The NBA Cup schedule is messing with tradition. After an 11-game slate on Tuesday, we’ve got only 12 teams in action this evening, making for an unusually small mid-week contest on DraftKings. However, with half of those squads on the second night of a back-to-back, there will still be the normal Wednesday chaos.
Let’s dive in and find some value options.
Set your DraftKings fantasy basketball lineups here: NBA $333K Fadeaway [$100K to 1st]
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PG D’Angelo Russell, Los Angeles Lakers at Miami Heat, $4,900
It’s sort of wild to think about Russell as a “value” play. This is an asset that’s been a big name in the NBA since he was taken in the lottery over a decade ago. He’s routinely been listed above $6,000 the past few seasons, and yet, here he sits at $4,900 on Wednesday. With Austin Reaves ($6,500; pelvis) sidelined for the past two games, Russell has re-emerged as a top secondary scoring option for the Lakers. To wit, Russell is averaging 18.5 points and 35.3 FPTS in his last two contests. He even moved back into the starting lineup on Monday against the Timberwolves, logging 33.5 minutes of action. If Reaves sits again, you don’t have to overthink it. Just slot Russell in a few lineups.
SF/PF Jaime Jaquez, Miami Heat vs. Los Angeles Lakers, $5,000
This is another play that’s dependant on an injury status. Jimmy Butler ($7,500; knee) is listed as questionable for tonight’s contest after sitting out Monday’s loss against the Celtics. It was a bleak performance for most of the Heat. Well, almost everyone aside from Jaquez. The sophomore has been underwhelming in 2024-25 after a breakout rookie campaign, yet he looked right at home back in the starting lineup for this first time this season. Jaquez logged a team-high 36.4 minutes and registered a double-double with 19 points and 10 rebounds. His 24.9% usage rate trailed only the likes of Bam Adebayo ($8,000) and Tyler Herro ($7,600). If his role is similar on Wednesday, Jaquez should be able to have a huge performance in a matchup with a Lakers team that owns the league’s sixth-worst defensive rating (116.7).
SG Kelly Oubre, Philadelphia 76ers vs. Orlando Magic, $5,300
According to ESPN’s Tim Bontemps, Paul George (injury management) has been ruled out for tonight’s contest after playing a season-high 37.2 minutes in Tuesday’s victory over the Hornets. With Joel Embiid (knee) also still on the sideline, there should be plenty of shots up for grabs in Philadelphia’s rotation. No one on the 76ers’ roster has logged more minutes in 2024-25 with both George and Embiid off the floor than Oubre. In that scenario, the veteran wing is producing 0.81 FPTS per minute with a notable 21.7% usage rate. Oubre has been a source of fantasy stability in recent weeks, averaging 27.2 FPTS across his last five games. It’s a span where the 28-year-old has exceeded 30.0 FPTS twice. It’s a tough matchup against the Magic, but Oubre possesses enough upside to have me intrigued.
Set your DraftKings fantasy basketball lineups here: NBA $333K Fadeaway [$100K to 1st]
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All views expressed are my own. I am an employee of DraftKings and am ineligible to play in public DFS or DKSB contests.
