The NBA has a massive fantasy basketball slate this Wednesday with many moving pieces. In total, there are 11 games on the schedule, and nine of those make up the main contest on DraftKings. Of the 18 teams on the board, seven are playing for the second night in a row, so there is still plenty of unknown elements in addition to all the absences we already know about. It’s a busy section of the schedule with plenty of strong plays to consider on the slate, but a few options stand out as top DFS stacks for this Wednesday, January 15.
Especially with so much uncertainty still, keep a close eye on today’s injury report for the latest news as we approach tip-off. Value and usage are still murky on many teams, but with the information available going into the afternoon, these are my top three DFS stacks to target.
Set your DraftKings fantasy basketball lineups here: NBA $300K Fadeaway [$100K to 1st]
Atlanta Hawks at Chicago Bulls
The Hawks and Bulls rank second and third in the NBA in pace, so there should be plenty of points on both sides of this matchup. Atlanta has faced Chicago three times this season, and each has been a high-scoring contest. In their most recent matchup, the Hawks had 144 points the day after Christmas, led by a monster 30-point, 15-rebound game from Jalen Johnson ($8,800; shoulder). Johnson has been sidelined for four straight games and was joined by De’Andre Hunter ($6,400; foot) as a late scratch on Tuesday. If either or both remain sidelined, that opens nice value and plenty of usage to go around in this favorable road matchup.
Core Plays: Obviously, Trae Young ($9,900) is the logical and correct place to start a Hawks’ stack. He had 43 points and 60.25 fantasy points on Tuesday night, giving him 50+ in three of his last four. He has averaged over 50 fantasy points per game in his three matchups with the Bulls, and will have to carry more of the scoring load if Johnson and Hunter are out on Wednesday. Dyson Daniels ($7,100) is another expensive piece to consider, although his production is a bit more streaky.
Value Options: Without Johnson and Hunter, Onyeka Okongwu ($4,800) had a night with 22 points, 21 rebounds and 52.75 fantasy points in just 28 minutes off the bench. He makes a good value play if the situation is similar on Wednesday. Bogdan Bogdanovic ($4,600) also has a high upside if he carries more scoring workload. Vit Krejci ($4,000) also brings great value upside since he has been starting in place of Johnson. He has scored at least nine points in each of the last five games and had 27+ fantasy points in each of the last two games after producing 35.75 fantasy points on Tuesday with 15 points, six assists, five rebounds, and two steals in 35 minutes.
San Antonio Spurs vs. Memphis Grizzlies
The Grizzlies play at the highest pace in the NBA, and the Spurs get a good pace-up home matchup against them on Wednesday night. The Spurs crushed the Lakers in their most recent game on Monday, showing off how good their young core can be. They have struggled with consistency but bring a high ceiling. The continued absence of Jeremy Sochan (back) opens up playing time for more value options.
Core Plays: Almost any Spurs’ stack has to start with the big fella, Victor Wembanyama ($11,200), who had 23 points and 51 fantasy points on Monday. He has over 50 fantasy points in six of his last seven, including 63+ in three of those contests. Devin Vassell ($6,000) has been a solid running mate for Wemby and had 42 fantasy points in Monday’s win in Los Angeles. Chris Paul ($6,100) is also in the mix and has cranked out at least 39 fantasy points in three straight games, including a double-double on Monday.
Value Options: Keldon Johnson ($4,300) and Stephon Castle ($4,000) have been the main beneficiaries of playing time while Sochan is out. Johnson had a double-double that earned him 40+ fantasy points last week against the Bucks, and Castle is coming off an impressive 23-point showing against the Lakers that earned him 33 fantasy points. Vassell, Wemby and Castle have shown nice on-court chemistry and give the Spurs plenty to look forward to long-term. In the short-term, depth options Charles Bassey ($3,000) and Tre Jones ($3,000) are getting enough minutes to be punt plays as well.
Utah Jazz vs. Charlotte Hornets
There are a lot of teams who might be short-handed on Wednesday, but there’s one that we know for sure will be, and that’s the Jazz. Utah has already ruled out Lauri Markkanen (back), Collin Sexton (rest), John Collins (hip), and Jordan Clarkson (foot). Keyonte George ($5,500; hip) is questionable but has missed the last five games and seems unlikely to return for this contest without so many other regulars.
Core Plays: Without so many top options, there aren’t expensive plays available, but there are a few who have the potential to carry the load. On Sunday, with a similarly thin roster, the Jazz turned to Isaiah Collier ($5,000), who I highlighted as a pivot play against the Nets. He came through with the game-winning shot as part of his career-high 23 points along with seven rebounds, seven assists, and 44.75 fantasy points. If George is out, he’ll run the show again on Wednesday in a good matchup against the Hornets. Brice Sensabaugh ($4,500) should provide some of the scoring alongside Collier after scoring 16, 27 and 34 points in his last three games around a three-game absence due to an illness.
Value Options: There will be plenty of usage available in Utah, opening up some low-salaried punt plays. Svi Mykhailiuk ($4,000) has scored at least 11 points in six of his last seven games and posted 25+ fantasy points in three straight. Kyle Filipowski ($4,300) should get as much run as he can handle in the frontcourt along with Drew Eubanks ($4,100) and even Oscar Tshiebwe ($3,000), who fouled out in just 18 minutes on Sunday but had 13.25 fantasy points before departing.
