Wednesday’s main slate includes the first nine games of the night. DraftKings continues to offer huge contests for DFS players, and below, I break down some of my favorite options at each position.
Set your DraftKings fantasy basketball lineups here: NBA $300K Fadeaway [$100K to 1st]
Guard
Stud
LaMelo Ball, Charlotte Hornets at Utah Jazz, $10,000
Ball is coming off an excellent mini series vs. the Suns in which the guard produced 63 FPTS per game in the two matchups. He now faces a Jazz defense that is the second-worst rated unit in the league. Ball leads the NBA in usage at an eye popping 36.8% and is scoring 1.5 FPTS per minute this season.
Utah should have no answers for Ball and he should exceed five-times value with ease Wednesday.
Other Options: Trae Young ($9,900), Zach LaVine ($8,600), Ja Morant ($8,500)
Value
Isaiah Collier, Utah Jazz vs. Charlotte Hornets, $5,000
Opposite of Ball, Collier is a great value play. The Jazz are already in full tank mode with Lauri Markkanen (back), John Collins (rest), Collin Sexton (rest), and Jordan Clarkson (foot) all out Wednesday. Collier has been starting for Utah and with all these players inactive except Sexton on Sunday, Collier led his team with 47.8 FPTS across 37.2 minutes vs. the Nets, both of which set career-highs for rookie.
Now, with Sexton joining the Jazz’s lengthy inactive list, Collier should see a similar workload and easily out-produce his low salary. With Markkanen, Collins, Sexton, and Clarkson off the floor, Collier is supplying 0.9 FPTS per minute with a 23% usage rate.
Other Options: Cole Anthony ($6,200), Chris Paul ($6,100)
Forward
Stud
Paolo Banchero, Orlando Magic at Milwaukee Bucks, $9,100
Banchero just exposed the Bucks for 54.25 FPTS last Friday and should put up another huge fantasy score against the club in Wednesday’s rematch. Franz Wager (oblique) and Jalen Suggs (back) remain out for Orlando, and with these two starters off the floor this season, Banchero’s usage rises seven percentage points to 41% and he generates an elite 1.7 FPTS per minute.
Wednesday is Banchero’s third start back after missing 34 games with an oblique injury, and he will likely see his minutes increase to near 30 after seeing 27 minutes in each of his past two outings. Over 50 FPTS is a realistic expectation for Banchero against this Bucks team that is playing their second game in two nights. He is a compelling spend for all formats.
Other Options: Jayson Tatum ($10,200), Amen Thompson ($7,800)
Value
Cam Whitmore, Houston Rockets at Denver Nuggets, $3,600
Whitmore is a strong punt play with Jabari Smith Jr. (hand) still unavailable. With the power forward out for the last five contests, Whitmore has produced 20 FPTS in 20 minutes per game off the bench for the Rockets. The 20-year-old is amassing 1.0 FPTS per minute with a 26.9% usage rate this season and is instant offense whenever he steps on the floor.
Going against this Nuggets team that ranks 19th in defensive efficiency on the second leg of a back-to-back, Whitmore should top 20 FPTS.
Other Options: Dillon Brooks ($4,900), Brice Sensabaugh ($4,500), Svi Mykhailiuk ($4,000)
Center
Stud
Victor Wembanyama, San Antonio Spurs vs. Memphis Grizzlies, $11,200
Wembanyama returns home after a three-game road trip and is in a prime matchup vs. the Grizzlies, who lead the league in pace. The superstar has been outstanding this season, scoring 1.7 FPTS per minute with a 32.5% usage rate and 5.0 defensive stats per game. Wembanyama has been especially strong on his home floor, providing 55.7 FPTS per game, which is 3.8 more FPTS than what he averages on the road.
This game carries a large 237-point total on DraftKings Sportsbook. In totals of 230 points or greater this season, Wembanyama has been a monster with 65.8 FPTS per game.
Other Options: Nikola Jokic ($12,300), Nikola Vucevic ($8,300), Kristaps Porzingis ($7,300)
Value
Naz Reid, Minnesota Timberwolves vs. Golden State Warriors, $5,100
Reid has been excellent recently. In his last five outings, the big man is generating 32.3 FPTS in 26.1 minutes per game off the bench. In that span, he’s also shooting 53.7% from the field and 48% from beyond the arc. The Warriors rank eighth in defensive efficiency, but Reid has had no issues in this matchup this season, scoring 29.5 FPTS per game in three meetings with Golden State.
Reid’s success against the Warriors should continue Wednesday and he is a great bargain at this affordable $5,100 salary.
Other Options: Mark Williams ($6,100), Clint Capela ($5,200), Onyeka Okongwu ($4,800), Jonathan Isaac ($3,800)
