Wednesday features a two-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 Leverage 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
The Knicks absolutely romped the 76ers at home in Game 1 of their series. They cruised to a 39-point win after winning their final two games vs. the Hawks by a total of 80 points. They’re in a groove offensively, and they’ve emerged as the favorites to represent the East in the NBA Finals.
Jalen Brunson was brilliant for the Knicks in Game 1. He was only needed for 30.7 minutes, but that didn’t stop him from scoring 35 points and 45.75 DraftKings points. He posted a 33.4% usage rate in that contest, and he’s been at 32.2% overall during the playoffs. That represents a slight increase from his average during the regular season.
Brunson leads Wednesday’s point guards with an average of 1.21 DraftKings points per minute over the past month, and his 10 Pro Trends are also tops at the position. He checks in with the highest ceiling projection among Wednesday’s point guards, while he’s No. 2 in projected Plus/Minus.
Value
VJ Edgecombe has eligibility in both backcourt spots, and he’d typically have more value as a shooting guard. However, the point guard position is very thin today from a value standpoint. Miles McBride has the best Plus/Minus projection among players priced under $6,000, and he’s far from a sure thing. He’s posted a negative Plus/Minus in four straight games, and he’s averaged just 0.66 DraftKings points per minute over the past month. That makes the idea of using Edgecombe at PG much more appealing than usual.
Edgcombe struggled in Game 1 vs. the Knicks, finishing with just 18.75 DraftKings points in 28.3 minutes. However, he has generally been pretty reliable this postseason. He’s projected for 38.5 minutes in our NBA Models, and he’s averaged 0.89 DraftKings points per minute over the past month.
Edgecombe leads all point guards in projected Plus/Minus, though the gap between him and Brunson is very slim. Using both together is definitely a viable option.
Fast Break
Tyrese Maxey has to get more involved for the 76ers in Game 2. He had just nine shot attempts on Monday, and he finished with just 13 points and 17.75 DraftKings points. He has become the 76ers’ clear best player, so that is simply unacceptable. Expect Maxey to be more aggressive in Game 2, and he stands out as an excellent buy-low candidate at $8,100. His salary comes with a 99% Bargain Rating, and Maxey has averaged a Plus/Minus of +5.01 with a comparable salary since the start of the 2023-24 season (per the Trends tool).
De’Aaron Fox will also be looking to bounce back after a disappointing showing in Game 1. He had just 21.75 DraftKings points and shot just 5-14 from the field. The good news is that Fox had games of 40.25 and 52.5 DraftKings points in his two previous contests, so he certainly has the potential for a better performance in Game 2.
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
The Spurs are coming off a surprising loss in Game 1 vs. the Timberwolves. They’re a young team going up against a squad that has made it to back-to-back Western Conference Finals, but they were still heavy favorites to advance in this series. They’re 9.5-point favorites to even the series at home in Game 2, giving them the top implied team total on the slate.
Getting more from Stephon Castle would go a long way toward evening the series. He fouled out after just 28.3 minutes in Game 1, which was a massive blow. Castle finished with 32.25 DraftKings points in his reduced workload, and he should certainly pick up a few additional minutes in Game 2.
Castle has been tremendous for the Spurs all season, and he’s averaged 1.15 DraftKings points per minute over the past month. His salary has come down to just $6,700 for Wednesday’s matchup, and that is simply too cheap. It results in a 99% Bargain Rating, and he leads the position in projected Plus/Minus.
Value
Kelly Oubre has not been a huge offensive threat for the 76ers during the playoffs, but he’s typically seeing plenty of minutes. He’s projected for another 36 minutes on Wednesday, which is plenty at just $5,000. Historically, players with comparable salaries and minute projections have averaged a Plus/Minus of +3.07. He’s a low-risk, low-reward type of option.
Fast Break
Anthony Edwards came back from a hyperextended knee injury surprisingly early, but he was limited to just 25.3 minutes in his first game back. It’s hard to get too excited about Edwards at his current price tag in a limited capacity, but he’s still one of the most talented scorers in the league. He could pick up a few additional minutes in Game 2, and he should command minimal ownership for tournaments.
Dylan Harper has been a luxury option for the Spurs for most of the season. They haven’t necessarily needed him to handle a big workload, but he’s proven capable when asked. He’s posted a positive Plus/Minus in three of his past four games, and he erupted for 51.0 DraftKings points against the Blazers in the first round. That seems like a clear outlier – Victor Wembanyama was unavailable for that contest – but it’s possible that the team needs to lean on him a bit more in the playoffs.
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NBA DFS Small Forward Picks
Stud
Small forward is easily the weakest position to pay up at on this slate, with no one checking in above $6,900. Josh Hart is not the most expensive option at the position, but he leads all options in terms of median and ceiling projection. That’s a nice combination, and it gives him the top projected Plus/Minus at small forward.
Hart is coming off 35.0 DraftKings points in just 25.7 minutes in Game 1 vs. the 76ers, and he’s capable of racking up fantasy points in a variety of ways. He’s one of the best rebounding wings in basketball, and he added six assists, three steals, and a block in Game 1. He’s projected for 36 minutes on Wednesday’s slate, and he can find a lot of ways to make an impact with that much playing time.
Value
Devin Vassell stands out as a nice value at small forward for the Spurs. He hasn’t carried a massive usage rate during the postseason, but he’s been efficient with his opportunities. He’s posted a positive Plus/Minus in four of his past six games, including 33.75 DraftKings points in Game 1 vs. the Timberwolves.
Vassell played roughly 36.5 minutes in his last contest, and it’s possible that number was slightly inflated by Castle fouling out. However, he’s not expected to see a huge reduction in Game 2. He’s projected for another 34.5 minutes, and he’s averaged a solid 0.79 DraftKings points per minute over the past month.
Vassell’s biggest selling point is his price tag. He checks in at just $5,300 for Game 2, resulting in an 85% Bargain Rating. That’s easily the best mark among relevant SFs on this slate.
Fast Break
Like most of his teammates, Paul George didn’t see a full workload in the Game 1 blowout. However, he was very effective when he was on the floor. He racked up 26.75 DraftKings points in 26.5 minutes, knocking down 6-11 shots from the field and 4-6 from 3-point range. George had at least 39.0 DraftKings points in two of his final three games vs. the Celtics, so there is plenty of room for improvement moving forward.
Unlike Harper, Keldon Johnson has seemingly gotten less important for the Spurs during the playoffs. That’s a bit surprising for the reigning Sixth Man of the Year. However, Johnson is still projected for 20 minutes in our NBA Models, and he’s averaged just under a fantasy point per minute over the past month. His price tag has also come down to just $3,900, giving him some buy-low appeal.
NBA DFS Power Forward Picks
Stud
Karl-Anthony Towns has been a bit of a punching bag for Knicks fans over the past two seasons, but he has played inspired basketball over the second half of this year. He was dominant to close out the series vs. the Hawks, racking up at least 51.0 DraftKings points in four straight games.
Towns got off to another fantastic start against the 76ers. He was limited to just 20.4 minutes due to a combination of foul trouble and game script, but he was unstoppable when on the floor. He finished with 37.5 DraftKings points in his limited playing time, good for an average of 1.84 DraftKings points per minute.
Given the bad blood between Towns and the 76ers’ star big man, expect Towns to be fired up once again in Game 2. He’s been an outstanding value all postseason, and that doesn’t figure to change at just $8,400. His current price tag comes with a 97% Bargain Rating, and he leads all power forwards in projected Plus/Minus.
Value
Julian Champagnie stands out as a cheap source of playing time for the Spurs. He’s logged at least 30 minutes in back-to-back games, and he’s responded with a positive Plus/Minus in each. He had 34.75 DraftKings points in one of those outings, so he provides a bit of upside as well.
Champagnie is projected for another 30 minutes on Wednesday, and he’s averaged 0.80 DraftKings points per minute over the past month. He’s ultimately a very reasonable option at just $4,500.
Fast Break
With Edwards banged up and Donte DiVincenzo out of the lineup, Julius Randle is going to have to serve as the Timberwolves’ offensive focal point. He was solid in that role in Game 1 vs. the Spurs, finishing with 21 points, 10 rebounds, and 38.5 DraftKings points in 41.5 minutes. That said, he has the potential for more. He’ll see at least a solid chunk of minutes without Edwards in Game 2, and he’s averaged 1.23 DraftKings points per minute with Edwards and DiVincenzo off the floor this season. The Spurs are a tough matchup, but Randle has solid upside for his price tag.
OG Anunoby has solidified his status as the Knicks’ No. 3 option during the playoffs. He’s been awesome, posting a positive Plus/Minus in five of his past six games. The lone exception was his last outing, and he played just 30.4 minutes in that contest. He should see closer to 40 minutes if Game 2 is more competitive, and Anunoby has already turned in two games with at least 51.75 DraftKings points during this postseason.
NBA DFS Center Picks
Stud
Even when Victor Wembanyama doesn’t play well, he still does stuff that we very rarely see. He finished with just 11 points in nearly 40 minutes in Game 1, but he made up for it with a ridiculous 12 blocked shots. He ultimately finished with a triple-double, racking up 64.25 DraftKings points in the process.
If Wembanyama is going to continue to play close to 40 minutes, he has seemingly endless upside for fantasy purposes. He’s averaged 1.86 DraftKings points per minute over the past month, which is the top mark on Wednesday’s slate by a country mile. He’s the most expensive player on DraftKings, but his $10,600 price tag is well below his typical mark during the regular season. That doesn’t make a ton of sense with Wembanyama now playing roughly 10 additional minutes per game. He’s easily the top stud on this slate.
Value
Rudy Gobert has helped revitalize his stock during the playoffs. He’s always been known as a great defender, but he has historically struggled to provide the same level of production in the postseason. That said, he was awesome against Nikola Jokic in Round 1, and he’s going to have to be equally impressive against Wemby in Round 2.
Gobert proved up to the task in Game 1. He did play just 29.7 minutes – which is not the most encouraging sign for his future prospects – but he still finished with 33.5 DraftKings points. It was his fourth positive Plus/Minus in his past five games. He is projected to get up to 33.5 minutes in Game 2, and he owns the top projected Plus/Minus among centers priced below $8,400.
Fast Break
There has been a lot of discourse about how Joel Embiid played in Game 1 vs. the Knicks. He seemed to be hunting for fouls instead of playing basketball, which clearly had a detrimental effect on the rest of his team. Hopefully, he gets back to doing what he did in the previous round in Game 2. Embiid had at least 47.0 DraftKings points in all four games he appeared in against Boston, including a massive performance in the closeout win. He has the second-highest ceiling projection on the slate, and pairing him with Wembanyama is certainly doable.
Editor’s note: Embiid was ruled out after this article was published. Check out the Player Models for updates.
Naz Reid is another member of the Timberwolves who could benefit from their current injury situation. He’s posted a positive Plus/Minus in three of his past four games, and he’s played at least 29.7 minutes in back-to-back games. Reid has always been a solid per-minute producer, so he should continue to deliver useful performances with that much playing time.
Pictured: Jalen Brunson
Photo Credit: Imagn
