Wednesday’s main slate on DraftKings includes the first seven games of the night. DraftKings continues to offer huge contests for DFS players, and below, I break down some of my favorite NBA DFS options at each position.
Set your DraftKings fantasy basketball lineups here: NBA $300K Fadeaway [$100K to 1st]
Guard
Stud
Shai Gilgeous-Alexander, Oklahoma City Thunder at Memphis Grizzlies, $10,800
Gilgeous-Alexander erupted for 73.25 FPTS vs. the Rockets in his last start and the MVP frontrunner now faces a beat-up Memphis team that leads the league in pace this season. Gilgeous-Alexander is scoring 1.6 FPTS per minute with a 34.5% usage rate this season and he is averaging 56.3 FPTS per game in two matchups with the Grizzlies this season.
This game carries a slate-high 247.5-point total on DraftKings Sportsbook, which is the largest total the Thunder have competed in this season. Gilgeous-Alexander is a great building block for all formats in this projected shootout.
Other Options: Jaylen Brown ($8,000, if active), Zach LaVine ($7,900), Jamal Murray ($7,700), Anfernee Simons ($7,000)
Value
Spencer Dinwiddie, Dallas Mavericks at Milwaukee Bucks, $5,100
The Mavericks received some devastating news Tuesday that Kyrie Irving (knee) will miss the rest of the season. With Luka Doncic now with the Lakers, Dinwiddie is the next man up at point guard for Dallas and he should handle a large role for the rest of the season. In the 10 games the Mavericks have been without both Irving and Doncic this season, Dinwiddie has produced 30 FPTS in 33.3 minutes per game with a 21.4% usage rate.
The Mavericks desperately need Dinwiddie’s offense with Anthony Davis (adductor) and P.J. Washington (ankle) also out, and Dinwiddie should exceed five-times value with ease against this Bucks team that is playing their second game in two nights.
Other Options: Derrick White ($6,900), Keyonte George ($6,400), Payton Pritchard ($5,300), Max Christie ($5,200), Terry Rozier ($4,800)
Forward
Stud
Bam Adebayo, Miami Heat at Cleveland Cavaliers, $8,900
The Heat are going to be shorthanded Wednesday. Andrew Wiggins (ankle) and Jaime Jaquez Jr. (ankle) are out, and let’s not forget Jimmy Butler is now with the Warriors. Adebayo has made three starts without Butler, Wiggins and Jaquez Jr. this season, and he has been excellent on those occasions with 50.3 FPTS per game. In these starts, the center has garnered a 27.2% usage rate, which is a 3.7 percentage point increase from his season average.
The Cavaliers rank seventh in defensive efficiency, but they also rank ninth in pace and will be playing their second game in two nights. Cleveland has been resting key players on each side of back-to-back sets as of late and Adebayo is a high upside option that likely will get overlooked in GPPs.
Other Options: Jayson Tatum ($10,000, if active), Jalen Williams ($8,200)
Value
Khris Middleton, Washington Wizards vs. Utah Jazz, $5,500
Middleton has been stuffing the stat sheet for the Wizards, scoring 34.75 and 30.25 FPTS in his past two starts. Jordan Poole (elbow) missed both of these games and will remain sidelined Wednesday, opening up plenty of usage for Middleton. Poole is leading Washington with a 28.9% usage rate this season and with the guard off the court, Middleton’s usage jumps 5.2 percentage points to 25.9%. Furthermore, the veteran’s assist rate increases 4.2 percentage points to 27.3% with Poole off the floor.
Middleton generates 1.4 FPTS per minute in this situation and going against a tanking Jazz team that ranks dead-last in defensive efficiency this season, the wing should score nothing less than 30 FPTS and is a superb bargain.
Other Options: Christian Braun ($5,900), Duncan Robinson ($4,700), Brandon Clarke ($4,100), Sam Hauser ($3,800)
Center
Stud
Chet Holmgren, Oklahoma City Thunder at Memphis Grizzlies, $7,300
Holmgren posted a double-double of 38.75 FPTS vs. the Rockets on Monday and the versatile big man brings even better upside vs. the Grizzlies. Memphis leads the league in pace, and as noted above, this game’s total is the highest on the slate at 247.5 points on DraftKings Sportsbook. Additionally, the Grizzlies will be without their best defender in Jaren Jackson Jr. (ankle), and with the former Defensive Player of the Year off the floor this season, Memphis’ defensive rating has slipped to a poor 116.9.
Holmgren should flourish in this spot and is a sharp way to attack this elite setting between the Thunder and Grizzlies.
Other Options: Nikola Jokic ($12,200, if active), Giannis Antetokounmpo ($11,000)
Value
Jonas Valanciunas, Sacramento Kings at Denver Nuggets, $6,400
With Domantas Sabonis (hamstring) still out Wednesday, Valanciunas continues to be an elite target. Sabonis got hurt one minute into the Kings’ second last game and then he missed the next contest. With Sabonis essentially unavailable for two-straight games, Valanciunas has operated as Sacramento’s main big man and he has scored 49 FPTS vs. the Rockets and 33.75 FPTS vs. the Mavericks.
Valanciunas should see 25-30 minutes as the replacement starter for Sabonis on Wednesday and this is a strong matchup with the Nuggets ranking 21st in defensive efficiency. The center is contributing 1.3 FPTS per minute this season and Valanciunas has the potential for over 40 FPTS on Wednesday.
Other Options: Brook Lopez ($5,900), Kyle Filipowski ($5,500), Zach Edey ($4,900), Dario Saric ($3,000, if Jokic is out)
