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For Wednesday night, we get an exciting six-game slate of NBA action, and if you haven’t by now, you need to check out DraftKings’ new Snake Draft format! Snake Drafts are now available in the DraftKings lobby for both NBA and NFL.
If you’ve ever played season-long fantasy before – either for NBA or any other sport – you’re likely familiar with how a Snake Draft works. In short, for these contests, once the allotted number of entries are filled in a contest, the draft will begin one minute later. The entrants are assigned a random draft order and will commence in that order. The player with the first pick gets dibs on anyone while the player with the last pick will get a double pick, as it’ll end the first round and thus begin the second.
Roster requirements for lineups: G – 2, F/C – 2, Util – 2
Visit the DraftKings NBA lobby to view all the available NBA Snake contests!
Set your DraftKings fantasy basketball Classic lineups here: NBA $1M Shootaround Special [$200K to 1st]
Favorable Early Round Targets
Giannis Antetokounmpo, F/C, Milwaukee Bucks
NBA Snake Rank: 1st
Antetokounmpo is competing on the second night of a back-to-back set, but he only had to play 24 minutes in the Bucks’ 47-point blowout win over the Heat on Tuesday. Tonight, he will face this same Miami club again, but it’s hard to envision another ridiculous blowout that keeps the reigning MVP from seeing 30+ minutes. Via DraftKings Sportsbook, this clash of Eastern Conference rivals is expected to stay close, with the Bucks only favored by 6.5 points. Including the postseason, these two teams met seven times last season, and the average margin of victory was 9.4 points.
In all of those games that Antetokounmpo didn’t leave due to injury, he scored 54.6 DKFP per game. Prior to Tuesday, the 26-year-old was supplying 50.9 DKFP per game this season and with so many question marks surrounding many of the players ranked inside the top-ten of today’s rankings, I think Antetokounmpo is easily the top option on the board.
Kevin Durant, F/C, Brooklyn Nets
NBA Snake Rank: 11th
Durant was rested for Monday’s tilt against the Grizzlies and he should be fresh and ready to dominate the Hawks on Wednesday. He has shown no signs of rust so far in his first three games this season, scoring 41.8 DKFP per game with a 28.7% usage rate.
Both the Nets and Hawks ranked inside the top-ten in pace last season and this game should be a back and forth shootout that is full of fantasy goodness. Currently on DraftKings Sportsbook, this matchup carries an insane O/U game total of 238.5 points, which is easily the highest mark on Wednesday’s six-game slate. Durant is a lock for 45+ DKFP in this elite game setting and 11th is far too low of a ranking for the superstar.
Early Round Player to Avoid
CJ McCollum, G, Portland Trail Blazers
NBA Snake Rank: 13th
Yes, McCollum has played very well in his last two (58.25 DKFP per game), but this has inflated his draft ranking for Wednesday’s matchup against the Clippers. This Los Angeles team has one of the best groups of wing defenders in basketball and McCollum struggled when facing them last season, scoring only 38 DKFP per game. Plus, Carmelo Anthony (health protocols) will return to the lineup after missing Monday night. When the veteran was on the floor last season, McCollum saw his usage rate drop 1%.
While I don’t like discrediting how great he has looked in his past two starts, McCollum isn’t deserving of a top-15 pick in this matchup.
Late Round Fliers
Gordon Hayward, F/C, Charlotte Hornets
NBA Snake Rank: 20th
Joining the Hornets has done wonders for Hayward’s fantasy stock. After only contributing 33 DKFP per game last year in Boston, the 30-year-old is producing 42.1 DKFP with the Hornets. They just picked up their first win of the season this past Sunday, beating the Nets 106-104, and Hayward led the way with 49 DKFP across 36 minutes.
Yes, it has only been three games, but Hayward’s role has been much larger in Charlotte. He is averaging a 23.1% usage rate and a team-high assist percentage of 31.8%, which are notable upgrades from the 21.1% usage and 18.1% assist rates he received last year with the Celtics. Hayward’s impressive comeback season should continue tonight in Dallas (223.5 O/U game total via DraftKings Sportsbook) and he is being extremely overlooked based on his snake draft ranking.
Dejounte Murray, G, San Antonio Spurs
NBA Snake Rank: 34th
Murray struggled vs. the Pelicans on Sunday (27.75 DKFP), but he should bounce back tonight and should absolutely not be this low on your draft board. Prior to Sunday, the point guard had tallied over 40 DKFP in both of his first two starts of 2020-21. Murray has also logged at least 30 minutes in every game this season, which is a sizable increase from the 26 minutes per game he obtained a year ago. Murray is scoring 1.14 DKFP per minute this year and is amassing 38.3 DKFP per game in the past ten games that he has seen 30 minutes or more.
He will be going against the Lakers this evening, which is never an easy task, but this is a much easier matchup for point guards than it was in the past, with Dennis Schroder at point for Los Angeles. Nonetheless, this tilt carries a healthy 228.5 O/U game total on the DraftKings’ Sportsbook and Murray is an awesome middle round value for drafts that could slip based off his last performance.
Tyus Jones, G, Memphis Grizzlies
NBA Snake Rank: 50th
Ja Morant (ankle) will miss the next 3-5 weeks, leaving Jones as the Grizzlies’ starting point guard. Morant was only able to play 13 minutes in Monday’s overtime loss to Brooklyn, resulting in 35 minutes of work for Jones. He turned in a 24.75 DKFP in effort in the loss and should handle right around 30 minutes on a regular basis until Morant returns.
Jones is familiar with this situation, starting for an injured Morant five times a year ago. With a spot in the starting five, he generated a solid 22 DKFP per game. For Wednesday night, the Grizzlies will be heading to Boston to take on the Celtics, who have struggled mightily on defense thus far, ranking dead last in defensive efficiency. Jones should grind out at least 25 DKFP in this spot and he is one of the safer late round fliers of snake drafts on Wednesday.
Visit the DraftKings NBA lobby to view all the available NBA Snake contests!
Set your DraftKings fantasy basketball lineups here: NBA $1M Shootaround Special [$200K to 1st]
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I am a promoter at DraftKings and am also an avid fan and user (my username is Hunta512) 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 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.