Wednesday features an 11-game slate starting at 7 p.m. ET.
Let’s dive into some of the top plays on the slate using the FantasyLabs Tools and metrics.
Also, don’t forget that for large-field tournaments, you can utilize our Lineup Optimizer to effortlessly create up to 150 lineups, or use our Lineup Builder if you like to hand-build your lineups.
Note: Projections and Leverages Scores/Ratings may change throughout the day after this article is posted. The NBA DFS landscape changes quickly. Consult the Player Models directly for any updates as we get closer to lock.
Point Guard
Stud
It has been a forgettable start to the year for De’Aaron Fox. He’s shooting just 36.4% from the field and 15.4% from 3-point range, and his fantasy production has suffered. He’s posted an average Plus/Minus of -1.59 through his first six games on FanDuel, which has caused his salary to dip to just $7,700.
That makes him an appealing buy-low target Wednesday vs. the Pelicans. His price tag comes with a Bargain Rating of 94%, and he’s historically averaged a Plus/Minus of +3.66 with a comparable salary (per the Trends tool). Fox also owns an excellent matchup vs. the Pelicans, resulting in an Opponent Plus/Minus of +2.23.
Value
Eric Bledsoe has been up-and-down to start his tenure with the Clippers. He was excellent in his first two games, finishing with 40.6 and 39.7 FanDuel points, but he’s scored 20.5 or fewer in each of his past four. However, he’s shot a paltry 24.1% from the field over his past four games, so he’s undoubtedly due for some positive regression.
Bledsoe’s price tag has dipped to just $4,600 for Wednesday’s matchup vs. the Timberwolves, but he’s still projected for nearly 31 minutes in our NBA Models. Historically, players with comparable salaries and minute projections have averaged a Plus/Minus of +3.63.
Fast Break
I will continue to go down with the Damian Lillard ship. It has been a brutal start to the year for the stud point guard, shooting just 34.9% from the field and 23.1% from 3-point range through his first seven games. He’s simply too talented to struggle like that all season, but his price has dipped to $8,300 on FanDuel. When he does start making some shots again, he’s going to provide massive value at that salary.
Devonte’ Graham has posted a positive Plus/Minus in six of his first eight games on DraftKings, and he could be worth some consideration on Wednesday. Brandon Ingram missed Tuesday’s matchup vs. the Suns with an injury, and it’s possible he could sit out again vs. the Kings. Graham has increased his usage rate by +2.9% with Ingram off the court this season, resulting in an average of 1.01 DraftKings points per minute.
Shooting Guard
Stud
The Timberwolves are a team that could provide a lot of value on Wednesday. They’ve already ruled out D’Angelo Russell, and Patrick Beverley is also questionable. That’s going to open up plenty of minutes.
Anthony Edwards is someone who has already been a nice source of value to start the year. He’s scored at least 40.0 DraftKings points in five of his first six games, and he’s averaged 1.08 DraftKings points per minute. Edwards has seen a team-high usage bump of +4.5% with Russell off the court this season, and he’s increased his fantasy production to 1.17 DraftKings points per minute in that situation.
Value
Sticking with the Timberwolves, Malik Beasley could be their best value given the absence of Russell. He’s increased his usage rate by +4.4% and his assist rate by +2.7% with Russell off the court, and he should approach 30 minutes on today’s slate. His price tag has also decreased by -$1,200 since the start of the year on DraftKings, so he’s an awesome buy-low candidate.
Fast Break
The 76ers are another team dealing with a crucial absence on Wednesday. Tobias Harris is out due to health and safety protocols, and Shake Milton should be asked to pick up some of the slack. He’s averaged a stout 1.1 DraftKings points per minute this season, so he doesn’t need a ton of playing time to pay off his current salary.
Fred VanVleet is also worth some consideration as a stud candidate on Wednesday. He carries one of the largest workloads in the league from a minute perspective, and he’s averaged 0.98 FanDuel points per minute this season. On nights where his shot is falling, he can easily surpass that figure.
Small Forward
Stud
None of the top small forward options stands out as a particularly strong value on Wednesday, but OG Anunoby is an exception. His $7,300 salary on FanDuel comes with a Bargain Rating of 87%, and he should benefit from the absence of Scottie Barnes. Anunoby has increased his usage rate by +3.2% with Barnes off the court, resulting in an average of 1.10 FanDuel points per minute.
Value
Sticking with the Raptors, Svi Mykhailiuk stands out as one of the top values on the slate. He’s priced at just $3,700 on DraftKings, and he should play a large role with Barnes out of the lineup. He was able to make the most out of an increased workload in his last contest, finishing with 33.75 DraftKings points over 34.8 minutes.
Fast Break
Furkan Korkmaz and Georges Niang are two other potential value options to consider for the 76ers. Both players have been strong per-minute contributors this season – Korkmaz has averaged 0.95 DraftKings points per minute, Niang 0.92 – and both players should see a boost in playing time sans Harris.
Nic Batum is pretty boring as far as fantasy options go, but he’s a nice potential value at his current salary across the industry. He’s coming off his best game of the season in his last outing, racking up 34.1 FanDuel points over 31.8 minutes vs. the Thunder. Overall, he’s averaged 0.86 FanDuel points per minute this season, and he should continue to play around 30 minutes in competitive contests.
Power Forward
Stud
Power forward is one of the weakest positions on today’s slate. There are a few stud options at the top, but none of them are grading out as particularly strong plays.
That makes going down to someone like Mo Bamba an appealing strategy on FanDuel. He’s priced at $6,600, resulting in a Bargain Rating of 92%, and he’s averaged a Plus/Minus of +4.34 through his first eight games. He’s averaged 1.02 FanDuel points per minute this season, and he’s coming of 33.9 minutes in his last outing.
Bamba also owns an elite matchup vs. the Celtics. They’ve struggled mightily with opposing big men this season, giving Bamba an Opponent Plus/Minus of +5.57.
Value
Jarred Vanderbilt has played inconsistent minutes of late, but he has seen at least 29.4 minutes in two of his past three games. If he’s going to see that much playing time moving forward, he’s a steal at just $3,600 on DraftKings. Vanderbilt has averaged 0.89 DraftKings points per minute, so he doesn’t need a ton of playing time to pay off his current price tag.
Fast Break
Evan Mobley is another excellent source of value on FanDuel. He’s priced at just $6,600, resulting in a Bargain Rating of 87%, and his 10 Pro Trends are tied for the most at the position. Mobley has averaged 1.00 FanDuel points per minute this season, and he should see a nice boost in playing time with Kevin Love sidelined. He racked up 40 minutes in his last outing, and the Cavs played just eight men in that contest.
Kyle Anderson’s minutes have been down to start the year, but he remains extremely efficient on a per-minute basis. He’s averaged 0.98 DraftKings points per minute this season, and he’s currently projected for 24.3 minutes in our NBA Models. That makes him an interesting option on DraftKings given his Bargain Rating of 88%.
Center
Stud
Joel Embiid got the night off in the 76ers’ last game, but he is expected to return to the lineup Wednesday vs. the Bulls. That makes him a tantalizing fantasy option given the team’s injury situation. He increased his usage rate to a whopping 46.2% with Harris and Ben Simmons off the court since the beginning of last year, resulting in an average of 2.04 FanDuel points per minute. That means Embiid could easily pay off his salary with even 30 minutes of playing time.
Embiid is a particularly strong option on FanDuel given his Bargain Rating of 91%.
Value
Ivica Zubac is coming off a dreadful performance in his last game, finishing with just 9.0 FanDuel points over 12.5 minutes. That said, he’s in a great bounce-back spot on Wednesday. The Timberwolves have struggled against opposing centers this season, resulting in an Opponent Plus/Minus of +8.0 on FanDuel. Zubac is underpriced across the industry.
Fast Break
Nikola Jokic was the MVP last season, and he’s been arguably even better to start the new year. He’s averaged a stout 1.8 DraftKings points per minute, and he’s increased his usage rate and rebound rate to start the year. He’s also been extremely efficient as a scorer, shooting better than 60% from the field and 40% from 3-point range. He could be a bit under-owned on this slate.
Could it be time to buy low on Clint Capela? It’s possible. He’s been priced down to just $6,400 on FanDuel, resulting in a Bargain Rating of 92%, and Capela has historically averaged a Plus/Minus of +5.81 with a comparable salary. The Hawks have also listed John Collins as questionable, and his absence would make Capela an even stronger option.
