Fantasy

NBA DraftKings & FanDuel DFS Primer: Wednesday (2/8)

FantasyPros considers the best player values for DraftKings and FanDuel NBA DFS.

Joel Bartilotta, FantasyPros

February 8, 2023 5:44 PM

Last night LeBron James broke the all-time scoring record previously held by Kareem Abdul-Jabbar.

Watching Lebron break the scoring record last night was pretty special. That record won’t be broken for some time, and it’s fun to debate who the next guy would be. Luka Doncic would be my bet, but it’s unclear if the Slovenian is willing to play long enough to reach that feat. That’s a discussion for another day though, so let’s dive into this Wednesday card!

Injury Report

Cade Cunningham (shin) OUT
Kelly Oubre Jr.(hand) OUT
Bradley Beal (foot) Questionable
Kyle Kuzma (ankle) Questionable
Jaylen Brown (illness) Questionable
Marcus Smart (ankle) OUT
Kyle Lowry (knee) Questionable
Devin Vassell (knee) OUT
Tre Jones (foot) Questionable
OG Anunoby (wrist) OUT
Kevin Porter Jr.(foot) OUT
Karl-Anthony Towns (calf) OUT
Rudy Gobert (groin) Questionable
Kyle Anderson (back) Questionable
Luka Doncic (heel) Questionable
Kyrie Irving (trade) Questionable
John Wall (abs) OUT
Jusuf Nurkic (calf) OUT
Stephen Curry (leg) OUT

Core Plays

Fred VanVleet (PG/SG – TOR): $9,100 DraftKings, $8,900 FanDuel
VanVleet got off to a rough start this year, but the former Wichita guard is rolling right now. FVV has at least 41 DraftKings points in 10 of his last 11 games, generating a 49-point average in that span. That’s the stud we’ve been waiting to see, and he happens to have the most fantasy-friendly matchup in DFS. San Antonio sits dead last in points allowed and defensive efficiency while surrendering the most fantasy points in the NBA.

Domantas Sabonis (PF/C – SAC): $10,300 DraftKings, $9,500 FanDuel
Domas just earned his way into the All-Star game, and if it weren’t for Nikola Jokic, this would be considered the best playmaking big man in the NBA. Sabonis has scored at least 41 DraftKings points in 28 of his last 31 games, averaging 19.8 points, 13.1 rebounds, and 7.4 assists per game in that span. That’s the best stretch of this kid’s career, and we have to assume it’ll continue against a Rockets team ranks 28th in defensive efficiency. Sabonis is scoring nearly 60 DK points per game in their three matchups this year!

Jordan Poole (PG/SG – GSW): $7,100 DraftKings, $7,600 FanDuel
This looks like this is Poole’s offense with Stephen Curry out for the next few weeks. He leads the team with a 35% usage rate with Curry off the floor, averaging nearly 40 fantasy points per game in those outings. That’s a ridiculous total from a $7K player, but we know this guy can be a $9K player as the focal point of the offense. It’s not like Portland is a scary matchup, ranked 26th in defensive efficiency ratings. In their most recent matchup, Poole provided 41 points, five rebounds, and six assists in one of the best performances of his career.

Cash Game Considerations

Pascal Siakam (PF/C – TOR): $9,400 DraftKings, $8,600 FanDuel
Siakam is in a bit of a slump, but this big man is going to go nuts against the Spurs. San Antonio is the worst defense in the NBA, and that won’t bode well against a guy averaging 24.7 points, 7.9 rebounds, and 6.2 assists per game. He’s also providing a playmaking role out of the center position, which is sensational since the Spurs surrender the third-most fantasy points to opposing centers.

Damian Lillard (PG – POR): $10,700 DraftKings, $10,000 FanDuel
Dame is on another level right now. The All-Star has at least 43 DraftKings points in 15 of his last 16 games, scoring at least 56 DK points in 10 of his previous 13 outings. This superstar has gone on stretches like this in the past, especially against Golden State. That’s woeful news for the Warriors, who rank 26th in points allowed while posting a 27th OPRK against opposing point guards.

De’Aaron Fox (PG – SAC): $9,000 DraftKings, $8,900 FanDuel
Fox has finally earned the price bump he deserves, but this spot makes him tough to fade. Let’s start there, with Houston surrendering the most fantasy points to opposing point guards this season. That’s frightening with Fox’s recent form, scoring at least 46 DK points in five of his last seven games. Not to mention, he’s got at least 36 DK points in eight of his last nine meetings with the Rockets over the last three years.

GPP Targets

Andrew Wiggins (SF – GSW): $6,000 DraftKings, $6,300 FanDuel
Wiggins has been terrible over the last month, but he shouldn’t be $6,000 with Curry out of the lineup. That means he will be guaranteed 15-20 shots in addition to his 35-minute role. This former top pick can be an $8K player with that sort of opportunity, particularly against a 27th-ranked Portland defense. This guy is averaging 31 DK points per game with Curry, and we expect that to be his floor from here on out.

Josh Hart (SF – POR): $5,800 DraftKings, $5,800 FanDuel
It’s strange that the absence of a center can help a guard, but that’s what we have with Hart. This is one of the best rebounding guards ever, and he will lead this team in boards as long as Jusuf Nurkic remains out. That’s led to Hart scoring at least 27 DraftKings points in four of his last five games, scoring 35 or more in three of those. That’s even more enticing against Golden State, with Hart collecting 12 points, 11 rebounds, and seven assists across 41 minutes in their one matchup earlier this season.

Daniel Gafford (C – WAS): $5,400 DraftKings, $6,000 FanDuel
With so many injuries in Washington, Gafford is finally getting the 30-minute role we’ve been waiting for. This per-minute stud has scored at least 28 DK points in 10 of his last 16 games, totaling a 29-point average in that span. He’s also playing over 25 minutes a night and should continue that with Kyle Kuzma and Bradley Beal, both nicked up. The matchup is the best part of this, with Charlotte surrendering the most fantasy points to opposing centers.

Value Plays

D’Angelo Russell (PG – MIN): $7,300 DraftKings, $7,400 FanDuel
Russell and the rest of the T’Wolves had a nightmarish game on Tuesday, but they’ll bounce back here. D-Lo is actually amid one of the best stretches of his career, averaging over 35 DraftKings points per game since Karl-Anthony Towns went down. That should be his floor against this weak Utah defense, ranked 23rd in points allowed and 25th in defensive efficiency.

Jalen Green (PG/SG – HOU): $6,800 DraftKings, $6,900 FanDuel
It’s strange that Green remains below $7K with Kevin Porter Jr.sidelined. That means Green is the primary ball-handler which is amazing since he’s a candidate to fire up 20-25 shots. That’s what we saw in Houston’s most recent game, with Green gobbling up 41 DK points on 21 shots in a blowout loss against the Kings. That’s stellar news since he squares off with Sacramento once again, who sits 22nd in defensive efficiency.

Kelly Olynyk (PF/C – UTA): $4,700 DraftKings, $4,900 FanDuel
Oly has been slow to get going since his return from injury, but this guy was a $6K player before he went down. He was averaging nearly 30 DraftKings points per game in a 30-minute role before his injury, and we’re encouraged that he’s played 28 and 30 minutes in the last two games. That means his workload is back to normal, and this price tag should continue to creep up. Facing Minnesota is marvelous, too, with the T’Wolves ranked fourth in pace and 21st in total defense. In their two matchups this season, Oly has a 31-point average against this dreadful defense.

Advantageous Pricing