Wednesday’s seven-game DraftKings NBA DFS main slate tips off at 7 p.m. ET, with injuries creating opportunities in both Indiana and Toronto. Tyrese Haliburton, Scottie Barnes, and Kawhi Leonard remain out, while Immanuel Quickley’s Questionable designation makes Toronto’s backcourt replacements interesting. Here are three affordable options to help make room for the slate’s expensive stars.
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SG/SF Quenton Jackson, Indiana Pacers vs. Washington Wizards ($4,000)
Jackson is a sneaky option with some encouraging stats as of late. He’s averaging 12.2 PPG, 5.2 RPG, 2.4 APG, 1.6 SPG, and 0.4 BPG over his last five appearances, good for 27.2 FPTS per game compared with his season average of 21.7.
Monday’s loss to Dallas was a nice example: Jackson scored only 10 points but added five boards, four assists, and two steals to finish with 26.75 FPTS in just 25 minutes. Haliburton and Ben Sheppard remain out, while T.J. McConnell is Questionable with a hamstring strain, potentially leaving more backcourt minutes available again.
Jackson’s 17-minute outing against Denver last Saturday is a sober reminder of his inconsistent playing time, but at $4,000, his ability to contribute across categories makes him an appealing bargain, especially if McConnell sits.
PG/SG Jamal Shead, Toronto Raptors vs. Boston Celtics ($5,800)
Shead has been dropping straight dimes, and another absence for Immanuel Quickley would make his salary tonight difficult to pass on. With Barnes, Leonard, and Quickley unavailable over Toronto’s last two games, Shead has delivered 15 PPG, 13.5 APG, and 2.0 SPG in 35.0 MPG, producing 43.25 and 46.25 FPTS. He shot a woeful 37% from the field across those appearances, so this surge has come from expanded responsibility and playing time. But to be fair, Shead is averaging 38.5% shooting for his career, so we can consider his shooting to be on-par with what we’d expect.
His season averages of 7.4 PPG and 7.0 APG in 24.3 MPG already demonstrate the playmaking ability; the recent increase in minutes has allowed him more time to generate fantasy points.
C Day’Ron Sharpe, Brooklyn Nets at New Orleans Pelicans ($5,300)
Eight, 13, and six assists in his last three games is pretty nice work from a center at this price point. Sharpe has translated that passing into 34.9 FPTS per game over that stretch, comfortably above his season average of 25.9, with a monster 12-10-13 triple double against Atlanta. He followed it with 27.5 FPTS in just 20 minutes during Sunday’s blowout loss to Dallas, collecting six assists, two steals, and two blocks despite scoring only six points.
New Orleans will be without Yves Missi and Trendon Watford, giving Sharpe a matchup against a thinner frontcourt and another opportunity to contribute on the glass. Egor Demin’s probable return could reduce the need for Sharpe’s passing, with Nolan Traore also questionable, but his rebounding and defensive contributions give him many ways to return value on this salary. After a disappointing start to the season, Sharpe has started to bounce back.
