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Wednesday’s NBA slate is a good one. There are nine games to choose from, and the DraftKings’ main slate gets underway at 7 p.m. ET. Let’s dive into some of the top options to consider at each position.
Editor’s Note: Tonight’s game between the Miami Heat and the San Antonio Spurs has been postponed.
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Point Guard
Stud
Ja Morant, Memphis Grizzlies vs. Los Angeles Lakers ($8,800) – Morant returned to the Grizzlies’ lineup four games ago, but they have eased him back into the rotation. He logged 31.7 minutes or less in each of his first three games, but that figure increased to 33.7 in his last game. His playing time should continue to increase as he gets further removed from his injury.
Morant also increased his usage rate to 36.1% in his last game, and he should see more shots once again given the Grizzlies’ current absences. Morant has increased his usage rate by 2.4% with both players off the court this season.
Finally, Morant’s price tag has come down to a very reasonable $8,800. He’s been priced as high as $10,200 this season, so that represents a significant decrease.
Other Options – Kemba Walker ($6,800), Derrick White ($6,800)
Value
Malik Monk, Los Angeles Lakers @ Memphis Grizzlies ($4,000) – The Lakers aren’t in great shape at the moment. They’ve played much worse than expected this season, and they’ll have to survive without Anthony Davis for at least a few more weeks. That means they’re looking for unexpected sources of contribution.
Monk has stepped up as one of them. He’s scored at least 32.0 DKFP in back-to-back games, and he’s coming off 39.8 minutes Tuesday vs. the Rockets. Monk has averaged 0.93 DKFP per minute over the past month, so he’s massively underpriced if he’s going to continue to see that much playing time.
Other Options – Coby White ($4,500), Anfernee Simons ($4,300)
Shooting Guard
Stud
Jalen Brunson, Dallas Mavericks @ Sacramento Kings ($7,900) – I’m going to continue to ride the Brunson train for as long as I possibly can. He’s been a nice source of value recently, and he should continue to thrive given the Mavericks’ current absences. Luka Doncic and Tim Hardaway Jr. remain out of the lineup, and Brunson has increased his usage rate by 4.6% with both players off the court. He’s averaged 1.06 DKFP points per minute in that situation, and he should see around 36 minutes on Wednesday.
Brunson also owns an excellent matchup vs. the Kings. They rank just 27th in defensive efficiency, so the Mavericks have a bit more upside than usual.
Other Options – Tyler Herro ($6,900), Desmond Bane ($6,200)
Value
Jordan Clarkson, Utah Jazz @ Portland Trail Blazers ($5,800) – The Jazz have created beautiful music on the offensive end all season, but they will be without their maestro on Wednesday. Donovan Mitchell has been ruled out with a back injury, so the rest of the offense will have to pick up the slack. That shouldn’t be a huge issue, and the Jazz still lead the slate with an implied team total of 117.75 points.
Clarkson should be one of the biggest beneficiaries. He’s increased his usage rate by 4.2% with Mitchell off the court this season, resulting in an average of 1.05 DKFP per minute. He should also see a nice bump in playing time, making him an excellent value.
Other Options – Frank Jackson ($5,300), Caleb Martin ($3,900)
Small Forward
Stud
Cam Reddish, Atlanta Hawks @ Chicago Bulls ($6,200) – Reddish’s price has skyrocketed over the past few weeks, but he still stands out as an excellent option at just $6,200. He’s playing all the minutes he can handle at the moment, and he’s averaged 0.87 DKFP per minute over the past month. Trae Young ($11,000) returned to the lineup in the Hawks’ last game, but Reddish still racked up 42.0 DKFP over 40.1 minutes.
Other Options – Jaylen Brown ($10,000), Hamidou Diallo ($6,200)
Value
Joe Ingles, Utah Jazz @ Portland Trail Blazers ($4,000) – Ingles hasn’t been quite as effective for the Jazz this season as he has been in the past, but he’s started to turn things around. He’s exceeded salary-based scoring expectations by +3.72 over his past 10 games, and he’s increased his production to 0.81 DKFP per minute over the past month. He should see a few additional minutes with Mitchell out of the lineup, making him very reasonable at just $4,000.
Other Options – Nassir Little ($5,000), Devin Vassell ($3,700)
Power Forward
Stud
Kristaps Porzingis, Dallas Mavericks @ Sacramento Kings ($9,400) – Porzingis is pricy at $9,400, but he’s still significantly cheaper than the highest-priced options at power forward. That said, I think he has the potential to be the top scorer at the position. He’s been fantastic with Doncic and Hardaway off the court this season, averaging 1.53 DKFP per minute, and he racked up 62.25 DKFP in just 32.5 minutes in his last outing. The sky is the limit for Porzingis vs. the Kings as long as he doesn’t get hurt.
Other Options – LeBron James ($11,800), Al Horford ($7,100)
Value
Kyle Anderson, Memphis Grizzlies vs. Los Angeles Lakers ($4,600) – Anderson is always appealing when he’s expected to see minutes, and he should see a solid handful Wednesday vs. the Lakers. He should pick up a few additional minutes with John Konchar joining some of the other Grizzlies in health and safety protocols, and Anderson has averaged 1.08 DKFP per minute over the past month. The Lakers are also an excellent matchup, ranking first in the league in pace.
Other Options – Cameron Johnson ($4,600), Royce O’Neale ($3,600)
Center
Stud
JaVale McGee, Phoenix Suns vs. Oklahoma City Thunder ($5,100) – “Paying up” for McGee at center seems like a no-brainer. Deandre Ayton is out of the lineup, and McGee has been an absolute monster in games without Ayton and Frank Kaminsky this season. He’s been in that situation three times, and he’s averaged 30.17 DKFP over just 24.6 minutes per game. His floor is basically 25 fantasy points in this matchup, and he has the ceiling for over 50. It’s hard to pass that up at just $5,100.
Other Options – Nikola Vucevic ($9,000), Richaun Holmes ($5,500)
Value
Omer Yurtseven, Miami Heat @ San Antonio Spurs ($4,600) – Yurtseven is in a similar spot as McGee. He’s not quite as dominant on a per-minute basis, but he’s racked up at least 32.5 minutes in back-to-back games. He’s been excellent in each of those contests, so he also seems massively underpriced at just $4,600. Playing Yurtseven and McGee together makes a lot of sense, especially since there isn’t a dominant stud center on Wednesday’s slate.
Other Options – Luka Garza ($3,500), Isaiah Roby ($3,000)
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I am a promoter at DraftKings and am also an avid fan and user (my username is mlamarca) 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.
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