Big Wednesday brings us a 12 game schedule to work with. This slate is shaping up to be full of fantasy goodness, as there are plenty of games with fantasy-friendly matchups. Let’s take a look at a tournament lineup for DraftKings.
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Point Guard
Brandon Jennings (NY): $5,200 @ BKN
Derrick Rose is likely to be out tonight, which should afford plenty of run for Jennings. This is a dream matchup against a bad defensive team, who also happens to play at the fastest pace in the league. This game features a 223 point projected total with a tight spread, making Jennings one of the better values on the board tonight.
Other Notables:
- Russell Westbrook (OKC): $12,000 vs. CHI
- Isaiah Thomas (BOS): $9,500 vs. TOR
- Kyle Lowry (TOR): $8,600 @ BOS
- Kemba Walker (CHA): $8,000 @ GS
- Mike Conley (MEM): $7,300 @ DEN
- Elfrid Payton (ORL): $6,400 vs. IND
Shooting Guard
Austin Rivers (LAC): $6,100 @ PHO
There’s no discount in Rivers’ salary, but with a good matchup and a boost in pace on deck, he is a viable play tonight. The Clippers have been struggling with him running the ship, but hopefully this can be a game for Rivers to get things straightened out, especially with Blake Griffin having an extra three days to rest.
Other Notables:
- Nicolas Batum (CHA): $7,400 @ GS
- Dwyane Wade (CHI): $7,000 @ OKC
- Dion Waiters (MIA): $6,800 vs. ATL
- Norman Powell (TOR): $5,500 @ BOS
- Seth Curry (DAL): $5,400 vs. PHI
Small Forward
Paul George (IND): $8,100 @ ORL
George continues to roll, but for some reason, DraftKings has been reluctant to raise his price. This is a good matchup on the road, and I look for George to continue his strong play, making him a great option across all formats.
Other Notables:
- LeBron James (CLE): $10,200 vs. MIN
- Kevin Durant (GS): $10,000 vs. CHA (blowout risk)
- Jimmy Butler (CHI): $8,800 @ OKC
- Carmelo Anthony (NY): $7,500 @ BKN
- Andrew Wiggins (MIN): $7,400 @ CLE
- Michael Kidd-Gilchrist (CHA): $5,200 @ GS
Power Forward
Dirk Nowitzki (DAL): $5,000 vs. PHI
Aside from Monday’s game against Cleveland, Nowitzki has played well over the last four games, and he’s in a good spot to continue that trend this evening. With a home matchup against the Sixers on deck, fantasy production of six to seven times his current salary isn’t out of the cards, especially with Joel Embiid on the shelf for the Sixers.
Other Notables
- Draymond Green (GS): $8,100 vs. CHA
- Paul Millsap (ATL): $7,800 @ ORL
- Blake Griffin (LAC): $7,500 @ PHO
- Nerlens Noel (PHI): $6,200 @ DAL
- Serge Ibaka (ORL): $6,100 vs. IND
- James Johnson (MIA): $5,800 vs. ATL
- Tobias Harris (DET): $5,400 vs. NO
Center
Nikola Vucevic (ORL): $6,500 vs. IND
The Pacers rank in the bottom half of the league in terms of fantasy points allowed to centers, and they rank 28th in terms of team rebounding rate. With Vucevic back to seeing healthy playing time, he should feast on the boards tonight, making him one of the better point per dollar values at the position.
Other Notables
- Marc Gasol (MEM): $7,800 @ DEN
- Brook Lopez (BKN): $6,700 vs. NY
- Steven Adams (OKC): $5,400 vs. CHI
- Tristan Thompson (CLE): $4,800 vs. MIN
- Spencer Hawes (CHA): $4,600 @ GS
Guard
Rajon Rondo (CHI): $4,100 @ OKC
Rondo’s playing time has ticked up a bit over the last two games, and I think he’s worth rolling the dice on as a result. This is a boost in pace for the Bulls, and it’s a plus individual matchup for Rondo. Russell Westbrook can be very prone to turning the ball over, which can lead to steals for the opponent, thus giving Rondo a slight boost tonight.
Forward
Gordon Hayward (UTA): $6,600 vs. MIL
There’s nothing special about the contextual factors in play for Hayward, but his ability to be an ultra-consistent producer puts him on the map tonight. He’s actually a bit cheap at these levels, so there’s some room for upside at home. He’s been inconsistent from the floor over the last 10 days, but with three days’ worth of rest, hopefully, he will get back on track tonight.
Utility
Andre Drummond (DET): $7,900 vs. NO
Drummond has scored 54.5 DKP and 69 DKP in each of the last two games, yet his price remains at a level where he deserves consideration across all formats. This is a good matchup against the Pelicans, who rank 29th in the league in regards to team rebounding rate while faring poorly against centers as well. He’s hauled in 20-plus rebounds in each of the last two games, which is certainly not out of the cards yet again tonight.
My Lineup
- PG – Brandon Jennings (NY): $5,200 @ BKN
- SG – Austin Rivers (LAC): $6,100 @ PHO
- SF – Paul George (IND): $8,100 @ ORL
- PF – Dirk Nowitzki (DAL): $5,000 vs. PHI
- C – Nikola Vucevic (ORL): $6,500 vs. IND
- G – Rajon Rondo (CHI): $4,100 @ OKC
- F – Gordon Hayward (UTA): $6,600 vs. MIL
- UTIL – Andre Drummond (DET): $7,900 vs. NO
Help yourself out by checking out our NBA Optimal Lineup for today’s slate
Adam Sutton is a correspondent at FantasyPros. To read more from Adam, follow him @DraftStars_Adam. You can find more of Adam’s work at DraftStars.net.