Wednesday is our second 11-game slate of the week, as the NBA is set up for another huge night of fantasy basketball contests on DraftKings. Only the Brooklyn Nets are on the second half of a back-to-back set, so there should be relatively normal rotations for the other 21 teams. It’s always critical to keep a close eye on injury and availability news throughout the day by following @dklive on Twitter and downloading the DK Live app. You can also get my bargain picks on Twitter (@ZT_Sports) each day of the NBA season.
As you assemble your squad for this giant slate, make sure to take a close look at my favorite picks from the cheaper end of the player pool that are listed below. Based on their form, matchup and expected workload, these players enter the day with a great chance of out-performing their affordable salaries.
Set your DraftKings fantasy basketball lineups here: NBA $450K Fadeaway [$100K to 1st]
SG/SF Cedi Osman, Cleveland Cavaliers at Brooklyn Nets, $4,000
The Cavs will be extremely short-handed for this trip to Brooklyn without Jarrett Allen (illness), Evan Mobley (elbow), Lauri Markkanen (COVID-19 protocols) and Lamar Stevens (ankle). The only PF/C they might have available is Kevin Love ($5,300; conditioning, questionable), who hasn’t played since Oct. 30 after his positive COVID-19 test. Without all those options, Osman should get as much run and usage as he can handle, even though he’s undersized. The bigger Cavs options like Dean Wade ($3,200) and Tacko Fall ($3,000) don’t typically contribute much on the offensive end, so Osman will likely be asked to carry the load.
While the fifth-year wing hasn’t been the model of consistency over his career in Cleveland, he has had some big games when given more workload. He played 31 minutes on Monday against the Celtics and scored a season-high 26 points while making six three-pointers to go with five assists, two steals and two rebounds for an impressive 43.0 DKFP. His usage rate in that contest rate spiked to 25.3% compared to his season usage rate of 19.2%, and with all the injuries should be closer to that higher rate once again for this contest. Even before the big game, Osman was a solid contributor this season with at least nine points and at least 18 DKFP in eight of his past nine games while averaging 24.2 DKFP in 26.3 minutes per game over that span. At only $4K, he is a relatively low-risk play with a very high ceiling against the Nets.
C Alperen Sengun, Houston Rockets at Oklahoma City Thunder, $4,000
Sengun has also been a relatively consistent option so far this season with at least 19 DKFP in eight of his past nine games. The rookie has been coming off the bench and playing around 20 minutes per game. Perhaps his best game of the season came on Sunday in a blowout loss to the Suns, when he posted his first double-double and also added four assists to finish with 31 DKFP. He returned to a slightly smaller role on Monday but still had 20.75 DKFP against the Grizzlies.
The Rockets will continue to bring the 19-year-old along slowly, but there is a ton of upside with the first-round pick. He has a solid 22.5% usage rate on the season and has posted an effective FG% of over 60% in four of his past five games. Sengun should get a chance to shine in this matchup against the Thunder, who also feature a lot of young developing players in their rotation.
SG/SF Bruce Brown, Brooklyn Nets vs. Cleveland Cavaliers, $4,000
While the Nets moved another great value option Patty Mills ($3,500) into the starting lineup with Joe Harris (ankle) sidelined, Brown remained a key part of the starting five and got a usage bump on his way to 31.25 DKFP in Tuesday’s loss to the Warriors. Brown contributed across the board with 14 points, five rebounds, three assists and three steals.
He doesn’t typically take a ton of shots or log high usage rates, but his extended run with the starters gives him an opportunity to contribute. He has averaged 19.0 DKFP in his 12 games since entering the lineup and with a few more shots coming his way while Harris is out, he should be able to return good value at only $4K. Mills has shown a higher ceiling if he gets hot, but Brown has been the more steady contributor and will look to build on his strong showing from Tuesday.
PF Chimezie Metu, Sacramento Kings at Minnesota Timberwolves, $3,800
The Kings responded with a big game on Monday after rumors that coach Luke Walton’s job could be in jeopardy. One move that Walton actually made last week that seems to be paying off is getting Metu into the rotation more, as I highlighted in my waiver wire post from Sunday. Metu played a total of only two minutes over the Kings’ first 10 games but has logged at least 19 minutes in each of his four most recent games, averaging 24.9 DKFP in 24.0 minutes per game.
Metu broke out with a big game against his former team, the Spurs, last Wednesday, posting 13 points and six rebounds in 20 minutes. That performance earned him a start on Friday against the Thunder, in which he totaled 14 points and five rebounds. On Monday against the Pistons, Metu had his best game of the season with 16 points, 10 rebounds, two steals, a block and 36.5 DKFP. The big man offers good rebounding production (14.8% total rebound rate), and he can also stretch the floor which he has shown with multiple three-pointers in each of his past three games. He’s the only bargain on this list with a salary under $4K, but I’ll give out my usual “4 to play under $4K” on Twitter later in the day as we approach tipoff. Metu will definitely be the leader of that list since I really like the upside he brings in his expanded role in the Kings’ starting five.
Set your DraftKings fantasy basketball lineups here: NBA $450K Fadeaway [$100K to 1st]
Place your NBA bets at DraftKings Sportsbook and bet online by downloading the DraftKings Sportsbook app.
Put your knowledge to the test. Sign up for DraftKings and experience the game inside the game.
I am a promoter at DraftKings and am also an avid fan and user (my username is z.thompson) 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.
If you or someone you know has a gambling problem, crisis counseling and referral services can be accessed by calling 1-800-GAMBLER (1-800-426-2537) (IL).
Gambling problem? Call 1-800-GAMBLER (IN/MI/NJ/PA/WV/WY), 1-800-522-4700 (CO/NH), 1-800-BETS OFF (IA), 1-888-532-3500 (VA), 1-800-NEXT STEP (AZ), call/text TN REDLINE 1-800-889-9789 (TN), or 888-789-7777/visit ccpg.org/chat. (CT).
21+ (18+ NH/WY). AZ/CO/CT/IL/IN/IA/MI/NH/NJ/PA/TN/VA/WV/WY only. Eligibility restrictions apply. See draftkings.com/sportsbook for full terms and conditions.