A few teams tipped off yesterday, but Wednesday is opening night in the NBA for 20 different squads. With so many new faces in new places, figuring out who to start in season-long fantasy and DFS formats is no easy task. Here are three guards I’m looking to back tonight.
Set your DraftKings fantasy basketball lineups here: NBA $500K Zone Special [$100K to 1st]
1. Trae Young, Atlanta Hawks vs. BKN ($9,900)
Whatever you want to call Atlanta’s offseason, which included a trade of All-Star Dejounte Murray, it’s clear the team is ‘retooling’ for the future. Still, they employ one of the league’s most dynamic offensive forces in Young, who should dominate the ball even further with Murray gone.
The Hawks do have some nice pieces, but the only other proven scorer on the roster right now is sharpshooter Bogdan Bogdanovic. Going up against a feeble Nets defense, there’s no reason to think Trae can’t go off for another assist-heavy double-double. I’m not always keen to back the most expensive option on the board, but this is a high-floor, high-ceiling play.
2. James Harden, Los Angeles Clippers vs. PHX ($9,200)
Wednesday night will serve as a celebration of the Clippers’ new home, the Intuit Dome. However, Los Angeles’ roster might not be up to par with their state of the art arena. Paul George is in Philly and Kawhi Leonard is back on the bench with another injury, forcing James Harden and a collection of decent role players to pick up the slack.
That’s bad news for Clips fans, but it’s great for fantasy managers. While The Beard is a divisive star, there’s no denying his offensive prowess; since the 2021-22 season, he trails only Trae Young in assists per game (9.7). Phoenix’s perimeter defense was an issue last year, so there should be plenty of opportunity for Harden to kick out to open shooters on the rare occasions where he doesn’t want the ball. With a massive workload on tap, the former MVP should be a priority in your lineups.
3. Tyrese Maxey, Philadelphia 76ers vs. MIL ($9,000)
Much like Harden, Tyrese Maxey’s stock is boosted by the lack of talent surrounding him. Ideally, Philadelphia would be fielding a Big Three that includes Paul George and Joel Embiid. Unfortunately, both players have been ruled out for opening night with injuries. That leaves just Maxey as the de-facto number one option for the Sixers.
A similar scenario played out when Embiid went down in the second half of last season. In the 34 games on his own, Maxey averaged 26.3 points, 5.6 assists and 3.7 rebounds. Anything close to or better than that stat line will deliver plenty of value against a porous Bucks defense. There are bigger names with higher prices, but none have an opportunity like this young All Star.
Set your DraftKings fantasy basketball lineups here: NBA $500K Zone Special [$100K to 1st]
The Crown Is Yours: Sign up for DraftKings and experience the ultimate host for games and betting experiences!
All odds provided by DraftKings Sportsbook, lines and odds subject to change.
I am a promoter at DraftKings and am also an avid fan and user (my username is barmy) 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.
