The NBA is offering up a huge slate of basketball on Wednesday. There are 10 games to choose from starting at 7:00 p.m. ET, so let’s break down some of the top studs and values at each position to help you build your DraftKings lineups.
Set your DraftKings fantasy basketball lineups here: NBA $450k Shootaround [$100K to 1st]
Point Guard
Stud
James Harden, Brooklyn Nets @ Indiana Pacers ($10,900) – There are plenty of strong options today at point guard, but it’s hard to look past Harden as the top overall target. He’s been phenomenal for the Nets recently, scoring at least 64.0 DKFP in four of his past five games, and he’s increased his fantasy production to 1.60 DKFP per minute over the past month. He’s also logging all the minutes he can handle with Kevin Durant sidelined, playing at least 37.7 in five straight games.
Other Options – Russell Westbrook ($10,400), Dejounte Murray ($7,500)
Value
Tomas Satoransky, Chicago Bulls vs. San Antonio Spurs ($3,800) – Satoransky has provided elite fantasy value in back-to-back games. He moved into the starting lineup two games ago, and he’s responded with at least 31.5 DKFP in both contests. He should continue to start with Coby White coming off the bench in a sixth-man role, and Satoransky has averaged 0.89 DKFP per minute this season. That should make him an elite value for the third-straight slate.
Other Options – Kevin Porter Jr. ($6,800), Jeff Teague ($3,000)
Shooting Guard
Stud
Bradley Beal, Washington Wizards vs. Sacramento Kings ($9,300) – Beal has had a tremendous season, and he’s currently leading the league with an average of 32.3 points per game. He gets an elite matchup vs. the Kings on Wednesday, who rank dead last in terms of defensive efficiency. The Wizards’ implied team total of 125.0 is the top mark on the slate, so Beal has plenty of scoring upside in this contest.
Other Options – Kyrie Irving ($9,100), Paul George ($7,900)
Value
Josh Jackson, Detroit Pistons vs. Toronto Raptors ($5,100) – Jackson recently missed some time for the Pistons, and they’ve eased him back into the rotation over the past few games. That said, he’s coming off 26.8 minutes in his last outing, which means he’s essentially back to playing his full workload. Jackson has averaged 1.00 DKFP per minute this season, so approximately 27 minutes should be enough for him to pay off his salary vs. the Raptors.
Other Options – Sterling Brown ($4,600), Lonnie Walker ($4,000)
Small Forward
Stud
Kawhi Leonard, Los Angeles Clippers @ Dallas Mavericks ($8,700) – Leonard is about as cheap as he’s been all season, and he has a chance to be one of the best plays of the day. The Clippers played a very tight rotation with Serge Ibaka out of the lineup in their last game, and Leonard logged a whopping 40.4 minutes. Leonard has always prioritized load management during the regular season, but the Clippers may have no choice but to lean on him again if Ibaka is ruled out for the second-straight game.
The Mavericks also represent a wonderful matchup. They rank 25th in defensive efficiency, so the Clippers should be able to put up plenty of points.
Other Options – Jaylen Brown ($7,700), Jerami Grant ($7,300)
Value
Larry Nance Jr., Cleveland Cavaliers vs. Boston Celtics ($4,700) – Kevin Love’s status is going to be important to monitor here. He was inactive in the Cavs’ game on Tuesday, and there’s been no update on his status vs. the Celtics. If he’s out once again, expect Nance to carry a heavy workload. He logged 37.6 minutes Tuesday vs. the Heat and responded with 34.25 DKFP. Nance has always been the type of player who racks up fantasy points when on the court, so he can do a lot of damage with that much playing time.
Other Options – Andrew Wiggins ($5,700), Will Barton ($5,400)
Power Forward
Stud
Richaun Holmes, Sacramento Kings @ Washington Wizards ($6,700) – Power forward looks like an excellent position to save some salary on Wednesday. There are a bunch of strong value options to consider, and Holmes has the potential to provide stud-like production at a middling salary.
Marvin Bagley suffered a fractured hand in Monday’s matchup vs. the Hornets, which allowed Holmes to log nearly 41 minutes of playing time. He finished with 57.75 DKFP, which is not surprising given his average of 1.18 DKFP per minute over the past month. The Wizards have also been a dream matchup for big men this season, ranking first in pace and 26th in rebound rate.
Other Options – Giannis Antetokounmpo ($11,000), Domantas Sabonis ($9,400)
Value
Nemanja Bjelica, Sacramento Kings @ Washington Wizards ($3,700) – Let’s double dip with the Kings. Bjelica has the chance to see a few additional minutes with Bagley sidelined, especially if Hassan Whiteside is forced to miss his ninth-straight game due to health and safety protocols. Whiteside has been upgraded to questionable, but he will likely be limited even if he is able to suit up. Bjelica has averaged 0.97 DKFP per minute this season, and he should have the opportunity to play around 25 minutes in an elite matchup.
Other Options – Keldon Johnson ($5,100), Paul Millsap ($4,400)
Center
Stud
Nikola Jokic, Denver Nuggets vs. Charlotte Hornets ($10,800) – Everyone knows Jokic is having a great season, but I think we need to take a second to appreciate just how dominant he’s actually been this year. He’s averaging 27.3 points, 11.2 rebounds, and 8.5 assists per game, which is basically unheard of for a big man. There have been great rebounding guards who have managed to put up comparable stat lines in the past – Oscar Robertson, Russell Westbrook, etc – but we have never seen a center put up such complete numbers. Overall, he ranks in the top 10 in points, rebounds, and assists per game.
He should have no problems racking up points in all three categories against the Hornets on Wednesday. They rank 10th in pace, 17th in defensive efficiency, and 15th in team rebound rate this season, which makes them a nice matchup for centers. In short – Jokic is the only option if you’re paying up at center.
Other Options – None
Value
Daniel Theis, Boston Celtics @ Cleveland Cavaliers ($4,100) – Tristan Thompson was out of the lineup for the Celtics yesterday, and there’s been no update on his status for Wednesday. If he’s ruled out once again, Theis is going to be an excellent value at $4,100. He racked up 39.75 DKFP over 26.3 minutes on Tuesday, and that was in a tough matchup vs. the Jazz. He the upside for an even better performance vs. the Cavaliers, especially if Kemba Walker is rested as usual on the second leg of a back-to-back.
Other Options – Tony Bradley ($4,000), JaVale McGee ($3,200)
Set your DraftKings fantasy basketball lineups here: NBA $450k Shootaround [$100K to 1st]
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