping 24 teams set to hit the hardwood this evening.
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Remember, you can also keep tabs on the best PrizePicks picks of the day with our Fantasy Pick’em Tool. We’re constantly updating this throughout the day in order to account for the latest news, but there’s still value to be found earlier in the afternoon as well.
NBA PrizePicks Predictions Today
Joel Embiid More Than 28.5 Points
James Harden is a Clipper, so Joel Embiid should continue to feast from a usage standpoint all season long. The reigning league MVP put up a stinker on opening night, but he’s been in terrific form ever since. For the season, Embiid has a usage rate pushing 39%. After averaging a career-high 33.4 points per game last season, he’s averaging just north of 29 per game early this year.
The Sixers have been on the winning side of a couple of lopsided games already. In more competitive contests, Nick Nurse hasn’t been afraid to run him out there for 35-36 minutes. Never change, Nick Nurse. Tonight, the Sixers are 11-point favorites over a Wizards team that may finish the season in the running for the league’s worst record.
I certainly fear the possible blowout here, but here’s hoping Embiid can get his even in limited playing time. Indiana is the only team below Washington in the defensive efficiency rankings. With Kristaps Porzingis gone, the 6’10” Daniel Gafford will face the tall task of trying to stop Embiid. Something tells me that won’t go so well for the Wiz.
For whatever it’s worth, Embiid averaged a gaudy 41 points per game in his 2 meetings with Washington a season ago.
- Play: Embiid – More Than 28.5 Points
Ivica Zubac More Than 21.5 Fantasy Points
The Clippers made a splash last week with their acquisition of Harden, who will make his team debut at the Garden tonight against the Knicks. We’re expecting Harden to immediately replace Bones Hyland in the starting lineup, but we only have the Beard projected for 25 minutes.
LAC’s starting 5 is now laden with former All-Stars and MVPs, with Ivica Zubac being the lone exception on both fronts. Zu has been one of the game’s most unheralded starting centers for years despite consistently solid production. He’s doing it again this season, averaging a tidy 11.6 points, 8 rebounds, and nearly 2 blocks per game. His average of 23.8 minutes per game is down a bit from last season, however.
The PrizePicks fantasy scoring credits players with 3 points per blocked shot, which is useful for Zubac. So far in 2023-24, the Knicks are allowing an average of 7.2 blocks per game. That’s tied for the third-highest rate in the league.
Even as the fifth option offensively, Zu is still contributing 1.21 FP/min. I’m comfortable expecting more than 21.5 fantasy points for him in this one.
- Play: Zubac – More Than 21.5 Fantasy Points
Ben Simmons More Than 30 Fantasy Points
Ben Simmons sat the second half of the Nets’ back-to-back over the weekend, but he’ll return to the lineup tonight with the Bucks in town. Brooklyn is still dealing with injuries to two frontcourt starters, which means Simmons is spending a lot of time as the team’s de facto starting center.
He’s reportedly healthy for the first time in years, and his production so far this season proves it. Simmons is back up to 1.11 FP/min through his first 4 games. His usage (14%) is still low, but he leads the team in assist rate (31.6%) and ranks second to Day’Ron Sharpe in rebound rate (14.3%).
Simmons has also racked up at least one block or steal in each game. Milwaukee’s defense will likely improve moving forward, but they’ve been largely abysmal on that end of the floor so far in Adrian Griffin’s first season. Since playing 23 minutes on opening night with a healthy roster, Simmons has logged at least 32 minutes in each of the ensuing 4 games.
- Play: Simmons More Than 30 Fantasy Points