Wednesday features a seven-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 76ers are currently locked in a massive race for the final two guaranteed playoff spots in the Eastern Conference. They’re currently sitting in seventh – putting them on the outside looking in – but they’re just 1.5-game behind the fifth-seeded Hawks. The gap between Atlanta and 10th-place Charlotte is just 3.0 games, so there’s going to be a lot of jockeying for position down the stretch.
The good news is that Philly has started to get healthier. Tyrese Maxey has suited up in each of the past two games after missing roughly three weeks of action, and he’s picked up right where he left off. He’s had at least 49.25 DraftKings points in both contests, and he’s logged a massive workload in each.
Maxey is going to be asked to do most of the heavy lifting for the 76ers again on Wednesday. The team has already ruled out Joel Embiid, and Maxey has seen a +2.6% usage bump with Embiid off the floor this season. Overall, he’s averaged 1.37 DraftKings points per minute in that split.
Maxey also benefits from one of the best possible matchups. He’s taking on the Wizards, who rank sixth in pace and 29th in defensive efficiency. The 76ers are implied for 127 points in this contest, which is the top mark on the slate.
Value
The Pacers are going to be a huge source of value on Wednesday. They are tanking towards the finish line, looking to protect their upcoming first-round pick. They get to keep it if it lands in the top four picks, but they’ll have to send it to the Clippers if it doesn’t. With that in mind, it’s no surprise that the team has ruled out most of their top backcourt options for Wednesday’s contest vs. the Bulls.
Quenton Jackson should see an uptick in responsibilities. He’s currently projected for 24 minutes in our NBA Models, and he’s averaged a respectable 0.84 DraftKings points per minute over the past month. He’s priced at just $3,300, and players with comparable salaries and minute projections have historically averaged a Plus/Minus of +2.52 (per the Trends tool).
Jackson leads all backcourt options in projected Plus/Minus, and he’s also No. 1 in Sim Labs optimal lineup rate. He’s popping in the optimal lineup more than 52% of the time, making him one of the strongest values of the day.
Fast Break
Kam Jones is another potential option for the Pacers. He’s not projected for quite as much playing time as Jackson, but he’s been slightly more efficient on a per-minute basis. He’s also even cheaper at just $3,100, resulting in an 86% Bargain Rating. This matchup vs. the Bulls has a massive 247.5-point total, so there’s plenty of room for multiple value pieces in Indiana.
On the other side of that matchup, Josh Giddey is an interesting target if he’s able to suit up. He’s officially questionable, but he’s put together some huge games when he’s played recently. He’s gone for at least 51.25 DraftKings points in three of his past five, and he’s averaged 1.41 DraftKings points per minute over the past month. That’s the best mark among Wednesday’s point guards by a pretty sizable margin.
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
Jaylen Brown got a few games off for the Celtics recently, but he returned to the lineup in their last contest. He got to play without Jayson Tatum, and he responded by taking 29 shots. He also added 10 rebounds and nine assists, bringing him to 57.0 DraftKings points in a loss vs. the Hawks.
Tatum will return to the lineup on Wednesday, but Brown has still managed to get his with Tatum in the lineup. His per-minute efficiency is slightly down – he’s averaged 1.35 DraftKings points per minute over the past month – but he’s still posted a positive Plus/Minus in five of his past six games.
Brown ultimately leads the shooting guard position in ceiling projection by nearly 10 points. He doesn’t stand out as the best pure value, but he has plenty of upside in a pace-up contest vs. the Heat.
Value
The Rockets will be on the second leg of a back-to-back on Wednesday after beating the Knicks on Tuesday. Tari Eason played more than 30 minutes in that contest, and he should see a similar workload vs. the Bucks. That’s an extremely appealing proposition for fantasy purposes. Eason hasn’t been quite as dominant on a per-minute basis as in years past, but he’s still averaged 0.87 DraftKings points per minute over the past month. He’s posted a positive Plus/Minus in three straight games, including 39.0 DraftKings points yesterday vs. the Knicks.
Eason’s price tag has yet to reflect his increased playing time. He’s priced at just $4,300 on DraftKings, resulting in a 99% Bargain Rating.
Fast Break
Collin Sexton has put together some huge games for the Bulls recently. He’s posted an average Plus/Minus of +6.37 over his past 10 games, and he’s had at least 31.25 DraftKings points in four of his past five. He’s averaged a stout 1.24 DraftKings points per minute over the past month, and he’s still priced at a discount at $5,200. Sexton would be among the strongest plays of the day if Giddey is unable to suit up, but he would still have appeal if Giddey is active.
VJ Edgecombe has seen a significant reduction in value with Maxey back in the lineup. He’s logged 30.7 minutes or fewer in back-to-back games, and he’s responded with less than 26 DraftKings points in both. That said, perhaps the absence of Embiid will change things. Edgecombe has seen a +3.09% usage bump with Embiid off the floor this season, so he should be a bigger part of the game plan.
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NBA DFS Small Forward Picks
Stud
Perhaps a suspension did Paul George a world of good. He’s looked like a different player since returning to the lineup last week. He’s scored at least 54.5 DraftKings points in two of his first three games back, and he’s averaged an elite 1.46 DraftKings points per minute during that stretch.
Like Edgecombe, George did see a clear downtick in value with Maxey back in the lineup on Monday. His usage rate in his first two games back was north of 30%, but it was just 23.7% in his last contest. However, George figures to be one of the biggest beneficiaries of Embiid’s absence. He’s seen a team-high +4.2% usage bump with Embiid off the floor this season, and he’s averaged 1.20 DraftKings points per minute.
George leads all small forwards with 11 Pro Trends, and he owns the top optimal lineup rate at the position as well. He ranks second among small forwards in projected ceiling and fourth in projected Plus/Minus. Ultimately, he’s one of the best pay-up options of the day.
Value
Kobe Brown is arguably the strongest value for the Pacers on Wednesday. He’s projected for the most playing time among their value options, checking in at 28 minutes in our NBA Models. Brown has racked up 26.5 and 36.0 DraftKings points in his past two games, so he’s capable of taking advantage of an expanded role.
Brown remains extremely affordable at just $3,400, resulting in a 99% Bargain Rating. Players with comparable salaries and minute projections have historically averaged a Plus/Minus of +4.09, and Brown is capable of exceeding that figure.
Fast Break
Josh Hart struggled for the Knicks on Tuesday, but he’s still been a nice source of value recently. He’s posted a positive Plus/Minus in four of his past six games, and he’s averaged 1.07 DraftKings points per minute over the past month. Only George has a better optimal lineup rate among Wednesday’s small forwards.
Jaime Jaquez is coming off nearly 32 minutes in his last game, and he’s capable of doing a lot of damage with that much playing time. He contributes in every category across the board, resulting in an average of 1.09 DraftKings points per minute over the past month. He’s posted a positive Plus/Minus in three straight games, despite playing 25.7 minutes or fewer in two of them. Jaquez is projected for 30 minutes on Wednesday’s slate, and he should be able to return value if he gets to that figure.
NBA DFS Power Forward Picks
Stud
While the Pacers are going to be extremely thin in the backcourt on Wednesday, they should have Pascal Siakam in the lineup. He’s currently listed as probable, and we saw what Siakam is capable of as the team’s unquestioned lead option in their last contest. He posted a massive 43.9% usage rate vs. the Heat, and he finished with 55.75 DraftKings points in just 31.3 minutes of action. He has the potential to duplicate that production vs. the Bulls, making him a reasonable option at just $8,200. Just don’t expect him to play more than 32 minutes.
Value
Andrew Wiggins has seen a nice uptick in production for the Heat recently. He’s logged at least 35.7 minutes in back-to-back games after seeing less than 24 minutes in his first three games back from injury.
If he’s going to continue to play that much, he’s a clear value at just $5,500. Wiggins has averaged 1.0 DraftKings points per minute over the past month, and he’s been around that figure for basically his whole career. He’s projected for another 33.5 minutes Wednesday vs. the Celtics, and his current price tag comes with a 92% Bargain Rating.
Fast Break
Micah Potter and Obi Toppin won’t get the same playing time bump as some of their teammates, but they’ll still have the potential to return value vs. the Bulls. Both guys are excellent per-minute producers: Potter has averaged 1.09 DraftKings points per minute over the past month, while Toppin is at 1.21. Both guys should see roughly 20 minutes of playing time, which is more than enough to pay off their meager price tags. Potter ranks second at power forward in projected Plus/Minus, while Toppin is right behind him.
Matas Buzelis has posted a negative Plus/Minus in six of his past seven games, but the lone exception was a doozy. He went off for 55.0 DraftKings points vs. the Grizzlies, so he clearly has an excellent ceiling for his price tag. The Pacers represent an elite matchup, and Buzelis has averaged 1.17 DraftKings points per minute over the past month. If he plays a bit more than expected – or sees a bump if Giddey is ruled out – he could be looking at another big performance.
NBA DFS Center Picks
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It has been an up-and-down season for Karl-Anthony Towns, who has posted a negative Plus/Minus in four straight games. He has looked conservative at times on offense, and he’s averaging nearly 4.5 fewer points per game than he did in his first year with the Knicks.
Still, we know what Towns is capable of. He’s one of the most gifted offensive big men in NBA history, and he’s still averaged an elite 1.45 DraftKings points per minute over the past month. He’s gotten to 34 minutes in back-to-back games, and he should eventually be able to provide value with that much playing time.
Now, Towns gets a juicy matchup vs. the Grizzlies. The Knicks have the fourth-highest implied team total on the slate, and Memphis has struggled on the interior since trading away Jaren Jackson Jr. They’re 29th in defensive efficiency over their past 15 games, so it’s a great spot for Towns to bounce back. He owns the second-highest optimal lineup rate at center, and he’s a bit cheaper than usual at just $9,000
Value
Sandro Mamukelashvili is a bit of a cult hero in the NBA DFS streets. He’s capable of doing huge damage in limited minutes, so he’s in play every time he’s expected to see the floor.
Mamu is projected for 20 minutes on Wednesday’s slate, and that’s enough to give him the top projected Plus/Minus at center. He’s averaged 1.17 DraftKings points per minute over the past month, while his $4,100 salary comes with a 99% Bargain Rating. He’s posted an average Plus/Minus of +7.01 over his past 10 games, and he’s had at least 29.0 DraftKings points in four of his past five. Ultimately, his price tag has yet to adjust to his increased role, making him one of the strongest plays on the slate.
Fast Break
With Embiid out of the lineup, Andre Drummond could see a nice spike in playing time for the 76ers. That hasn’t always been the case this season, but on nights where Drummond plays big minutes, he’s still capable of popping off. He’s played at least 24 minutes in 14 games this season, and he’s averaged a +12.1 Plus/Minus in those contests. That gives him some clear upside at $4,500, and he’s projected for just 2.5% ownership.
Bam Adebayo has been quiet for most of the season, but he’s seen a big spike in production recently. An 83-point game will definitely inflate your numbers, but he also has six other games of at least 48.5 DraftKings points in the past month. He leads the position with 12 Pro Trends, making him an interesting pivot off Towns for tournaments.
Pictured: Tyrese Maxey
Photo Credit: Imagn
