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It’s the final Wednesday before the All-Star break, yet a week off isn’t nearly enough to keep these injury reports clean, as several key absences highlight tonight’s 10-game NBA slate. However, in this line of work, injury means opportunity. Who is set to step-up and outperform their modest price tag in this evening’s action?
Let’s dive in and find some values.
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SF/PF Grant Williams, Boston Celtics vs. Detroit Pistons, $4,400
To say there’s a lot of moving parts in Boston’s lineup this evening would be an understatement. Let’s recap what we know. In Tuesday’s OT loss to Milwaukee, the Celtics were without Jayson Tatum ($11,200; illness), Marcus Smart ($6,500; ankle), Al Horford ($5,100; knee) and Jaylen Brown (face). Now, heading into tonight’s festivities, there’s a chance that Smart could play his first game since Jan. 21, while Tatum’s status has seemingly changed an infinite amount of times. On top of that, Derrick White ($7,000; ear) didn’t travel home with the team following yesterday’s defeat and there’s some skepticism that Malcolm Brogdon ($6,000; Achilles) will be available on the second leg of a back-to-back. Got all that? Do you maybe want to write it down? The point is this: However Boston’s injury woes sort out, there’s going to be value somewhere. Williams is a prime candidate to benefit, as he’s already a Swiss army knife at Joe Mazzulla’s disposal in games with a full roster. Williams started against the Bucks and logged 47.3 minutes. I’d imagine he sees over 35 minutes once again if Tatum, White and Brogdon are sidelined. Sam Hauser ($4,600) and Payton Pritchard ($3,800) are other names to keep an eye on.
PG/SG Malaki Branham, San Antonio Spurs at Charlotte Hornets, $4,400
You need to have a piece of this game. It’s as simple as that. Ideally, you have the funds to pay up for LaMelo Ball ($10,400) — who’s averaging an eye-popping 37.9 minutes across his past eight starts — but if you’re hunting for bargains, Branham is your man. His results haven’t been the most consistent, as you’d expect from a rookie point guard, yet Branham’s also showcased his ceiling so far in February, registering at least 22 points in three of his seven contests in the month. In fact, in that same span, Branham’s averaging 32.5 minutes and 17.4 points per game with a healthy 20.6% usage rate. With Tre Jones (foot) still sidelined due to injury, it’ll be Branham and Devonte’ Graham ($4,000) tasked with a majority of San Antonio’s backcourt run. Graham is a viable DFS target in his own right, producing 32.8 DKFP in the three contests he’s played for the Spurs since the trade deadline. In a matchup of two uptempo teams that features easily this slate’s highest total, both Branham and Graham are worthy of consideration.
PG Ayo Dosunmu, Chicago Bulls at Indiana Pacers, $4,400
DeMar DeRozan (thigh) being unavailable for tonight’s contest against the Pacers will obviously have a trickle-down affect on the Bulls’ roster. First and foremost, it will translate into added opportunity for Nikola Vucevic ($9,200) and Zach LaVine ($8,500), yet don’t sleep on an asset like Dosunmu. The sophomore guard is a relatively low-usage player, but he’s seen his role alter significantly the last two times DeRozan was sidelined, averaging 39.1 minutes and 28.9 DKFP in those games. The most recent of which was a loss to Memphis back on Feb. 7. Despite Chicago being limited to a measly 89 points by the Grizzlies’ elite defense, Dosunmu managed 14 points, six assists and 30.5 DKFP. Indiana is not Memphis. The Pacers have surrendered 120.6 points per 100 possessions across their last 10 matchups — the worst mark in the Eastern Conference in that span of time. Dosunmu should be able to thrive.
Set your DraftKings fantasy basketball lineups here: NBA $400K Wednesday Shootaround [$100K to 1st]
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