Last night’s NBA slate featured just two games, but we’re back in full swing on Wednesday. There has been one postponement, but that still leaves 10 games on the schedule. The DraftKings slate starts at 7:00 p.m. ET, so let’s break down some of the top studs and values at each position to help you build your DraftKings lineups.
Set your DraftKings fantasy basketball lineups here: NBA $500K Excellent 8’s [$100K to 1st]
EDITORS NOTE: TONIGHT’S MATCHUP BETWEEN THE GRIZZLIES AND TRAIL BLAZERS HAS BEEN POSTPONED DUE TO CONTACT TRACING.
Point Guard
Stud
Ja Morant, Memphis Grizzlies @ Portland Trail Blazers ($7,300) – Morant made his return to the lineup two games ago, and he appears to be back at full strength. He’s coming off 34.1 minutes and 41.75 DKFP in his last contest, and he’s simply too cheap if he’s going to see that much playing time tonight vs. the Blazers. Morant has averaged a stout 1.48 DKFP per minute this season, and the Blazers rank 27th in defensive efficiency.
EDITORS NOTE: TONIGHT’S MATCHUP BETWEEN THE GRIZZLIES AND TRAIL BLAZERS HAS BEEN POSTPONED DUE TO CONTACT TRACING.
Other Options – Damian Lillard ($10,400), Steph Curry ($9,700)
Value
Derrick Rose, Detroit Pistons @ Atlanta Hawks ($5,400) – Rose recently missed some time due to a knee injury, but he’s played in each of the Pistons’ past two contests. He’s played well in those games, scoring at least 33.75 DKFP in both, which is not surprising given his average of 1.17 DKFP per minute this season. That makes him very reasonably priced for tonight’s matchup vs. the Hawks. Atlanta ranks fifth in pace, which makes them an excellent matchup from a fantasy perspective.
Other Options – Aaron Holiday ($3,600), Jordan Bone ($3,000)
Shooting Guard
Stud
Victor Oladipo, Houston Rockets vs. Phoenix Suns ($7,800) – If Oladipo’s first game with the Rockets is any indication, he’s going to carry a massive workload with his new team. He finished with 54.25 DKFP over 32.1 minutes in his first contest, and he posted a usage rate of 42.3% and an assist rate of 50.8%. Those were both easily his top marks of the entire season. John Wall remains out of the lineup for the Rockets, so expect the offense to run through Oladipo again vs. the Suns.
Other Options – Paul George ($9,100), Jaylen Brown ($8,700)
Value
Eric Gordon, Houston Rockets vs. Phoenix Suns ($5,500) – Sticking with the Rockets, Gordon should serve as the secondary playmaker behind Oladipo. He led the team with 33.9 minutes in their last outing, and he responded with 30.5 DKFP. He’s averaged 1.09 DKFP with Wall and James Harden off the court this season, so he has excellent upside at his current price tag.
Other Options – Anthony Edwards ($4,500), Wayne Ellington ($3,600)
Small Forward
Stud
Kawhi Leonard, Los Angeles Clippers vs. Sacramento Kings ($9,400) – Leonard hasn’t gotten off to the best start this season, but that’s not that surprising. He essentially treats the regular season like the preseason and just wants to make it to the playoffs. That said, he’s still averaged a productive 1.31 DKFP per minute over the past month, so he’s still producing at an excellent level when he’s on the floor.
His price has come down a bit since its peak, which makes this a nice opportunity to target him. He’s taking on the Kings, who rank dead last in defensive efficiency by a wide margin. They’ve allowed a ridiculous 122.74 points per 100 possessions, and the Clippers’ implied team total of 120.0 points is unsurprisingly the top mark on the slate. The top of the SF position is also pretty weak today, so Leonard is the clear top option if you’re paying up.
Other Options – Aaron Gordon ($7,400)
Value
Cameron Johnson, Phoenix Suns @ Houston Rockets ($3,900) – Johnson’s playing time has been pretty volatile recently. He’s logged 22.6 minutes or fewer in each of his past two games, but he played 27.4 or more in the previous two. One thing that is certain is that Johnson has been productive when on the floor. He’s averaged 0.94 DKFP per minute over the past month, which is an excellent mark considering his price tag. He has a chance to pay off his current salary even if he hits his minute floor vs. the Rockets, and he has the potential to smash his salary if he hits his minute ceiling.
Other Options – Derrick Jones Jr. ($4,100), Josh Okogie ($3,500)
Power Forward
Stud
Domantas Sabonis, Indiana Pacers vs. Dallas Mavericks ($9,800) – Sabonis is one of the most consistent producers in fantasy basketball. He’s averaged 49.3 DKFP over his past 13 games, and he’s failed to return value in none of those contests. In other words, Sabonis is almost never going to kill your lineups with a snowflake.
He also has plenty of upside. He’s gone for at least 50.5 DKFP in three of his past five games, and he’s capable of filling the stat sheet in every category across the board.
Other Options – Kevin Durant ($10,500), Brandon Clarke ($6,000)
Value
Xavier Tillman, Memphis Grizzlies @ Portland Trail Blazers ($3,500) – Tillman is going to garner massive ownership on today’s slate, but he’s difficult to avoid at his current salary. Jonas Valanciunas will miss his second straight game due to health and safety protocols, which means Tillman should draw his second-straight start. He’s averaged an excellent 0.96 DKFP per minute this season, so he has the potential to take advantage of some additional playing time. He’s scored at least 25.0 DKFP in three straight games, making him one of the best pure values on the slate.
Other Options – Robert Covington ($5,000), James Johnson ($4,500)
Center
Stud
Nikola Vucevic, Orlando Magic @ Minnesota Timberwolves ($8,600) – Vucevic doesn’t seem to get the respect he deserves as an elite fantasy center. He’s averaged 1.50 DKFP per minute this season – which trails only Joel Embiid and Andre Drummond among today’s centers – yet he costs at least $1,000 less than both of those players. He should have no problem taking care of business tonight vs. the Timberwolves, who will be playing without Karl-Anthony Towns. Their defense has been dreadful with KAT off the court this season, allowing an average of 115.7 points per 100 possessions.
Other Options – Christian Wood ($8,400), Clint Capela ($7,600)
Value
Enes Kanter, Portland Trail Blazers vs. Memphis Grizzlies ($6,300) – Kanter may not qualify as a true “value” option at $6,300, but he still stands out as one of the best plays of the day. He’s moved into the starting lineup with Jusuf Nurkic out of the lineup, and Kanter has always been an elite producer on a per-minute basis. He’s played at least 27.0 minutes in each of his past two games, and Kanter has averaged 1.30 DKFP per minute over the past month. That gives him a safe floor and a massive ceiling against the Grizzlies.
Other Options – James Wiseman ($4,600), DeMarcus Cousins ($4,600)
Set your DraftKings fantasy basketball lineups here: NBA $500K Excellent 8’s [$100K to 1st]
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