The final push to the NBA postseason is underway and basketball fans will have plenty of choice come Wednesday night with a full slate featuring 26 teams playing in 13 games. The loaded schedule could complicate things even further for DraftKings daily fantasy leagues with so many different possible lineups but there are a handful of key players worth building around that have to be taken in to consideration. Here is our look at the best starting five for your DraftKings daily fantasy leagues for Wednesday night’s games.
PG: Kyrie Irving, Cleveland
Perhaps the most promising sign from the Cavaliers heading in to this final stretch is the fact that they seem to be having so much fun as a group having, won seven of their last eight games. Chemistry will be the key heading in to their final five games and Irving has really come around of late in terms of his fantasy production. Irving has averaged 25.0 points, 4.5 assists and 3.0 rebounds over the past week but it’s his ability to stuff the other stat categories that has made his play so impressive.
He has averaged 3.5 threes and 3.5 steals over that span as well. Cleveland has a favorable matchup against the Milwaukee Bucks on Wednesday and it wouldn’t be a surprise if Irving had another strong effort. In three games against the Bucks this season, Irving has averaged 24.3 points, 5.7 assists, 3.3 rebounds, 1.0 steals, 0.7 threes and five made free throws per outing.
SG: James Harden, Houston
If there is one player to build your daily fantasy league around for Wednesday, it is undoubtedly the Rockets (and league?) MVP as Harden has put his team on his back with some absolutely ridiculous totals over Houston’s past three games. Harden has averaged 38.7 points, 6.0 assists, 6.0 rebounds and 2.3 steals over the last seven days including a 51-point performance against the Sacramento Kings and a 41-point performance against the Oklahoma City Thunder. The Rockets superstar has to know he is in the thick of the MVP race and a big performance on the road against the defending NBA champion San Antonio Spurs will certainly help his case.
SF: Andrew Wiggins, Minnesota
Forget about his potential to win the Rookie of the Year award, the bottom line is that Wiggins has been an elite fantasy player over the past couple of weeks regardless of his status. DeMar DeRozan is the only SF eligible player with a higher points per game in that same span. Wiggins has averaged 24.3 points, 5.0 rebounds and 2.7 assists over his last three games and he’s been very useful from the free-throw line. He’s been to the line 28 times in the last three games and has converted 23 of those freebies. He deserves a spot in the starting five with Minnesota visiting the Portland Trail Blazers.
PF: Nikola Vucevic, Orlando
Another player that has flown under the radar based on his reputation is Vucevic, who has averaged 21.8 points, 12.2 rebounds and 3.4 assists over the past 15 days. That includes his absolutely ridiculous effort with 37 points and 17 rebounds against Minnesota on Friday. Vucevic doesn’t get the credit he deserves as an underrated play at the power forward spot and while the Chicago Bulls represent a tough matchup, he should put up a decent line.
C: Brook Lopez, Brooklyn
The Nets are one of the hottest teams in the NBA having won eight of their last 10 games to climb in to an Eastern Conference playoff spot and the play of Lopez has been a big part of their success. Lopez has averaged 25.6 points, 9.3 rebounds and 2.0 blocks per game over the past couple of weeks and he will need another big performance to help Brooklyn hang around with the Atlanta Hawks after they suffered a 131-99 loss in their last meeting on Saturday night.
Lopez was held to 11 points and six rebounds in that loss but that was easily his worst performance over the past couple of weeks. The Nets will want revenge and it might come easier than expected as the Hawks are in a back-to-back situation and might rest players.
