NBA DraftKings & FanDuel DFS Primer: Wednesday (1/17)

We only had three games to talk about yesterday, but it has us diving into a full slate here. We have 10 games making up this Wednesday card, which should be a wild one. Seven of the 10 games have spreads below five points, and it could be an epic night of basketball. With that said, let’s get into it!

View the best player prop bets for tonight’s slate with our NBA Prop Bet Cheat Sheet

NBA DraftKings & FanDuel DFS Primer:

Schedule and Odds

• MIN at DET (MIN -11.5) O/U: 221
• ORL at ATL (ATL -3) O/U: 233
• SAS at BOS (BOS -15.5) O/U: 237
• MIL at CLE (MIL -3.5) O/U: 237
• HOU at NYK (NYK -4.5) O/U: 219
• MIA at TOR (MIA -2.5) O/U: 227
• CHA at NOP (NOP -12) O/U: 230
• DAL at LAL (LAL -3) O/U: 242
• GSW at UTA (UTA -4) O/U: 242
• BKN at POR (BKN -4.5) O/U: 224

Check out our consensus game odds as well as the odds from each sportsbook at BettingPros.

Injury Report

• Luka Doncic (ankle) Questionable
• LeBron James (ankle) Questionable
• Jalen Brunson (calf) Questionable
• Anthony Edwards (knee) Questionable
• Kristaps Porzingis (knee) Questionable
• Franz Wagner (ankle) OUT
• Cade Cunningham (knee) OUT
• Darius Garland (face) OUT
• Evan Mobley (knee) OUT
• Jaime Jaquez (groin) OUT
• Derrick White (ankle) Questionable
• Caris LeVert (wrist) Questionable
• Jakob Poeltl (ankle) OUT
• Chris Paul (hand) OUT
• Jrue Holiday (elbow) Questionable
• Mark Williams (shoulder) OUT
• Dante Exum (heel) OUT
• Zach Collins (ankle) OUT
• Tari Eason (leg) OUT

Core Plays

Anthony Davis (PF/C – LAL): $10,000 DraftKings, $11,400 FanDuel
AD looks like an MVP when he’s right, and that’s the guy we’re seeing right now. Davis has scored at least 44 DraftKings points in 21 of his last 22 games, averaging 60 DK points per game in that span. We’ve also seen him showcase a 70-point upside numerous times in that superb stretch, and one of those could be in play against Dallas. He had 37 points and 11 rebounds in their last matchup, with the Mavs ranked 18th in total defense.

Stephen Curry (PG – GSW): $8,500 DraftKings, $NA FanDuel
Chef Curry has been inconsistent with the rest of the Warriors this season, but this is a spot we want to use him. The sharpshooter has scored 48 and 51 DK points in his two most recent games, looking refreshed after sitting a game. We love that in this matchup because Utah allows the fifth-most fantasy points to opposing guards.

Jimmy Butler (SF/PF – MIA): $7,800 DraftKings, $8,300 FanDuel
Butler hasn’t been on the floor much this season, but he’s always productive when he’s out there. The All-Star scored 47 DraftKings points in his first game back and has a season average just shy of 40 DK points per game. The matchup with Toronto is far from terrifying, posting a 25th OPRK against opposing forwards.

Cash Game Considerations

Giannis Antetokounmpo (PF/C – MIL): $11,000 DraftKings, $12,200 FanDuel
Not many people are talking about Giannis in the MVP discussion, but it’s hard to understand why. The Greek Freak has scored at least 49 DraftKings points in 27 of his last 28 games, posting a 62-point average in that span. Cleveland sounds like a concerning matchup on the surface, but they own a 24th OPRK against opposing power forwards. We’ve seen Antetokounmpo score at least 62 DK points in each of their last three matchups.

Jayson Tatum (SF/PF – BOS): $9,500 DraftKings, $10,200 FanDuel
JT has developed into one of the best players in fantasy, averaging over 48 DraftKings points per game. His floor is equally as impressive, scoring at least 35 DraftKings points in all but two games this year. The best part about this is the matchup with San Antonio, sitting 24th in defensive efficiency and 26th in points allowed while surrendering the second-most fantasy points to opposing forwards.

Paolo Banchero (SF/PF – ORL): $8,800 DraftKings, $9,200 FanDuel
Banchero is catapulting himself into All-Star territory, averaging 42 DK points per game in a breakout season. He’s been even better over the last month, averaging 48 DK points per game across his last 16 outings. That’s why he’s been bumped to $9K on both sites, and we can’t avoid him against Atlanta. The Hawks rank 27th in defensive efficiency and 29th in points allowed, with Paolo posting 64 DK points in their most recent meeting.

GPP Targets

Klay Thompson (SG/SF – GSW): $6,000 DraftKings, $NA FanDuel
Thompson is always an elite GPP option because of his upside, but many people forget that because of his horrific start to the season. The good news is that he’s starting to turn things around, scoring at least 31 DraftKings points in five of his last seven games. He’s also showcased a 54-point upside less than a week ago and can creep closer to the $8K player we’ve seen in the past.

Nick Richards (C – CHA): $5,500 DraftKings, $5,800 FanDuel
This Hornets team has been stung by injuries, with Mark Williams and PJ Washington both getting injured. The Williams absence is what really matters, moving Richards into the starting lineup. In his last 17 starts, Richards has averaged nearly 30 fantasy points per game. That’s all you can ask for from a sub-$6K player, and they’re going to need him out there for 30 minutes to cover this massive Pelicans team.

Isaiah Stewart (PF/C – DET): $5,500 DraftKings, $5,400 FanDuel
Beef Stew can be a frustrating player at times, but he’s been excellent since returning from an injury. The big man has at least 26 DK points in five straight fixtures, dropping 35 DK points across 38 minutes in his most recent outing. The Marvin Bagley trade has clearly locked him into 30-35 minutes, and Beef Stew should be above $6K in that type of role. Don’t be surprised to see him play 40 minutes against big men like Karl-Anthony Towns and Rudy Gobert.

Value Plays

Rudy Gobert (C – MIN): $7,100 DraftKings, $8,000 FanDuel
We love it when a write-up flows into another one. What we love even more is the $7,100 price tag for Gobert. The Frenchman has had a bounceback season for the T’Wolves, averaging 36 DraftKings points per game. He’s also established a 30-point floor and should destroy Detroit. The Pistons rank 27th in points allowed and 28th in defensive efficiency.

Brook Lopez (C – MIL): $6,100 DraftKings, $6,800 FanDuel
Bro-Lo has been all over the map this year, but he’s too good of a player to be sitting below $7,000. The big man is averaging nearly 35 DK points per game since the end of November. He’s also got at least 30 DK points in four straight outings and needs to play big minutes to oppose Jarrett Allen. In their one matchup earlier in the year, Bro-Lo had 37 DK points despite making just four shots!

Dereck Lively (C – DAL): $5,200 DraftKings, $6,600 FanDuel
This $5,200 price tag on DraftKings might be the most egregious price on this slate. Lively just returned from an injury last week, and he’s been playing at a $6K level all season. The big man has 22 DK points in four straight games and averages nearly 30 DK points per game as a starter. No player who does that should be just $5,200, especially a rookie with this much upside.

Advantageous Pricing

• Anthony Davis (PF/C – LAL): $10,000 DraftKings, $11,400 FanDuel
• Giannis Antetokounmpo (PF/C – MIL): $11,000 DraftKings, $12,200 FanDuel
• Dereck Lively (C – DAL): $5,200 DraftKings, $6,600 FanDuel
• Anthony Edwards (SG/SF – MIN): $8,300 DraftKings, $9,300 FanDuel
• Victor Wembanyama (PF/C – SAS): $8,700 DraftKings, $10,100 FanDuel
• Jrue Holiday (PG/SG – MIL): $6,100 DraftKings, $7,100 FanDuel
• Clint Capela (C – ATL): $6,000 DraftKings, $7,200 FanDuel
• Alperen Sengun (C – HOU): $7,900 DraftKings, $9,000 FanDuel
• Kyrie Irving (PG/SG – DAL): $9,300 DraftKings, $10,300 FanDuel

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