This article is part of our DraftKings NBA series.
We have a sizable nine-game slate on Wednesday, and we need to be careful as the trade deadline approaches.
SLATE OVERVIEW
PHO (-2.5) @ DET -- O/U: 218.5
TOR (-6) vs. IND -- O/U: 216.5
BOS (-8) vs. ORL -- O/U: 211.5
BKN (-7) vs. GS -- O/U: 225.5
MIN (-5.5) vs. ATL -- O/U: 237
OKC (-12) vs. CLE -- O/U: 220
DAL (-5) vs. MEM -- O/U: 228
UTA (-8.5) vs. DEN -- O/U: 215
LAC (-6.5) vs. MIA -- O/U: 223
This week, it's more important than ever to check your lineups and keep track of all the trade news as we approach the trade deadline. The last thing you want is to go with a player, only to have him traded away and inactive.
Players I would be cautious about: Kevin Love, Alex Len, and anyone else who's getting a lot of mentions in the news this morning. Conversely, any news that comes down the pike will also expose some value when other players are forced to step in. RotoWire will have all the pertinent information as it becomes available.
INJURY SITUATIONS TO MONITOR
The injuries to Luka Doncic (ankle) and Kyrie Irving (knee) are classified as ongoing injuries so I won't be mentioning them when it's my turn at bat until they near a return, but RotoWire has you covered in our player notes with where you should pivot to as these situations develop.
Kemba Walker (knee): OUT
Gordon Hayward (calf): AVAILABLE
Marcus Smart (thigh): OUT
This situation screams for an add for Jayson Tatum ($7,900) and Jaylen Brown ($7,300) here, but I'm not a huge fan of the potentially slow pace of this matchup. With both Smart and Walker sitting, you can also flip to Brad Wanamaker ($5,200).
Jonas Valanciunas (knee): QUESTIONABLE
Valanciunas is one of those guys that always ends up playing despite a questionable tag, but if he can't go the most sensible pivots are Jaren Jackson Jr. ($6,300) and Brandon Clarke ($4,900). Christian Wood ($4,700) would be my favorite GPP play.
Derrick Rose (hip): OUT
While Reggie Jackson ($4,900) might make the most sense, it was Bruce Brown ($4,900) and Langston Galloway ($3,500) who benefited the most in Rose's absence. Galloway will be one of the chalkiest bargain adds tonight.
ELITE PLAYERS
Karl-Anthony Towns, MIN ($10,600) vs. ATL
Even if Clint Capela (heel) finds his way into the lineup tonight for Atlanta, there's going to be an adjustment period that will compromise his ability to produce. Fortunately for Atlanta, it looks like Trae Young will play, but Young's ball-distributing ability shouldn't hinder Towns from dominating whomever the Hawks put in the middle. Towns is a bit below his seasonal averages since returning from injury, but his past two games look more like the Towns we're familiar with, averaging 27 points, 11 rebounds, 4.5 assists and 1.5 blocked shots over that span.
Kawhi Leonard, LAC ($9,800) vs. MIA
The O/U for this game is surprisingly high, and upon looking at Leonard I remembered that he had a particularly good game against Miami earlier this season -- like, a 72-DKFP game. Granted, he played that game without Paul George, but I think the matchup opposite Jimmy Butler is going to bring out the best in Kawhi.
EXPECTED CHALK AND OTHER TARGETS
Andrew Wiggins, MIN ($7,400) vs. ATL
With Robert Covington off to the Rockets, the Wolves will lean on Wiggins until they figure out the most effective way to fill that hole. The scenario was already a favorable spot for Wiggins, but he's now close to 100% exposure in my builds in light of the Covington trade.
Shai Gilgeous-Alexander, OKC ($7,200) vs. CLE
Although SGA's season DKFP average is around 35, there's a lot of upside for him, as he's seen totals as high as 45 and 46 DKFP over his past ten games. I don't see the Thunder being affected by the trade deadline, so we should be confident with this play as a solid mid-range candidate.
Kelly Oubre, PHO ($7,000) @ DET
Oubre's season averages already beat value at this price, so a pick for Oubre is valid if you take a closer look at Detroit's injury situation. They're still playing without Luke Kennard and Derrick Rose, and Andre Drummond isn't exactly the strongest defensive big man in the league. Oubre could pop in this scenario, but if you load up on elites, you may not have room for him at this price.
Caris LeVert, BKN ($5,700) vs. GSW
I rode the numbers and picked LeVert in an article last week and he helped me nail down a cash in my cash lineups. I'll run down the facts again. With Irving off the court, LeVert sees the third-most usage on the team and sees a significant bump in both usage and points-per-minute in this game script. I like Spencer Dinwiddie but I don't like his price. LeVert is a wiser play overall.
VALUE PLAYS
The most interesting play in the value section deals with Minnesota, and how they plan to fill the void left by Shabazz Napier. While I think Malik Beasley will eventually be a nice addition to their backcourt, for tonight I think we have to go with both Jarrett Culver ($3,900) and Josh Okogie ($4,000). In fact, against Atlanta, I would consider playing them together. There's a chance that Minnesota would see what they have with Jordan McLaughlin ($3,300), as well, but in that price range I think Galloway has a better chance to put up a better number.
Victor Oladipo, IND ($5,300) @ TOR
Oladipo's been cleared to play up to 28 minutes tonight, and it would be fun to see him finally open it up and put up his first big score of the season. The Raptors are a tough opponent, but I think this is a good GPP play due to the potentially-low ownership. Oladipo has been woefully inefficient from the field thus far, but the aggressiveness has been there.
Enes Kanter, BOS ($4,200) vs. ORL
Kanter has been cleared to play and with Daniel Theis (ankle) officially out, Boston will give him all the minutes he can handle. The rest of the starting lineup is in a state of flux due to injury, so we can reasonably expect Kanter to carry a more considerable load on both sides of the ball.
