We went fairly chalky on Wednesday with James Harden, Nikola Vucevic, and Brandon Ingram but those guys rewarded us with some great performances. We’re going to step back a little and fade the chalk, staying away from most of the high-end options in order to get you some value plays. That’s what we really want to do here, so, let’s get into our 1/10 NBA DFS plays of the day!
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1/10 NBA DFS Point Guards
Trae Young, ATL at WSH
DK ($10,400) FD ($10,000)
There’s a lot of talk about the crazy numbers that James Harden and Luka Doncic are posting but don’t forget about this guy. If you take out the game where he got injured, Young has at least 43 DK points in 10-straight outings while averaging 50.2 fantasy points per game in that span. That’s one of the best rates in the NBA and we have to love that sort of production against a Washington team who ranks dead-last in both points allowed and defensive efficiency.
Lonzo Ball, NOP at NYK
DK ($7,300) FD ($6,400)
With Jrue Holiday missing yet another game here, Ball is one of the best plays on the board. Over his last five fixtures played, Ball is averaging 43.5 DraftKings points per game across 36 minutes of action. That directly correlates with Holiday getting injured and it’s clear that he’s the primary ball-handler in his absence. That increased role becomes even more attractive against a team like the Knicks, with New York sitting 26th in defensive efficiency.
1/10 NBA DFS Shooting Guards
Donovan Mitchell, UTA vs. CHA
DK ($8,200) FD ($7,800)
Mitchell has been a go-to of mine in the absence of Mike Conley because he has one of the best fantasy floors out there right now. That’s evident when you see that he has at least 31 DK points in 14-straight games while averaging 39 fantasy points per game in that span. His usage is the thing that makes him so valuable, averaging about 20 shots and 36 minutes played in that span while posting a usage rate of 30 percent. That’s all we can ask for against team like Charlotte, with the Hornets ranked 27th in defensive efficiency.
DeMar DeRozan, SAN at MEM
DK ($7,200) FD ($7,000)
DeRozan is someone that many DFS owners overlook and it’s hard to understand why. The recent form from DD is simply amazing, scoring at least 34 DK points in eight-straight games while averaging 42 fantasy points per game in that span. That’s the Toronto DeRozan that we used to know and love, averaging 26.5 points, 4.3 rebounds and 5.6 assists per game in that impressive span. We have to love those sorts of statistics against a team like the Grizzlies, with Memphis sitting third in pace, 24th in defensive efficiency and 27th in points allowed.
1/10 NBA DFS Small Forwards
Brandon Ingram, NOP at NYK
DK ($9,200) FD ($9,400)
Ball and Ingram are two of the best plays with Holiday sidelined, as they should run the show for the Pelicans in his absence. With him off the floor, Ingram leads the team with a 31 percent usage rate while averaging 1.4 DK points per minute. That’s been crystal clear recently, scoring at least 32 DK points in 15-straight games while averaging 43.1 fantasy points per game in that span. That’s stellar against a Knicks team who surrenders the fifth-most fantasy points to opposing small forwards this season.
Aaron Gordon, ORL at PHX
DK ($6,000) FD ($5,900)
Gordon posted a dud in his most recent game but a 34-point blowout will do that to almost anyone. Prior to that, AG was playing some of the best basketball of his career in the absence of Jonathan Isaac. The thing that it’s really done is opened up his ability to rebound, grabbing at least seven rebounds in eight of his last nine games. That’s the thing that really matters for this guy, as he’s already averaging 13 shots a game in that same span. That’s led to him averaging 30 DraftKings points per game and that’s simply tough to overlook from a player sitting in the $6,000-range. We love this matchup too, with Phoenix ranked 26th in total defense.
1/10 NBA DFS Power Forwards
Bobby Portis, NYK vs. NOP
DK ($6,400) FD ($4,400)
With Julius Randle missing another game for personal reasons, Portis is one of the best plays on the board. In a rare start for him on Wednesday, BP collected 13 points, 13 rebounds and six assists against a stingy Jazz defense. Everyone knows Portis can produce but it’s always been a matter of minutes. For his career, Portis is averaging 18 points, 10.8 rebounds, 2.1 assists, 0.9 steals and 0.5 blocks per-36 minutes played. That equates to a fantasy point-per minute average and we have to assume he plays about 30 minutes here after playing 29 on Wednesday. That looks even tastier against a team like the Pelicans, with New Orleans ranked 25th in defensive efficiency and 28th in points allowed.
Nemanja Bjelica, SAC vs. MIL
DK ($6,000) FD ($4,800)
While this game does have blowout potential, Bjelica has too much upside to be priced this cheaply. Let’s start with that matchup, as it’s actually much better than it looks on the surface. Not only does Milwaukee play at the fastest pace in the NBA, but they also surrender the eighth-most fantasy points to opposing PFs this season. That’s big news with Marvin Bagley III and Richaun Holmes nicked up, as Bjelica should get all he can handle. He’s been really productive in this role too, scoring 36 DraftKings points in 38 minutes on Tuesday while averaging over 26 fantasy points per game as a starter. Don’t forget about Harry Giles too.
1/10 NBA DFS Centers
Rudy Gobert, UTA vs. CHA
DK ($8,600) FD ($8,400)
Starting centers against Charlotte is always a good idea and they’re going to have nightmares with Gobert coming to town. In fact, they currently surrender the most fantasy points in the league to opposing centers this season. That’s scary with Gobert averaging 15.4 points, 15.7 rebounds and 1.6 blocks over his last 15 games played. All of that makes these price tags look $1,000 cheaper than they should be and we truly believe that he has 20-20 potential in such an enticing matchup.
Brook Lopez, MIL at SAC
DK ($5,200) FD ($5,000)
It was tough to find a cheap center that I liked but Lopez continues to get undervalued on these DFS sites. Over his last 11 games played, Lopez is averaging 31 DraftKings points per game in fewer than 28 minutes per outing. That’s huge with Holmes and Bagley missing this fixture, as Lopez should feast against a 24th-ranked Kings defense with a shorthanded frontcourt.
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