Here are some plays that jump out on DraftKings at each position for Wednesday’s main NBA slate, along with some strategy unique to this slate.
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Point Guard
Worth Paying Up For: Damian Lillard, Portland Trail Blazers at New Orleans Pelicans ($10,300)
Lillard came through in the clutch against the Thunder on Tuesday, finishing just three boards shy of a triple-double. The 31-10-7 line was still good for 61.25 DKFP, his second straight game with over 57 DKFP for the shorthanded Blazers. As long as playing for the second night in a row doesn’t slow him, this matchup against New Orleans sets up nicely. The Pelicans rank 25th in DKFP allowed to PG and also played last night.
Best Bang For Your Buck: Payton Pritchard, Boston Celtics vs. Atlanta Hawks ($4,200)
Marcus Smart has been sidelined, opening up some perimeter minutes for Boston, but with Kemba Walker sitting the second leg of a back-to-back, Pritchard should play a much larger role. The Hawks allow the most DKFP to PGs this season, and P-Rabbit should be more aggressive to score with Kemba out of the mix.
Shooting Guard
Worth Paying Up For: Bradley Beal, Washington Wizards vs. Denver Nuggets ($9,800)
Even with Westbrook in the lineup, Beal’s still been an elite play recently. He’s scored over 54 DKFP in three of his last four contests, and catches Denver on the second night of an east coast back-to-back. The Nuggets rank 23rd in DKFP allowed to the Celtics.
Best Bang For Your Buck: Facundo Campazzo, Denver Nuggets at Washington Wizards ($3,500)
I’ll be honest — I’m off my game and had to research who this dude was when I saw he was getting the start on Tuesday in Boston. I quickly learned who he was, dropping 37.25 DKFP in 40 minutes, his second game in a row with at least 27 DKFP. As long as Denver doesn’t bring both injured guards back in this game to limit Campazzo too much, he’s a play once again. Plenty of upside here either way against the Wiz.
Small Forward
Worth Paying Up For: Jaylen Brown, Boston Celtics vs. Atlanta Hawks ($7,900)
Brown’s been Mr. Consistent for the Celtics, especially during an awful string of losses. Boston bounced back at home on Tuesday against Denver, and stays home for this back-to-back. The Hawks are right around league average defending SF, but pace of play should favor Brown here. He has a very safe floor, and high ceiling if this one turns into a track meet.
Best Bang For Your Buck: Michael Carter-Williams, Orlando Magic vs. New York Knicks ($4,900)
I was pretty shocked to see MCW has SF eligibility, but it gives us a great way of rostering an additional PG if we wind up punting at a weaker position. Orlando went from Markelle Fultz running the show, to Aaron Gordon, to Cole Anthony — all of whom are now out. Averaging over 30 DKFP in nearly 30 minutes per game over his last two, MCW’s in a good spot to keep that momentum going.
Power Forward
Worth Paying Up For: Domantas Sabonis, Indiana Pacers at Minnesota Timberwolves ($9,700)
Honorable mention here to Zion Williamson ($8,200), who’s coming off a dominant 51.75 DKFP last night against Memphis and gets a weak Blazers frontcourt that also played last night. But in the end, Sabonis grades as a slightly better play in my book for a couple of reasons. Indy didn’t play last night and gets Minnesota, which did play last night. The Wolves really struggle against bigs, and Sabonis is actually averaging almost six more fantasy points per game on the road — 50.1 DKFP.
Best Bang For Your Buck: Isaiah Roby, Oklahoma City Thunder at Memphis Grizzlies ($4,000)
Lots of back-to-backs in the league tonight, and OKC is another one of them. Sitting the veteran Al Horford should mean more minutes for Roby, like we saw during his hot streak when Horford missed time for the birth of his child earlier in the season. Roby’s already been playing well lately in limited minutes, and Memphis ranks 23rd in DKFP allowed to the position.
Center
Worth Paying Up For: Nikola Jokic, Denver Nuggets at Washington Wizards ($11,000)
Joker was our play here last night in Boston, and went HAM in the loss — scoring 43 points and 64 DKFP. The Wizards really struggle with bigs, and Jokic is just an insane mismatch for anyone at this point. With Denver shorthanded, the stars are being asked to do more, which should be highlighted against a poor defensive team.
Best Bang For Your Buck: Robert Williams, Boston Celtics vs. Atlanta Hawks ($3,100)
Daniel Theis missed Tuesday’s game against the Nuggets, opening up 20 minutes for Williams. The Time Lord didn’t disappoint, finishing with 30.5 DKFP. He remains the same price with Theis out again, leaving him as a no-brainer value on this slate. Another 10X game is in the cards here.
Overall Lineup Strategy
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I am a promoter at DraftKings and am also an avid fan and user (my username is jedlow) 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.
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