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
We have two of the best PGs in fantasy to choose from on Wednesday in Cade Cunningham and Shai Gilgeous-Alexander. Surprisingly, SGA is actually the cheaper of the two on DraftKings. Gilgeous-Alexander is expected to take home his second consecutive MVP trophy, and he’s been the superior fantasy producer of the two for the year. Over the past month, Gilgeous-Alexander has averaged 1.39 DraftKings points per minute, compared to 1.34 for Cunningham.
However, the matchup vs. the Suns is a bit of an x-factor. Phoenix was not competitive vs. the Thunder in Game 1, and OKC is favored by a whopping 17.5 points in Game 2. That gives the game a bit of blowout risk.
Still, it’s hard to look past SGA at a sub-$10k price tag. He’s averaged a Plus/Minus of +3.81 with a salary below $10,000 since the start of 2022-23 (per the Trends tool), and he had 44.5 DraftKings points in just 29.2 minutes in Game 1. If Wednesday’s game is a bit more competitive, he has the potential to be the highest scorer on the slate by a decent margin.
Value
In lineups where you’re not using SGA, it makes sense to pivot to Ajay Mitchell. The two players unsurprisingly have a negative correlation. On nights where the Thunder are blowing out their opponents – and Gilgeous-Alexander plays less than expected – Mitchell typically picks up a few additional minutes.
Mitchell only needed 21.8 minutes in Game 1 to rack up 23.75 DraftKings points. That was good for a positive Plus/Minus, and his price tag for Game 2 is nearly identical. He’s averaged 0.89 DraftKings points per minute over the past month, and he’s currently projected for 25 minutes in our NBA Models. He ranks third at the position in projected Plus/Minus, trailing only Gilgeous-Alexander and Cunningham.
Fast Break
While SGA is the better player in a vacuum, the Pistons simply need Cunningham more than the Thunder need their star PG. That’s particularly true with the team currently down 0-1 to the eight-seeded Magic. Cunningham should be asked to carry a heavy burden on Wednesday, and his 38.5 projected minutes are tied for the most on the slate regardless of position. He also ranks first among all players in ceiling and median projection, and his 11 Pro Trends are also tops on the slate.
Jalen Suggs got up to 36.1 minutes in Game 1 vs. the Pistons, despite the fact that he fouled out. That’s a good sign for his fantasy prospects moving forward. Suggs has averaged better than a fantasy point per minute over the past month, but his playing time was often capped. If he’s going to continue to play 36+ minutes, he has the potential to deliver nice value at $6,800.
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
Devin Booker is going to have his hands full with the Thunder’s elite defense, but he’s the clear top choice if paying up at shooting guard. He’s projected for 38.5 minutes in our NBA Models, and he leads the position with an average of 1.22 DraftKings points per minute over the past month. That’s a nice combination, and he leads the position in both median and ceiling projection.
Booker is coming off a subpar showing in Game 1. He finished with just 33.0 DraftKings points, but he did have a 31% usage rate in that contest. That gives him the potential for better production moving forward. Booker was below a 30% usage rate in his two Play-In Tournament contests, but he’s going to need to give the Suns more if they have any chance of competing with OKC.
Value
Anthony Black is going to be a big part of the equation for the Magic during the postseason. He just recently returned from an injury, but the team has started to ramp up his activity. He played 27.4 minutes in the Play-In Tournament win over the Hornets, and he followed that up with 22.3 minutes in Game 1 vs. the Pistons. Black responded with a positive Plus/Minus in both contests, and he’s averaged 1.07 DraftKings points per minute since returning to the rotation.
Black is projected for another 23 minutes on Wednesday, and that could be a conservative estimate. Regardless, it should be enough for him to pay off his $4,600 price tag. He ultimately ranks second at the position in projected Plus/Minus.
Fast Break
Lu Dort has the top projected Plus/Minus at shooting guard, though he doesn’t have the same upside as Black. It’s due primarily to his $3,700 price tag. He’s not nearly the same level of per-minute producer, but he’s projected for a healthy 26.5 minutes on Wednesday’s slate. It’s extremely difficult to find that much volume at such a cheap price tag during the postseason. Dort had just 16.5 DraftKings points in Game 1, but that could still have some value in a stars-and-scrubs approach.
Desmond Bane didn’t have his best stuff for the Magic in Game 1. He shot just 7-20 from the field and 1-8 from 3-point range, but he still finished with 35.5 DraftKings points in 34.6 minutes. With some better shooting luck on Wednesday, he should be able to put together a better performance.
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NBA DFS Small Forward Picks
Stud
It’s been a lost season for Jalen Williams. He was instrumental in the Thunder’s championship run last year, but he was limited to just 33 games played this season. He averaged just 28.4 minutes per game in those contests, so his numbers were down across the board.
However, the Thunder are still going to need Williams to be a solid No. 2 option offensively if they’re going to repeat as champions. The good news is that he looks fully healthy at the moment. He’s averaged 1.20 DraftKings points per minute over the past month, and he’s projected for 32.5 minutes in Game 2 vs. the Suns. He had 44.25 DraftKings points in less than 30 minutes in Game 1, and his role should only increase as we get deeper into the postseason.
Williams’ price tag is still a bit depressed, checking in at $7,600 for Game 2. He leads all small forwards in median and ceiling projection, and he’s No. 3 in projected Plus/Minus.
Value
Despite winning the most games in the East this season, the Pistons still have to answer some questions in the playoffs. Specifically, where is the offense going to come from outside of Cunningham? Cade is one of the best offensive creators in the league, but the rest of the team is pretty lacking in that department.
Ausar Thompson probably won’t help much as a scorer, but he can do everything else. He’s arguably the best perimeter defender in the league, and he was officially named one of the three finalists for Defensive Player of the Year this season.
For fantasy purposes, Thompson has averaged 1.02 DraftKings points per minute over the past month. Even without being a huge scoring threat, he’s good enough in the peripheral categories to rack up fantasy points. He’s currently projected for 28 minutes in Game 2, and he leads all small forwards in projected Plus/Minus.
Fast Break
Franz Wagner is another huge piece of the puzzle for the Magic that has recently returned from injury. While the team limited his minutes in the Play-In Tournament, they cranked him up to 32.2 minutes in Game 1 of the playoffs. That makes him a really intriguing buy-low candidate at $6,300. He’s averaged 1.12 DraftKings points per minute over the past month, so he can do some damage with an expanded workload. His Bargain Rating is also tied for second-best at the position.
Kevin Huerter is one possible answer for the Pistons’ offensive question marks. He hasn’t shot the ball particularly well since being acquired from the Bulls, but he’s a 36.8% 3-point shooter for his career. If offense continues to be an issue, he could pick up a few additional minutes moving forward. He had just 9.5 DraftKings points in 18.5 minutes in Game 1, but he had 29.5 DraftKings points with a comparable workload in his final game of the regular season.
NBA DFS Power Forward Picks
Stud
With Williams missing most of the year, Chet Holmgren has solidified his status as OKC’s second-most-important player. He’s an absolute monster on defense, and when he’s making his shots on offense, the Thunder can feel unbeatable.
For fantasy purposes, Holmgren has averaged a stout 1.32 DraftKings points per minute over the past month. The only question is how much playing time he’ll see on Wednesday. He wasn’t really needed in the team’s first game, and he saw just 24.8 minutes in that contest. He still managed to get to 33.25 DraftKings points, and he had at least 36.5 DraftKings points in his three previous games. Holmgren is projected to get back to more than 30 minutes in Game 2, and if he does, he has the potential to be one of the strongest options of the day.
Value
Tobias Harris is under the spotlight this postseason. The Pistons need his offense, but he’s had a tendency to disappear during the playoffs in previous years. If they’re going to live up to their expectations, that cannot happen in 2026.
Harris was not great in his first outing. He made just 5-15 shots, including just 1-7 from 3-point range. The good news is that he still managed to get to 34.0 DraftKings points. If he can do that on a night when his shot isn’t falling, it gives him plenty of upside on nights when it is. He leads all players on Wednesday’s slate in projected Plus/Minus, and he should be one of the highest-owned options of the day.
Fast Break
Paolo Banchero was much maligned during the regular season, but he has a track record of big performances in the playoffs. He averaged just under 30 points per game against the Celtics last year, and he’s off to a solid start this season. He had 46.25 DraftKings points in the Play-In Tournament win over the Hornets, and he had 41.75 DraftKings points in Game 1 vs. the Pistons. Banchero doesn’t grade out as favorably as Holmgren or Harris from a value standpoint, but he has the top ceiling projection at the position.
Dillon Brooks is one of the biggest reasons why the Suns were able to outperform expectations this season. Everywhere he goes, his team tends to get better. Like the rest of his teammates, he’s going to be in for a long series vs. the Thunder. He wasn’t good in Game 1, shooting just 6-22 from the field, but he still managed 30.25 DraftKings points. He had a 34.8% usage rate in that contest, and with Grayson Allen and Mark Williams both questionable, he could continue to see a slight boost in their absence.
NBA DFS Center Picks
Stud
Jalen Duren was one of the best centers in basketball during the regular season, but he was completely invisible in Game 1 vs. the Magic. He finished with just eight points and seven rebounds, despite playing 32.8 minutes. That’s more playing time than he averaged in the regular season, where he averaged 19.5 points and 10.5 boards per game.
Expect Duren to be more aggressive in Game 2. He stands out as the clear top pay-up option at one of the weakest positions on this slate. He’s averaged 1.26 DraftKings points per minute over the past month, and he leads all centers with 33 projected minutes on this slate. He owns the top median and ceiling projections at center by a wide margin, and he’s No. 2 in projected Plus/Minus.
Value
Isaiah Hartenstein stands out as the best value proposition at center. He’s No. 1 in projected Plus/Minus, despite being projected for just 24 minutes vs. the Suns.
Whatever Hartenstein lacks in volume, he makes up for in efficiency. He’s averaged 1.21 DraftKings points per minute over the past month, which is an excellent figure for his $5,200 price tag. He had 24.5 DraftKings points in just 19.8 minutes in Game 1, and he should pick up a few additional minutes if Wednesday’s game is more competitive.
Fast Break
If Williams is unable to go for Phoenix, Oso Ighodaro would be the biggest beneficiary. He would see the majority of the center minutes, which would make him a reasonable value target at $4,300. He’s averaged 0.83 DraftKings points per minute over the past month, and he’s played at least 25.9 minutes in back-to-back games.
Wendell Carter Jr. had a huge game for the Magic in Game 1. He finished with 39.75 DraftKings points while doing a great job against Duren on the opposite end. He ultimately saw 36.7 minutes in that contest, which is a big plus for his fantasy prospects moving forward. His salary has jumped up to $5,700, but he still has some upside at that figure.
Pictured: Jalen Duren
Photo Credit: Imagn
