Strap in, folks.
It’s been a rare occurrence in 2024-25, but this evening all 30 teams in the NBA are in action. That means a couple things. First and foremost, there’s going to be a lot of different options for your lineups. Secondly, basically every team in the league is either on the first or second leg of a back-to-back set. Let chaos ensue.
Let’s dive in and find some value on DraftKings 14-game featured slate.
Set your DraftKings fantasy basketball lineups here: NBA $300K Fadeaway [$100K to 1st]
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C Thomas Bryant, Indiana Pacers at Washington Wizards, $5,000
With Myles Turner (neck) being held out through the All-Star break, Bryant will get the opportunity to start his third consecutive contest on Wednesday night. In reality, Bryant’s been a vital part of the Pacers’ rotation for the last three games — as Turner was limited to only 5.5 minutes against the Clippers on February 6, despite getting the start that evening. In that three-game sample, Bryant is averaging 14.3 points, 9.0 rebounds, 4.0 assists and 33.8 FPTS. Considering Bryant is producing 1.10 FPTS per minute since being acquired by Indiana, the veteran’s viability with expanded opportunity has not been all that shocking. Expect to see Bryant bring back value once again in Washington, where he’ll face a Wizards defense that is surrendering the second-most FPTS per contest to opposing centers this season.
PG KJ Simpson, Charlotte Hornets at Orlando Magic, $4,400
Generally speaking, I’m not looking to exploit DFS assets that are going up against the Magic, as Orlando can lay claim to having one of the top defensive units in the NBA. However, with the Hornets’ long list of injuries, it’s difficult to overlook how much opportunity someone like Simpson is going to have on Wednesday. LaMelo Ball (ankle) is out. Mark Williams (personal) is out. Josh Okogie (hamstring) is out. Heck, even Jusuf Nurkic ($4,500), who is expected to make his Charlotte debut tonight, is reportedly going to be on a minutes restriction. Simpson has been reasonably productive in his last two chances to start, averaging 12.5 points and 4.5 assists. Simpson was also solid coming in off the bench in Brooklyn on Monday, with nine points and nine rebounds to spell the ailing Ball. The most interesting stat of that performance? His 24.0% usage rate. It probably won’t be pretty, but I have faith that Simpson will volume his way to viability this evening.
C Donovan Clingan, Portland Trail Blazers at Denver Nuggets, $4,600
With Deandre Ayton (calf) sidelined, I would expect Clingan to draw his 11th start of the season on Wednesday night. What I would not expect is Clingan to replicate his 21-point performance from Monday’s lopsided loss to this same Nuggets team, but that doesn’t mean he can’t still be a decent value option. Clingan’s relevance in fantasy has tended to stem from his ability to stuff the stat sheet in ways beyond his limited scoring ability. For instance, in his 10 career starts, the former lottery pick is averaging 9.9 rebounds and 2.9 blocks per game in just 22.1 minutes of action. The Blazers will need the rookie’s size in a matchup with Nikola Jokic ($12,500), so projecting Clingan for 24-28 minutes doesn’t seem too farfetched. I’d also keep an eye on Dalano Banton ($4,000) in this one, with Scoot Henderson (ankle) joining Ayton in street clothes.
