Welcome to NBA Wednesday! The League has blessed us with an 8-game slate on this lovely Wednesday and it’s a very nice one. There really isn’t one game that stands out, so we’ll be jumping all around the place at each position. Let's do some work!
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Opponent - MEM
Proj Pts FD - 17.21 DK - 17.27
We’ll start, however, with the easiest play on the slate. Damian Lillard has left Memphis for the birth of his child. That will leave a minimum-priced Shabazz Napier to start. There’s is something wrong if he’s not over 80% owned. Call me crazy, but this is a guy that was putting up 30+ fantasy points on a constant basis for more than a small stretch of time. I fully trust him to dominate while on the floor and 35 minutes shouldn’t be much of an issue. The Grizzlies still play slow, but they’re injury-riddled and have ranked 21st against opposing point guards since the All-Star Break. Napier is going to demolish value and he’s arguably the easiest play we’ve had on the year.
Opponent - PHO
Proj Pts FD - 31.51 DK - 32.14
Austin Rivers is already getting 34-38 minutes a game, and now Teodosic has been ruled out. He faces off with a Suns team that ranks 27th against point guards and gives up the 6th most three pointers. Rivers has been producing as of late and is safe against this putrid defense. The upside is huge and the price is very friendly. Rivers is an elite play in all formats. I don’t mind Sindarius Thornwell, either, but there is plenty of value at the position and he’s not nearly productive enough. A Rivers-Napier pairing is something you’re going on a lot of my teams tonight. Let’s look at some more solid value.
Opponent - MIN
Proj Pts FD - 21.01 DK - 21.09
If you’re wanting even more value at point guard past Shabazz Napier, Isaiah Taylor is a phenomenal pivot at a similar price. With Schroder out in 2 of the last 3 games, Taylor picked up 31 and 26 minutes. He put up 32 fantasy points in each and took control of the offense quite nicely. He’ll jump back in there tonight against a Timberwolves team that’s dead average against the position. Napier is the best value play and it’s not even close, but Taylor should put up 25 again and has a monstrous ceiling if it stays close. He’s fine in all formats, but it’s just probably not necessary with Napier around.
Opponent - MEM
Proj Pts FD - 35.24 DK - 36.3
We’ll kick off shooting guard like we did point guard: in Portland. With the absence of Damian Lillard, there are going to be four or five guys that see a substantial uptick in either usage or minutes. To be honest, Napier is a great guard and takes a lot of it away, but not nearly as much as Lillard. There are still going to be 5-10 minutes and 5-10 shots left on the board. McCollum is now the stud of this offense and is going to be trusted with the ball down the stretch. The match-up against Wayne Selden is phenomenal, as the rookie has no chance of holding up against a monster scorer like C.J. He was ice cold against New Orleans last night, but look him to turn it around tonight and put up 40+ fantasy points. The upside is there for 60-70 if it stays close and he has one of his big nights. Don’t be scared to play a bunch of Trail Blazers. The value is there.
Opponent - PHO
Proj Pts FD - 43.17 DK - 44.82
When Teodosic went down last night, Lou Will stepped back into the starting role in the second half. He continued some struggles from the field, but we can assume he'll continue running with the first team on Wednesday. The Suns are, of course, the very best matchup on the board and Williams figures to see volume shooting in a fast-paced game. He's only shooting 25% from three over his last two games, keeping his price relatively in check for the new "opportunity". On a night with many cheaper plays further down the salary scale, fitting Williams' mid tier tag won't be an issue.
Damion Lee, vs. Timberwolves (FD: $3700, DK: $4000) Projected Points: FD: 17.86, DK: 17.55
Back to some value. We looked at Isaiah Taylor at point guard and his 30 safe minutes at close to minimum price. Here we have another guy in Damion Lee that will draw the start and play 25-30 minutes at the two. He’s put up 24 fantasy points in two of the last three and has shown a pretty impressive usage % (14%) since joining the squad. He gets a match-up tonight against the T-Wolves, which means not a whole lot of team defense. They rank 21st against the position and the individual defense of Wiggins is way overblown. Lee is a phenomenal savings option and a great way to grab a cheap 20-25 fantasy points. There are some decent ways to pay higher up at the position, but paying down isn’t a bad option either at one of the weaker positions on the slate.
Opponent - CHA
Proj Pts FD - 70.69 DK - 73.31
LeBron was atrocious yesterday and it was actually pretty fun to watch. After dominating literally every night, it’s at least refreshing to know it’s possible and a reminder of how great James really is. The Cavs are getting close to dropping a spot behind the Sixers, so there's at least something on the line here. LeBron is going to give it his all and play another 36+ minutes. He has a long and storied history of destroying Charlotte, including his historic 62-point outing a few years ago. It’s still the same MKG and Batum that will be covering him and neither have ever had any success in doing so. With that being said, he’s insanely expensive. You almost have to get 60 fantasy points to be happy. It’s certainly possible and not even crazy in the slightest, but it’s hard to rely on in a cash game with other options at the position. Personally, I'll have a ton of LeBron, but it has more to do with my like for value elsewhere and dislike for the other spendy options. If you’re like me, LeBron is going to slide in perfectly with his 50-70 raw fantasy points.
Opponent - MEM
Proj Pts FD - 16.47 DK - 16.73
Back to Portland. With Lillard out, there is a ton of opportunity and just as many shots. Maurice Harkless missed last night and Evan Turner proceeded to pick up 35 minutes. He didn’t do a whole lot with 24 fantasy points, but that’s because he’s reliant on having the ball in his hand. He’ll be able to work his magic with Lillard off the court tonight and 30 fantasy points wouldn’t surprise me in the least bit. The match-up with Memphis is bad to the naked eye, but this is a beaten down Grizzlies squad. Over the last 20 games, they rank 23rd against small forwards. Nothing to be worried about. Evan Turner is going to pick up another 30+ minutes and has to be considered one of the easier plays around with Lillard our and his price in the dumpster. For me personally, you won’t find a lineup of mine without both Napier and Turner. McCollum will be in most.
Opponent - LAC
Proj Pts FD - 38.38 DK - 38.66
T.J. Warren is currently doubtful, so it’s safe to assume he misses this one. Obviously pay attention to Twitter, but for the sake of this article we’re assuming he sits. It would put Josh Jackson right back into the starting lineup and in play for another 35+ minutes. Jackson is now more expensive than Warren and probably a better player. He’s going to be a monster in this league and has huge upside against a lifeless Clippers defense. Jackson stays over 30 fantasy points and will typically drive you closer to that 40 mark. If you need a pivot from LeBron or Turner, Jackson is a great one in any format.
Opponent - DAL
Proj Pts FD - 36.41 DK - 37.72
Opponent - DAL
Proj Pts FD - 42.8 DK - 45.27
These two guys are going to be in our sights until the last game of this season. They are both just so good when on the floor and are playing a ton of minutes on a nightly basis. Brandon Ingram is questionable and it'll be important to make sure he sits for the sake of Kuzma. If he is out, Kuzma has played 40+ minutes in three straight games and should be there once again. He's been over 30 fantasy points in each and has shown 50+ upside plenty of times. His $7k tag is still affordable and I love him in all formats if Ingram is eventually ruled out. As for Randle, his minutes are locked in around 33-35. He's going to put up 30 fantasy points a night as well, but will often sit around the 40-50 mark. I personally like Kuzma just a bit more, but Randle is the safer play if Ingram ends up returning. The match-up against Dallas is solid in spite of their slow pace. They rank 24th against the position and it's not at all hard to see why when you look at the roster. Randle and Kuzma can be played in any format.
Opponent - BOS
Proj Pts FD - 19.71 DK - 20.17
These two teams faced off in the middle of December, but Jae Crowder wasn’t active. He will now get to face his former team in the Boston Celtics. Their desperation was a bit unsteady and there is almost certainly a level of distaste on both sides. Fantasy-wise, he’s been playing the best basketball of the season. Playing 30 minutes in 4 straight, he’s eclipsed 23 fantasy points twice and has shot 10+ times in every game. He’s going to continue producing when on the floor and you have to assume he gives it a little bit extra against Boston. His price isn’t in the dumpster, but he’s a great value play with tons of potential in both formats. Small forward is typically not very pleasant and today is no different.
Opponent - PHO
Proj Pts FD - 41.26 DK - 42.92
Center isn't too tough of a spot tonight. Let's start with DeAndre Jordan in a great spot. He has been as consistent as ever recently and is actually getting some looks on offense. He's been putting up 40+ fantasy points in most good match-ups and this is as good as it gets. The Suns rank 27th against centers and 29th since the All-Star Break. Jordan is going to absolutely dominate when on the floor and a 20/20 would surprise absolutely nobody. His price is fair around $8k and he's hit hypothetical value in three of the last five. None of those match-ups were even close to this one. With a 218 total and 8 point spread, Vegas thinks this stays close and high-scoring and I'm not one to object. Jordan is an elite play in all formats and I can't find a reason to not play him.
Opponent - BKN
Proj Pts FD - 44.11 DK - 45.65
If Jordan doesn't float your boat for whatever reason, Nikola Vucevic is a pretty good pivot. Facing off against the Nets, he literally gets the best match-up possible. The Nets rank dead last against centers and it's by a healthy three fantasy points per game. On FanDuel I say you go Jordan. On DraftKings, Vucevic is a bit cheaper and I do understand the pivot in a tournament. Vucevic has 60 point upside when he gets hot and the situation doesn't get any better. Personally, DeAndre Jordan is my guy and I want as much exposure as possible. Good luck tonight and feel free to comment below with any questions or comments!
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