Wednesday features an eight-game main slate starting at 7 p.m. ET.
Let’s dive into some of the top plays on the slate using the FantasyLabs tools and projections.
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.
You can also use our SimLabs Lineup Generator, a tool that creates the most user-friendly lineup generation process.
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.
Stud
It’s going to be tough to look past the 76ers on Wednesday. They’re going to be without both Joel Embiid and Paul George, which opens up a ton of value with the rest of the roster. They also draw one of the best possible matchups vs. the Wizards, who rank fourth in pace and 29th in defensive efficiency.
Tyrese Maxey stands out as the clear top target, who is going to have to carry a massive burden on offense. He’s seen solid bumps to his usage rate (+2.45%) and assist rate (+3.85%) with Embiid, George, and Jared McCain off the floor this season, and this will be his first full game with all three players out of the lineup.
Maxey has already provided excellent production of late. He’s averaged 1.24 DraftKings points per minute over the past month, and he’s coming off 52.5 DraftKings points in his last outing. Despite his significant price tag, he leads the point guard position in projected Plus/Minus.
Value
Jeremy Sochan will miss Wednesday’s contest for the Spurs, which should give Stephon Castle a bump in value. He’s currently projected for 28 minutes at just $3,400, and Castle has averaged a healthy 0.88 DraftKings points per minute over the past month. He’s posted a positive Plus/Minus in four straight games despite playing 18.9 minutes or less in two of them. If he can approach 28 minutes on Wednesday, he should provide significant value: players with comparable salaries and minute projections have historically averaged a Plus/Minus of +3.96 (per the Trends tool).
Castle is simply way too cheap on DraftKings, where his price tag comes with a 93% Bargain Rating.
Fast Break
Anfernee Simons is another strong value at the position. His $6,500 salary results in an 89% Bargain Rating, and he’s provided elite production of late. He’s posted a positive Plus/Minus in five straight games, including 54.0 DraftKings points in his last outing. His salary has somehow decreased over that time frame, so he has plenty of appeal in a juicy matchup vs. the Pelicans.
Cade Cunningham continues to carry a bit of extra value with the Pistons’ current injury situation. They’ll be without Jaden Ivey and Ausar Thompson on Wednesday, and Cunningham has seen a +2.8% usage bump with both players off the floor this season. He’s averaged 1.50 DraftKings points per minute in that scenario, and he’s scored at least 57.0 DraftKings points in back-to-back games. He’s projected for roughly half the ownership of Maxey, making him an intriguing pivot for tournaments.
Don’t forget to check out our NBA SimLabs Lineup Generator to create advanced DFS lineups using the power of simulation:
NBA DFS Shooting Guard Picks
Stud
Norman Powell has been the Clippers’ leading scorer this season, but he’s struggled for fantasy purposes of late. That said, it hasn’t been his fault. The team played in three straight blowouts recently, and Powell was limited to less than 30 minutes in each contest. Outside of those outings, Powell has been as good as he’s been all season: he’s scored at least 35.5 DraftKings points in six straight games with more than 30 minutes of playing time.
Powell’s price tag has dipped to just $6,700 for Wednesday’s matchup vs. the Nuggets, making him an excellent buy-low candidate. The Nuggets have been an excellent matchup this season, ranking fifth in pace and below-average in defensive efficiency. The Clippers are currently implied for 115.75 points in this matchup, which represents a solid increase from their season average (109.1). If they’re going to do a bit more scoring than usual, it’s a good bet that Powell will have his hand in it.
Value
Kelly Oubre is arguably the top value on Wednesday’s slate. With the 76ers down so many key contributors, Oubre is going to be forced into the No. 2 role for their offense. So far this season, he’s seen a +5.48% usage bump with Embiid, George, and McCain off the floor, resulting in an average of 0.89 DraftKings points per minute.
Oubre also enters this contest in elite recent form. He’s racked up 41.25 and 42.75 DraftKings points in back-to-back games, so he’s massively underpriced at $5,100 in an elite matchup.
Fast Break
It’s hard to find a cheaper source of minutes than Cason Wallace. He’s routinely priced below $4k, and he checks in at just $3,700 for Wednesday’s matchup vs. the Cavaliers. He’s also projected for 34 minutes in our NBA Models, and it’s tough to beat that combination. Historically, players with comparable salaries and minute projections have averaged a +3.65 Plus/Minus.
The Pacers have the top implied team total of the day, thanks to an elite matchup vs. the Bulls. That makes Andrew Nembhard an intriguing option at $4,900. Nembhard has averaged 0.90 DraftKings points per minute over the past month, and he’s playing around 30 minutes most nights. He has more than 40 DraftKings points in two of his past six outings, so he has solid upside for his price tag.
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NBA DFS Small Forward Picks
Stud
Deni Avdija is not someone who’d typically fall under the “stud” designation, but he’s been playing like a stud recently. He’s increased his production to 1.13 DraftKings points per minute over the past month, and he’s scored at least 40.5 DraftKings points in two of his past three games. He’s capable of racking up fantasy points in a variety of different ways, both offensively and defensively.
Avdija is coming off a poor showing in his last outing, and his playing time dipped to just 29.5 minutes. His price tag has also crept up to $6,900, and that combination is resulting in less than 10% projected ownership. That makes him a nice contrarian option for tournaments. If he returns to his usual workload on Wednesday, he has solid upside vs. a Pelicans’ squad that ranks 28th in defensive efficiency.
Value
The value section of today’s writeup is going to be dominated by the 76ers, and small forward is no exception. Caleb Martin stands out at that position, where he leads all players in projected Plus/Minus.
Martin has had a subpar start to the year, but he has battled injuries. He’s getting healthier, and his results are trending in the right direction. He’s posted a positive Plus/Minus in five of his past eight outings, and he should see all the minutes he can handle with the team shorthanded on Wednesday.
Fast Break
Lu Dort is another cheap source of minutes for the Thunder. He’s currently projected for 35 minutes at just $4,000, and he’s coming off closer to 39 minutes in his last outing. He’s averaged just under 25 DraftKings points per 36 minutes in 13 games without Alex Caruso and Chet Holmgren this season, and his current salary comes with a 92% Bargain Rating.
Michael Porter Jr. will have to navigate a tough matchup vs. the Clippers, but he’s been a solid value with Aaron Gordon out of the lineup recently. His minutes are a lot more secure in that scenario, and he’s responded with at least 31.75 DraftKings points in six straight games.
NBA DFS Power Forward Picks
Stud
Pascal Siakam is not someone who has garnered a ton of attention this season. He’s not playing a ton of minutes on most nights, topping out at around 32 per game. However, he has been efficient with his playing time. He’s increased his production to 1.25 DraftKings points per minute over the past month, which is the fifth-highest mark among Wednesday’s power forwards.
Siakam has significantly more upside than usual vs. the Bulls. Chicago has played at the third-fastest pace this season, and the Pacers aren’t far behind at No. 8. Ultimately, this game has a massive 241.5-point total, which leads the slate by 10 full points. Siakam’s salary has also dipped to just $6,900 on DraftKings after topping out at $8,100, so it’s a nice buy-low opportunity.
Value
If you’re looking to go cheaper with the Pacers, Obi Toppin stands out at just $3,700. Toppin is only expected to see around 20 minutes vs. the Bulls, but he’s capable of doing a lot of damage in limited minutes. He’s averaged 1.14 DraftKings points per minute over the past month, and he’s already gone for 30+ DraftKings points in less than 20 minutes on multiple occasions. He hasn’t been quite as efficient recently, but that’s caused his price tag to decrease by roughly -$1,000 over the past two weeks.
Fast Break
Giannis Antetokounmpo is another potential buy-low target at power forward. He’s down to $11,400 on DraftKings, and while that’s still a ton of salary, it’s really not for Giannis. He’s been priced above $12,000 for most of the year, and his current price tag comes with a 74% Bargain Rating. He draws a solid matchup vs. the Spurs on Wednesday, resulting in an Opponent Plus/Minus of +2.54.
Peyton Watson has seen a nice spike in playing time over his past two outings. He’s logged at least 33.7 minutes in back-to-back games, and he’s responded with 26.0 and 29.75 DraftKings points. His price tag has yet to reflect his increased role; in fact, his salary has actually decreased to $3,400 for Wednesday’s matchup vs. the Clippers.
NBA DFS Center Picks
Stud
I can’t comprehend how Nikola Jokic is not the favorite for the MVP right now. I know that Shai Gilgeous-Alexander is also having an excellent season, and the Thunder are arguably the best team in the league. But what Jokic is doing on a night-to-night basis is absolutely mind-boggling.
He was a surprise inactive on the first leg of the Nuggets’ back-to-back set on Tuesday with an illness, and the team has yet to release their injury report for Wednesday. However, if he’s back in the lineup, he’s worth targeting at $12,700 on a slate with plenty of value.
Jokic has averaged 1.87 DraftKings points per minute this season, which is easily the top mark in basketball. That figure increased to nearly 2.00 with Gordon off the floor, and it actually exceeds 2.0 in full games without Gordon. The Thunder are a brutal matchup, but I’m not sure anyone can stop Jokic at this point.
This is also the rare opportunity to get him at reduced ownership. He’s projected for less than 10% currently in our NBA Models, but his optimal lineup rate in Sim Labs is closer to 15%.
Value
Guerschon Yabusele is the final stop on our tour of the 76ers. He should draw the start at center with Embiid out of the lineup, and he’s been a solid producer when given the opportunity to play big minutes this season. He’s averaged 0.89 DraftKings points per minute for the year, and he had 33.0 DraftKings points in more than 36 minutes in his last outing. He’s projected for another 32 minutes vs. the Wizards, so there’s no reason why he can’t return value once again.
Fast Break
Deandre Ayton is priced in the midrange, but he might be the best pure value at the position. He’s starting to play more significant minutes for the Blazers, and he’s also increased his production to 1.12 DraftKings points per minute over the past month. He had more than 40 DraftKings points in his last outing, and he has an elite +4.53 Opponent Plus/Minus vs. the Pelicans. His $6,200 price tag also comes with a 90% Bargain Rating, so he checks all the boxes on this slate.
Karl-Anthony Towns is officially questionable for the Knicks, but he’s another potential stud target if he’s in the lineup. The Knicks have the second-highest implied team total on the slate in a juicy matchup vs. the Raptors, and Towns has been en fuego of late. He’s posted a positive Plus/Minus in five straight games, including 75.0 DraftKings points in his last outing.
