LaMelo Ball ($9,800) and Mark Williams ($8,500) were both instrumental in the Charlotte Hornets’ upset last night over the Los Angeles Lakers. Ball, playing in just his third game in February because of a right ankle injury, dropping 27 points, five rebounds, and six assists (45.25 FPTS), while Williams — whose trade to the Lakers was rescinded after Williams failed his physical — had a quieter game, with 10 points and nine rebounds (23.75 FPTS).
Tonight, the Hornets will travel to the Mile High City to take on the Denver Nuggets and reigning MVP Nikola Jokic ($12,500). Expectedly, Charlotte is sitting Ball on the second night of the back-to-back, and Williams will also not suit up, leaving the Hornets perilously thin behind Miles Bridges ($8,700).
Given the injury news, Denver is a 17.5-point favorite at DraftKings Sportsbook, the second-largest point spread of any game this season.
Set your DraftKings fantasy basketball lineups here: NBA $300K Fadeaway [$100K to 1st]
SG/SF Nick Smith Jr., Charlotte Hornets at Denver Nuggets, $4,500
I almost picked Bridges here, given that he’s scored 25 or more points in three of his last five games and that the Nuggets have struggled against opposing wings this season, but he’s priced like a star without providing consistent, star-level production. His usage rate should be high today without either Ball or Williams, but it’s likely that he’ll get relegated to the bench early if Denver builds a big lead.
Instead, I’ll go with the 20-year-old second-year guard who has played a huge role whenever Ball has missed time. Across a four-game recent stretch without Ball, Smith dropped 19 or more points in each game, averaging 21.3 points (31.4 FPTS) per game across that span while shooting 58.9% from the field and 53.6% from beyond the arc. He hasn’t shot as well in his last three games, and he was just four-for-13 from the field last night, but with the Nuggets allowing the second-most fantasy points to opposing shooting guards, he should be fine tonight.
The only question is whether he’ll be sent to the bench if Denver builds a big lead, but Charlotte’s guard depth really isn’t great with Tre Mann out for the season and Josh Okogie ($5,100) sidelined for the last three weeks with a hamstring strain. Unless the Hornets want to give Elfrid Payton ($4,000), Seth Curry ($3,300), and Isaiah Wong a more substantial look, Smith isn’t important enough to the team that they’ll protect him in a blowout like they would with Bridges.
