This article is part of our DraftKings NBA series.
Slate Overview
CLE vs. BOS: These teams have traded off wins and losses in seven straight matchups.
NYK vs. TOR: The Knicks have won eight straight over the Raptors.
PHI vs. ATL: The Hawks have won five straight games over the Sixers.
POR vs. OKC: The Thunder have won 17 of their last 18 games against the Blazers, but Portland handed OKC their only defeat this season.
MIN vs. SAS: The T'Wolves have won 11 of their last 15 games over the Spurs.
For the latest spreads and over/unders, visit RotoWire's NBA Odds page. There you can also find player props, futures, picks, articles and sportsbook bonus codes.
Injuries to Monitor
For all the latest updates, visit RotoWire's NBA Injury News page and our comprehensive NBA Injury Report.
BOS - Jaylen Brown (back), Derrick White (calf), Jayson Tatum (Achilles), Neemias Queta (ankle) B2B
CLE - Max Strus (foot)
NYK - Landry Shamet (shoulder), OG Anunoby (hamstring)
TOR - RJ Barrett (knee) B2B
PHI - Joel Embiid (knee), Paul George (?), VJ Edgecombe (calf), Andre Drummond (knee), Kelly Oubre Jr (knee), Trendon Watford (thigh)
ATL - Trae Young (knee), Kristaps Porzingis (illness)
POR - Jrue Holiday (calf), Damian Lillard (Achilles), Scoot Henderson (hamstring)
OKC - Isaiah Hartenstein (ankle), Aaron Wiggins (thigh)
MIN - NONE B2B
SAS - Victor Wembanyama (calf), Stephon Castle (hip)
Elite Players
Guards
Tyrese Maxey, Sixers ($9,900) vs. Hawks
Maxey remains a top-three scorer in the NBA and has truly taken over this Philadelphia offense. All of the injuries have allowed Maxey to do just that, averaging 31.7 points, 4.7 rebounds and 7.5 assists per game. That's led to Maxey maintaining a 54-point average on DraftKings while establishing a 40-point floor. Both of those should be easy to reach against Atlanta, with Maxey scoring 67 and 48 DK points in his two most recent matchups with the Hawks.
Anthony Edwards, Timberwolves ($9,200) vs. Spurs
ANT got off to a slow start this season, but this superstar is starting to turn things around. Edwards has at least 49 fantasy points in four straight fixtures while scoring over 62 DK points in half of those. That's the stud production we've been waiting to see, and you know he'll be hungry to keep that going against a contender like the Spurs. San Antonio's defensive numbers are far inferior with Wembanyama sidelined, and ANT should feast with how poor their defense was at times last year.
Forwards/Centers
Jalen Johnson, Hawks ($10,100) at Sixers
The Young injury looked like a nightmare for the Hawks, but Johnson has taken over this offense in his absence. They're 11-5 without the All-Star, and Johnson's triple-double ways are a significant reason why. JJ has at least 45 DK points in nine of his last 10 outings while averaging 22.9 points, 10.6 rebounds, 9.2 assists and 1.9 steals per game in that span. There aren't many players stuffing the stat sheet like that, and those usage numbers could get even higher with Porzingis missing this game as well. Not to mention, Philly ranks 19th in points allowed and 20th in defensive efficiency.
Onyeka Okongwu, Hawks ($7,200) at Sixers
We usually don't have two players from the same team in the same section, but this Hawks team has a ton of shots and usage on the table with Young and Porzingis sidelined. Okongwu will benefit most from KP being out because it'll guarantee Big O 35-40 minutes as the starting center. When this guy has that type of role, he averages nearly 40 fantasy points per game and should be an $8K player. That becomes even more enticing here because the Sixers are down to their third-string center with Embiid and Drummond both sidelined. Okongwu has at least 31 fantasy points in all eight starts while averaging over 42 DraftKings points per game.
Expected Chalk
Shai Gilgeous-Alexander, Thunder ($10,900) at Trail Blazers
SGA is one of the safest options in DFS, and he'll likely be rostered more than anyone else because of that consistency. The reigning MVP has scored at least 38 DK points in all but a handful of games since the start of last season. He's paired that with a 54-point average, and there's simply no safer bet for a player on this slate to reach 40-60 DK points. We also have a rare revenge game for SGA because Portland is the only team OKC has lost to this season. Gilgeous-Alexander has also scored at least 47 fantasy points in seven straight meetings with the Blazers.
Mid-Range Money
Darius Garland, Cavaliers ($6,400) vs. Celtics
How bizarre is it to see Garland at just $6,400? It's easy to understand why, since he's missed most of the season due to a toe injury, but this All-Star seems to be over that ailment. Garland dropped 38 DraftKings points across 33 minutes in his most recent outing and should be ready to reclaim his 35-minute role for the remainder of the season. He's been close to an $8K player with that type of role in the past, and this might be the last time you see him this cheap for the remainder of the season. The Celtics are far from a scary matchup, too, with DG scoring at least 33 DK points in three straight matchups with Boston.
Jaden McDaniels, Timberwolves ($5,600) vs. Spurs
This is another peculiar price tag. McDaniels is always one of the safest bets to play 35-40 minutes because of his elite defense, and it leads to one of the highest floors for a sub-$6K player. Not only is this defensive stud averaging over 30 DK points per game, but he's also established a 20-point floor. That's massive for such an affordable player, and he makes a great pairing with some of the studs mentioned above. He's also scored at least 33 DK points in six of his last nine outings while scoring at least 31 fantasy points in three straight matchups with the Spurs.
Value Picks
Adem Bona, Sixers ($4,100) vs. Hawks
This is a risky option, but one of these big men needs to play minutes for the Sixers. We'll bet on it being Bona because he's been the best option in the past. Embiid and Drummond have both been ruled out for this game, which could lead to Bona playing 25-30 minutes as the starting center. That was on full display when Bona had 26 DK points across 23 minutes in the game where Drummond got injured. He also averaged 35 DraftKings points per game across 30 minutes in the final 15 games last season. We only need 25 fantasy points for Bona to be an elite value, but that prior production tells us he could be the per-dollar play of the day if he gets the minutes we're projecting.
Ja'Kobe Walter, Raptors ($3,500) at Knicks
This is simply a minutes play because we haven't seen Walter do much from a fantasy perspective. With Barrett sidelined, Walter has played 27 and 32 minutes in the two most recent games. It's nearly impossible to find a $3,500 player who plays 30 minutes because you only need 20 DK points from a player that cheap. That's close to his average over the last two weeks, and having this expanded role could lead to the confidence he needs to clear the 20 DK points we're looking for.
