The NBA has a huge nine-game slate ready to tip off on Wednesday night, and it should be a great NBA DFS fantasy basketball slate to examine stuffed with tons of strong options. As we look at the opponents and opportunities on the boards, a few strong NBA DFS stacks stand out that can form the core of your DFS fantasy basketball lineups.
Especially at this point in the season, the best place to start your planning is often the daily injury report. For Wednesday, Cooper Flagg and Josh Hart are some of the most important questionable names, while Ja Morant, Darius Garland, Evan Mobley, Franz Wagner and Jonathan Kuminga are some important pieces already ruled out. Be sure to check the latest injury news before tip-off and adjust your lineup if needed.
The NBA DFS main slate includes a variety of contests and pay-out structures on DraftKings, headlined by the NBA $300K Fadeaway [$100K to 1st].
Cleveland Cavaliers vs. Los Angeles Lakers
The Cavaliers have the second-highest implied team total of the night as they host the Lakers, who have given up 110+ points in three straight games on their current road trip. The Cavaliers will be playing their first game since losing Evan Mobley to a calf injury that is expected to keep him out at least a week, and they’ll also remain without Darius Garland.
Without those key pieces in their rotation, the remaining player should get more usage and all the shot attempts they can handle. As a result, the Cavs have a high ceiling as one of the NBA DFS stacks you can build around this Wednesday as they look to get a statement win against LeBron James and his new team.
Core Plays: Without Garland, Donovan Mitchell ($9,700) and Jaylon Tyson ($6,600) have already been carrying a heavily workload and will continue to have lots of upside with even more shots available. Tyson has been exceptional while filling a larger role and is a solid value still at just over $6,000. At a similar price point, Jarrett Allen ($6,300) will likely be much more involved. In his six games without Mobley this season, Allen has averaged 31.8 fantasy points per contest.
Value Options: Nae’Qwan Tomlin ($4,100) has gotten an increase in his usage rate of over four percentage points in those games that Mobley missed, averaging 12.8 fantasy points per game. He has been playing more time lately, with at least 19 minutes in six of his last eight games and at least 20 fantasy points in three of those contests. Dean Wade ($4,200) could get some more work as well and can stuff the stat sheet in multiple categories even if his usage is low. Sam Merrill ($4,700) could also help shoulder some of the scoring load if he’s ready to return from a hand injury, as expected due to his probable tag.
Boston Celtics vs. Atlanta Hawks
The Celtics are home for this matchup with the Hawks, who have won three straight games but have still been giving up plenty of points. The Celtics beat them in Atlanta, 132-106 a couple of weeks ago, and they are a solid option in Wednesday’s NBA DFS stacks, even though they are healthy for the most part. The main exception is that Neemias Queta (illness) will miss the game, leaving a lot of opportunity on the glass and in the frontcourt.
Core Plays: Without Jayson Tatum (Achilles), Jaylen Brown ($9,900) continues to the be the centerpiece of the offense and has stepped up with is averaging 48.1 fantasy points per game on the season. He had 56 fantasy points against the Hawks in their last meeting and went off for 65 fantasy points against the Nets and 54.5 fantasy points against the Bulls in two of his last three games. The Hawks have allowed the most fantasy points per game in the NBA to opposing small forwards, setting Brown up in a smash spot to build around. While Derrick White ($7,900) has been a little quieter lately, Payton Pritchard ($6,900) has stepped up and carried the load with at least 35 fantasy points in two of his last three games and four of his last nine.
Value Options: Without Queta, Luke Garza ($4,200) will likely step up after missing Monday’s game with an illness of his own. Amari Williams ($3,700) had 24.2 fantasy points in 26 minutes on Monday against Portland and could be set for a big role once again as one of the best bargains on the board. Forward Sam Hauser ($5,400) will have a very favorable matchup against the Hawks and more responsibilities on the glass. He had 30 points and 50 fantasy points in the last meeting between these squads in Atlanta.
Golden State Warriors at Utah Jazz
The Jazz have been an easy target for NBA DFS stacks this season, and even though it’s obvious, it’s often been the best strategy available. The Jazz have given up the most points in the NBA this season, allowing 127.5 points per game. Opponents are scoring 130.5 points against them per game over their last 10 games, and they’re also playing for the second night in a row after giving up 115 to the Clippers to drop to 15-32 on the season. The Jazz listed Jusuf Nurkic questionable, and could opt to rest pieces on the second night of the back-to-back making them an even better matchup to attack.
The Warriors listed Stephen Curry and Draymond Green as probable and upgraded Green to available, but they will still be without Jimmy Butler III and Jonathan Kuminga, creating some opportunity for role players to step up.
Core Plays: Stephen Curry ($9,000) missed the Warriors last game on Monday but had 26 points and seven assists for 47.5 fantasy points on Sunday, matching his total exactly from the previous game against the Mavs. He has over 41 fantasy points in nine of his 12 games this month and will get all the usage he can handle in a smash spot against the Jazz, who give up the second-most fantasy points to point guards this season. That matchup also sets up well for Brandin Podziemski ($6,300), who has had to step into a more involved role without Butler, producing 30+ fantasy points in five of his last seven games.
Value Options: Butler’s absence has also opened up more work for Moses Moody ($5,200), who has at least 25 fantasy points in five of his last eight. De’Anthony Melton ($5,000) had 34.75 fantasy points against the Mavs last week and should also continue to be a key producer as the Warriors settle into a new flow. Without Kuminga, Al Horford ($4,300) has re-emerged as a usable bargain fantasy asset with Quentin Post ($4,500) as a boom-or-bust play depending on game flow. Post should be in a good spot against the Jazz, though, who have been a great matchup for stretch bigs all season.
