Nine games. 18 teams.
It’s one of the bigger NBA slates we’ve had in some time, and you’ll want to get a couple lineups together on DraftKings. I’m here to help.
Let’s go through all the injury news and matchup data you’ll need to know. I’ll toss in a couple picks, too.
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Key Injury News
IN: Walker Kessler, Jrue Holiday, Al Horford, Cameron Johnson
QUESTIONABLE: Karl-Anthony Towns, Scottie Barnes, Jaylen Brown, Kristaps Porzingis, Tyrese Haliburton, Bam Adebayo, Jakob Poeltl, T. J. McConnell
OUT: Joel Embiid, Nikola Vučević, Guerschon Yabusele, Nic Claxton, D’Angelo Russell, Lauri Markkanen, Alex Sarr
Click here for the slate’s full injury report
Matchup Analysis
Best Defensive Rating (Last 10 Games)
- Brooklyn Nets vs. OKC (105.6)
- Oklahoma City Thunder at BRK (109.0)
- Boston Celtics at DET (109.2)
Worst Defensive Rating (Last 10 Games)
- New York Knicks vs. PHI (121.5)
- Philadelphia 76ers at NYK (119.7)
- Sacramento Kings at UTA (118.9)
Fastest Pace (Last 10 Games)
- Atlanta Hawks at MIA (104.2)
- Detroit Pistons vs. BOS (102.9)
- Chicago Bulls vs. LAC (102.5)
Slowest Pace (Last 10 Games)
- Brooklyn Nets vs. OKC (93.8)
- Miami Heat vs. ATL (96.5)
- Boston Celtics at DET (97.1)
Highest Game Total
- Sacramento Kings at Utah Jazz (236.5)
- Portland Trail Blazers at Washington Wizards (233.5)
- Toronto Raptors at Indiana Pacers (233)
Top DFS Pick
SF/PF Jayson Tatum, Boston Celtics at Detroit Pistons, $9,900
A lot of star players do it all for their respective teams, but Jayson Tatum is taking that phrase to a new level in recent games. In Tatum’s past four starts — a span where he’s averaging 37.4 minutes and 96.3 touches per contest — the All-Star is registering 10.3 rebounds and 9.3 assists on top of his usual elite scoring ability. He’s also been dabbling in some back-up center minutes, though that effort translates less to DFS. The point is simply that Tatum has quite the fantasy ceiling at the moment, as he continues to flirt with triple-doubles. In an uptempo environment against the Pistons, I feel like Tatum will be a triple-double threat yet again on Wednesday. That’s especially true if Jaylen Brown ($8,000; thigh) is unable to play through a questionable tag. With Brown off the floor in 2024-25, Tatum sports a massive 36.6% usage rate.
Top Value Pick
PF Matas Buzelis, Chicago Bulls vs. Los Angeles Clippers, $4,800
The obvious value play on the Bulls’ roster is Zach Collins ($4,400), who should draw another start at center on Wednesday with Nikola Vucevic (calf) already ruled out. However, might I suggest a small zag to Buzelis? With Vucevic off the floor in Monday’s thrashing of the 76ers, it was Buzelis who took the mantle of faux No. 1 offensive option, getting up a team-high 17 field goal attempts in 35.6 minutes of action. The rookie didn’t have a great shooting night, yet he still finished with 30.75 FPTS thanks to 17 points, five assists and three rebounds. That sort of feels like his floor at the moment. Also, while he’s not a traditional “value” option, I’d be remiss if I didn’t quickly shoutout Josh Giddey ($7,700). The former lottery pick is averaging 60.2 FPTS across his last three starts. He’s too cheap!
