We have roughly three weeks left in the NBA regular season, and there is still plenty to be decided down the stretch. There are another seven games to choose from on Wednesday, and the DraftKings main slate gets underway at 7:30 p.m. ET.
Let’s dive into some of my favorite plays at each position.
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Guard
Studs
Paul George, Los Angeles Clippers vs. Golden State Warriors ($8,800) – The Clippers are officially making their push for the playoffs. The team has been very careful with their best players this season, but load management appears to have gone out the window recently. The Clippers are currently in sixth place in the Western Conference after winning three straight games, and they’re going to do whatever possible to hold on to one of the guaranteed playoff spots.
George has played at least 38.9 minutes in back-to-back contests, including more than 40 minutes in Sunday’s win over the Knicks. PG13 has racked up at least 48.5 DKFP in three of his past four contests, and he should continue to deliver value with an expanded role. He’s averaged 1.26 DKFP per minute over the past month, and the Clippers should be able to put plenty of points on the scoreboard vs. the Warriors. Their implied team total of 120.0 ranks first on the slate, and the Warriors have allowed 123.8 points per game when playing on the road this season. That’s the second-worst mark in the league.
D’Angelo Russell, Los Angeles Lakers at Houston Rockets ($7,700) – The other LA squad is also making their push for the postseason. Despite not having LeBron James in the lineup recently, the team has managed to win four of their past five contests. They’re up to 10th in the Western Conference, but they’re just 3.0 games behind the Suns for the No. 4 seed. A guaranteed postseason spot is not yet out of the question.
Russell missed some time recently with an injury but has suited up in the team's past three games. He’s given the Lakers stellar production, going off for 50.25, 54.75, and 35.75 DKFP. Overall, Russell has increased his production to 1.41 DKFP per minute over the past month, which represents a massive increase from his average of 1.06 for the season.
Russell should continue to provide value in a juicy matchup vs. the Rockets. Houston ranks 29th in defensive efficiency, and they’ve also played at an above-average pace.
Other Options – Kyrie Irving ($10,200; questionable), Darius Garland ($7,600)
Value
Devonte’ Graham, San Antonio Spurs vs. Dallas Mavericks ($5,300) – The Spurs are limping towards the finish line, and we’re still waiting on their official injury report on the second leg of a back-to-back. That’s going to be an important factor on Wednesday’s slate. Keldon Jones, Tre Jones, and Malaki Branham were all sidelined on Tuesday, and there’s a chance that Devin Vassell rests on Wednesday.
Graham is someone who should be available, and he could be a featured part of their offense depending on who is available. He’s been a fantastic per-minute producer since being acquired by the Spurs, averaging 1.02 DKFP per minute over the past month. He racked up 35.0 DKFP in less than 25 minutes on Tuesday, and he could play more minutes if Wednesday’s matchup is more competitive. As long as Branham and Jones are sidelined, Graham is an outstanding value option to consider in the backcourt.
Other Options – Derrick White ($5,400), Alex Caruso ($3,400)
Forward
Studs
Jayson Tatum, Boston Celtics at Minnesota Timberwolves ($11,000) – The Celtics managed to right the ship after three straight losses last week, picking up back-to-back wins over the Blazers and Hawks. Unfortunately, they suffered another setback in their last game, dropping a winnable game against the lowly Rockets. The Celtics have been arguably the best team in basketball this season, but they’re now three full games behind the Bucks for the top spot in the East.
Tatum’s production has been a bit up-and-down recently. He’s gone for at least 66.25 DKFP in three of his past six games, and he’s scored 51.25 DKFP or fewer in the others. Still, Tatum routinely carries one of the largest workloads in basketball – his average of 37.4 minutes per game ranks second in the league – and he’s averaged 1.42 DKFP per minute. That’s the top mark among Wednesday’s forwards. The Timberwolves are a solid matchup, ranking sixth in the league in pace, and the Celtics’ implied team total ranks second on the slate. Overall, paying up for Tatum makes plenty of sense on a slate with a decent amount of value.
Kawhi Leonard, Los Angeles Clippers vs. Golden State Warriors ($9,000) – Everything I said about George can also be applied to Leonard. Like his teammate, Leonard’s workload has increased significantly of late, and he’s played at least 36.8 minutes in each of his past three contests. He’s played more than 38 minutes in two of them, and Leonard has responded with at least 49.0 DKFP in all three games.
Leonard got off to a relatively slow start this season, but he’s been basically unstoppable since the All-Star break. He’s averaged 31.0 points, 6.9 rebounds, and 3.0 assists over his past seven games while shooting 57.4% from the field and 58.3% from 3-point range. He is simply too cheap at $9,000 in a plus-matchup and stands out as arguably the strongest stud play on the slate.
Other Options – Zach LaVine ($8,600), Keldon Johnson ($6,700; questionable)
Value
Maxi Kleber, Dallas Mavericks at San Antonio Spurs ($3,600) – Things do not look great for the Mavericks at the moment. They are slipping down the Western Conference standings, and they’re expected to be without Luka Doncic and Kyrie Irving again on Wednesday. Christian Wood and Tim Hardaway Jr. are also questionable, so the team could be without their top four offensive options.
Kleber might not help them out much from a scoring perspective, but he should see a boost in playing time if Wood is unable to go. The Spurs are also the best possible matchup for fantasy purposes. They rank fifth in pace and dead last in defensive efficiency, so whoever is on the floor for the Mavericks should be able to provide some value. Make sure to monitor this situation for updates since the Mavs should be one of the best team targets of the day.
Other Options – Troy Brown Jr. ($4,600), Lamar Stevens ($3,400)
Center
Stud
Rudy Gobert, Minnesota Timberwolves vs. Boston Celtics ($7,400) – Gobert has been questionable for basically every game this season, but it hasn’t stopped him from suiting up on most nights. He’s played in each of the Timberwolves’ past six games, and he’s seen a significant uptick in fantasy production of late. He’s averaged 1.30 DKFP per minute over the past month, and he has two performances with at least 51.0 DKFP in his past five games. Gobert was slightly disappointing with just 38.0 DKFP Monday vs. the Hawks, but he played just 29.5 minutes in a blowout win.
Ultimately, Gobert has started to look much closer to the player that he was with the Jazz. If that version of Rudy is back, $7,400 is too cheap for a matchup against a Celtics squad playing without Robert Williams.
Other Options – Nikola Vucevic ($8,200), Zach Collins ($6,500)
Value
Sandro Mamukelashvili, San Antonio Spurs vs. Dallas Mavericks ($3,100) – Mamukelashvili is a first-round draft pick in points-per-letter fantasy leagues, but he has a chance to provide value in traditional formats on Wednesday. The Spurs lost Charles Bassey to a knee injury on Tuesday, solidifying Mamukelashvili’s role as the backup center. He’s averaged 0.95 DKFP per minute over the past month, and he should be locked into around 20 minutes vs. the Mavericks. He racked up 20.25 DKFP over 21.5 minutes Tuesday vs. the Magic, and similar production is certainly possible.
Other Options – Xavier Tillman ($5,600), Dwight Powell ($3,400)
Set your DraftKings fantasy basketball lineups here: NBA $300K Fadeaway [$100K to 1st]
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I am a promoter at DraftKings and am also an avid fan and user (my username is mlamarca) 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 do not constitute a representation that any particular strategy will guarantee success. All customers should use their own skill and judgment in building lineups. 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.