NBA DFS: Best Plays for Wednesday, March 9th

What a wild day in the NFL it was on Tuesday, huh? The Denver Broncos acquired Russell Wilson from the Seattle Seahawks while Aaron Rodgers announced that he was returning to the Green Bay Packers. Following an eventful day in the NFL, we’ll have an action-packed slate of games in the NBA on Wednesday.

There are 12 games taking place across the association on Wednesday night, with seven teams on the second leg of a back-to-back. Those seven teams are the Charlotte Hornets, the Phoenix Suns, the Orlando Magic, the New Orleans Pelicans, the Milwaukee Bucks, the Oklahoma City Thunder, and the Los Angeles Clippers. With plenty of injury news to pay attention to, here are my favorite plays at each position for DraftKings’ main slate on Wednesday night.

Point Guard

Pay-up option: Trae Young ($10,300)

We have an array of talented point guards to choose from on Wednesday night led by Luka Doncic at $12,300. Doncic is a remarkable choice every night and I wouldn’t blame anyone for using him. While Doncic will play in a slow-paced game versus the New York Knicks on Wednesday, Trae Young will be in a fast-paced environment against the Milwaukee Bucks in a rematch of last year’s Eastern Conference Finals. Young has averaged 63.3 DraftKings points in his first two matchups with the Bucks this season and Milwaukee surrenders a league-worst 14.1 three-pointers per game, which could allow Young to catch fire from deep. Jrue Holiday at $7,900 is certainly worth consideration on the other side of the court if you’re searching for someone in the mid-tier range at point guard.

Value option: Jordan McLaughlin ($3,800)

Assuming that D’Angelo Russell misses another game for the Minnesota Timberwolves, Jordan McLaughin is a spectacular value option on DraftKings. McLaughlin has logged 20+ minutes in four straight games, posting 26+ DraftKings points in his last two appearances. The matchup would be fantastic for McLaughlin on Wednesday as the Timberwolves take on the Thunder, who have given up the most DraftKings points per game (58.35) to point guards in their last seven games. If Russell makes his return to the lineup on Wednesday night, then McLaughlin is off my radar. Austin Reaves is a viable value option if Russell is active for Minnesota.

Shooting Guard

Pay-up option: CJ McCollum ($8,900)

The Pelicans have looked like a rejuvenated team since acquiring CJ McCollum from the Portland Trail Blazers. McCollum has essentially moved to the point guard position while Devonte’ Graham has moved to the bench for New Orleans. Despite playing on a back-to-back, McCollum is a great option on Wednesday night versus the Magic. McCollum has recorded 40+ DraftKings points in eight of his last nine games, so his floor is relatively safe. Orlando’s defense has surrendered the sixth-most DraftKings points per game (44.97) to shooting guards in their last seven games. You can go down to Terry Rozier in a revenge game versus the Boston Celtics if you need to save some salary or Jalen Green is playing much better for the Houston Rockets at only $5,700.

Value option: Lonnie Walker ($4,400)

At the moment, it appears that Lonnie Walker and Devin Vassell are probable to return for the San Antonio Spurs following a one-game absence. Vassell is a fine option as he’s joined the starting lineup since the trade of Derrick White. But Walker has operated as the primary scorer off of San Antonio’s bench, making him extremely valuable in DFS. Before being limited to only 18 minutes against the Hornets on March 5th, Walker supplied 27+ DraftKings points in six straight games for the Spurs. Even though the Toronto Raptors aren’t an ideal matchup, Walker should be priced around $5,000 on the green site. Landry Shamet and Eric Gordon are also viable in a similar salary range as long as Devin Booker remains out for the Suns.

Small Forward

Pay-up option: LeBron James ($11,600)

LeBron James was unable to suit up for the Los Angeles Lakers on Monday night versus the Spurs after he produced a 56-point outing against the Golden State Warriors. The Lakers say that James is experiencing some swelling in his knee, which already caused him to miss some time for Los Angeles this season. If he’s able to play on Wednesday night, then James is in a smash spot in a fast-paced contest against the Rockets. Throughout his first three meetings with the Rockets this season, James has averaged 56.9 DraftKings points. In the event that James misses his second consecutive game, then Khris Middleton and Scottie Barnes are viable replacements at small forward.

Value option: De’Andre Hunter ($4,800)

The impending matchup between the Hawks and the Bucks is going to be a popular one to stack on Wednesday night. Besides the big-name players to choose from, De’Andre Hunter is in store for a productive outing. Hunter has assumed a larger role since the Hawks traded Cam Reddish, with Hunter playing 30+ minutes in 17 of the 26 games he’s appeared in since January 12th. Once again, the Bucks surrender the most threes per game in the NBA, so Hunter’s scoring ceiling is raised on Wednesday night.

Power Forward

Pay-up option: Wendell Carter Jr. ($7,500)

There are a few expensive options at the power forward position, including Giannis Antetokounmpo, Jayson Tatum, and Julius Randle. While those three are decent options, I’m going to go with a player that has been one of my favorite players to use in DFS this season. Wendell Carter Jr. of the Magic is a double-double machine and has notched 35+ DraftKings points in seven of his last eight games. Unless Orlando rests him on a back-to-back, Carter has a nice matchup against the Pelicans on Wednesday night. Harrison Barnes and John Collins are also viable options at power forward if you need to shed some salary at the position.

Value option: Jae’Sean Tate ($4,800)

It has been a fruitful endeavor to use players that face the Lakers this season, so why would we stop on Wednesday night? Houston gets an opportunity to square off with Los Angeles on Wednesday following a Lakers’ loss to the Spurs on Monday. Jae’Sean Tate has been wildly inconsistent recently, but he gets a chance to bounce back against a reeling Los Angeles team. Tate does carry a questionable tag on Wednesday, so there’s a chance Houston rests him as they have nothing to play for. If Tate is ruled out, then insert KJ Martin in this spot.

Center

Pay-up option: Nikola Jokic ($12,600)

Nikola Jokic has been playing at an MVP level all season, but he’s put together two masterful performances in his last two appearances. After posting a whopping 95 DraftKings points on Sunday, Jokic proceeded to supply 75.25 DraftKings points on Monday. Following a day to rest, Jokic is in a prime spot to continue his recent tear with a plus matchup versus the Sacramento Kings on Wednesday. Jokic has averaged 60.5 DraftKings points in his previous three outings against the Kings this season. The Kings have given up the second-most DraftKings points per game (63.66) to centers in their last 30 games, so the stars are aligned for Jokic to explode on Wednesday. If you absolutely need to save salary or you’re interested in playing another center in the utility spot, Robert Williams and Ivica Zubac are great options as well.

Value option: Maxi Kleber ($3,800)

Following the trade of Kristaps Porzinigs, the Dallas Mavericks have elected to go with a committee approach in their frontcourt. We’ve seen Maxi Kleber and Dwight Powell get the majority of the run at the center position in recent weeks, but Kleber gives us more in multiple categories. Kleber has received 20+ minutes in four out of his last five appearances, which has resulted in 20+ DraftKings points in each of those four games. Seeing that Kleber is only $3,800 on DraftKings, we don’t need him to do much to return value.