Wednesday features a 10-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 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
Russell Westbrook played his first game of the season without LeBron James on Tuesday, and it went about how you’d expect. He increased his usage rate to 33.3% and racked up 33 points, 10 rebounds, and eight assists. Overall, he finished with 63.0 FanDuel points in an overtime victory vs. the Spurs.
There’s a chance that the Lakers will be shorthanded again on Wednesday. LeBron is questionable once again with an ankle injury, and Anthony Davis is also a candidate to rest on the second leg of a back-to-back. If either player is out, Westbrook becomes virtually a must-play option at just $8,400 on FanDuel. He leads the position with 11 Pro Trends, and he also owns an Opponent Plus/Minus of +2.18 vs. the Thunder.
Value
Cole Anthony isn’t a true “value play” at $6,100 on DraftKings and $6,200 on FanDuel, but he’s popping as one of the top options in our NBA Models. He’s been gobbling up peripheral stats recently, logging 25 rebounds and 13 assists over his past two games, and he’s on pace to post career highs in assist rate, rebound rate, and usage rate this season. The only issue with Anthony is that the Magic have been so bad that he’s played fewer minutes than expected. They can hopefully keep Wednesday’s contests vs. the Hornets close – they’re currently listed as 5.5-point home underdogs – which makes him a good bet to pay off his price tag.
Fast Break
Shai Gilgeous-Alexander was appropriately priced for yesterday’s matchup vs. the Warriors, and he finished with 40.75 DraftKings points over 35.7 minutes. With that in mind, I have no idea why his salary plummeted by -$1,000 for tonight’s matchup vs. the Lakers. SGA has posted a usage rate of 28.8% through his first four games, so he’s underpriced across the industry.
It could be time to buy low on Damian Lillard. He’s been dreadful to start the season, posting an average Plus/Minus of -8.77 on FanDuel, but he’s played reduced minutes in two straight blowouts. He’s been priced down to $8,200 for Wednesday’s matchup vs. the Grizzlies, resulting in a Bargain Rating of 96%. Lillard hasn’t been priced that cheaply very often, but he’s posted an average Plus/Minus of +5.58 with a comparable salary in 41 contests since the start of 2016 (per the Trends tool).
Shooting Guard
Stud
Bradley Beal has battled a hip injury to start the year. He missed one game and was ineffective in another, struggling to just 23.6 FanDuel points over 31.8 minutes Monday vs. the Nets. He’s also shot the ball poorly to start the year, making just 36.6% of his field-goal attempts and 21.1% of his 3-pointers.
That makes Beal an interesting buy-low target vs. the Celtics. He’s been priced down to $8,700 on FanDuel, resulting in a Bargain Rating of 89%, and Beal still figures to have a career year for the Wizards. He’s no longer sharing the court with a stud point guard, and he’s posted a career-high 35.4% usage rate through his first two games.
Value
De’Anthony Melton has been an excellent value to start the year, posting an average Plus/Minus of +5.24 on DraftKings through his first three games. He’s been priced up for Wednesday’s matchup vs. the Blazers, but he still seems underpriced given his current role. He’s been playing around 30 minutes per night, and Melton is the type of player who can average over 1.00 DraftKings points per minute.
Fast Break
Terrence Ross is coming off a brutal performance in his last game. He finished with zero FanDuel points over 21.5 minutes. Zero! That’s caused his salary to dip to just $4,200, which makes him a strong buy-low option vs. the Hornets. He’s currently projected for 26.1 minutes in our NBA Models, and Ross has historically averaged a Plus/Minus of +3.12 with a comparable salary and minute projection as a member of the Magic.
Gary Trent Jr. has seen a nice spike in playing time recently, logging at least 35.7 minutes in each of his past two games. That’s a lot of playing time for someone who costs just $4,600 on FanDuel. He’s also in a solid spot vs. the Pacers, resulting in an Opponent Plus/Minus of +2.01.
Small Forward
Stud
Brandon Ingram has been a consistent source of fantasy value to start the year. He’s taken on a large role with Zion Williamson out of the lineup, increasing his usage rate to a career-high 31.0% through his first four games. He’s also posted career highs in rebound rate and assist rate, so he has the potential for a massive fantasy season. Ingram averaged 1.25 DraftKings points per minute with Williamson off the court last year, so he should continue to provide fantasy value as long as he’s sidelined.
His price has remained stagnant at $8,200 on FanDuel, resulting in a Bargain Rating of 85%, so he remains in play on Wednesday’s DFS slate.
Value
Kent Bazemore could be another source of value if the Lakers are without LeBron or Davis on Wednesday. He played a season-high 31 minutes on Tuesday night, and he’s currently projected for 26.5 minutes in our NBA Models. Historically, Bazemore has averaged a Plus/Minus of +7.12 with a comparable salary and minute projection.
Fast Break
The Hornets are expected to be without Terry Rozier once again on Wednesday, which means Gordon Hayward should see a boost in value. He’s coming off a season-high 37.7 minutes in his last outing, and he averaged 1.02 FanDuel points per minute last year. He’s underpriced at $6,400 on FanDuel.
Nicolas Batum stands out as the preferred value option on DraftKings. He’s been priced down to just $3,600, resulting in a Bargain Rating of 86%, and he’s expected to play around 30 minutes vs. the Cavaliers.
Power Forward
Stud
Giannis Antetokounmpo stands out as one of the top studs any time the Bucks are on the slate, and Wednesday is no exception. Their implied team total of 117.75 ranks second on the slate, and the Timberwolves have played at the fifth-fastest pace this season.
Antetokounmpo has also seemingly gotten better since last year. That’s a scary thought – Giannis was already arguably the best player in the league – but he’s increased his fantasy production to 1.77 DraftKings points per minute this season. Jrue Holiday and Brook Lopez remain out of the lineup, so Giannis should also carry a larger workload than usual. Overall, Giannis is an extremely tough fade on Wednesday’s slate.
Value
Wendell Carter Jr. is coming off his worst performance of the year in his last outing, finishing with just 23.25 DraftKings points over 27.8 minutes. That’s a clear outlier. He scored at least 33.25 DraftKings points in his two previous games, and he’s averaged 1.1 DraftKings points per minute over the past month.
Fast Break
Precoius Achiuwa owns a Bargain Rating of 76% on FanDuel, and he’s been an excellent source of fantasy value recently. He’s scored at least 25.2 FanDuel points in each of his past three games, and he’s played at least 28.6 minutes in his past two. Achiuwa has averaged 1.06 FanDuel points per minute over the past month, so he’s a strong option at just $4,900.
Bam Adebayo has PF eligibility on FanDuel, which gives him extra appeal. Center is one of the strongest positions at the moment, so utilizing Adebayo at PF essentially allows you to roster an extra player at the position. He’s posted a positive Plus/Minus in each of his first three games this season, and he owns an Opponent Plus/Minus of +2.54 vs. the Nets.
Center
Stud
Jonas Valanciunas is not the same elite discount that he’s been to start the year, but he’s still an awesome option at $7,500 on FanDuel. It results in a Bargain Rating of 92%, and he leads all centers with 12 Pro Trends.
The only thing that has stopped Valanciunas from being an elite center in the past, but that’s not an issue with the Pelicans at the moment. He’s played at least 35.9 minutes in back-to-back games, and Valanciunas averaged 1.30 FanDuel points per minute last season. He’s responded with at least 54.4 FanDuel points in each of his past two games, and it wouldn’t be surprising if he did it again vs. the Hawks.
Value
Richaun Holmes is coming off a season-high 31.7 minutes in his last outing, and he’s massively underpriced at $5,900 on DraftKings. It results in a Bargain Rating of 97%, and Holmes has averaged a Plus/Minus of +3.00 with a comparable salary as a member of the Kings.
Fast Break
Jusuf Nurkic hasn’t been great to start the year, which has caused his salary to dip to $6,900 on DraftKings for Wednesday’s matchup vs. the Grizzlies. It’s an excellent matchup, resulting in an Opponent Plus/Minus of +3.2, and he averaged 1.29 DraftKings points per minute last year. That makes him an intriguing buy-low target for tournaments.
Al Horford has been awesome for the Celtics so far this year. He’s scored at least 36.75 DraftKings points in back-to-back games, but he missed their last contest due to a strained adductor. Horford is expected to return to the lineup on Wednesday, and he’s averaged an elite 1.50 DraftKings points per minute this year. He’s in a great spot vs. the Wizards, and his $5,800 salary on DraftKings comes with a Bargain Rating of 86%.
