It probably feels like I’ve been complaining about NBA injury reports all season long, but it’s days like today where one can really throw a tantrum about the state of a slate. Of the 16 teams taking the court Wednesday, 14 are on the second night of a back-to-back set. Combine that with the amount of teams with nothing left to play for — or the ones actively trying to lose — and it’s a recipe for madness.
I’m going to attempt to find some values below. Just know all this information will have changed a thousand times by 7:00 p.m. ET. Cool? Cool.
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C Trey Jemison, Memphis Grizzlies at Cleveland Cavaliers, $4,300
Here’s how bleak things currently are in Memphis: After starting and recording a double-double in Saturday’s loss to Philadelphia, Maozinha Pereira’s just no longer on the team. He logged 36.2 minutes, his 10-day contract expired, and the Grizzlies simply looked the other way. Instead, the club signed Jack White to a 10-day contract, who played 25.5 minutes in Tuesday’s loss to San Antonio. White’s so new, he’s not even on the DraftKings slate. This is what you have to endure to take part in DFS in the regular season’s final week. So, let’s keep it easy. Jemison has started each of Memphis’ last four games — a span where he’s averaging 26.3 DKFP per contest. The last five times Jemison’s logged 30-plus minutes? That average jumps to 30.2 DKFP. Jemison’s workload should be locked in on Wednesday, especially if Brandon Clarke ($5,100) is unavailable to suit up back-to-back nights.
PF/C Sandro Mamukelashvili, San Antonio Spurs at Oklahoma City Thunder, $4,500
The big question with the Spurs on Wednesday is the availability of Victor Wembanyama ($11,500), who played 30.3 minutes in Tuesday’s victory over the Grizzlies and who has only missed a single contest since March 11. Postgame, Gregg Popovich inferred that the coaching staff would consider resting the rookie on Wednesday, which, frankly, is all I need at this point in the season to send up a red flag. Unless San Antonio really cares about Wembanyama’s late push for Defensive Player of the Year, there’s no reason the phenom should be taking the court against the Thunder. That should open the door for both Mamukelashvili and Zach Collins ($4,900) to have huge performances. In fact, Mamukelashvili was already starting in place of the injured Keldon Johnson ($5,400; foot), so even if Wemby does end up available, the big man should remain viable. Mamukelashvili registered 40.0 DKFP in 26.5 minutes on Tuesday and, for 2023-24 as a whole, he’s averaging a very respectable 1.05 DKFP per minute.
PG/SG Patrick Beverley, Milwaukee Bucks vs. Orlando Magic, $4,900
It’ll be interesting to see just how little Milwaukee cares about this game. In theory, the Bucks should care quite a bit, as the Eastern Conference is a jumbled mess from the second seed to the sixth seed. However, Giannis Antetokounmpo ($11,700; calf) was forced to leave Tuesday’s win over Boston and it’s extremely doubtful that he’s able to suit up again this week, let alone in less than 24 hours. Then there’s Khris Middleton ($7,600), who has not been active for the second game of either of Milwaukee’s back-to-back sets since he returned from a long-term injury. If both Antetokounmpo and Middleton are ruled out, does the team even bother letting Damian Lillard ($9,200) suit up? For that matter, do they let Beverley? It’s a lot of question marks, but if Beverley is good to go, you have to be intrigued by the veteran from a fantasy perspective. Not only would there be a ton of usage to go around, not only did Beverley just join the Bucks’ starting lineup, but he’s also managed over 35.0 DKFP in two of his last three appearances. Keep an eye for this injury report Wednesday afternoon.
Set your DraftKings fantasy basketball lineups here: NBA $100K Fadeaway [$20K 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.
