With nine games on the NBA slate for Wednesday, there will be a ton of options to sift through. Choosing the right players to play is always the key. It’s important to know who to avoid as well. So fading some chalk plays or players who are overpriced is important.
In NBA DFS, there will always be some flashy names that may tempt you to pay up — even in an unfavorable matchup. Name value sometimes comes with reliability, but the trick to cashing in on your NBA lineups is to maximize the boom while operating under the salary cap. Sometimes, this means fading the chalk plays and spending elsewhere.
Here, we’ll break down three top NBA DFS fades for the game slate on Wednesday, February 24th.
LaMelo Ball, Charlotte Hornets, $8,900
Let’s start by stating that Ball is a decent GPP play on most nights despite this price (which is getting up there). There are a few things to consider when deciding to fade Ball. The first is the matchup. The Suns have a good overall defense and strong perimeter defenders in Mikal Bridges, Chris Paul and Jae Crowder.
The second is that Devonte’ Graham (knee) could return for the Hornets. Gordon Hayward (hand) is questionable. If Hayward and Graham play, that could knock Ball to the bench. If that’s the case, this price is just too much to pay for a player who could see his role diminish a bit. Ball is also extremely volatile. We’ve seen him run as hot as the 50-60 DKFP range and as cold as the 20-30 DKFP range. At this price, we need a bit more consistency.
Kyle Kuzma, Lakers $6,700
Kuzma’s price is starting to catch up with his role in the starting lineup. He’s played well in place of Anthony Davis, but the Lakers overall are struggling. Now, L.A. runs into the juggernaut of the West in the Utah Jazz. This is a miserable matchup for Kuzma, who really is undersized for the 4 and better suited to play the 3. The issue is the Lakers’ depth forces LeBron James to run the point with Dennis Schroder out. Kuzma got there against the Wizards last game, but was 5-for-16 from the floor with 4 turnovers. It’s hard to see him returning value against the top defense in the NBA.
Norman Powell, Raptors $6,500
The Toronto Raptors are expected to get PG Kyle Lowry back in the lineup against the Miami Heat tonight. If that’s the case, chances are Powell heads back to coming off the bench. He’ll still play a decent amount of minutes but it may be closer to 25-28 than around 35, like he has the past few games. The matchup also doesn’t scream fantasy points. The Heat play at a slow pace and have (on paper) good perimeter defenders. Powell’s price is actually decent compared to what we’ve seen, but again, this game just doesn’t do it for me. Expect plenty of Lowry and Fred VanVleet.