We’re in the home stretch of the NBA regular season. Wednesday’s slate is on the smaller side, but there’s a six-game main slate on DraftKings starting at 7:00 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 at Detroit Pistons ($12,000) – The Mavericks enter the final week of the regular season with plenty still up for grabs. They’re just one game behind the Warriors for the No. 3 spot in the West, and they’re just two games up on the Jazz for No. 4.
They should be able to grab a win Wednesday vs. the Pistons, and Doncic will assuredly be a big part of their offense. He’s saved some of his best basketball for the end of the year, racking up at least 70.5 DKFP in three of his past four games. He’s also increased his production to 1.64 DKFP per minute over the past month, so he should be able to do damage vs. the Pistons’ 23rd ranked defense.
Other Options – Trae Young ($10,500), Mike Conley ($6,200)
Value
Carsen Edwards, Detroit Pistons vs. Dallas Mavericks ($3,500) – Cade Cunningham ($8,800) is not currently listed on the injury report, but it’s hard to believe he’s going to play much on Tuesday. He missed their last contest and was pulled after just 7.7 minutes the game prior. If he’s limited once again, there will be minutes available in the backcourt.
Edwards is one potential beneficiary. He racked up nearly 30.7 minutes in his last outing and responded with 34.75 DKFP. He wasn’t even particularly efficient in that contest — he shot just 5-for-15 from the field — so he has some room for improvement.
Other Options – Reggie Jackson ($6,200), Jalen Brunson ($6,100)
Shooting Guard
Stud
Editor’s Note: Jazz SG Donovan Mitchell (rest) and PG Mike Conley (rest) have been ruled out for tonight’s game vs. the Thunder.
Donovan Mitchell, Utah Jazz vs. Oklahoma City Thunder ($8,500) – The Jazz managed to secure a victory over the Grizzlies on Tuesday despite a pedestrian game from Mitchell. He shot just 6-for-24 from the field, which limited him to a pedestrian 40.75 DKFP over 41.5 minutes.
Mitchell should be able to bounce back vs. the Thunder. They are literally playing guys they just signed off the street, and the Jazz’s implied team total of 118.25 ranks second on the slate.
Other Options – Kyrie Irving ($10,000)
Value
Frank Jackson, Detroit Pistons vs. Dallas Mavericks ($4,200) – Jackson is another potential value option for the Pistons. He’s racked up at least 33 minutes in back-to-back games, and he’s responded with at least 29.25 DKFP in both contests. Jackson has averaged a solid 0.80 DKFP per minute over the past month, so he should continue to thrive with increased playing time.
Other Options – Jordan Clarkson ($5,400), Coby White ($3,800)
Small Forward
Stud
Zach LaVine, Chicago Bulls vs. Boston Celtics ($7,600) – The Bulls have slipped to sixth in the Eastern Conference standings, but they have locked up a guaranteed playoff spot. That may not be what they were hoping for after a red-hot start to the year, but it’s still an accomplishment in a very competitive Eastern Conference.
LaVine got the night off on Tuesday, but he’s expected to return to the lineup Wednesday vs. the Celtics. He’s a bit cheaper than usual at just $7.6K, and he’s historically exceeded salary-based expectations by 2.7 DKFP with a comparable price tag. That makes him a solid buy-low option, even in a tough matchup vs. the Celtics.
Other Options – Alec Burks ($6,600)
Value
Georgios Kalaitzakis, Oklahoma City Thunder at Utah Jazz ($3,000) – Kalaitzakis signed a 10-day hardship contract with the Thunder on Tuesday, and he immediately started and played 42.9 minutes in his debut. The Thunder are really taking tanking to a new extreme this season.
The Thunder have yet to release their injury report for Wednesday’s matchup vs. the Jazz, but it’s hard to imagine we’ll see their A squad. If Tre Mann ($5,800; hamstring) and Aleksej Pokusevski ($6,700) are out once again, Kalaitzakis should be looking at another sizable workload. That would make him appealing at the absolute minimum.
Other Options – Evan Fournier ($4,600), Zavier Simpson ($3,000)
Power Forward
Stud
Kevin Durant, Brooklyn Nets at New York Knicks ($11,300) – The Nets are back in the No. 8 spot in the Eastern Conference, and they now control their own destiny. Finishing in eighth is a massive advantage over finishing ninth, so the Nets should continue to play hard down the stretch.
Durant took a backseat to Kyrie Irving ($10,000) in the Nets’ last outing, but he has commanded a massive workload of late. He’s logged at least 39.4 minutes in five of his past seven games, and he’s scored at least 68.25 DKFP in three of those. That gives him one of the highest ceilings on the slate. The Knicks are a subpar matchup, but Durant is capable of going off against anyone.
Other Options – DeMar DeRozan ($8,600)
Value
Obi Toppin, New York Knicks vs. Brooklyn Nets ($5,600) – Julius Randle (quad) is likely done for the rest of the season, so Toppin should continue to start at power forward. He’s averaged 1.09 DKFP per minute over the past month, so he’s unsurprisingly taken advantage of his additional playing time. He’s racked up at least 30.7 minutes in back-to-back games, and he’s scored at least 33.0 DKFP in both. Overall, Toppin is one of the best values on the slate.
Other Options – Jaylen Hoard ($5,000), Isaiah Livers ($4,800)
Center
Stud
Kristaps Porzingis, Washington Wizards at Atlanta Hawks ($8,400) – Porzingis has had a nice start to his tenure with the Wizards. He’s averaged 1.46 DKFP per minute over the past month — the top mark among Wednesday’s centers — and he’s scored at least 40.0 DKFP in six of his past seven games. He has some upside vs. the Hawks, who have played at the sixth-fastest pace over their past 10 games.
Other Options – Rudy Gobert ($7,900), Clint Capela ($6,300)
Value
Isaiah Stewart, Detroit Pistons vs. Dallas Mavericks ($4,900) – The Pistons are down a host of options in their frontcourt, with Marvin Bagley (hip), Kelly Olynyk (rest) and Jerami Grant (calf) all currently out of the lineup. That should allow Stewart to see a few additional minutes down the stretch. He’s averaged 0.90 DKFP per minute this season, and he could approach 30 minutes Wednesday vs. the Mavs.
Other Options – Olivier Sarr ($4,200), Nicolas Claxton ($3,800)
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