Last night was pretty wild for a two-game slate. Now we get even crazier with an insane 12 games on the schedule for Wednesday night. There are an absurd amount of stars worth paying up for, so I definitely suggest getting creative in tournaments.
However, the best way to be a little contrarian may be with the value. There is precious little reliable value on this slate, and the top spends feel pretty obvious. With that, let’s dive into my top NBA DFS picks for Wednesday night at DraftKings:
Giannis Antetokounmpo, F/C, Bucks ($11.1k)
Giannis is appropriately priced, but you could argue we’re getting him at a discount. He is worth paying for, though, because the 2nd tier of studs have lower floors and he has the best projection of the slate by a good bit.
He also faces the Washington Wizards, who are specifically bad at stopping people down low. Giannis should feast on the glass and as a scorer on the interior, while Damian Lillard no longer being around obviously bumps his already absurd usage.
Wemby is a fine direct pivot at F/C and Anthony Davis feels discounted. But neither of them save you so much cash that I feel compelled to play them over The Greek Freak on this slate.
P.J. Washington, SF/PF, Mavericks ($3k)
This is a pricing error, but we get P.J. Washington at the flat minimum. I do think there is some context to be considered here since Brow and Cooper Flagg are things, but Washington is going to have a role and he looks like a free square.
There is a world where this doesn’t go as planned, but Washington really doesn’t need to do much to smash this price tag. The fact that he is SF eligible makes it an even easier call. I think you can make a case for fading anyone in tournaments, but he’s a cash game lock and probably not someone I’ll be fading anywhere.
Cade Cunningham, PG, Pistons ($9.9k)
It’s a 12-game slate, so you definitely can make a case to pay up for two bigs, but bypassing Cade in a smash spot against the Bulls seems like a bad idea.
Trae Young, Devin Booker, and Ja Morant all look good, but they’re all in a similar price range and Cade is just the better play in a better spot. In GPPs you can pivot to any of those guys if that’s where you want to gain leverage on the field, but it feels like it’s not totally necessary.
Jock Landale, C, Grizzlies ($4k)
This slate is too massive to not eat some major punts and load up on studs. If there were a core play to shy away from, though, perhaps Landale is it. He is, in fact, Jock Landale, after all.
Still, Zach Edey is out for this game, and it looks like Landale is going to get the start.
The floor isn’t great, but he’s a bit too cheap for a starter who has a good matchup against the Pelicans. That, and the Grizz are even more shorthanded than that, with Desmond Bane in Orlando and a bunch of other guys banged up.
If better value presents itself, feel free to get off Jock. But for now, he looks like a fine punt – especially since most of the top center plays I’m interested in (Giannis/Brow/Zion) are F eligible.
Honorable Mentions
- Payton Pritchard ($6.9k)
- Josh Giddey ($9.2k)
- Deni Avdija ($8.5k)
- Yabu ($3.8k)
- Edgecombe ($5k)
- Drew Eubanks ($5.3k)
Boston traded Porzingis away and they also no longer have Jrue Holiday. Jayson Tatum (achillies) is on the shelf, too, and now Jaylen Brown might not play. If that’s true, a lot of Celtics will stand out as terrific plays, but Pritchard would be the guy I look to first.
We feasted with Deni and Giddey down the stretch last year. They are both too cheap if they continue to be those same dudes. There is risk here considering guys like Cade/Zion/Giannis may need to be sacrificed if we go that route, but there is no denying that they are appealing plays.
Yabu never feels great, but the Knicks could be without KAT tonight. A date with the Cavs isn’t optimal, but he wouldn’t have to do much to pay off this cheap salary. He’s also PF eligible, which makes him easier to fit in your NBA DFS lineups.
Edgecombe also stands out. PG-13 and Jared McClain are both out for this one, so the rookie could start and thrive right away. Risky, but high upside and discounted.
I’ll also mention Eubanks, who should start in place if a sidelined Sabonis. I like Washington/Jock much more due to savings, but he’s cheap enough and is plenty viable.
It’s a 12-game slate, so there are countless other plays and injuries will change things greatly, but I love starting off my builds with this NBA DFS core.
Updated NBA DK Core for 10/22
- Giannis
- Cade
- Washington
I still like Jock enough, but Yabu can be played at all the F spots and KAT is officially listed as doubtful for tonight. Jalen Brunson gets a major boost, but I still prefer a lot of the other guards on this slate.
Worth noting that Giannis was “downgraded to probable”.
He may still play and smash, but if you’re worried, you can pivot to Wemby or Brow without feeling bad about it. If Giannis is scratched, Bobby Portis would be a core play and the likes of KPJ and Myles Turner would be excellent mid-range plays as well.
Update: Trimming the core to just 3. This is starting to feel very much like a stars and scrubs slate. I think due to the Giannis news we can definitely pivot to Wemby or Brow, while I love that 2nd tier with the guards and Zion as well. Other punts such as Hukporti, Tyson, and Kalkbrenner all look pretty appealing – there is suddenly too many true punts to not get excited about that approach. That said, PJ is far and away the top punt and as long as they’re good to go, Cade/Giannis is the best pair up top.
FanDuel Core
- Harden ($8.3k)
- Cooper Flagg ($6.1k)
- Kevin Porter Jr. ($5.6k)
- Zion ($9.3k)
Due to having to play an extra guy, I tend to not force the most expensive guys. Wemby and Giannis look great, but they make more sense to me on DK. You can play them, but Zion feels like the better value.
KPJ is too cheap on FD. Pritchard is close as well, but KPJ is in the better spot and really just has Giannis to contend with for usage.
Flagg is way too cheap on FD. Is this the cheapest we ever see him? Possibly. He’s not nearly as appealing on DK, but he feels like a must here.
Harden is viable on both sites, but he is a smash on FD. He enters the night with a top 10 projection at PG, and yet he’s cheaper than every other stud PG. Utah is a dream spot, too.
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