28 of the league’s 30 teams will be in action and with 14 games to choose from, winning on Wednesday will come down to finding the perfect balance between superstar talent and sleeper value bargain plays. Here is a look at the optimal lineup for Wednesday’s DraftKings NBA Daily Fantasy Leagues.
PG: Mo Williams, Cleveland Cavaliers
Salary: $4,900
Williams might not be a stud point guard in annual fantasy basketball leagues but with Kyrie Irving still sidelined and the veteran Williams starting for Cleveland, he is an incredible value play in Daily Fantasy Leagues. Williams had 19 points, seven assists, four rebounds, a steal, a block and three three-point shots in the Cavaliers’ 97-95 loss to the Chicago Bulls on Tuesday night and we would be thrilled if he could repeat those numbers on Wednesday against the Memphis Grizzlies with a price tag under $5K.
SG: James Harden, Houston Rockets
Salary: $10,100
Nobody needs to be convinced that Harden is worth taking in Daily Fantasy Leagues but if Stephen Curry’s opening night performance is any indication, he could have something special in store. There are only so many players worth splurging on with a price tag at over $10K but Harden is one of them and we feel very comfortable building our team around him for Houston’s home opener against the Denver Nuggets.
SF: Kevin Durant, Oklahoma City Thunder
Salary: $9,800
It’s easy to forget about how dominant Durant was a couple of years ago in his MVP season but he is back at full strength heading in to a contract season. That could mean big numbers are in store. Durant will need to be at his best in a potential Western Conference Finals preview against the San Antonio Spurs on opening night and we look forward to seeing how he performs in front of a packed house in Oklahoma City.
PF: Nikola Mirotic, Chicago Bulls
Salary: $6,400
For all of the talk about Jimmy Butler, Pau Gasol and Derrick Rose, it was amazing to see Mirotic lead Chicago with a team-high 19 points including three three-point shots and nine rebounds versus Cleveland. Mirotic might not lead the Bulls again on Wednesday night but he has the potential to put up a solid stat line against the Brooklyn Nets and his price tag makes him worth sliding in to this spot.
C: Robin Lopez, New York Knicks
Salary: $5,300
Lopez didn’t have to play a starring role in Portland where he was paired with LaMarcus Aldridge but he could have a bigger role in New York where he will be leaned on as the Knicks best veteran big man. He won’t dominate at a superstar level but he will put up decent numbers against the Milwaukee Bucks and his very reasonable $5.3K price tag makes him the perfect fit at our center position.
G: Ish Smith, New Orleans Pelicans
Salary: $3,000
There aren’t many quality fantasy contributors available for the minimum price tag but Smith scored 17 points with nine assists and three steals off the bench for New Orleans in their 111-95 loss to the Golden State Warriors. He will likely be leaned on again in this game. Smith has the potential to at least come close to matching his production from the opener and that is more than enough to take a chance on him for just $3K.
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F: Joe Johnson, Brooklyn Nets
Salary: $5,100
Brooklyn is a team in transition and while Johnson is a declining veteran, he has the potential to be a serious sleeper pick in Daily Fantasy Leagues early on with fresh legs and a very modest $5.1K price tag. The Nets will rely on Johnson even more this season and while that could wear him down throughout the year, he should have a strong start out of the gate including Wednesday’s game against the Bulls.
FLEX: Eric Gordon, New Orleans Pelicans
Salary: $5,200
Scanning through the potential candidates to find the player with the best potential that can still fit under our salary cap led us to Gordon, who had 14 points including two three-point shots with four rebounds, four assists and a steal against Golden State. Gordon should have another strong game against a lesser opponent in the Portland Trail Blazers so he is an excellent fit as our FLEX play.
