Full disclosure: I woke up at 5:55 a.m. ET to watch some baseball this morning, so my brain is a little wonky as I sit down to write this article. However, the NBA is a little wonky this late in March, so it might actually help me find some values. I’ll try anything once.
Let’s dive into this eight-game slate.
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PF Jordan Nwora, Toronto Raptors vs. Sacramento Kings, $3,800
There are a lot of different options when it comes to potential value on the Raptors. In fact, with Scottie Barnes (hand), Jakob Poeltl (finger), RJ Barrett (personal) and Immanuel Quickley (personal) all ruled out on Wednesday, Toronto is missing its four best players. That should mean another opportunity to start for Bruce Brown ($5,600), who will play pseudo point guard along with Kelly Olynyk ($6,500). It’ll also mean massive roles for several assets priced below $5K, including Gradey Dick ($4,700), Ochai Ogbaji ($3,700) and even Jahmi’us Ramsey ($3,200). However, the person that I’ll have my eye on is Nwora. The former second-round pick has shown an ability to score and rebound effectively in his time with the Raptors, which was apparent in both of the team’s recent losses to Orlando. In the two-game set, Nwora averaged 16.0 points, 6.0 rebounds and 28.25 DKFP. With Barnes, Barrett and Quickley all off the floor in 2023-24, Nwora is sporting a notable 27.0% usage rate. He’s certainly not afraid to take advantage of a chance to shoot.
SF/PF Jae Crowder, Milwaukee Bucks at Boston Celtics, $3,300
While nothing is official yet, we have reports from the Athletic’s Shams Charania that Giannis Antetokounmpo (hamstring) is not going to return for this evening’s tilt against the Celtics. We also can make an educated guess that Khris Middleton ($6,200) will still be on a bit of a minutes restriction, having only just recovered from an ankle issue that sidelined him for 16 games. Needless to say, that leaves a few holes in the Bucks’ usual rotation. Most of the extra usage and shots will be picked up Damian Lillard ($9,100) and Bobby Portis ($6,000), yet Crowder is simply too inexpensive to not mention. The veteran wing logged 31.5 minutes in Milwaukee’s surprising victory over the Suns on Sunday, registering 18 points, three steals and 28.25 DKFP. I’d expect to see Crowder used in a similar capacity on Wednesday and, even if he doesn’t shoot as well, he should still be looking at 6x or 7x value.
SF Jake LaRavia, Memphis Grizzlies at Golden State Warriors, $4,600
It’s always one step forward, but two steps back with this season’s Grizzlies. On the positive side of things, the team currently has the services of both Jaren Jackson Jr. ($8,200) and Desmond Bane ($8,100), giving Taylor Jenkins two legitimate No. 1 options to work with on offense. However, in terms of rotation depth, Memphis is still missing Vince Williams Jr. (knee), Scotty Pippen Jr. (shin), Luke Kennard (personal) and Lamar Stevens (adductor). That’s how you have six players logging at least 35.0 minutes in an OT loss to the Kings earlier in the week. LaRavia was the only reserve to see serious run against Sacramento, collecting 12 points, eight rebounds and five assists in an eye-popping 40.8 minutes. Part of that workload was the extra frame, yet LaRavia will probably be looking at another busy night on Wednesday — especially with Santi Aldama ($6,100; elbow) now listed as questionable.
Set your DraftKings fantasy basketball lineups here: NBA $300K Micro-Max [$100K to 1st, 150 Entry Max]
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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.
