Ah, the infamous Hump Day. Wednesday, to most, includes a variety of mixed temperaments in the workplace (among other outlets of social interaction) that touch on both ends of the spectrum of perspective; a glass half-full/half-empty kind of day.
You have to emotionally rationalize for the rah-rah type, who is a bit too cheery for it to only be halfway through the week, and then the other curmudgeon in the office who makes Walt Kowalski come off as chummy. Responsibilities from all angles begin to reach their event horizon for the week, and there’s not much to stay chipper about besides the anticipatory weekend daydreaming along with the evening slate of action in the NBA.
I said…along with the evening slate of action in the NBA. Hey-ooo! You know what that means. It’s time to dig into our midweek salvation, and this serving is a nine-game menu of a plethora of options.
Let’s try to finish the week closer to the glass half-full side, shall we?
UPDATE (10:09 AM):
It wouldn’t be my article without one of the flagship citations being ruled Out during working hours. But fear not, because thankfully this makes for a busload of leeway in roster construction now…and it starts with Khris Middleton ($6,400 DK/$6,800 FD). Even with Giannis involved, Middleton has been a dominant piece in this Bucks rotation since his recent return over the past month. With Giannis out, the sky is truly the limit. He’s averaging a 25.5% Usage rate over his last ten games played, and I would expect that number to push over the 30% mark in Giannis’ absence this evening.
I’m sure there will be plenty of ownership surrounding both he and backcourt-mate Eric Bledsoe, and rightfully so. Now that you can build around both of these more frugal gents, you’ll be free from having to decide on some other cheap value pieces to surround Giannis with (in the previous construction). Roster this man (and/or Bledsoe) and build around him. FAR too cheap.
Guard
Alec Burks, GS ($5,800 DK/$6,400 FD)
While for whatever reason he’s featured as a Small Forward on FanDuel, Alec Burks finds himself in an excellent matchup with the New York Knicks, who are coming into the second leg of a back-to-back on their four-game road trip.
The Knicks are ranked 27th against the Point Guard position, surrendering an average of 64.58 DraftKings Fantasy Points per game to the position on the season. Although last Friday’s firing of David Fizdale may have cleared away some fog on the horizon for the future of the franchise, the move hasn’t spared them any of their pre-existing rotational woes thus far.
Despite the fact that Burks now comes off the bench with D’Angelo Russell back in rotation for the Warriors, he’s averaging 30 minutes per game in his last three games and maintaining over a 21% Usage rate for the year, although it has slightly declined in recent games. An outing against the Knicks could remedy that, especially with his minutes seeing no impact by Russell’s return. Alec Burks is an excellent Cash Game play with some surprisingly considerable GPP upside.
Donovan Mitchell, UTA ($7,400 DK/$8,100 FD)
With Mike Conley still sitting due to a hamstring injury, the Utah Jazz offense now assuredly flows through Donovan Mitchell. And while his recent games played in Conley’s absence may not reflect a reason for attention on paper, I’m noticing some trends in another direction that are bound to break open if it keeps up.
Mitchell’s Usage rate over the past four games has increased to nearly 40%, which is just about a 72% improvement over his most recent usage rate with Conley in full participation (22%). The Minnesota Timberwolves are currently averaging the third-most DraftKings Fantasy Points to the Shooting Guard position (59.60 PPG) and are playing at the fourth-highest pace in the league.
With 50+ fantasy point upside (and a slim possibility for 60), a currently James Harden-like Usage rate, and a sub-$7,500 price tag, Donovan Mitchell will easily be finding his way into my Wednesday Daily Fantasy rosters.
Forward
Giannis Antetokounmpo, MIL ($11,000 DK/$12,000 FD)
A recent mild slump in fantasy production has seen the price tag for Giannis Antetokounmpo dip (on DK), and as silly as it sounds, $11,000 is far too low for him…especially for this matchup.
The New Orleans Pelicans are among the weakest teams in the league against the Power Forward position for the season, averaging 24.8 points and 11.5 rebounds per game to the position; two categories Giannis tends to staggeringly dominate.
In fact, the man known as The Greek Freak (I didn’t come up with it) is averaging 1.95 DraftKings Fantasy Points per minute. Yes, you read that correctly. That’s just about TWO fantasy points every sixty seconds he registers on the court. If this game for some reason happens to stay at all close, prepare yourself for a potential landslide in points here.
Coming in as the fifth-fastest paced team in the NBA, the New Orleans Pelicans will keep up with the fastest paced Milwaukee Bucks, which means even more potential time of possession for the player with the second-highest Usage rate in the league behind James Harden with 36.7% (hint: it’s Giannis).
If you play multiple entries, you’d be foolish to fade Giannis Antetokounmpo in an outing like this with a massive fantasy point ceiling looming in the wait.
Jabari Parker, ATL ($6,100 DK/$6,300 FD)
In 2019, not a day goes by that we can’t find a Main slate where we can yell, “REVENGE GAME!!!” at the top of our lungs. So if you think you were going to escape without hearing that on an eleven-gamer, you’re out of your damn mind. And today’s Revenge Game of The Day is brought to you by Jabari Parker (you know it rubs opponents of this phrase the wrong way excessively when applied to a journeyman).
All narratives aside, Jabari Parker has been having himself quite the remarkable fantasy season, by his standards especially. Parker has taken the bull of an opportunity by its horns with John Collins being suspended 25-games (whose return is interestingly approaching), cementing himself in the Atlanta Hawks’ starting rotation and averaging close to 30 minutes per game while maintaining over a fantasy point per minute on average.
Parker gets not only the added fuel of facing his first of two teams who rostered him in 2018 before trading him away to the dreadful Washington Wizards (from the likes of the dreadful Chicago Bulls, mind you). But he also takes on the second-worst team in the league against the Power Forward position from a fantasy perspective, coughing up an average of 55.73 DKFP per game to the position.
Revenge Game narratives may be an annoying trend to rave about, but this one specifically may harbor a diamond in the rough on this vast Wednesday slate.
Center
Bismack Biyombo, CHA ($3,700 DK/$3,900 FD)
Another day, another soon-to-be-chalk, bargain Center to roster. And honestly, can we complain? Priced down even further than most recently featured prices of his, Bismack Biyombo rolls out as the starting Center for the Charlotte Hornets yet another night while his salary tag flutters on the bottom shelf just a tier too low.
Although Wednesday’s matchup with the Brooklyn Nets comes on the second half of a back-to-back, Biyombo’s sub-$4,000 market on both sites takes a lot to kill a roster and doesn’t come without his share of fantasy point ceiling value. Scoring over 33 DKFP in 24 minutes on a Tuesday night victory against Washington shines some promising light on his current status within the Charlotte rotation, although he’s not a consistent Usage monster by any means.
But at $3,700 and $3,900, respectively, Biyombo is a tad too cheap facing a Brooklyn Nets team who’s among the worst teams in the league against opposing Centers, allowing an average of 43.29 DKFP per game to the position. With 30-point fantasy potential, Bismack Biyombo makes for promising salary relief on a Wednesday slate loaded with some top-shelf talent you’ll need the bankroll for.