PrizePicks NBA Picks Today, 1/27: Free DFS Picks, Stacks & Projections

While the NBA Draft was the focus on Wednesday, with Philadelphia selecting Baylor’s VJ Edgecombe third overall, Morey also had to answer questions regarding Embiid. After undergoing left knee surgery in April, just before the end of the regular season, there were questions regarding the 2023 MVP’s availability for the start of the 2025-26 season. According to Morey, Embiid is on track to be good to go around the time that training camp begins in late September. His injury history will give many fantasy managers pause at draft time, but a healthy Embiid can be one of the best players in the NBA and fantasy basketball.

Konan Niederhauser spent two years at Northern Illinois before transferring to Penn State, where he enjoyed a productive 2024-25 campaign. He made some history on Wednesday, becoming the first first-round pick in Penn State program history. The 6'11, 243-pound Swiss big man averaged 12.9 points, 6.3 rebounds and 2.3 blocked shots, showing off his athletic prowess and his elite abilities to block shots, run the floor in transition and elevate for lobs. He’ll need to improve his range on offense if he hopes to make a bigger impact on that end of the floor at the next level. While the Clippers have an excellent starting center in Ivica Zubac, there’s a need for depth behind him. Adding Niederhauser to the fold will help in that regard, but he’s unlikely to impact fantasy basketball as a rookie significantly.

This pick will go to Charlotte as part of the Mark Williams trade that sends the big man to the desert. The five-star high school prospect didn’t have a great season as a freshman at UConn. He averaged 14.5 points, 6.0 rebounds, 2.3 assists and 1.7 three-pointers per game while shooting 38.1 percent from the floor and 31.7 percent from beyond the arc. He should be a much better shooter than what he showed during his freshman season, but he may struggle to contribute much else in the NBA. He isn’t known for his defense, and he was a poor finisher at the rim at UConn. Despite those deficiencies, he still did enough to win Big East Freshman of the Year. Charlotte could use some additional scoring and shooting options, and McNeeley fits the bill.

Gonzalez is a talented prospect, even if the numbers don’t show it. That’s the issue when you play for one of the best teams in EuroLeague. Across 69 appearances for Real Madrid last season, Gonzalez averaged 3.4 points and 1.8 rebounds in 10.7 minutes per game. That makes it difficult to project his stat set, but he is a high-motor wing that makes an impact on defense and turns that into easy transition buckets. He wasn’t a great perimeter shooter, but he was able to score at the rim at a high rate. The expectation is that the 19-year-old Gonzalez will join the Celtics this year as they look to develop the athletic wing player’s skills.

After spending two seasons at Yale, Wolf transferred to Michigan for his final collegiate season, where he averaged 13.2 points, 9.7 rebounds, 3.6 assists, 1.4 blocks and one three-pointer per game. Simply put, there aren’t many seven-footers who can pass as well as Wolf. The shot was iffy, and the turnovers were bad, but his vision is unique. There are also questions about how effective he can be defensively, though the shot-blocking numbers were decent. Still, it all comes back to the passing for Wolf. A center that can operate as an offensive hub is a coveted piece in the modern NBA. While the Nets do have some young post players on their roster, Wolf brings a different skill set due to his ability to shoot and serve as a facilitator.

A 6’6, 201-pound guard, Saraf began his professional career in Israel before joining German team Ratiopharm Ulm. He found success in Europe, earning MVP honors in the U18 EuroBasket Tournament. Saraf just turned 19, and the young international prospect has a ton of raw potential. His size gives him the physical traits to play either guard position. He may be best suited to play point guard given his strong playmaking abilities, but he can use his big body to score effectively as a two guard.