DFSGhost 
While some teams are on the second halves of a back-to-back, there are others that are also dealing with short rotations. There are plenty of elite game environments amongst the large NBA slate, so let’s begin narrowing down the player pool in our look ahead. It’s a Wet Wednesday edition of the Gems – let’s ride.
One thing I want to clarify based on the questions I have received over the past few years is that I will never list a player under the $5,000 price tag simply because I use the projection model to identify all targets in this range and below. While there are often plenty of options that I like at $5,000 and less, since I often find myself with not only one – but multiple – in my NBA DFS lineups, you all have access to the very model I use to make my own selections, so when asking yourself: “Should I use player X or player Y?”, make sure to check the model because that is how I make all of my own decisions and I truly ride or die by it on a daily basis.
Before running to the DraftKings, FanDuel, or Yahoo lobby to construct your NBA DFS lineup after reading this article, please make sure to utilize the abundance of tools we have at Win Daily:
Sacramento Kings @ Atlanta Hawks (-8)
While the Kings got blown off the court yesterday against Boston, they find themselves in the best game environment on tonight’s NBA slate and we need exposure to it. While Sacramento maintains their year-over-year trend of being one of the fastest teams in the league and one of the poorest defensively, ranking 8th in pace and 28th in defensive rating, respectively, Atlanta is also a favorable matchup for any opponent, ranking 27th in defensive rating in their own right. De’Aaron Fox (ankle) did not play yesterday, he could be back in action tonight, while Tyrese Haliburton, who sports a 17.8% usage rate and 1.00 FPPM on the season, would be a strong priority with a 1.7% increase in usage rate and a 1.05 FPPM with Fox off the court.
On the flip side of this game, Trae Young is right up there with the two players discussed below in my top priorities on this NBA slate. Sporting a 32.9% usage rate in his last six games, Young has scored 24 or more points in every one of those games, while averaging a 29.7/3.7/8.3 scoring line on 47.6% shooting. Not only is he firing on all cylinders on this run, but he’s also getting to the charity stripe ovee nine times per contest, and his opponent tonight allows the most points in the paint per game, while Young himself is fourth in the league in drives per game.
Denver Nuggets @ Brooklyn Nets (+1)
I can take a deep dive into this one but realistically, it’s James Harden versus Nikola Jokic, where the former is without All-NBA teammates Kevin Durant and Kyrie Irving. Although both teams are on the second half of a back-to-back, this game features two of the league’s top 10 offenses and two of the most prolific offensive talents in Harden and Jokic. The former is fresh off a 33-point triple-double versus the Lakers yesterday, while the latter dropped a near triple-double of his own, with a 28-21-9 scoring line against the Pistons. Harden gets Monte Morris, while Jokic will see – checks notes – Aldridge, Claxton, or Sharpe? Yes please.
Phoenix Suns @ Utah Jazz (+4)
This game look familiar to you? It should – the Jazz shocked the Suns the other night by keeping pace without the bulk of their rotation active, and now, both teams are in a similar spot. Utah remains without Donovan Mitchell and Rudy Gobert, but will likely be getting Joe Ingles, Bojan Bogdanovic, and Royce O’Neale back for this one. On the flip side, the Suns remain without Deandre Ayton, Jae Crowder, Cam Payne, and now, JaVale McGee (knee) joins his teammates on the sidelines. Look for the trio of Chris Paul, Devin Booker, and Cam Johnson to log heavy minutes in this one, while the frontcourt tandem is now left to Bismack Biyombo and Jalen Smith, who was stellar during his run in the starting lineup.
Honorable Mentions:
- Charlotte Hornets @ Indiana Pacers
- Toronto Raptors @ Chicago Bulls
You can find us on Twitter @DFS_Ghost and @Bucn4life
