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We have a 11-game slate in the NBA on Wednesday night, which includes a doubleheader on ESPN. At 7:30 p.m. ET, the Los Angeles Lakers will play the Dallas Mavericks and then at 10 p.m. ET, the Los Angeles Clippers will wrap-up the night against the Utah Jazz. Unlike NFL DFS, where one pick can make or break your lineup or it’s tough to find quality low-tier value, NBA DFS differs.
In NBA DFS, you can find quality value plays $5K or under that can give you a quick 10 points off the bench, grab some rebounds, or stuff the stat sheet. It does not matter if you are playing a 50/50 or Double-Up contest, we are going to provide you with three players that you need to put in your lineup.
Nickeil Alexander-Walker, New Orleans Pelicans, $4,900
We’re going to lead off our value plays for tonight’s slate with New Orleans Pelicans combo guard Nickeil Alexander-Walker. The 23-year-old guard has been a spark plug off the bench for the Pelicans this season. NAW is averaging 13.7 points, 3.9 rebounds, and 2.6 assists per game.
The former Virginia Tech standout has played well as of late and has a favorable matchup on Wednesday night against the Thunder. Alexander-Walker is averaging 13.5 points per game, along with 24.2 fantasy points per game in his last four contests. OKC is ranked 26th against PG/SGs (OPRK) this season.
Gary Harris, Orlando Magic, $4,000
Harris is another low-risk, high-reward value play in DFS that could provide your lineup with a boost at either the guard or forward spots. The 27-year-old has scored at least 10 or more points in seven out of his last eight games (12.8 points per game). Over that time, Harris has shot 53.5% from the field and 40% from three-point range on five attempts per game.
In regards to DFS, the former first-round pick is producing 22.1 fantasy points per game in his last eight games, which surpasses his season average of 15.0 FPPG. The Magic will be playing the Hawks, who are ranked 24th against SG/SFs (OPRK).
Isaac Okoro, Cleveland Cavaliers, $4,200
Update — Evan Mobley will not play vs. the Rockets tonight.
For our last value play, I wanted to go with Kevin Love, who’s been playing good basketball this season and recently for the Cavaliers. However, we’re going to go with his teammate in second-year forward Isaac Okoro.
The former Auburn standout has put together a nice three-game stretch that makes playing him in DFS for tonight worth the risk. In his last three games, the second-year wing player is averaging 18.0 points, 4.0 rebounds, and 2.0 assists per game. Also, over that time, Okoro is also producing 28.2 fantasy points per game, which is higher than his season average (18.8 FPPG). We should not expect to see scoring 20 fantasy points a night, but it’s good to see him take those next steps in development in Year 2.