Hey, you. Yeah. You. Are you perhaps in the market for some value NBA picks on tonight’s seven-game featured slate?
[opens up long trench coat to reveal every member of the Utah Jazz]
I’ve got the best values in the business. Allow me to break them down for you below.
Set your DraftKings fantasy basketball lineups here: NBA $300K Zone Special [$100K to 1st]
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SG/SF Nick Smith, Charlotte Hornets at Memphis Grizzlies, $3,200
Smith might be the best dollar-for-dollar asset on Wednesday’s slate. With Brandon Miller (wrist) sidelined indefinitely, Smith has logged his first two career NBA starts in the Hornets’ past two games. The results have been everything you could hope for and more. Smith’s averaging 17.0 points, 4.0 rebounds and 26.0 FPTS in this stretch, all while shooting 53.3% (8-for-15) from three-point range. Obviously, the former first-round pick won’t continue to be that efficient scoring the ball, but even the fact that someone priced this close to the minimum has the opportunity to put up 15 threes in a two-game span is encouraging. Heck, in Monday’s victory over the Mavericks, Smith registered a 20.0% usage rate in 30.2 minutes of action. That is not the profile of a man with a $3,200 salary. In a high-tempo matchup against a Grizzlies squad that leads the NBA in pace (104.9), expect Smith to bring back significant value once again.
C Jaylin Williams, Oklahoma City Thunder vs. Utah Jazz, $5,000
Williams’ salary was at the absolute minimum less than two weeks ago, but the big man’s recent play has almost got him priced out of value range — almost. In his last two starts, Williams is averaging 13.0 points, 9.0 rebounds, 4.0 assists and 34.8 FPTS. For the season as a whole, Williams is also averaging a very healthy 1.11 FPTS per minute logged. The lesson? The 22-year-old is a perfectly viable center in fantasy when given the chance for consistent playing time. That’s certainly been the case lately in Oklahoma City, with both Chet Holmgren (hip) and Isaiah Hartenstein (calf) on the shelf. I’d anticipate another big performance from Williams on Wednesday in a tilt with the Jazz. Utah comes into this contest with the Western Conference’s worst defensive rating (117.8). The team is also allowing the ninth-most FPTS per game to opposing centers.
SG/SF Jaylen Wells, Memphis Grizzlies vs. Charlotte Hornets, $4,400
The Grizzlies are about as healthy as they’ve been all season, but that doesn’t mean we can’t still find value on this roster — especially in such an enticing game environment. On the DraftKings Sportsbook, this tilt between the Grizzlies and the Hornets is the only contest with a total above 240 points. In fact, Memphis owns this slate’s highest implied team total by a pretty considerable margin. In layman’s terms: The Grizzlies are going to score easily and often this evening. That should mean we’re looking at the possibility of a ceiling performance from Wells, who is in the midst of a very successful rookie campaign. Wells has exceeded 30 FPTS three times this month, including a 30-point, 43.25-FPTS showing against the Kings on January 3. The man has some upside.
