After a night off in the Association on Tuesday, all but two teams will be taking the court in a monster 14-game slate on Wednesday. Hopefully that will appease those of you out there who aimlessly flicked through channels last night, vowing to watch any sport except hockey.
Will that volume make it easier to find value? Let’s dive in and find out.
Set your DraftKings fantasy basketball lineups here: NBA $450K Fadeaway [$100K to 1st]
For up-to-the-minute news, analysis and lineups, download the DK Live app. You also can follow DK Live on Twitter @dklive.
While many, including myself, thought that the Pelicans might turn to Dyson Daniels ($5,000) to fill the void left in the starting five by CJ McCollum (lung), it was Hawkins that stepped up on Monday. In a whopping 37.6 minutes of action, the rookie hit seven of his 14 attempts from deep, finishing with new career-highs in points (31) and DKFP (49.25). Hawkins has not been shy in his four games as a starter this season, averaging 15.3 points, 4.8 rebounds and 2.3 assists with a decent 19.9% usage rate. New Orleans isn’t an especially deep team at the moment, and its depth will take another hit on Wednesday with Zion Williamson (personal) ruled out and Herb Jones ($5,800; fibula) questionable to suit up. We now might even see Hawkins flirt with 40 minutes logged, a role that would be a steal with a price tag below $5K. I’d also keep an eye on Matt Ryan ($4,300) and Larry Nance Jr. ($4,100) — with the former having started the last time Zion was sidelined.
Did you know that a team has scored at least 140 points in three of the Pacers’ seven games this season? How about that a team’s put up at least 150 points in two of Indiana’s four contests this month? These are the kind of results you see when you combine the NBA’s second-fastest pace (103.8) with its fifth-worst defense by points allowed per 100 possessions (117.2). Add in that the Jazz are a very similar squad — ninth in pace and 28th in defensive rating — and suddenly it’s not hard to see why this matchup has the highest implied total on the whole slate. Olynyk is on the heels of a season-best 34.25 DKFP against the Bulls on Monday. It’s the second time he’s exceeded 30.0 DKFP since the beginning of November. In a vacuum, the veteran is a perfectly viable asset in what should be a very advantageous DFS environment; however, Olynyk becomes one of the night’s top options if Walker Kessler ($5,700; elbow) is unable to play through a doubtful tag. Keep an eye.
Speaking of games with huge totals, we should have another barnburner on our hands in Charlotte on Wednesday. The Hornets have been bleeding fantasy points to opponents all season long, sitting fourth in the league in pace (103.4) and 27th in defensive rating (117.7). Meanwhile, Gafford looks to be fully healthy again after missing a couple of contests with an ankle issue. The big man logged 29.6 minutes in the Wizards’ loss to Philadelphia on Monday, registering 12 points, seven rebounds, five blocks and 33.25 DKFP. Shockingly, despite that performance or this pristine matchup, Gafford’s price tag remains the same as it was 48 hours ago. I think that’s a mistake. If this game maintains a relatively neutral script, expect Gafford to bring back 6x or 7x value.
Set your DraftKings fantasy basketball lineups here: NBA $450K Fadeaway [$100K to 1st]
The Crown Is Yours: Sign up for DraftKings and experience the ultimate host for games and betting experiences!
For sports betting, head over to DraftKings Sportsbook or download the DK Sportsbook app.
I am a promoter at DraftKings and am also an avid fan and user (my username is theglt13) 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.