RADIO
For the second straight day, COVID-19 has forced changes to the DFS slate as the NBA attempts to combat the spread of the virus. Having announced additional health and safety protocols measures Tuesday, the players will have to adjust to many off-the-court habits, as well as some on-the-court ones as well.
More than ever, it’s imperative to stay vigilant when it comes to checking who’s in/out prior to tip-off. Many teams have been playing short-handed this year, allowing players who were previously fantasy non-entities to move into considerable roles. We’ll highlight some of those names below, as well as those who have either cash and/or GPP potential worth consideration amidst a busy slate Wednesday.
This article will provide you with my daily fantasy basketball lineup picks for DraftKings on 1/13/21. You can also check out today's FanDuel lineup picks. With COVID-19 a significant factor globally, remember to monitor injury news as the slate can completely change before line-up lock.
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DraftKings DFS Guards
LaMelo Ball - PG, CHA @ DAL ($7,200)
When Ball first faced off against the Mavericks back on Dec. 30, his Rookie of the Year aspirations were not trending in the right direction. After that meeting, he has not only put the odds of securing that award in a stranglehold, he has morphed into one of the league’s most captivating talents on a nightly basis.
That first meeting with Dallas saw Ball go for 22 points on 7-for-10 shooting (going 4-for-5 from long range), adding eight rebounds and five assists. That appears to be the baseline of production that fantasy managers have grown accustomed with since then, as Ball’s price tag has still consistently fallen short, as he has exceeded value in each of his past three games, and in seven of his last eight.
Delon Wright - PG/SG, DET @ MIL ($5,000)
Having taken over starting point guard duties in the wake of Killian Hayes’ (hip) injury, the key to DFS success for Wright has been minutes played. When given ample time to pack the stat sheet, Wright has shown an ability to hit value, something that he has done in each of his past two performances.
Nickeil Alexander-Walker - PG/SG, NO @ LAC ($3,100)
Upside abounds for Alexander-Walker, who is in line to make just the second start of his career with Lonzo Ball (knee) already ruled out versus the Clippers. Should Eric Bledsoe (eye) join him on the sidelines, Alexander-Walker would likely challenge his career-high 36 minutes allotment due to the team’s limited backcourt depth.
In his lone NBA start thus far, Alexander-Walker dropped 29 points and dished out seven assists in a contest that came during the bubble. While it would be a stretch to expect that level of production -- particularly against a sound L.A. defense -- from the second-year guard, he has flashed his potential when given a chance, averaging 12 PPG in outings that he sees at least 20 minutes of action this season.
DraftKings DFS Forwards
Tim Hardaway Jr. - SG/SF, DAL vs. CHA ($6,900)
As contact tracing and health and safety protocols continue to keep Dallas’ roster at less than full strength, Hardaway gets to unlock his “score at all costs” mentality. It worked well the first time out, as Hardaway went for 36 points versus Orlando on Saturday, only for Monday’s game to be postponed.
When Charlotte and Dallas first locked horns earlier this year, Hardaway -- with a full complement of teammates -- shot 7-for-10 from the field, including 3-for-6 from behind the arc. Now that he has offensive carte blanche, he has emerged as one of the more exciting GPP candidates available Wednesday.
Dillon Brooks - SG/SF, MEM @ MIN ($6,600)
For the first time this season, Brooks enters play Wednesday having strung together back-to-back 20-plus-point performances. He did so against two of the better defenses in terms of efficiency (Brooklyn, Cleveland) to begin the season, whereas he now gets to face Minnesota, who has the fourth-worst defensive efficiency rating (112.1), all while yielding 118.8 PPG, which is also the fourth-highest mark in the league.
Brooks’ fantasy bugaboo entering this year was his solitary focus on scoring. While his PPG production has been right in line with where it was last season, he has bumped his steals (1.6), rebounds (4.4), and assists (3.0) per contest average up accordingly. His price tag is elevated Wednesday due to the matchup, making him more of a cash contest option due to his traditionally capped minutes load.
Kevin Knox II - SF/PF, NY vs. BKN ($3,900)
A roll of the dice selection, Knox carries scoring upside due to his role within the second unit. Coming off of a season-high 19-point performance in his latest outing in which he hoisted a career-high-tying 12 three-point attempts, Knox may be able to hit value from behind the arc alone if his shot is falling.
He stands to see a slight increase in usage so long as Reggie Bullock (hip) remains sidelined. But both New York’s competitive depth on the wing and Knox’s limited contributions in other categories makes him undoubtedly more of a GPP attraction.
DraftKings DFS Centers
Enes Kanter - C, POR @ SAC ($4,800)
With Jusuf Nurkic (quad) having left Monday’s outing early due to a quad injury, Kanter would stand to benefit from the center’s absence Wednesday, particularly against an exploitable Kings interior. Kanter’s issues have never been about not collecting enough fantasy production in the time that he has been given, it’s merely being a serviceable defender for the team that he’s on; should Nurkic be unavailable, Portland may be tasked to hand him a larger chunk of minutes at center, especially to combat Richaun Holmes and Hassan Whiteside.
To further enhance Kanter’s appeal, Sacramento has allowed the third-most DK PPG (60.7) to opposing centers. When the two sides met last Saturday, Kanter snared a season-high 15 rebounds to go along with 11 points in just 19 minutes of action.
(Should Nurkic ultimately get the green light to play, Kanter would retain some value, but would not be nearly as vaunted as if he draws the start. Fantasy managers could consider pivoting to either Bismack Biyombo or Willie Cauley-Stein, both of whom figure to remain aggressive on the glass, particularly due to the fact that they’ll be attempting to contain the other.)
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