DraftKings is hosting a massive fantasy basketball slate on Wednesday. It’s a big one. Do your research early and often. Start Wednesday with a quick DFS NBA read, and get ahead by digging into the 10-game evening slate that starts at 7 p.m. ET.
Set your DraftKings fantasy basketball lineups here: NBA $300K Fadeaway [$100K to 1st]
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Guard
Studs
Dejounte Murray, Atlanta Hawks at Portland Trail Blazers, $9,800 — The Hawks are still in the playoff hunt. That’s because Murray is carrying this team. The weight is wearing on him. He’s questionable Wednesday with back soreness. This is no time to rest. The Hawks have got to take the wins when they can get them. This is one of them. Murray has scored over 55 DKFP in six of the last nine games. Portland ranks in the bottom 10 in Defensive Efficiency Rating. They’ve lost seven games in a row and their injury report is full. This is not the time for the Hawks to play around. The Hawks need to be on the attack. If Murray is ruled out, then the multi-position eligible Hawks will soar — SG/SF Bogdan Bogdanovic ($6,500), SF/PF De’Andre Hunter ($5,900), and SG/SF Garrison “Garry Bird” Mathews ($3,500).
Value
Vit Krejci, Atlanta Hawks at Portland Trail Blazers, $4,200 — The Hawks are thin. Most of these birds are resting in the nest. Krejci returned from injury several weeks ago and was thrust into a starting role. His minutes and usage rate have been on the incline since he was rushed into the starting lineup. He scored 18.25 DKFP on Mar. 21 and followed with 20.5 DKFP on Mar. 23. In his most recent contest, Vit scored 29 DKFP across 33 minutes in the Hawks win over the Celtics.
Javon Freeman-Liberty, Toronto Raptors vs. New York Knicks, $4,100 — It’s that time of year. Names we’ve never heard of before appear on NBA rosters — interesting names at that. Freeman-Liberty has started two of the last three games and played 29, 23 and 29 minutes. His usage rate peaked in the Raptors’ close loss to the Nets at 21.3%. Freeman-Liberty started, opened the second half as a starter and closed the game out. This isn’t a great matchup, but the minutes and usage rate are hard to ignore at this price.
Forward
Studs
DeMar DeRozan, Chicago Bulls vs. Indiana Pacers, $8,400 — This is a massive slate. Targeting the Bulls might not seem like the first option. Their offense is below average, and they’re one of the slowest teams in the NBA. DeRozan plays 40 minutes a night and carries a usage rate around 30%. That’s why his price tag is always in the $8,000 despite playing for an inferior offense. His price has not increased, and the Bulls are in a premier DFS matchup. The Pacers boost their opponents’ pace and they don’t play defense. On top of this, the Bulls can make the playoffs despite losing three in a row. DeRozan has returned 6x value in the last two games.
Josh Hart, New York Knicks at Toronto Raptors, $7,600 — The standings do not show it, but they will when the season is over — the Raptors are the worst team in the NBA. They play poor defense, and even better for DFS, they’re currently the fastest team in the NBA. A blowout is incoming. That does not appear to be a concern. The Knicks beat the Pistons by 25 points on Monday. Hart got 40 minutes of work. He played 44 minutes on Saturday. Hart isn’t a familiar name in the stud category, but 40 minutes in an up-tempo game against the worst team in basketball makes anyone a stud.
Value
Aleksej Pokusevski, Charlotte Hornets vs. Cleveland Cavaliers, $3,700 — The Poku Project didn’t go as planned in Oklahoma City. The Thunder called it off early because they became contenders. The Hornets continued the experiment. The results have been promising. He’s returned a value of 5x in four of the last six games and 7x in each of the last two. This is a rematch of the last game. Poku scored 27.75 DKFP against Cleveland in 19 minutes on Monday. The Hornets needed height on Monday. They’ll need it again on Wednesday.
Center
Studs
Isaiah Hartenstein, New York Knicks at Toronto Raptors, $5,700 — The Raptors have lost 11 games in a row and 13 of 14. Over that span, their defense ranks 23rd and the Raptors are playing at the fastest pace in the NBA. That’s a bright green light for the Knicks. The light is greener in the front court. Toronto is starting C Kelly Olynyk ($7,200) at center, and he’s their only experienced big man. Hartenstein isn’t playing the typical Thib’s minutes, but he’s producing with around 25 minutes per game. He’s averaging 38 DKFP over the last five games.
Value
Bruno Fernando, Atlanta Hawks vs. Portland Trail Blazers, $4,400 — It’s hot take time. Take a stand. This is not a great slate for centers. Paying up at this position is a problem. Saving at center is the decision. We don’t talk about Bruno as a stud. He always disappointed us in the past. The guy made it rain on a wedding day! He’s been making it rain in NBA DFS with an expanded role. He played 26 minutes against the Hornets on Mar. 23 and scored 36 DKFP. His numbers decreased in a tough matchup with Celtics on Mar. 25 (20.25 DKFP in 19 minutes). Wednesday’s matchup with the Blazers is comparable to the Hornets matchup.
Noah Clowney, Brooklyn Nets at Washington Wizards, $3,000 — This is a massive slate. This is a reach. Massive weekday slates feature massive amounts of content. There are tons of articles and videos out there. This is an opportunity to boldly go where no one is bold enough to go. Or the Clowney pick is just that — a “clowney” pick. NBA DFS value picks are always risky. Clowney played 21 minutes in the Nets’ win over the Raptors on Mar. 25. He played four separate stints for the second unit and produced 18.5 DKFP. The Raptors were soft and weak down low. The Wizards might be softer and weaker down low.
Set your DraftKings fantasy basketball lineups here: NBA $300K Fadeaway [$100K to 1st]
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I am a promoter at DraftKings and am also an avid fan and user (my username is greenflagradio2) 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 skill 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.
