It was hard to win the big bucks at DraftKings on Big Wednesday unless you built around Kyrie Irving, who drained eleven 3-pointers — including the game-winner — for a career-high 55 points, best in the NBA this season. Other key performances last night came from LaMarcus Aldridge (38 PTS, 1 REB in that defeat), Paul Millsap (28 PTS, 15 REB) and Russell Westbrook (40 PTS, 4 REB, 4 AST) in the Thunder’s shocking loss to the Knicks.
Using none of the above, I finished out of the money. There’s a new and interesting daily fantasy puzzle to solve this evening — four NBA games, without any $10000+ superstars. Injuries are a big factor in position strength (bigs) and scarcity (wings).
Pau Gasol $9300 in L.A. is nearly a must-start, as the Bulls will feed him and the Lakers can’t stop him. Joakim Noah $6300 broke out of a long slump on Tuesday with a terrific line against the Warriors (18 PTS, 15 REB, 6 AST) but probably won’t be needed for 40 minutes in this one.
Plays of the Day
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The Fantasy Basketball World Championship has a million dollar first prize, to be awarded March 23. There are only 40 seats in the Final; finish first in a Qualifier to win a spot, including a 5-day VIP trip to Las Vegas (worth $55,000) plus a minimum of $7,000 in cash!
Marc Gasol $8000 and Zach Randolph $8200 are excellent plays against the Nuggets; you can afford to use both. The only other big man to consider is Nikola Vucevic $8600, who can beat Zaza Pachulia $4600 many different ways.
One plan is to pay for three of the four best players on the board at PF, C and F (or Util). Picking Pau, Z-Bo and Vuc over Marc leaves about$4800 each for five roster spots. Fortunately, there are enough value plays to make that approach viable.
Point guard is thinner than it looks at first glance. This is a fourth game in five nights for Ty Lawson $8500. If the Bulls are way ahead in L.A., Derrick Rose $7600 might get some rest. Choose between Brandon Knight $7200 and Elfrid Payton $5600 in their head-on matchup, or punt with someone like Langston Galloway $4300, Jordan Clarkson $3800 or Beno Udrih $3200, a strategic bargain if Mike Conley $7000 (wrist) misses another game.
Carmelo Anthony $8800 was terrific at home last night, sparking that upset of OKC with 31 points and 10 rebounds in 38 minutes. However, if he rests his knee in a road back-to-back, the SF landscape is somewhat bleak. Wilson Chandler $6200 and all the Nuggets must be tired, so Jeff Green $5200 might take advantage. Khris Middleton $5200 has been razor-sharp in three straight games (23-32 shooting, averaging 18 PTS) and remains affordable.
While Jimmy Butler $7500 (illness) is the top-salaried SG, his status is questionable. Tim Hardaway Jr. $4900 becomes an excellent play if Melo sits out, and Wayne Ellington $4600 is suddenly the #1 option on a bad team, after 28 points in 36 minutes on Tuesday.
My daily Short List is offered as a guide. In response to Twitter question, it’s a quick-and-dirty way to whittle down the choices at each position and approximate price. I post early (usually between 10:00 a.m. and 1:00 ET) and breaking news can dramatically change player values.
Note that only six guys below are in bold. The sample lineup above is always a work-in-progress; Clarkson and Stuckey are one of several pairs I’m considering with $9200 for PG and Util. Udrih and Roy Hibbert $5500 fit, though Knicks fans might prefer Galloway and Thomas. Playing multiple teams can pay off when your core is productive.
Being included is not always an endorsement. For example, Lawson is still the “premium” PG available, though I’m not using him. Melo also makes the list, yet I’ll be disappointed if he plays. Low prices in the midrange column, like Hardaway and Middleton, mean I’m not keen on some others who cost more. If there’s a high price among the bargain group, like Green or Ellington, I can’t find anyone cheaper who is worth the risk.
| Pos | Premium | Midrange | Bargain |
| PG | Ty Lawson $8500 | Brandon Knight $7200 | L. Galloway $4300 |
| SG | Victor Oladipo $7000 | Tim Hardaway Jr. $4900 | Wayne Ellington $4600 |
| SF | Carmelo Anthony $8800 | Khris Middleton $5200 | Jeff Green $5200 |
| PF | Pau Gasol $9300 | Zach Randolph $8200 | Jason Smith $3900 |
| C | Nikola Vucevic $8600 | Marc Gasol $8000 | Robert Sacre $3400 |
The Fantasy Spin features DFS advice every day of the NBA season. Follow Kent Williams @SheridanFantasy for updates.