With the Super Bowl firmly in the past — at least there’s one Philadelphia team succeeding — sports’ fans attentions return squarely to the NBA, where Luka Dončić appears set to make his debut as a Los Angeles Laker tonight as part of a 10-game slate of hoops action.
All of the games except for the Lakers-Jazz matchup are part of tonight’s DFS contest on DraftKings, so you’ll have plenty of players to choose from as you fill out your lineups for tonight. Below, I’ve taken you through all the stats and news you need to know ahead of the games.
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Spurs at Wizards
Victor Wembanyama ($11,000) is the third-most expensive player on tonight’s slate, but it’s for good reason, given that he’s facing a team that has the worst offensive rating and second-worst defensive rating in the league and has given up the most points, most rebounds, third-most assists, ninth-most steals, and ninth-most blocks in the league. His usage rate has dropped somewhat since the arrival of De’Aaron Fox ($8,300), but he did finish one assist, steal, and block shy of his third career five-by-five during Saturday’s loss to the Orlando Magic. For the Wizards, Carlton Carrington ($5,000) stepped into the starting lineup after Washington traded Kyle Kuzma to the Milwaukee Bucks, and he has delivered, scoring double-digit points in each of his past three games, averaging 35.0 FPTS per game across that span. Carrington should continue to get huge minutes tonight, especially with new acquisitions Khris Middleton ($5,500) and Marcus Smart ($4,500) remaining sidelined. Richaun Holmes ($4,900) could also be a high-upside play, given that San Antonio has struggled to stop opposing centers even with Wembanyama patrolling the middle.
Timberwolves at Cavaliers
New Cleveland acquisition De’Andre Hunter ($5,200) is expected to make his debut for his new team, and although he averaged 19.0 points (28.7 FPTS) per game as a Sixth Man of the Year front-runner with the Atlanta Hawks, I’d expect his usage to drop significantly, given the depth of the Cavaliers squad. He might start eventually, but I suspect that for his first couple of games with the team, he’ll probably come off the bench in relief of Max Strus ($4,600), especially as he adjusts to Kenny Atkinson’s system. After an inconsistent couple of weeks, Donovan Mitchell ($8,500) has gone back to his high-usage, alpha-dog roots, dropping 30 or more points in each of his past two games, and he should have high fantasy upside, even as he’s still working his way out of an extended shooting slump. For Minnesota, Rudy Gobert ($6,600) has taken on a bigger role in the offense with Julius Randle ($6,800) sidelined, dropping six consecutive double-doubles, and he remains an effective defensive anchor.
Hawks at Magic
Orlando is finally starting to break out of its slump, winning two of its past three games to inch closer to the East’s top six, and Paolo Banchero ($8,300) is starting to find his form again, even if he’s shot a ghastly two-for-26 (7.7%) from beyond the arc in his last six games. The better Magic player has been Franz Wagner ($8,500), who has averaged 26.8 points per game on okay efficiency in nine games since his return from a lengthy absence due to a torn oblique. Wagner scored 33 points and added 12 rebounds and five assists (58.5 FPTS) in his most recent game, and he should have high fantasy upside again against an Atlanta unit that plays at the league’s second-fastest pace and has allowed the third-most points to opposing small forwards. For the Hawks, I back first overall pick Zaccharie Risacher ($4,400) to continue his solid form, as he’s shot 48.1% from downtown over his last six games, scoring at least 10 points in five of them.
Hornets at Nets
Most recently, the Lakers and Hornets rescinded the trade that would’ve sent center Mark Williams ($8,600) to Southern California after Williams failed his physical. The third-year big’s status for the game tonight is unclear, but LaMelo Ball ($9,900) is off the injury report and expected to play. The league leader in usage rate has only suited up once in the last 10 days, but it was a solid performance, even if inefficient; he scored 24 points and added 10 assists (46.0 FPTS) on nine-for-26 shooting from the field in the Hornets’ win over San Antonio on Friday. Center Moussa Diabate ($4,700) is questionable with an eye injury that he suffered in last night’s loss to the Detroit Pistons, but he would start if Williams is unable to play and had recorded at least 30 fantasy points in each of his two previous games. Nic Claxton ($5,700) is inexplicably still on Brooklyn’s roster and should have high upside against a Charlotte team that has allowed the fourth-most fantasy points to opposing centers.
Celtics at Heat
After being involved in the blockbuster deal that sent Jimmy Butler to the Golden State Warriors, new acquisition Andrew Wiggins ($6,500) is set to make his Miami debut, although it’s hard to expect too much from him against a Boston team that has allowed the third-fewest fantasy points to opposing small forwards. Neither Jayson Tatum ($10,000) nor Jaylen Brown ($8,000) participated in morning shootaround, which means that Joe Mazzulla might be trying to play it cautious with his star duo in the lead-up to the All-Star break. Without Tatum or Brown, Kristaps Porzingis ($7,800) would be the Celtics’ number one scoring option, although he’s just two-for-nine from beyond the arc in his last two games. Payton Pritchard ($5,800) has posted 38 or more fantasy points in each of his past two games and looks primed to play heavy minutes again with point guard Jrue Holiday ($4,500) remaining out.
Warriors at Bucks
New Golden State acquisition Jimmy Butler ($7,800) didn’t miss a beat in his Warriors debut, scoring 25 points on seven-for-12 shooting (37.0 FPTS), his highest fantasy output since December 16. His presence also freed up space for Stephen Curry ($8,700), who made eight three-pointers in the win, his most since January 7. Curry is currently questionable with a quad injury, though, and if he’s unable to go, Brandin Podziemski ($4,900) would likely play a bigger role, given that he’s started to find his groove in a suddenly thinned-out Golden State squad. For Milwaukee, Giannis Antetokounmpo ($11,700) will sit out through at least the All-Star break with a calf strain, making Damian Lillard ($9,200) the team’s number one option. Last night, Lillard dropped a season-high 43 points, seven rebounds, and eight assists (69.75 FPTS) in a 135-127 win over the Philadelphia 76ers. New acquisition Kyle Kuzma ($5,300) will likely also benefit from Antetokounmpo’s absence, although he scored just 13 points (33.5 FPTS) in his team debut yesterday.
Pelicans at Thunder
After making his return to Oklahoma City’s lineup on Friday with a four-point, four-block (23.25-FPT) performance, Chet Holmgren ($7,600) is slated to suit up again tonight for the Thunder, likely operating under a minutes restriction that will hold him to between 20 and 24 minutes. Given that the rest of Oklahoma City’s core is all healthy and MVP front-runner Shai Gilgeous-Alexander ($10,800) has averaged 36.9 points per game over his last 10 games, I’m not exactly expecting the Thunder’s offense to operate through Holmgren, even though New Orleans has allowed plenty of fantasy points to opposing big men. Instead, both Gilgeous-Alexander and Jalen Williams ($7,900), who’s scored 25 or more points in two straight games, should be fantasy musts, depending on how much of the second half they sit out. For the Pelicans, Trey Murphy III ($8,200) has scored 20 or more points in each of his past five games and could be the team’s top option again tonight — especially with CJ McCollum ($7,900) sidelined for personal reasons — although I’m hesitant about any player’s fantasy ceiling against an Oklahoma City defense that has been the league’s best by four points per 100 possessions.
Kings at Mavericks
To add another cruel twist to the Luka Dončić-Anthony Davis trade saga, Davis ($10,500) had a stellar debut for Dallas, scoring 26 points and snagging 16 rebounds (64.5 FPTS) before leaving with an adductor strain that could sideline him for up to a month. Without Davis patrolling the middle for the Mavericks, Domantas Sabonis ($9,600) — who could replace Davis on Team Shaq as an All-Star — should feast. His scoring has cooled down somewhat in recent weeks — he’s taken on a somewhat smaller role in the offense since De’Aaron Fox was traded for Zach LaVine ($7,500) — but he’s still leading the league in rebounds and shooting an impressive 45.8% from beyond the arc. I also like Dallas’ other acquisition, wing Max Christie ($5,000), who has averaged 17.7 points (32.1 FPTS) per game since arriving in North Texas, even if he’s currently questionable with a shoulder strain. For a budget option, Naji Marshall ($4,800) has played a big role in the Mavericks’ offense over the last three games and should do so again tonight, especially if Christie is out.
Trail Blazers at Nuggets
The Trail Blazers are one of the league’s hottest teams; over its last 10 games, Portland has outscored opponents by 9.6 points per 100 possessions, the fourth-best net rating in basketball. Its leading scorer, Anfernee Simons ($6,500), should be a strong fantasy option against a Denver defense that has allowed the fourth-most fantasy points to opposing point guards, given that he’s scored 20 or more points in each of his last three games and dished out at least five assists in each of his last five. For the Nuggets, I don’t mind Julian Strawther ($4,500), who has started two straight games with Russell Westbrook ($6,200) out through at least the All-Star break with a left hamstring strain. Westbrook’s absence should also mean more shots for Christian Braun ($6,100), who has averaged 17.8 points (37.1 FPTS) over his last six games. Finally, it goes without saying that Nikola Jokic ($12,700) is a must-start, even for his exorbitant price tag and the Trail Blazers’ relative success against opposing centers.
