DraftKings DFS NBA Strategy Advice: Wednesday (8/5)

The NBA is back, and that means its time to submit your daily fantasy lineups. Today’s games begin at 2:30 PM EST, and they run until 9:00 PM EST, so be aware of start times as you set your lineups. And, as always, try to diversify them!  The strategy for today’s slate is going to focus heavily on the 76ers and Wizards game along with the Nets and Celtics.

Check out today’s NBA Sharpshooter from DraftKings

Value Plays: Point Guard

Chiozza has put up 21.3 fantasy points in his last three games. With the Nets’ injuries, he should get another chance to put up some solid numbers. The Celtics are a defensively tough team, and the matchup isn’t in his favor, but look for him to get you another double-double.

Milton is a hit-or-miss pick up at this point, but he played well against the Spurs. He has a favorable matchup against Wizards and should be able to provide decent value given his price point. 

Shooting Guard

Brooks should be a solid pickup against the Jazz. Over his last few games, he’s averaged 26.3 fantasy points. With Jaren Jackson Jr. suffering an injury, Brooks should pick up even more of the scoring load.

Clarkson can be hit-or-miss, but he has a favorable matchup against the Grizzlies. If he sees close to 30 minutes, he could be a great pick and give you close to 30 fantasy points.

Small Forward

Gallinari has seen an uptick in both is minutes and his scoring since the Thunder returned to play. In his last game, he put up 28.25 points. The matchup is not favorable for Gallinari, as he faces a tough Lakers team, but he should be able to give you 30+ fantasy points.

Ennis should see a major uptick in minutes with Jonathan Isaac suffering a season-ending injury. The matchup is there for Ennis, but the question is whether he’ll get the minutes to prove his worth. Ennis will be a true boom-or-bust prospect, but at this price point, it’s hard not to pick him.

Power Forward

With Jaren Jackson Jr. officially on the shelf, Clarke should take over his minutes and provide significant value at his $4,200 price point. He has a tough matchup against the Jazz, but he should be able to deliver value.

Kurucs has a nice matchup against the Celtics and should receive a lot of playing time with the Nets’ injuries. He should be able to deliver around 25 fantasy points, but he could end up being a bust if the Nets get some of their regular starters back. 

Center

With the right matchup, Theis can be worth his value. He faces off against a depleted Nets squad that, so look for him to get you close to 30 fantasy points. His low end should be 25 fantasy points for the night.

Poeltl is the Spurs’ only big man, and he should have some opportunity to put up numbers against the Nuggets. At a minimum, he should be good for a double-double. Over his last three games, Poeltl has averaged 20 fantasy points. 

5 Notable Players to Fade

1. DeMar DeRozan (SAS) $8,300: DeRozan has been hot lately, but he faces a very defensively stout Nuggets team. Look for him to cool down considerably. 
2. Nikola Vucevic (ORL) $8,100: Vucevic has a tough matchup against the Raptors, who are one of the best defensive teams in the NBA. This game should be a low-scoring one, and the Goose won’t be worth his price point.
3. Caris LeVert (BKN) $7,800: LeVert missed the last game with a thigh contusion. Even if he were to play, he wouldn’t be fully healthy, and he would probably be on a minutes limit. Don’t be fooled into thinking that he’s a good play against the Celtics.
4. Rudy Gobert (UTA) $7,300: Gobert will have a tough time hanging with the likes of Jonas Valanciunas and the Grizzlies’ tough interior defense. Look past him and instead consider starting his teammates — they should provide better numbers.
5. Thomas Bryant (WAS) $6,800: Bryant put up two solid games but faces a break wall against the 76ers. He’ll be back to putting up a pedestrian 20 fantasy points.

5 Studs Worth Their Salary

1. Joel Embiid (PHI) $10,400: Embiid has a powder-puff matchup against the Wizards and should dominate them for another big monster game.
2. Nikola Jokic (DEN) $9,700: Jokic is another center who should feast against a Spurs team that’s weak inside the paint. Look for a triple-double from Jokic against the Spurs.
3. Ben Simmons (PHI) $8,700: The Wizards are so bad that it might be worth taking three players from the Sixers’ roster. Simmons is another player who should go off against Washington.
4. Jayson Tatum (BOS) $8,200: Tatum has been putting up monster games, and that should be no different when he takes on the injury-riddled Nets.
5. Donovan Mitchell (UTA) $7,500: Mitchell should have a great night against the Grizzlies, who have one of the worst defensive backcourts. Look for Mitchell to give you close to 45 fantasy points. 

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Beyond our daily fantasy basketball content, be sure to check out our Daily Fantasy Basketball Tools. From our Lineup Optimizer – which allows you to build winning DFS lineups in seconds for Cash and GPP contests – to our DFS Cheat Sheets – that helps you get a quick read on the day’s players – we’ve got you covered this fantasy basketball season.

Sulman Haque is a correspondent at FantasyPros. For more from Sulman, check out his archive and follow him @HaqueYouToo.