The Pelicans are going to be extremely short-handed as they finish their back-to-back in Cleveland. Brandon Ingram (ankle) and Trey Murphy III (injury management) were ruled out in addition to Dejounte Murray (hand), CJ McCollum (thigh), Jose Alvarado (hamstring), Jordan Hawkins (back), Herbert Jones (shoulder) and Zion Williamson (hamstring). Did I miss anyone–that’s pretty much everybody! With so many key parts of the rotation sidelined, there should be plenty of opportunities for other players to step up including Brandon Boston Jr. ($6,600) and Javonte Green ($5,000). If you’re looking for value, though, I like Jamal Cain as a bargain play since he should get plenty of opportunities and comes with a salary under $4,000.
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SF Jamal Cain, New Orleans Pelicans at Cleveland Cavaliers, $3,800
Cain has played at least 18 minutes in each of the last four games for the Pelicans. He had 11 points at the start of that stretch against the Thunder and finished with 18 fantasy points in that game. He had an even better stat line on Saturday against the Lakers, producing 21 fantasy points in 21 minutes against the Lakers. Overall, he has produced 0.74 fantasy points per minute in his 11 games this season despite just a 14.4% usage rate.
There should be plenty of usage available for Cain on Wednesday since he’ll be one of the most established options available. That game against the Lakers suggests he could even creep up on a double-double if things go his way. He’ll probably end up sopping up plenty of garbage time and should be able to pile up enough counting stats to be good value under $4,000.
Set your DraftKings fantasy basketball lineups here: NBA $333K Zone Special [$100K to 1st] (Night)
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I am a promoter at DraftKings and am also an avid fan and user (my username is z.thompson) 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.
