The Slate Starter is a daily first look at to get your daily fantasy basketball lineup-building process started before lock tonight. Each day, we will go through some of the best NBA DFS picks, top stacks and optimal lineup construction for DraftKings and FanDuel. Be sure to check Awesemo’s NBA Starting Lineups page, as it will be updated throughout the day as the NBA injury reports are released and breaking news surfaces. Let’s dive into some players who stand out as key options on Wednesday’s six-game slate.
Want to see how your lineup stacked up against yesterday’s winning NBA DFS lineups on DraftKings, FanDuel and Yahoo? Check out Awesemo’s Optimal Lineup Review, which uses Fantasy Cruncher Rewind to analyze the winning plays from the night before.
NBA DFS Picks & Optimal Lineup Construction | Dec. 22
John Collins, PF/C, Atlanta Hawks
The Hawks are the latest team to be hit hard by COVID-19. They have officially placed Trae Young, Clint Capela, and Danilo Gallinari in health and safety protocols, so they will be without three key players on Wednesday. Other players may test positive before tip-off, so make sure to monitor this situation for updates.
Collins figures to be one of the biggest beneficiaries as things stand currently. He has increased his production to 1.10 DraftKings points per minute with Young and Capela off the court, and he should also see a few additional minutes. Collins has already provided decent value recently, scoring at least 36.1 DraftKings points in three of his past four games, so he was arguably underpriced with the team at full strength. Expect him to own one of the better value marks among the stud options in our NBA Projections.
Edit: Bulls – Raptors has been postponed.
Coby White, PG/SG, Chicago Bulls
The Bulls are getting closer to full strength, but they are still expected to be without a few rotation pieces on Wednesday. Zach LaVine is the most notable – he is currently listed as doubtful – but Ayo Dosunmu, Alex Caruso, and Derrick Jones Jr. are also out or doubtful.
White has been asked to take on a prominent role in their absence. He is coming off 31.8 minutes in their last game, and he racked up 34.75 DraftKings points. White has been super productive this season, averaging just 0.71 DraftKings points per minute, but he is capable of doing much better. He has been a fantasy point per minute type of guy in the past, and his 27.2% usage rate ranked second on the team in their last contest.
It will be interesting to see what White’s projected ownership looks like. He could command increased ownership following his big game on Monday. If it gets too high, he will have a negative leverage score in the Boom/Bust Probability tool.
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Svi Mykhailiuk, SG/SF, Toronto Raptors
On the other side of that matchup, the Raptors are going to struggle to field a team. They have recently placed Fred VanVleet, Pascal Siakam, Scottie Barnes, Gary Trent Jr., and a host of other players in health and safety protocols. OG Anunoby did return to the lineup in their last game, but he was limited to just 15.25 DraftKings points over 28 minutes.
Anunoby will likely see a bump in playing time on Wednesday, but he is still going to need some help. Mykhailiuk is someone who has been able to step up in the past. He has started four games for the Raptors this season, and he is averaging 31.2 minutes, 12.3 points, 4.5 rebounds, and 1.8 assists in those contests. If he moves into the starting lineup, there is a good chance that he is able to pay off his minimal salary.
Mykhailiuk could also be worth some consideration in the player prop market. Expect his scoring prop to grade out favorably in the Awesemo Player Prop tool.
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