Wednesday’s NBA slate is a good one. There are 11 games to choose from, and the main DraftKings slate gets underway at 7 p.m. ET. Let’s dive into some of the top options to consider at each position.
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Point Guard
Stud
Luka Doncic, Dallas Mavericks vs. Golden State Warriors ($10,600) – It’s time to buy low on Doncic. He played 33.9 minutes in his last game, and he responded with 62.0 DKFP. Doncic has averaged 1.49 DKFP per minute this season, and his playing time should continue to trend upwards.
He’s facing a tough matchup Wednesday vs. the Warriors – they rank first in the league in defensive efficiency – but Doncic is priced at a discount at $10,600. That makes him just the fourth-most expensive point guard on today’s slate, and he’s been priced as high as $11,500 this season. Doncic has displayed the ability to pay off this salary in the past, exceeding salary-based expectations by more than 2.0 DKFP.
Other Options – Kyle Lowry ($7,600), De’Aaron Fox ($7,000)
Value
Keifer Sykes, Indiana Pacers vs. Brooklyn Nets ($3,300) – The Pacers’ backcourt is extremely shorthanded at the moment. Malcolm Brogdon, Caris LeVert, and a host of others are not expected to play, leaving the team with only a few options at guard.
Sykes is one of them. He’s racked up at least 35.1 minutes in back-to-back games, and he racked up 39.5 DKFP Tuesday vs. the Knicks. I wouldn’t expect a repeat performance, but Sykes has averaged 0.76 DKFP per minute this season. If he sees another sizable workload on Wednesday, he should be able to provide excellent value on his $3,300 price tag.
Other Options – Anfernee Simons ($5,300), Duane Washington Jr. ($3,800)
Shooting Guard
Stud
Tyler Herro, Miami Heat @ Portland Trail Blazers ($6,900) – The Heat are going to be without Jimmy Butler on Wednesday after he suffered an ankle injury vs. the Warriors on Monday. That means Herro is going to have to do a bit more offensively. He’s already carried a huge minute workload recently, logging at least 35.1 minutes in four straight games, and he’s increased his usage rate to 30.8% with Butler off the court. He’s averaged 1.06 DKFP per minute in that situation, so he should be able to pay off his current price tag.
Other Options – Bradley Beal ($10,500), LaMelo Ball ($9,600)
Value
Caleb Martin, Miami Heat @ Portland Trail Blazers ($4,500) – Sticking with the Heat, Martin is also going to have to pick up the slack for Butler. He’s already blossomed into an important part of the Heat’s rotation, and he’s scored at least 32.0 DKFP in back-to-back games. He’s averaged 0.88 DKFP per minute over the past month, and he should see around 36 minutes on Wednesday. That makes him too cheap at just $4,500.
Other Options – Seth Curry ($5,800), Kevin Huerter ($4,600)
Small Forward
Stud
Miles Bridges, Charlotte Hornets vs. Detroit Pistons ($7,100) – There are some big names at small forward on Wednesday, but none stand out as a good value. I’d rather go with Bridges, who is massively underpriced at just $7,100. Bridges was priced closer to $8,000 before entering health and safety protocols, so that represents a sizable decrease. Bridges racked up 41.7 minutes and 58.5 DKFP in his last outing. He should be able to do some damage vs. the Pistons, who rank just 22nd in defensive efficiency.
Other Options – Kevin Durant ($10,800), Khris Middleton ($7,300)
Value
Furkan Korkmaz, Philadelphia 76ers @ Orlando Magic ($4,700) – Korkmaz drew the start for the 76ers in their last outing, who were playing without starting point guard Tyrese Maxey. If he’s going to draw another start on Wednesday, he’ll be tough to avoid at just $4,700. Korkmaz has averaged 0.84 DKFP per minute over the past month, and he played a team-high 36.2 minutes in their last contest. Korkmaz responded with 51.75 DKFP in that game, and he should be able to return value easily with a comparable workload vs. the lowly Magic.
Other Options – Danilo Gallinari ($4,200), Rudy Gay ($3,400)
Power Forward
Stud
Editor’s note: Bucks PF/C Giannis Antetokounmpo (illness) has been ruled out for tonight’s game vs. the Raptors.
Giannis Antetokounmpo, Milwaukee Bucks vs. Toronto Raptors ($11,600) – You can go in a few different directions at the top of the power forward position, but it’s never a bad idea to lock in Antetokounmpo. He’s put together another monster fantasy season, averaging 1.72 DKFP per minute, and he could be asked to play a few additional minutes on Wednesday. The team currently has a handful of players out of the lineup, and Antetokounmpo is coming off 35.6 minutes in his last game. The Bucks offense is also implied for 117 points vs. the Raptors, which is the third-highest mark on the slate.
Other Options – Wendell Carter ($7,600), Gordon Hayward ($6,400)
Value
Nassir Little, Portland Trail Blazers vs. Miami Heat ($4,600) – Little stands out as one of the best plays of the day for the shorthanded Blazers. Not only are Damian Lillard and CJ McCollum out, but Larry Nance Jr. and Cody Zeller are also not expected to play. That should open up plenty of minutes and shot attempts for Little vs. the Heat. He was excellent in their last contest, finishing with 39.75 DraftKings points over 35.8 minutes, so he’s underpriced at just $4,600.
Other Options – Jarred Vanderbilt ($5,000), Trey Lyles ($4,700)
Center
Stud
Domantas Sabonis, Indiana Pacers vs. Brooklyn Nets ($9,900) – Sabonis is coming off a disastrous performance Tuesday vs. the Knicks, but he logged at least 39 minutes for the third straight game. Sabonis scored at least 57.0 DKFP in his previous two performances, so he has some bounce-back appeal for the shorthanded Pacers. He’s been asked to serve as more of a distributor with Brogdon and LeVert out of the lineup, increasing his assist rate by 7.9 percentage points in games without both players. That added upside as a distributor gives Sabonis a higher ceiling than usual.
Other Options – Jusuf Nurkic ($6,800), Daniel Gafford ($6,400)
Value
Damian Jones, Sacramento Kings vs. Atlanta Hawks ($4,200) – Jones saw another sizable workload for the Kings on Tuesday, finishing with at least 29 minutes for the second straight game. He wasn’t quite as productive in that contest – he racked up just 19.0 DKFP – but it bodes well for his success moving forward. Jones has averaged 0.97 DKFP per minute over the past month, so he can pay off his minimal salary with a comparable workload on Wednesday.
Other Options – Christian Wood ($6,200), Robert Covington ($4,400)
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