Wednesday features an eight-game slate starting at 7:00 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 300 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 NBA Player Models directly for any updates as we get closer to lock.
NBA DFS Point Guard Picks
Stud
Luka Doncic has recorded 33-point triple-doubles in back-to-back games, averaging nearly 80 DraftKings points per game in those two contests. He didn’t appear to be hobbled playing 40 minutes in the last game, but Doncic is currently questionable with a back injury. Make sure to monitor his status the closer we get to lock. Assuming Doncic is good to go, he has the highest projected ceiling on both sites tonight. Doncic ranks second in the league in both scoring and usage rate this year.
Ever since the Mavericks pulled off the upset against the Suns in the Western Conference semi-finals two years ago, Doncic has made it a mission to dominate this matchup. Their first meeting this season was on Christmas Day, and Doncic went ballistic. He finished with 50 points, 15 assists, six rebounds, four steals, and three blocks while shooting 15-for-25 from the field, including eight 3-pointers. Doncic recorded a season-high 97.5 DraftKings points.
Can we get a repeat performance?
Value
After sitting out the last game due to rest, Timberwolves’ point guard Mike Conley is expected to return in an incredible matchup against the Wizards. Conley has accumulated double-digit assists in three of his last six games. The veteran leads the team in assists with 6.4 per game and is shooting a career-best 43.8% from behind the arc this season. Conley is projected to be the highest-owned player on FanDuel and the second-highest on DraftKings. He is a fantastic value play across the industry.
The Timberwolves are a slate-high 11-point road favorites against the Wizards, who lead the league in pace at 103.36. The Wizards are allowing a league-high 124.9 points per game and rank 28th in defensive rating. Conley has double-double upside in this spot and has the highest projected Plus/Minus at this position on FanDuel and second-highest on DraftKings.
Editor’s note: Conley is now listed as questionable Wednesday.
Fast Break
Currently third in the MVP voting is Thunder point guard Shai Gilgeous-Alexander. He is averaging over 31 points per game for the second consecutive season while shooting 54.9% from the field. Gilgeous-Alexander also has a career-high in both rebounds and assists per game for the Thunder, who are tied for the best record in the Western Conference. This is a back-to-back for the Thunder, but they are eight-point road favorites against the Spurs, implied for a slate-high 125 points.
With Terry Rozier out of town, the Hornets offense will run solely through LaMelo Ball. In the nine games that Ball has played without Rozier this season, he is averaging 32.2 points, 8.7 assists, 6.7 rebounds, and 58.1 DraftKings points per game. His usage rate jumps from 30.4% to 34.6% as Ball is attempting 24.2 field goals per game. With a matchup against the Pistons on the docket, Ball is a strong contrarian option. He is projected for around 10% ownership on both sites.
NBA DFS Shooting Guard Picks
Stud
Donovan Mitchell continues to showcase his elite ceiling with Darius Garland and Evan Mobley out for an extended period of time. Mitchell is coming off a 25-point, 13-assist double-double in a 27-point victory over the Magic. He added four steals and three rebounds to finish with 57.75 DraftKings points in only 30 minutes of play. Mitchell has recorded a positive Plus/Minus in four of his last five games and is averaging 30.6 points and 56.5 DraftKings points per game during that time.
The Cavaliers have won eight straight games, including a 40-point win over the Bucks, who they will face tonight. They are still 6.5-point road underdogs in this rematch. Mitchell is not only averaging a team-high 27.8 points, but he is also averaging a career-high with 6.1 assists and 5.4 rebounds per game.
Mitchell is tied for a slate-high 12 Pro Trends on FanDuel tonight.
Value
Currently questionable with an illness, Rockets shooting guard Jalen Green is drawing the second-highest projected ownership on FanDuel. He has the highest Projected Plus/Minus at this position and is a great value on both sites. Green is second on the Rockets in usage rate with 26.5% and third in scoring with 17.1 points per game. Despite being a streaky shooter, he is not afraid to let it fly, especially from long distance. At his mid-range price tag, Green will be a popular value.
Drawing a matchup against the Trail Blazers makes this spot look even better for Green if he is able to play. The Rockets are double-digit home favorites, implied for 116.5 points. The Trail Blazers rank 28th in net rating, while opponents are shooting 49.6% from the floor against them. Green has displayed a ceiling worth getting exposure to in this elite matchup.
Fast Break
Dejounte Murray is only on the DraftKings slate, but he deserves consideration with Trae Young out tonight. Murray leads the Hawks with a +6.73 DraftKings Plus/Minus with Young off the floor this season in 576 total minutes. In the four games that Murray has played without Young, he is averaging a near double-double with 27.3 points and nine assists per game. His usage rate also jumps from 24.6% to 28.3%. With point guard and shooting guard eligibility, he is a great play in all formats.
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NBA DFS Small Forward Picks
Stud
The weakest position on this eight-game slate by far is small forward. Jalen Williams not only has the highest projected ceiling at the small forward position, but he also has the highest projected Plus/Minus. Williams is coming off hitting a game-winner against the Trail Blazers last night, where he scored 19 points on 9-for-20 shooting. It was just the third game in his last 11 where Williams failed to capture 20 total points. He has been a key factor in the Thunder’s success this season.
This game is only available on the DraftKings slate, but Williams will draw a superb matchup against the Spurs. Despite the Spurs being competitive lately, they still have the sixth-worst defensive rating and rank third in overall pace this season. Williams is second on the Thunder in scoring behind Gilgeous-Alexander and is shooting an efficient 54.4% from the field.
Value
Saddiq Bey and Garrison Matthews are both popping as value plays for the Hawks tonight. Bey gets the slight edge over Matthews due to his playing time, but there is a significant pricing gap between the two players, which also puts Matthews in play. With Young off the floor this year, Bey has a +4.02% usage rate and a +4.6 DraftKings Plus/Minus. The sharpshooter is not only averaging 12.6 points, but he is averaging a career-high 6.4 rebounds per game.
One of the best ways to attack the Warriors defensively is on the perimeter. They are allowing 36.2 3-point attempts per game, which ranks 22nd in the league this season. If Bey can find his 3-point shot in this matchup, he will easily pay off his cheap salary. Over 90% of Matthews’ field goal attempts come from behind the arc as well. Both are great options tonight.
Fast Break
Rookie Brandon Miller is starting to find his groove recently. He has recorded a double-digit positive Plus/Minus in three consecutive games while averaging 24.7 points per game and shooting 61.4% from the field during that time. Miller will also be unleashed without Terry Rozier in the backcourt. The Pistons have poor perimeter defenders, which will allow Miller to get free early and often. Rostering one of Ball or Miller feels like a necessity at their egregiously low projected ownership.
NBA DFS Power Forward Picks
Stud
Giannis Antetokounmpo is coming off his second triple-double in his last three games. He dominated the Pistons Monday night with 31 points, 17 rebounds, 10 assists, three steals, and two blocks totaling 81.25 DraftKings points. It was his third triple-double in his last six games. Giannis is averaging over 31 points and 11 rebounds for the second straight year while shooting a career-high 60.3% from the field. He has taken fewer 3-pointers this year, which has made him more dominant.
On paper, this is a very difficult matchup for Giannis. The Cavaliers, even without Evan Mobley for an extended period of time, rank sixth in points allowed per game in the paint and tied for eighth in rebounding percentage. However, in their only meeting this season, Giannis recorded a double-double with 34 points and 16 rebounds while shooting 14-22 from the field.
Value
Miles Bridges ha is the last of the Hornets players that is worth getting heavy exposure to on this slate. Similar to Brandon Miller, Bridges has had a great last three games, averaging 25.3 points and 7.3 rebounds per game. He leads the Hornets with a +7.78 DraftKings Plus/Minus when Rozier is off the floor this season. With Gordon Hayward and Mark Williams still out, Bridges has a much higher projected ceiling. He looks like a fantastic value across the industry at his mid-range salary.
While Ball and Miller will take advantage of the Pistons’ perimeter defense, Bridges will have no trouble in the paint. The Pistons are a below-average rebounding team and rank 26th in points allowed in the paint at 55.3 per game. Bridges has double-double upside in this matchup and is projected to be one of the highest-owned players on DraftKings and FanDuel.
Fast Break
After six consecutive games with a negative Plus/Minus, Kevin Durant has been exceptional in his last two games. He has scored 40+ points in back-to-back games while shooting a ridiculous 59.6% from the field and 45.5% from behind the arc. Durant recorded a season-high 42% usage rate and hit the game-winner against the Bulls Monday night. With how great Durant has played recently, getting him at low ownership feels like a steal. He is a strong contrarian pay-up option tonight.
NBA DFS Center Picks
Stud
With no Joel Embiid or Nikola Jokic on this eight-game slate, the center position is wide open. However, the top option is the Rockets’ third-year center, Alperen Sengun. He is coming off his first triple-double of the season, where he finished with 24 points, 12 rebounds, and 10 assists. That ceiling performance came against the league’s best team – the Boston Celtics. Sengun will draw a much easier matchup tonight against the Trail Blazers, who are on the second leg of a back-to-back.
Sengun is starting to look more and more like Nikola Jokic. He is averaging a career-high in points, rebounds, and assists this season while shooting 53.8% from the field. The Trail Blazers are allowing 55.4 points per game in the paint, which is the fourth-highest in the league. Prioritize Sengun on DraftKings, where he has 12 Pro Trends and a 94% Bargain Rating.
Value
Sengun leads the center options with the highest projected Plus/Minus on the slate, but Jarrett Allen isn’t too far behind. Donovan Mitchell gets a lot of the praise for the Cavaliers’ recent success, and rightfully so, but Allen has also been just as dominant in the paint. Allen has recorded a double-double in 12 straight games and is averaging 18.2 points and 14.3 rebounds per game. He has captured a positive Plus/Minus in nine of those 12 games, with 18 total blocks during that time.
In Allen’s last matchup against the Bucks, he finished with 24 points and 13 rebounds while shooting 9-for-15 from the field. Surprisingly, the Bucks rank 21st in defensive rating this season and have been an average rebounding team. Given how well Allen has played and the fact that Evan Mobley is still out, this is another great spot for a ceiling Allen performance.
Fast Break
Priced under $9,000 on both DraftKings and FanDuel, Bam Adebayo is another valuable center on tonight’s slate. Jimmy Butler is now healthy, but Adebayo has still displayed a ceiling playing alongside Butler. Last game against the Magic, Adebayo had a near triple-double with 22 points, 11 rebounds, and seven assists. Adebayo’s consistency makes him a fantastic cash-game play tonight. He has recorded over 40 DraftKings points in eight of his last nine games.
