This article is part of our DraftKings NBA series.
NBA viewers are in for a treat on this ten-game slate as the nationally televised contest will deliver as the most intriguing matchup of the night. With both Kyle Kuzma (ankle) and Brandon Ingram (shoulder) in doubt, LeBron James ($11,300) will be up against the wall facing the Nuggets. It isn't the highest O/U game on the slate (the SA/ATL game currently has that honor), but I can see stacking these two teams in many different ways. If I hear Ingram is out, I'd expect Josh Hart ($3,300) to slide into the starting lineup, and if he gets 30 minutes, he could hit 6x value with ease.
I would like Rajon Rondo ($6,000) either way, but the real question lies with LeBron. Is this a night where you're DOA if you fade him? He needs around 55 DKFP to be worth the cost, which is certainly doable, and with Towns on a back-to-back and Jokic struggling to meet value recently, he certainly looks like the most attractive elite play.
I'll likely give him 50% exposure in my lineups and risk it with the other half of my builds tonight. Denver also has some good spots to target, as I will illustrate below.
Injury-wise, tonight's slate is reasonably clean. All ongoing injury scenarios won't be mentioned here.
Joel Embiid (knee) OUT: All reports indicate that he'll remain out on Wednesday. This puts Tobias Harris ($7,700) into a great situation against the Bulls, while Amir Johnson ($3,100) will have 5-7x value as a low-cost pivot.
John Collins (illness) QUESTIONABLE: I have a feeling we'll see Collins back tonight, but if for some reason he sits -- even though he burned us in the last game -- you have to consider Alex Len ($4,500) due to Dewayne Dedmon's (knee) doubtful tag. Vince Carter ($3,400) racked up 33 DKFP in 26 minutes of play against Miami on Monday and would be a value-crushing pick if Collins sits. He may still have value if Dedmon remains out.
DeAndre Jordan (ankle) QUESTIONABLE: We'll know more about Jordan's status later in the day, but Mitchell Robinson ($6,400) remains the best option here, with Noah Vonleh ($4,600) also seeing time under the basket if Jordan is out.
Back-to-back games: Bulls, Sixers, Celtics, T-Wolves
GUARDS
Bradley Beal, WAS vs. DAL ($9,800): I see a lot of value atop the guard list, but when it comes to reliable production you can't do much better than Beal, who is churning out 50-plus DKFP games on the regular. The Mavericks have also underperformed in the backcourt in recent days, and even though Beal posted a low number against the pre-deadline Dallas squad, you can throw the history out the window here and play Beal with confidence.
Jamal Murray, DEN at LAL ($6,200): Murray's two-game history against the Lakers isn't spectacular, but if Ingram sits I think Murray will be tough to stop, and he doesn't have to blow up to meet value at this price. In the national limelight, Murray and the Nuggets will be ready to make this a statement game for the best team in the West.
Jeremy Lamb, CHA vs. MIA ($5,200): Lamb should end up with low ownership on Wednesday, as this slate favors the high-priced guards. He's now beaten value in four straight games, and while Miami's backcourt defense is strong, Lamb will come in to provide a spark from the bench against a weaker second unit.
Additional guards to consider: Ben Simmons, PHI at CHI ($8,900), DeMar DeRozan, SA at ATL ($8,200), Kelly Oubre Jr, PHO vs. NY ($6,200), Derrick White, SA at ATL ($5,200)
FORWARDS
I already mentioned Tobias Harris ($7,700) here, and I wouldn't want to leave him out of this category. He's a lock as long as Embiid is out.
Blake Griffin, MIN at DET ($8,600): When you can get Griffin at this price, he's a hard fade, and when you consider his domination of the T-Wolves in their last meeting, he becomes a near-lock in lineup builds where you're fading LeBron and opting for sub-10k talent. While KAT is a daily chalk play, he will be contending with Andre Drummond for most of the game, leaving Griffin to produce out in space.
FADE BOSTON?: The Celtics get their own category at the forward spot. Are they a scary prospect in this back-to-back? I'm inclined to say no, especially when you consider the extended run the bench got last night in a blowout against the Warriors. Almost all of the starters logged record lows in minutes played. Gordon Hayward ($3,900) was the biggest beneficiary of that extra time, but I'm a bigger fan of Jayson Tatum ($5,600). He only saw 27 minutes last night, and he's tough to beat when his shot connects. Even though I didn't highlight him above, Kyrie Irving ($9,300) played fewer minutes than usual as well. They have a one-hour ride over to Sacramento (with no traffic), so go ahead and play them.
Harrison Barnes, SAC vs. BOS ($5,200): The Barnes trade was a bit of a head-scratcher, but the Kings are happy to have him now with Marvin Bagley out for an extended period. The former Maverick has consistently beaten value since Bagley went down, and he played well against the Celtics with his former team. You'll need a few guys at this price point, and next to Tatum I think Barnes is another excellent spot to go cheap.
Taurean Prince, ATL vs. SA ($4,500): Prince is primarily a GPP ceiling play for me tonight. He could very well absorb some of Collins' output tonight, but I would move off him if Collins plays. I need 30 DKFP for him to be profitable, and he's he's bested that total in three of his last five games.
Additional forwards to consider: Buddy Hield, SAC vs. BOS ($7,200), Cheick Diallo, NO vs. UTA ($4,200), DeAndre Bembry, ATL vs. SA ($3,800)
CENTERS
Despite the back-to-back, you can't fade Karl-Anthony Towns ($10,800). No one has met value at 10K-plus more consistently than Towns, save James Harden and perhaps Paul George. He didn't have a great game against Detroit this season, so for that and other roster concerns in my builds, I'm forced to disregard him in the majority of my lineups.
Rudy Gobert, UTA at NO ($8,100): We haven't touched on this game at all, but it's 230.5 O/U makes it a favorable spot to consider. Gobert put up 51 DKFP against the Pelicans over two matchups, but that's at the tip-top of his ceiling. We have immediate evidence of his potential though, as they both met two days ago, and Gobert gave us a 19/19 game and 48 DKFP.
DeAndre Ayton, PHO vs. NY ($7,700): I don't opt for Ayton often, but I love him in this spot against the Knicks. He almost broke 40 against the Knicks when they first met, and I need to see a little more for this move to be profitable. Luckily, he's hit his ceiling in the past two games with 44 and 50 DKFP showings, and that's what we want in this matchup. I think he's got the goods to dominate here.
Dwight Powell, Dal at WAS ($5,900): Let's face it, Dallas is all out of sorts, but Dwight Powell is still priced right as the best option at center. Washington lacks answers at center as well, and it's a toss-up here between Powell and Bobby Portis ($6,000). I think their output will be mostly interchangeable, so consider this a pick 'em spot, but I like Powell a bit better.
