The NBA is back and so are wild Wednesday night slates. After a pair of entertaining games to open up the regular season on Tuesday, a whopping 24 teams are in action this evening to open up their schedules. However, with most teams fresh and healthy, where will you be able to turn for some value?
Allow me to answer my own question. Let’s dive into the action on the hardcourt.
Set your DraftKings fantasy basketball lineups here: NBA $600K Fadeaway [$100K to 1st]
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SF/PF Georges Niang, Cleveland Cavaliers at Brooklyn Nets, $3,400
On the surface, this might not seem like all that appealing a spot for Niang. The Nets completely re-tooled in the middle of last season, which obviously led to an identity change. That new-look Brooklyn squad finished 2022-23 by playing at the league’s third-slowest pace across its last 15 games (96.5), while the Nets also shored up their defense considerably. Still, unlike many teams coming into their season opener, the Cavaliers are struggling with injuries. An ailment to Jarrett Allen (ankle) will move Evan Mobley ($6,300) to center, while back-up power forward Dean Wade (illness) didn’t travel with the team. That’s going to leave a lot of open opportunity at the four for Niang, who logged 24.7 minutes in Cleveland’s final preseason tune up on October 20. The 30-year-old is a career 40.3% three-point shooter. If he’s given enough run, he can have a major impact on the stat sheet.
SF/PF Jaime Jaquez, Miami Heat vs. Detroit Pistons, $3,000
Someone priced at the bare minimum for the Heat is going to have a major impact on this slate. They just don’t have that many bodies. Josh Richardson (foot) has already been ruled out, while Caleb Martin ($4,900; knee) will be on a minutes restriction. That’s not even mentioning the fact that Jimmy Butler ($8,800) didn’t play a single second of preseason action and that Kyle Lowry ($5,500) and Kevin Love ($4,100) aren’t exactly at the stage of their careers to be logging heavy minutes. Miami also lost key contributors like Max Strus and Gabe Vincent in free agency, which leaves Erik Spoelstra scrambling to find a whole new rotation. I’d expect Jaquez, the team’s first-round pick, to get a serious opportunity to impress on Wednesday. The rookie looked great in his lone preseason contest, with 13 points and seven rebounds in only 23 minutes of work and reports out of camp have been glowing. Duncan Robinson ($3,000) and Nikola Jovic ($3,000) could be viable, as well.
SF Ziaire Williams, Memphis Grizzlies vs. New Orleans Pelicans, $4,000
The situation in Memphis is actually pretty similar to the one in Miami — except with more injuries. It was announced earlier this week that Steven Adams (knee) will miss the entire 2023-24 season, while the Grizzlies will also be without Brandon Clarke (Achilles) and Santi Aldama (ankle) on Wednesday. Toss in the suspended Ja Morant, and suddenly you’ve got a Memphis roster that looks a lot less deep than it has in prior years. All this to say: The Grizzlies will need their former lottery pick to step up and help fill some of the void. Williams was battling with David Roddy ($3,000) for the team’s starting small forward job throughout the preseason, but appeared to clinch the role with a very nice performance in Memphis’ final tune up game against the Bucks. Williams registered 15 points, seven rebounds and a pair of steals in just 21 minutes. If he starts, he’s an obvious source of value.
Set your DraftKings fantasy basketball lineups here: NBA $600K 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 theglt13) 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.
