The NBA Cup quarterfinals continue Wednesday with a two-game slate. DraftKings continues to offer huge contests for DFS players, and below, I break down some of my favorite options at each position.
Set your DraftKings fantasy basketball lineups here: NBA $350K Quarter-Final Special [$100K to 1st]
Guard
Stud
Jalen Brunson, New York Knicks vs. Atlanta Hawks, $8,500
Going against the Hawks, the Knicks have the best matchup of the four teams competing Wednesday, and Brunson is a compelling way to attack New York. Atlanta ranks second in pace and 18th in defensive efficiency, and the Knicks carry the higher implied team total of this two-game slate at 121.5 points on DraftKings Sportsbook. Furthermore, this game’s total is set at 236.5 points, which is the highest total New York has competed in this season.
Brunson is leading the Knicks with a 29.9% usage rate this season and he is averaging 1.2 FPTS per minute. Plus, in totals of at least 230 points this season, Brunson is amassing 49.8 FPTS per game across four contests.
Other Options: Stephen Curry ($9,500), Trae Young ($9,400, boost if Jalen Johnson is out), Fred VanVleet ($7,300, if Alperen Sengun is out)
Value
Miles McBride, New York Knicks vs. Atlanta Hawks, $4,100
As the Knicks’ sixth man, McBride has been efficient as of late, with over 20 FPTS in four of his last five games. This season, McBride is shooting career-highs from the field (46%) and on three-pointers (43%), while supplying 0.8 FPTS per minute.
McBride went off for 34 FPTS when the Knicks met the Hawks last month, so why we can’t expect this type of output again? McBride has a strong chance to exceed five-times value in this prime spot.
Other Options: Dyson Daniels ($6,800, boost if Johnson is out), Jalen Green ($6,500, if Sengun is out), Bogdan Bogdanovic ($4,900)
Forward
Stud
Draymond Green, Golden State Warriors at Houston Rockets, $6,700
Green posted 33.5 FPTS in his lone meeting of the season against the Rockets and the veteran brings similar upside in this do-or-die NBA Cup matchup on Wednesday. Green is amassing 1.0 FPTS per minute this season and his playing time should land above 30 minutes in this tight two-point spread vs. the Rockets.
Green is generating 30.9 FPTS per game in spreads under three points this season (five games) and is a solid target that could get overlooked, as Green is never a player that garners much attention for DFS.
Other Options: Jalen Johnson ($8,300, if he plays)
Value
OG Anunoby, New York Knicks vs. Atlanta Hawks, $6,200
Anunoby is slightly underpriced and is one of the best values available for this short slate. Shooting 48% from the field and averaging 2.7 defensive stocks per game, the veteran is providing 32.7 FPTS per contest this season.
Anunoby recorded 30.5 FPTS when the Knicks and Hawks went head-to-head last month and he should score nothing less than 30 FPTS in this 236.5-point total vs. Atlanta, which as noted above, is the highest total New York has seen this season. For the three other occasions the Knicks have competed in a total of at least 230 points this season, Anunoby has responded with 33.75 FPTS per game.
Other Options: De’Andre Hunter ($5,800), Jonathan Kuminga ($5,400), Tari Eason ($5,200, boost if Sengun is out)
Center
Stud
Karl-Anthony Towns, New York Knicks vs. Atlanta Hawks, $9,700
Continuing with the Knicks in this excellent spot vs. the Hawks, Towns is No.1 option for this short slate. The center returned from a one-game absence Monday and continued his awesome season with a 60.75 FPTS double-double vs. the Raptors. With a 29.1% usage rate, Towns is now amassing 51.4 FPTS per game and a team-high 1.6 FPTS per minute this season, which is a huge upgrade from the 1.2 FPTS per minute he averaged last year with the Timberwolves.
Towns is shooting a career-best 45% on three-pointers this season and this Hawks team he is going against allows the most made three-pointers this season. Towns erupted for 66 FPTS when these clubs met last month and having some shares of the center is a must Wednesday.
Other Options: Alperen Sengun ($9,200, if he plays)
Value
Onyeka Okongwu, Atlanta Hawks vs. New York Knicks, $4,700
Okongwu is coming off a near double-double worth 28.25 FPTS across 25 minutes vs. the Nuggets on Sunday. With Clint Capela struggling, Okongwu notably started the second half over Capela in this contest. While Capela will likely continue to start Wednesday, this showed the veteran is on a short leash and Okongwu should continue to see big minutes off the bench, giving him a great chance to out-produce this cheap salary.
Okongwu is collecting 1.0 FPTS per minute this season and with at least 24 minutes in three straight games, the big man is supplying 26.9 FPTS per game during this stretch.
Other Options: Jabari Smith Jr. ($5,300, if Sengun is out), Kevon Looney ($4,000)
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All odds provided by DraftKings Sportsbook and all odds subject to change.
I am a promoter at DraftKings and am also an avid fan and user (my username is Hunta512) and may sometimes play on my personal account in the games that I offer advice on. Although I have expressed my personal view on the games and strategies above, they do not necessarily reflect the view(s) of DraftKings and do not constitute a representation that any particular strategy will guarantee success. All customers should use their own skills and judgment in building lineups. I may also deploy different players and strategies than what I recommend above. I am not an employee of DraftKings and do not have access to any non-public information.
