Wednesday features a massive 11-game NBA slate starting at 7 p.m. ET. Using the FantasyLabs NBA Player Models, here’s a break down of the top DFS plays for each position on tonight’s slate.
Point Guard
Stud
Stephen Curry is on one right now. He’s increased his fantasy production to 1.55 DraftKings points per minute over the past month, which is the fourth-highest mark among today’s players. Overall, he’s scored at least 49.75 DraftKings points in each of his past seven games.
He has a chance for another big performance on Wednesday. He owns a nice matchup vs. the Thunder, who rank just tied for 22nd in defensive efficiency, and the Warriors will be without Kelly Oubre once again. He’s been ruled out with a wrist injury, and Curry has increased his usage rate by a team-high +3.7% with Oubre off the court this season.
Value
If it ain’t broke, don’t fix it. That’s the motto with Malachi Flynn on Wednesday, who will once again handle most of the point guard minutes for the Raptors. Kyle Lowry and Fred VanVleet both remain out of the lineup, and DeAndre Bembry and Gary Trent Jr. have also been ruled out vs. the Spurs.
Flynn has averaged 34.74 FanDuel points in five games without Lowry and VanVleet this season, and he’s coming off 38.5 FanDuel points yesterday vs. the Hawks. He’s a particularly nice value on FanDuel, where his $5,300 salary comes with a Bargain Rating of 72%.
Fast Break
Elfrid Payton is the least exciting of the Knicks’ many point guard options, but he stands out as a nice value on Wednesday. He’s coming off nearly 27.3 minutes in their last game, and he’s increased his production to 0.98 DraftKings per minute over the past month. Payton also owns a dream matchup vs. the Pelicans, who rank 28th in defensive efficiency this season.
Tonight’s game between the Kings and Wizards could feature a boatload of points. Both teams play fast, and both teams are horrendous defensively. The total on that game currently sits at a slate-high 241.5 points, which makes it an obvious target in DFS.
De’Aaron Fox stands out for the Kings. He leads the position with 13 Pro Trends on FanDuel, and he’s increased his production to 1.27 FanDuel points per minute over the past month. He also owns an excellent individual matchup, resulting in an Opponent Plus/Minus of +2.44.
Shooting Guard
Stud
It appears as though it’s Kyrie Irving’s turn to carry the offense for the Nets. He’s been out of the lineup due to personal reasons recently, but he’s not on the injury report for tonight’s matchup vs. the 76ers. That’s good timing, because Kevin Durant, LaMarcus Aldridge, and Blake Griffin have all been ruled out, and James Harden remains out of the lineup with an injury. Irving has increased his usage rate by +4.0% with Durant and Harden off the court this season, resulting in an average of 1.46 DraftKings points per minute. He has a tough matchup vs. the 76ers, but Irving is basically matchup-proof.
Value
Caleb Martin sees a slight reduction in value today with Terry Rozier expected to return to the lineup, but he should still see a solid workload for the shorthanded Hornets. He’s averaged 0.92 DraftKings points per minute over the past month, and he’s currently projected for 31.3 minutes in our NBA Models. Historically, players with comparable salaries and minute projections have historically averaged a Plus/Minus of +5.13 on DraftKings (per the Trends tool).
Fast Break
Luke Kennard could be a nice source of value Wednesday vs. the Clippers. They’ll be without four of their regular starters on the second leg of a back-to-back, with Paul George and Kawhi Leonard joining Patrick Beverley and Serge Ibaka on the sidelines. Kennard has played four games this season without George and Leonard, and he’s averaged 21.13 FanDuel points in those contests. That makes him very reasonable at just $3,800 on FanDuel.
Tyrese Haliburton is another member of the Kings who stands out on FanDuel. He’s priced at just $5,500, resulting in a Bargain Rating of 84%, and he leads all shooting guards with nine Pro Trends.
Small Forward
Stud
Small forward isn’t a particularly exciting position to pay up for on Wednesday. If you are going to go that route, paying up for Jimmy Butler on FanDuel seems like your best bet. He’s done everything for the Heat this season, and he’s posted a positive Plus/Minus in five of his past six games. He struggled in his last game vs. the Suns, but he has a friendlier matchup Wednesday vs. the Nuggets. His nine pro Trends are tied for the second-most at the position.
Value
Kent Bazemore has been asked to pick up the slack with Oubre out of the lineup recently. He’s played at least 32 minutes in back-to-back games, and he’s responded with at least 23.25 DraftKings points in both contests. Bazemore is always an interesting target when he’s expected to see more minutes than usual given his average of 0.87 DKFP per minute this season.
Fast Break
Andrew Wiggins is another member of the Warriors with some appeal on Wednesday. He’s also seen a usage bump with Oubre off the court this season, and he’s increased his fantasy production to 1.07 DraftKings points per minute over the past month.
Will Barton is coming off a clunker in his last game, but he had scored at least 26.5 DraftKings points in each of his previous six contests. The Nuggets are going to need Barton following the season-ending injury to Jamal Murray, and he’s currently projected for 36.2 minutes in our NBA Models. He’s an elite value on DraftKings given his Bargain Rating of 92%.
Power Forward
Stud
We’re still waiting on the Pacers’ official injury report, which means Myles Turner’s status for tonight’s contest is currently unknown. He’s missed the past four games, and Domantas Sabonis has slid from power forward to center in his absence. That gives him slightly more rebounding upside if Turner is out of the lineup, and Sabonis is in a great spot for rebounding tonight vs. the Rockets. They rank just 27th in team rebound rate, so Sabonis should be able to do some damage on the glass.
Value
Jalen McDaniels remains one of the best sources of value on DraftKings. He’s coming off a team-high 39.6 minutes yesterday vs. the Lakers, and he’s responded with at least 31.5 DraftKings points in three of his past four games. McDaniels has averaged 0.99 DraftKings points per minute over the past month, so he should continue to crush as long as he keeps playing big minutes. His $4,700 salary comes with a Bargain Rating of 98%, so just lock him into your lineup and move on.
Fast Break
Christian Wood has seen a price decrease of -$1,100 over the past month on FanDuel, which makes him an appealing buy-low target vs. the Pacers. It’s an elite matchup, resulting in an Opponent Plus/Minus of +3.35, and Wood is still playing big minutes for the Rockets. He’s coming off 50.5 FanDuel points in his last outing, so he’s clearly capable of providing value at his current price tag.
Isaiah Roby returned to the lineup for the Thunder yesterday, and he went right back into the starting unit. He ultimately finished with 19.8 FanDuel points over 23.6 minutes, and he should see a few additional minutes as he gets further removed from his concussion. He’s one of the best pure values at the position on FanDuel given his Bargain Rating of 85%.
Center
Stud
Jonas Valanciunas has always been an elite producer on a per-minute basis, but he’s elevated his game recently. He’s averaged 1.52 DraftKings points per minute over the past month, and he’s also been playing more minutes. Valanciunas has logged at least 32.2 minutes in each of his past three games, and he’s unsurprisingly responded with at least 49.5 DraftKings points in each of those contests. He’s a very appealing option at just $7,600.
Value
There are plenty of strong value options at center on Wednesday, but Bismack Biyombo stands out as the best of the bunch. He started and logged 27.8 minutes for the Hornets yesterday, and he ultimately finished with 29.5 DraftKings points. Biyombo isn’t an elite producer on a per-minute basis, but it’s hard to ignore anyone who’s projected for 26.5 minutes at just $3,200 on DraftKings and the absolute minimum on FanDuel.
Fast Break
Mo Bamba is currently questionable for the Magic, but he would be another appealing value option if he’s able to suit up. He’s averaged 1.24 FanDuel points per minute this season, and he played at least 20.8 minutes in three straight games prior to getting injured in his last contest. Unsurprisingly, Bamba has posted a positive Plus/Minus in all three games. His matchup vs. the Bulls is also fantastic, resulting in an Opponent Plus/Minus of +4.00.
Nicolas Claxton is priced just $100 above the minimum on DraftKings, and the Nets are going to need him on Wednesday. Not only are Aldridge and Griffin out of the lineup, but they’re facing one of the best centers in the league in Joel Embiid. Claxton has averaged 1.02 DraftKings points per minute this season, so he should be able to return value with a few extra minutes.
Pictured above: Stephen Curry #30 of the Golden State Warriors
Photo credit: Noah Graham/NBAE via Getty Images
