NBA DFS Picks: The NBA Slate Starter for DraftKings + FanDuel

Hello and welcome to another edition of the NBA Slate Starter! Let’s jump right into some analysis for Wednesday’s two-game slate on DraftKings and FanDuel starting at 6:30 p.m. EST.

Here We Go Again

Today could very well be our last two-game slate of the year, depending on how Toronto fares in this Game 6. The Raptors were completely run off the court on Monday, destroying any momentum they had coming off impressive wins in their previous two. For some context, Kyle Lowry, Fred VanVleet and Pascal Siakam were all centerpieces of my lineups for Game 5, and not a single one surpassed 34 DraftKings points. In other words, it was a disaster.

I have no idea which version of this team will show up in this spot, but I have to believe Nick Nurse is going to give his starters every minute he possibly can to stave off elimination, even if this game goes south. That means, for better or worse, it’s right back to the well on all of these Raptors that burned us so egregiously on Monday. Lowry should continue to be the highest-owned of the bunch considering he’s the only Toronto player who’s shown a ceiling in this series. VanVleet saw his price tag decline to mirror his declining quality of play, so at $7,500 on DraftKings he’s way too good to pass up. And for the 96th slate in a row, I’ll be paying and praying for Siakam to revert to his pre-bubble self and take advantage of the mismatches he theoretically creates against Boston.

We’re also waiting on some Serge Ibaka news that could spice things up in this rotation, as he’s deemed questionable with a sprained ankle for Game 6. I’m not sure how many more minutes Nick Nurse would want to push the corpse of Marc Gasol at this point, but he’ll surely get a bump up to playable from me should Ibaka sit. The person who stands to gain the most from this seems to be Norman Powell. Nurse could opt to slide Siakam to the five and run a small-ball lineup with Powell at the three. The only flier I could potentially see getting inserted into the lineup would be Chris Boucher, but considering Toronto’s stuck to a tight rotation this series, it’s doubtful he sees enough minutes to be worth our while for DFS.

On the Boston side, it’s mostly the usual suspects for me. Jayson Tatum, Kemba Walker and Jaylen Brown all did damage in Game 5, but received far less run than normal due to the blowout. All continue to be great options today, albeit cost prohibitive if trying to jam in studs from the late-night hammer. Marcus Smart and Daniel Theis are again great lineup fillers, particularly on FanDuel where you get three points for steals and blocks. And as a surprise addition to my list of interests, Brad Wanamaker got some extended run even before the blowout, playing the entire second quarter and putting up 25.25 DraftKings points for the game. He’s only $3,500 again today and should be a somewhat popular source of savings.

Hey Porter, Hey Porter

Our old friend recency bias should pop up all over the place in the aftermath of the Clippers – Nuggets Game 3. Paul Millsap and Jerami Grant busted at substantial ownership, while fellow forward Michael Porter Jr. exploded for 40 DraftKings points capitalized by a highlight reel dunk for the ages.

Since I expect Porter to see exponentially more ownership, my plan is to come in way under the field and opt for more of the other two Nuggets forwards instead. My reasoning is simple: Minutes. Mike Malone refuses to give his young phenom extended run in these playoffs, be it for defensive deficiency or being downright dumb. And sure, you’re going to have games like Monday where Porter spikes double-double upside and kills you if you don’t have him. But if the masses flock to more of someone who just went off in the previous game, and there isn’t a clear path to more court time, it’s the perfect opportunity to jump ship.

For the Clippers, Ivica Zubac had by far his worst effort of the playoffs in Game 3. Dealing with foul trouble throughout trying to guard Nikola Jokic, he put up less than 10 points on FanDuel as the highest-owned center on the slate. Just like with the Grant and Millsap, I hope those who got burned in Game 3 opt to go elsewhere so I can have all of it. Barring catastrophic defensive issues against Jokic, Doc Rivers should be running Zubac’s minutes into the mid-to-high 20s in this one. Averaging 1.16 fantasy points per minute on the year, that makes him an exceptional value and a potential slate-winning bounce-back play.

Final Thoughts for Your NBA DFS Lineups

You don’t need me to tell you Kawhi Leonard and Jokic are outstanding spend-up options. Both have the highest ceilings on this slate, and both could be easily-accessible depending on how you feel about the cheap value.

As far as the Raptors go, I see no way around jamming them in again today. Lowry is the priority on DraftKings for me, but at $8,900 on FanDuel he’s tough to make work. I failed to mention O.G. Anunoby, who could also see a little extended run if Ibaka were to be ruled out. But with only a 14.2% usage rate for the series, he’s by no means someone I’m going out of my way to roster today.

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Author

Eric Lindquist

Eric Lindquist hails from Sioux Falls, South Dakota (yes, that’s the one with Mount Rushmore). A steady diet of three SportsCenters a day at an early age led to his obsession with sports, one that 30 years later is paying dividends for him as a successful DFS player and sports bettor. Despite over half a million dollars in net career earnings, he’s most passionate about helping others achieve their financial goals, an energy you can witness on the daily in his current role as a host and analyst at Stokastic. He’s a former Division I golfer at Iowa State, wishes he was a former Minnesota sports fan, and is a proud father to a 100-pound Bernese Mountain dog named Duke that wishes he could just eat people food instead of the crap he and his wife feed him on the daily.