Wednesday features plenty of NBA action to choose from, and DraftKings is offering up a 10-game main slate starting at 7:00 p.m. ET. Let’s break down some of the top studs and values at each position to help you build your DraftKings lineups.
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Point Guard
Stud
Russell Westbrook, Los Angeles Lakers @ Oklahoma City Thunder ($9,300) – Westbrook played his first game of the season without LeBron James on Tuesday, and it went about how you’d expect. He increased his usage rate to 33.3% and racked up 33 points, 10 rebounds, and eight assists. Overall, he finished with 64.0 DKFP in an overtime victory vs. the Spurs.
There’s a chance that the Lakers will be shorthanded again on Wednesday. LeBron is questionable once again with an ankle injury, and Anthony Davis is also a candidate to rest on the second leg of a back-to-back. If either player is out, Westbrook becomes one of the strongest options on the slate.
Other Options – LaMelo Ball ($8,100), Shai Gilgeous-Alexander ($7,100)
Value
Cole Anthony, Orlando Magic vs. Charlotte Hornets ($6,100) – Anthony isn’t a true “value play” at $6,100, but he’s still one of the best values on the slate. He’s been gobbling up peripheral stats recently, logging 25 rebounds and 13 assists over his past two games, and he’s on pace to post career highs in assist rate, rebound rate, and usage rate this season. The only issue with Anthony is that the Magic have been so bad that he’s played fewer minutes than expected. They can hopefully keep Wednesday’s contests vs. the Hornets close – they’re currently listed as 5.5-point home underdogs on DraftKings Sportsbook – which makes him a good bet to pay off his price tag.
Other Options – Collin Sexton ($6,500)
Shooting Guard
Stud
Bradley Beal, Washington Wizards @ Boston Celtics ($9,200) – Beal has battled a hip injury to start the season. He missed one game and was ineffective in another. He’s also shot the ball poorly to start the season, making just 36.6% of his field goal attempts and 21.1% of his 3-pointers.
That makes Beal an interesting buy-low target vs. the Celtics. He’s been priced down to $9,200 vs. the Celtics, and Beal still figures to have a career year for the Wizards. He’s no longer sharing the court with a stud point guard, and he’s posted a career-high 35.4% usage rate through his first two games.
Other Options – Fred VanVleet ($7,800), Jaylen Brown ($7,800)
Value
De’Anthony Melton, Memphis Grizzlies @ Portland Trail Blazers ($5,000) – Melton has been an excellent value to start the year, averaging more than 30 DKFP through his first three games. He’s been priced up for Wednesday’s matchup vs. the Blazers, but he still seems underpriced given his current role. He’s been playing around 30 minutes per night, and Melton is the type of player who can average over 1.00 DKFP per minute.
Other Options – Lu Dort ($4,500), Grayson Allen ($4,400)
Small Forward
Stud
Gordon Hayward, Charlotte Hornets @ Orlando Magic ($6,900) – The Hornets are expected to be without Terry Rozier once again on Wednesday, which means Gordon Hayward should see a boost in value. He’s coming off a season-high 37.7 minutes in his last outing, and he averaged 1.07 DKFP per minute over the past year.
Other Options – Kevin Durant ($10,500), Khris Middleton ($7,800)
Value
Nicolas Batum, Los Angeles Clippers vs. Cleveland Cavaliers ($3,600) – Batum stands out as one of the best punt plays on the slate. He’s been priced down to just $3,600, and he’s expected to see around 30 minutes vs. the Cavaliers. Batum averaged 0.76 DKFP per minute last season, so he should be able to easily pay off this price tag with that much playing time.
Other Options – Terrence Ross ($4,300), Bruce Brown ($3,700)
Power Forward
Stud
Giannis Antetokounmpo, Milwaukee Bucks vs. Minnesota Timberwolves ($10,800) – Antetokounmpo stands out as one of the top studs any time the Bucks are on the slate, and Wednesday is no exception. Their implied team total of 117.75 ranks second on the slate, and the Timberwolves have played at the fifth-fastest pace this season.
Antetokounmpo has also seemingly gotten better since last year. That’s a scary thought – Giannis was already arguably the best player in the league – but he’s increased his fantasy production to 1.77 DKFP per minute this season. Jrue Holiday and Brook Lopez remain out of the lineup, so Giannis should also carry a larger workload than usual. Overall, Giannis is an extremely tough fade on Wednesday’s slate.
Other Options – Kevin Durant ($10,500), Jayson Tatum ($9,100)
Value
Wendell Carter Jr., Orlando Magic vs. Charlotte Hornets ($5,700) – Carter is coming off his worst performance of the season in his last outing, finishing with just 23.25 DraftKings points over 27.8 minutes. That’s a clear outlier. He scored at least 33.25 DraftKings points in his two previous games, and he’s averaged 1.1 DraftKings points per minute over the past month.
Other Options – Al Horford ($5,800), Bobby Portis ($4,300)
Center
Stud
Jusuf Nurkic, Portland Trail Blazers vs. Memphis Grizzlies ($6,900) – Nurkic hasn’t been great to start the season, which has caused his salary to dip to $6,900 for Wednesday’s matchup vs. the Grizzlies. It’s an excellent matchup – the Grizzlies have struggled against opposing centers this season – and he averaged 1.29 DraftKings points per minute last season. That makes him an intriguing buy-low target for tournaments.
Other Options – Karl-Anthony Towns ($10,100), Clint Capela ($6,500)
Value
Richaun Holmes, Sacramento Kings @ Phoenix Suns ($5,900) – Holmes is coming off a season-high 31.7 minutes in his last outing, so he’s massively underpriced at $5,900. Holmes has historically averaged well over 1.00 DKFP per minute, and he’s outscored his salary-based expectations by an average of +3.00 points with a comparable salary as a member of the Kings.
Other Options – Mo Bamba ($6,200), Precious Achiuwa ($4,900)
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