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On Wednesday, barring any postponements, we should see a full ten-game slate of NBA basketball, and if you haven’t by now, you need to check out DraftKings’ new Snake Draft format! Below, we break down some of the best targets for tonight’s DraftKings NBA Snake slate.
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Favorable Early Round Targets
Trae Young, G, Atlanta Hawks
NBA Snake Rank: 6
Facing the Lakers and their #1 ranked defense Monday, Young erupted for 56.5 DKFP in 38 minutes. He has been absolutely brilliant over his past eight, generating 55.7 DKFP per game, including five double-doubles. Young’s impressive run should continue Wednesday night when the struggling Mavs pay them a visit. In their last six games, which have all been losses, Dallas has been extremely weak on the defensive end, posting a 119.9 defensive rating.
This is the 3rd worst rating in the NBA during this span, and Young has been slightly better at home this season, with 1.6 more DKFP per game. The 22-year-old is a lock for over 50 DKFP in this healthy total (224.5 O/U on DraftKings Sportsbook) and well worth a first-round draft choice tonight.
Jimmy Butler, F/C, Miami Heat
NBA Snake Rank: 18
Since returning from a ten-game absence due to the NBA’s health protocols, Butler has looked like the player we saw lead the Miami Heat to the NBA Finals this past summer. In these first two starts back, the 31-year-old has topped 50 DKFP in each game, while handling a team-high 32.8% usage rate. Before his quarantine, Butler was only amassing a 26.3% usage rate in his first six of the season.
He appears to be extremely motivated to get this 7-13 Miami club back on track and Wednesday night calls for a very friendly matchup against the Wizards. Currently, this Washington club ranks 28th in defensive efficiency and 1st in pace. They are giving up the 3rd most DKFP per game to opposing shooting guards and also playing their second game in two nights. In his final start before his self isolation back in early January, Butler exposed this same Wizards defense for a season-high 59.5 DKFP.
Early Round Player to Avoid
Ben Simmons, G, Philadelphia 76ers
NBA Snake Rank: 22
Simmons looked great Sunday (49.5 DKFP vs. IND), but he should come back down to earth tonight vs. the Hornets. With Joel Embiid (back) out of the lineup against the Pacers, Simmons saw a solid bump to his usage, but those extra opportunities will be gone Wednesday with the All-Star center already confirmed to return.
Also, the Hornets are one of the slowest units in basketball (22nd in pace), which isn’t optimal for Simmons’ style, and the Sixers will be on the road. When he has been away from home this year, the 24-year-old has scored 6.9 less DKFP per game. With this being a full ten-game slate, there are a plethora of better options than Simmons in this range of snake drafts for Wednesday night.
Late Round Fliers
Victor Oladipo, G, Houston Rockets
NBA Snake Rank: 28
With Wednesday’s matchup vs. the Thunder being the first game of a back-to-back for Houston, the team has elected to give John Wall (Achilles) the night off. Oladipo will slide over to point guard in Wall’s place and garner a much bigger role in this revenge spot against his former team. This will be the 8th contest Wall has missed this season and the 4th time Oladipo has played without the guard since being traded to the Rockets.
In those four tilts, the 28-year-old contributed 39.3 DKFP and averaged a 33.2% usage rate, both of which are team highs for this situation. The Thunder have really struggled to contain point guards this season, surrendering the 3rd most DKFP per game to the position, and Oladipo should be drafted inside the top-20 tonight.
Lauri Markkanen, F/C, Chicago Bulls
NBA Snake Rank: 37
Markkanen is sizzling hot right now, nailing six threes in two straight games. He has attempted 11.5 shots from downtown and posted a 27.9% usage rate over these past two, helping the forward produce 42.4 DKFP per game. Starting center Wendell Carter Jr. (quad) has missed these contests and will continue to be out Wednesday, solidifying Markkanen’s role.
In their 110-102 win vs. the Knicks on Monday, Markkanen collected 42.25 DKFP, and this is the same exact matchup he will attack this evening. New York’s interior defense has had issues all season long and Markkanen could get us over 40 DKFP for the third consecutive game.
Ish Smith, G, Washington Wizards
NBA Snake Rank: 107
With Raul Neto (groin) out the past two games, Smith has put up strong numbers as the Wizards’ primary guard off the bench. He has amassed 29.1 DKFP and not only is Neto expected to remain sidelined tonight, but Russell Westbrook should also be out for rest purposes. Washington played Tuesday night and the former MVP has yet to play both games of a back-to-back set this season.
Smith should take his place as the Wizards’ starting point guard and gain 25-30 minutes against a Heat defense that has been a shell of itself in 2020-21 (22nd in efficiency). Miami has yielded the 7th most DKFP per game to opposing point guards across their last ten and Smith has provided 30.3 DKFP per game the last five times he has earned himself a starting role. If competing in a larger snake draft on Wednesday, Smith is a player you should be aggressively targeting in the final few rounds.
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I am a promoter at DraftKings and am also an avid fan and user (my username is Hunta512) 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 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.