This article is part of our FanDuel NBA series.
We begin the second half of the season with a slim two-game slate, so it's a far better option to load up on cash pursuits and lay off the GPPs this evening. Tie scores will abound in large-field tournaments, so your opportunity for a big score is severely compromised. Using today's slate as a solid backroll-building endeavor is the most viable way to approach today's action.
SLATE OVERVIEW
WAS @ MEM (-3) O/U: 237
SAS @ DAL (-4.5) O/U: 223
(odds provided by FanDuel Sportsbook and are subject to change)
INJURIES
Aside from the ongoing injury situations already present with these teams (Jaren Jackson, Ish Smith, Thomas Bryant, Grayson Allen), there are no significant injuries on the slate tonight. As a result, we will be forced to focus on second and third-unit players to find value.
ELITE PLAYERS
As one might expect, the pickings are slim at the top of the ladder in the two-game slate. Your top two targets in the 10k bracket are Luka Doncic ($11,000) and Bradley Beal ($10,500). Doncic should be the chalkier than Beal, as the Wizards' off-guard will have serious competition from Russell Westbrook ($9,800) in terms of popularity. The WAS/MEM matchup is a decisively better DFS target due to the predicted game total, but it's worth noting that we have game history in both of the matchups, and Doncic had the best game of this trio, finishing with 36 points, 11 assists and nine rebounds against the Spurs. Westbrook was not far behind in his one contest against the Grizzlies with 23 points, 15 assists, six rebounds and three steals, so both Westbrook and Doncic performed well over their seasonal averages in these matchups. The lack of value available on the slate will make rostering multiple high-cost elites difficult, but Westbrook and Doncic are the obvious chalk. Beal would only be a tournament contrarian add who will be much less popular.
EXPECTED CHALK
Kristaps Porzingis, DAL ($8,300) vs. SAS
Of the four available starting centers, Porzingis comes in just above Jonas Valanciunas ($7,000) as the best center on the slate. The good news? Porzingis is still eligible as a power forward on the site, so you don't have to choose. While he failed to notch a double-double against the Spurs in their last matchup, Porzinigis scored 21 points and connected on three-of-five three-point attempts. Obviously, 40 FP or more are necessary for the Latvian to meet value, but the multiple days of rest play heavily in the big man's favor.
Ja Morant, MEM ($8,000) vs. WAS
Morant makes perfect sense as the other floor general in the fastest-paced game on the slate. He found his groove in two excellent games before the break, averaging 35 points per game over that span. A 35-point, 10-assist showing against the Wizards is included in that number. I see no reason why the outcome for Morant and Westbrook would be any different tonight, and they are a great way to fill FanDuel's two PG slots.
Kyle Anderson, MEM ($6,500) vs. WAS
Anderson missed the last game against the Wizards, so he is a bit of an unknown quantity entering Wednesday's matchup. He had an underwhelming return to action before the break as he shook off an illness, but the multiple days of rest should turn things around for the forward as he figures to have some success against Washington's depleted frontcourt.
VALUE PLAYS
Keldon Johnson, SAS ($5,800) @ DAL
I would be surprised if Johnson didn't return to the starting lineup this evening. He only played 33 total minutes over two games after a lengthy absence due to COVID-19 protocols. He was on a minute restriction for conditioning purposes, but the break should get him back into form. The absence has lowered his salary to a very acceptable level, and he should emerge as one of the chalkiest values on the slate today. Much like Johnson, Derrick White ($5,600) should also be back on the court, which should spell the end of Lonnie Walker's tenure in the starting five. The usage for these two players will be interesting to analyze moving forward. I would expect Johnson to start over Trey Lyles and White to go over Walker, but check the starting five before lock to confirm that prediction.
Robin Lopez, WAS ($4,200) @ MEM
Lopez is a great pivot off of Valanbiunas' reliable floor, and he could be the key ingredient in fielding a Doncic/Westbrook combo tonight. He notched 10 points and seven rebounds against the Clippers just before the break and is gradually siphoning minutes away from Moritz Wagner. Lopez will still come off the bench, but Wagner hasn't seen more than 20 minutes in the past two weeks.
Desmond Bane, MEM ($3,500) vs. WAS
Unless Grayson Allen (concussion) returns to action, Bane should start his fourth consecutive game tonight. While his production has been up-and-down, he does have a 15-point, seven-rebound total to his credit in one of those starts. He didn't figure into the Grizzlies' offense against the Wizards before the break, but it's hard to argue against a starting player at this salary. He'll only need 17 points to hit 5x value and will make rostering multiple elites a much easier proposition.
Also consider: Dorian Finney-Smith, DAL ($4,600) vs. SA
