Wednesday features a two-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
Trae Young has been playing some excellent basketball recently. He’s scored at least 50.5 DraftKings points in five of his past seven games, and he was limited to just 28.5 minutes in one of the few exceptions. Overall, Young has increased his production to 1.50 DraftKings per minute over the past month. That’s the top mark among Wednesday’s players. Young has the potential to play more than 40 minutes in this contest, and the Hawks lead the slate with an implied team total of 120.5 points. Add it all up, and Young owns the top ceiling among Wednesday’s players.
Value
Even though Young figures to handle most of the PG minutes for the Hawks, Delon Wright should still see a solid handful of minutes off the bench. Lou Williams remains out of the lineup, leaving Wright as their primary backup. He’s currently projected for 22 minutes in our NBA Models, and he’s averaged 0.80 DraftKings points per minute over the past month. That’s enough to make him a viable option in the postseason given the dearth of quality value plays.
Fast Break
LaMelo Ball stands out as an outstanding stud option on FanDuel, where his $9,000 salary comes with a Bargain Rating of 92%. Ball has been a fantastic value recently, posting an average Plus/Minus of +5.62 over his past 10 games, despite the fact that his playing time has been down. He averaged less than 32 minutes in March and April, but that shouldn’t be an issue Wednesday in an excellent matchup vs. the Hawks.
Dejounte Murray is another possible pay-up option. He grades out behind Young and Ball in our NBA Models, but there is no denying his talent. He’s averaged 1.42 FanDuel points per minute this season – the top mark at the position on Wednesday – and is a nightly threat for a triple-double.
Shooting Guard
Stud
You’re not going to be able to pay up at every position on Wednesday, and Terry Rozier stands out as an outstanding midrange option for the Hornets. He’s scored the ball well for the Hornets recently, resulting in at least 39.75 DraftKings points in two of his past three games. He did that despite logging 31.6 minutes or fewer in both of those games, and he should play closer to 36 minutes on Wednesday. Rozier has been priced above $8,000 on DraftKings at times this season, so this is an excellent price tag for him as well.
Value
The biggest difference between the playoffs and the regular season is that cheaper players with sizable workloads are few and far between. Devin Vassell fits that description at just $6,000. He’s currently projected for 30 minutes in our NBA Models, but I think that’s a conservative projection. He’s also a strong per-minute producer, averaging 0.90 DraftKings per minute this season, making him another very reasonable option at shooting guard.
Fast Break
If you’re not paying up for Young at point guard, Bogdan Bogdanovic is a nice leverage play at shooting guard. Those two players have a correlation of -0.19 on DraftKings, so one tends to succeed at the expense of the other. Bogdanovic has also played some of his best basketball recently, averaging 1.11 DraftKings points per minute over the past month. He’s scored at least 38.0 DraftKings points in three of his past four games, so he has solid upside at $5,700.
The Pelicans haven’t leaned on C.J. McCollum recently, but that will obviously change in a playoff contest. McCollum has increased his production to 1.14 FanDuel points per minute over the past month, and he’s projected for 39 minutes vs. the Spurs. He’s also priced at a discount on FanDuel, where his $8,500 salary comes with a Bargain Rating of 89%.
Small Forward
Stud
Brandon Ingram might be my favorite stud option on this slate. He’s priced at a discount compared to the other top studs on Wednesday, but he provides comparable upside. He’s averaged 1.26 DraftKings points per minute over the past month, and he should approach 40 minutes in this contest. Historically, Ingram has logged at least 38 minutes in 23 previous games with a comparable salary, and he’s averaged 44.87 DraftKings points in those outings (per the Trends tool).
Value
De’Andre Hunter is another cheaper option that deserves consideration. He’s the Hawks’ best defender, and that role has value in the postseason. He was instrumental in shutting down Julius Randle in the playoffs last year, and he should play a similar role as the Hawks’ defensive stopper this season. The Hawks are also still without John Collins, which opens up even more minutes for Hunter.
Fast Break
Danilo Gallinari should also see a few additional minutes with Collins out of the lineup. He’s been an excellent per-minute producer throughout his career, and he’s averaged a respectable 0.85 FanDuel points per minute over the past month. His matchup vs. the Hornets is also a good one, resulting in a position-high +2.46 Opponent Plus/Minus.
Miles Bridges leads the position with 10 Pro Trends on FanDuel, where his $6,900 salary comes with a Bargain Rating of 83%. He’s increased his production to 1.16 FanDuel points per minute over the past month and should serve as the team’s top scoring threat during the playoffs.
Power Forward
Stud
There really aren’t many choices if you’re looking to pay up at power forward. Keldon Johnson is really your only option on FanDuel, while Johnson and Bridges are available on DraftKings.
Johnson probably won’t get a ton of ownership at $7,000 – most people will likely go stars-and-scrubs on this slate – but he has been a phenomenal source of value recently. He’s managed to return value in 10 straight games, and he’s scored at least 37.75 DraftKings points in seven of those contests. That makes a $7,000 price tag actually quite reasonable.
Value
Herbert Jones is not someone who entered the year with many expectations, but he has been a revelation for the Pelicans. He’s displayed excellent defensive ability, which has earned him a prominent role in their rotation. Jones has also increased his fantasy production of late, averaging 0.81 DraftKings points per minute over the past month. He should see plenty of minutes vs. the Spurs, making him one of the best pure values on the entire slate.
Fast Break
The Hornets feature a trio of big men, but P.J. Washington is the most reliable from a minutes perspective. He’s currently projected for 32 minutes in our NBA Models, and he’s averaged 0.88 FanDuel points per minute this season. His seven Pro Trends are tied with Johnson for the top mark at the position on FanDuel.
Larry Nance Jr. has some appeal as a punt play. He entered the Pelicans’ rotation over the final few games of the regular season, and he’s projected for 18 minutes on Wednesday. Nance has historically been a strong per-minute producer, so he has the potential to pay off his minimal price tag in limited minutes.
Center
Stud
Jakob Poeltl has quietly had a fantastic season for the Spurs. He’s averaged 1.17 DraftKings points per minute, including 1.20 DraftKings points per minute over the past month. The Spurs gave him plenty of rest down the stretch, but he should be ready to play big minutes in the play-in tournament. He’s logged at least 32 minutes in 22 games this season, and he’s averaged 38.57 DraftKings points in those contests. That makes this a great price tag to target him.
Value
If you’re spending down at center, your best bet is trying to decipher the Hornets’ three-man rotation. Mason Plumlee, Montrezl Harrell, and Washington will all get minutes, and all three have the potential to be relevant.
Still, Plumlee is my favorite option of the bunch. He’s expected to see a few more minutes than Harrell, and he’s a slightly better per-minute producer than Washington. He’s also more than $1,000 cheaper than Washington, which is a big deal on a slate with limited value.
Fast Break
Clint Capela hasn’t been quite as dominant on a per-minute basis this year as he has in the past, but he’s still averaged 1.21 DraftKings points per minute over the past month. He’s scored at least 33.0 DraftKings points in five of his past six games, and his workload is solidified with Collins out of the lineup.
Jonas Valanciunas hasn’t been very effective recently, but his minutes have been heavily monitored down the stretch. That should obviously change in the postseason, making him an interesting buy-low option at just $8,000 on FanDuel. His price tag comes with a Bargain Rating of 91%, and he leads the position with eight Pro Trends.
