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 Nuggets are rounding into form heading into the playoffs. They’ve gotten healthier, and they’re currently riding a nine-game win streak. That’s caused them to move up to third place in the Western Conference standings, though they’re still just 1.0 game up on the Lakers and Rockets.
Denver is in a great spot to add another win on Wednesday. They’re taking on the tanking Grizzlies, and they’re listed as massive 23-point favorites. That means there’s plenty of blowout potential, but there’s also plenty of scoring upside. Denver is implied for a massive 133.25 points, while no other team on the slate is above 121.25. That’s a huge discrepancy.
It makes Jamal Murray an interesting pay-up option. He’s put together some big games recently, going for at least 61.0 DraftKings points in three of his past six outings. Those games have come against the Jazz (twice) and Mavericks, and the Grizzlies are the same caliber of opponent. His price tag also comes with a 99% Bargain Rating, while his 10 Pro Trends are tied for the most at the position.
Value
The Spurs are pretty comfortably locked into the No. 2 spot in the West, so they have the luxury of resting some of their players down the stretch. That will likely be the case on Wednesday. Both Victor Wembanyama and Stephon Castle are listed as doubtful, which opens up plenty of opportunities for the rest of the roster.
Dylan Harper should be one of the biggest beneficiaries. He’s already been an excellent per-minute contributor this season, averaging 1.13 DraftKings points per minute over the past month. He’s projected for 29 minutes in our NBA Models, and Harper has averaged a Plus/Minus of +7.29 with a comparable minute projection this season (per the Trends tool).
Harper should also be more involved with Wembanyama and Castle sidelined. He’s seen a +4.8% usage bump with both players off the floor this season, which is the third-largest mark on the team.
Fast Break
Walter Clayton is helping the Grizzlies play out the string. He’s had a solid role since being acquired from the Jazz, and he’s posted a positive Plus/Minus in seven of his past nine games. That includes at least 28.75 DraftKings points in back-to-back contests. He’s another player who is underpriced on DraftKings, with his $4,400 salary coming with a 99% Bargain Rating.
It’s impossible to ignore what Cooper Flagg has done for the Mavericks of late. He’s coming off a down performance in his last outing, but he had 74.5 and 73.5 DraftKings points in his two previous contests. Overall, he’s posted a 36.8% usage rate over his past four games, which is way up from his 26.7% mark for the year. He owns the top ceiling projection at the position in our NBA Models as he looks to cap off his season with the Rookie of the Year award.
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 Cavaliers and Hawks will square off in arguably the most intriguing matchup on Wednesday. Atlanta has been red hot of late, which has caused them to jump all the way to fifth in the East standings. The Cavs are currently in fourth place, so this looks like a potential first-round playoff preview. Cleveland is a slim 1.5-point home favorite, while the total sits at a healthy 236.5 points.
Nickeil Alexander-Walker has established himself as one of the Hawks’ top options down the stretch. For fantasy purposes, he’s posted a positive Plus/Minus in five of his past six games. That includes three games of at least 47.5 DraftKings points in his past five. He’s increased his production to 1.16 DraftKings points per minute over the past month, and he leads all shooting guards with 36 projected minutes on Wednesday.
That gives Alexander-Walker a nice combination of safety and upside at $6,900. He has the fifth-best projected Plus/Minus at shooting guard, while he’s No. 4 in projected ceiling.
Value
Lucas Williamson is the type of player who embodies tanking basketball. He wasn’t even on an NBA roster a month ago, yet he’s playing huge minutes for the Grizzlies down the stretch. He’s logged 36.4 and 39.8 minutes across his past two outings, and he responded with 37.25 DraftKings points in his last contest.
Not much figures to change for Williamson on Wednesday. He’s currently projected for 32 minutes at just $4,400, and it’s hard to pass up that combination. Historically, players with comparable salaries and minute projections have averaged a Plus/Minus of +2.83. He ranks second at shooting guard in projected Plus/Minus, trailing only Harper.
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C.J. McCollum is another potential option for the Hawks. His ceiling isn’t quite as high as Alexander-Walker’s, but he’s been equally consistent of late. He’s posted a positive Plus/Minus in eight of his past 11 games, including two straight with at least 38.25 DraftKings points. McCollum is also available at a slight discount compared to his teammate, and he has a slightly better optimal lineup rate in Sim Labs.
Bones Hyland has seemingly come back from the dead by NBA standards. He was a solid part of the Nuggets’ rotation in his first two seasons, but he saw barely any court time over the following two years. Now, he’s back to being an important bench option for the Timberwolves. He’s racked up at least 37.75 DraftKings points in three straight games, and he’s projected for 28 minutes on the second leg of a back-to-back. His salary has yet to reflect his increased production, resulting in a 99% Bargain Rating on DraftKings.
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NBA DFS Small Forward Picks
Stud
It’s a shame that the Clippers’ season hasn’t gone better, because Kawhi Leonard is playing some of the best basketball of his career. He’s averaging 28.1 points, 6.3 rebounds, and 3.6 assists per game with elite efficiency, and he’s done it over 63 games. He’ll be eligible for All-NBA honors if he plays in two of the team’s final three games.
For fantasy purposes, Leonard has averaged 1.48 DraftKings points per minute over the past month. That’s the best mark among all of Wednesday’s forwards. His minutes have been slightly limited of late, but the Clippers have played in three straight blowouts. He should see a few more minutes if Wednesday’s matchup vs. the Thunder is more competitive, making him an interesting pay-up option at $9,400. He leads all small forwards with 13 Pro Trends, while his salary comes with a 92% Bargain Rating.
Value
The Nuggets took a big swing this offseason, trading Michael Porter Jr. to the Nets for Cameron Johnson. That move has not paid off for most of the year. MPJ thrived in his new scenery, while Johnson struggled to adapt to his new role.
However, Johnson could be figuring things out. He’s put together three straight excellent performances, scoring at least 34.5 DraftKings points in each outing. He’s logging plenty of minutes at the moment, and that should be the case again on Wednesday: he’s currently projected for 31 minutes in our NBA Models. The Nuggets are going to need this version of Johnson if they’re going to contend for the championship.
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Dyson Daniels is yet another option for the Hawks. He’s not the same caliber of offensive threat as Alexander-Walker or McCollum, but he makes up for it with his work in the peripheral categories. He’s had double-digit rebounds in two of his past three games, and he’s always a threat for multiple steals. Daniels has posted a positive Plus/Minus in seven of his past nine games, including four straight, and his $6,000 salary comes with a 98% Bargain Rating.
The Giannis Antetokounmpo drama has captured most of the headlines regarding the Bucks recently, but Ousmane Dieng has played some solid ball for them down the stretch. He erupted for more than 61 DraftKings points four games ago, and he’s posted a 31.4% usage rate over his past four outings. Someone has to score the ball in Milwaukee, and Dieng appears to be their best bet at the moment. He draws a tough matchup vs. the Pistons, but he has a solid ceiling at his price tag.
NBA DFS Power Forward Picks
Stud
Deni Avdija is back to doing Deni Avdija things for the Blazers. He missed a solid chunk of games in the middle of the season, and he didn’t look like quite the same player when he first returned to the lineup. However, he’s racked up 44.0, 52.0, and 54.75 DraftKings points in his past three contests. Avdija has logged at least 37.3 minutes in his past two contests, and he’s still averaged 1.30 DraftKings points per minute over the past month.
He should be able to build on that success vs. the Spurs on Wednesday. Their defense isn’t nearly as intimidating without Wembanyama, making Avdija one of the strongest pay-up options on the slate. He has the second-highest ceiling projection regardless of position, and he has the highest optimal lineup rate among players priced above $5,500.
Value
Dariq Whitehead is another player who has gone from out of the league to a featured part of the Grizzlies’ rotation down the stretch. He’s appeared in the team’s past three contests, and he’s logged at least 30.8 minutes in two straight. Whitehead has taken at least 15 shots in back-to-back games, and he finished with 20 points in his most recent outing.
Whitehead is projected for another 31 minutes on Wednesday, making him an absolute slam-dunk at just $4,200. He ranks first on the slate in projected Plus/Minus and optimal lineup rate, and his salary comes with a 98% Bargain Rating.
Fast Break
Matisse Thybulle is another excellent value option at forward. He’s been a fantastic source of production recently, posting a positive Plus/Minus in six of his past seven games. That includes three games with at least 27.25 DraftKings points. Overall, he’s averaged 0.88 DraftKings points per minute over the past month, and he’s projected for 27.5 minutes vs. the Spurs. You’ll gladly take that at $3,700.
Aaron Gordon is one of the Nuggets’ most important players; when he’s at his best, they’re among the best teams in the league. We haven’t seen much of Gordon over the second half of the year, but he’s starting to look like his old self. He had 43.75 DraftKings points in his last outing, and he was vital in the team’s win over the Spurs two games ago. He may not need to do as much vs. the lowly Grizzlies, but he’s underpriced at $5,900.
NBA DFS Center Picks
Stud
There are NBA DFS studs, and then there’s Nikola Jokic. While the gap between Jokic and the rest of the field has shrunk this year, he’s still the best player in fantasy. There is simply nothing that he cannot do at an elite level on the basketball court.
Jokic has been at his best recently. He’s averaged 1.87 DraftKings points per minute over the past month, and despite one of the highest salaries on DraftKings, he’s averaged a Plus/Minus of +5.67 over his past 10 games. He’s gone for at least 73.25 DraftKings points in five of his past seven outings, and there is no one on this slate that can match that level of production.
Jokic has the top ceiling projection in our NBA Models by a massive margin. The gap at the center position is nearly 30 points, making Jokic a clear target on a slate with plenty of value. He’s also projected to be a bit underowned: his 31.67% ownership projection is well below his optimal lineup rate.
Value
Jokic ranks second at center in projection Plus/Minus, just narrowly trailing Onyeka Okongwu. While Okongwu lacks the same upside as the Nuggets’ big man, he’s arguably the safer bet of the two. His matchup doesn’t have the same level of blowout potential, while his $5,900 salary comes with a 99% Bargain Rating.
Okongwu is coming off a down performance in his last outing, but he posted a positive Plus/Minus in his three previous games. That includes a 20-point, 10-rebound outburst vs. the Celtics, resulting in 47.5 DraftKings points. He’s ultimately projected for 33.5 minutes Wednesday vs. the Cavaliers, and he’s averaged better than a fantasy point per minute over the past month.
Fast Break
Jokic and Okongwu stand out as the clear best center options by a pretty wide margin, and there’s a large fall-off to the No. 3 center in terms of optimal lineup rate. That would be Robert Williams, who is only projected for 22 minutes vs. the Spurs. That said, Williams should be productive when he is on the floor. He’s averaged 1.08 DraftKings points per minute over the past month, so he doesn’t need a ton of playing time to potentially pay off his $4,200 salary.
With Wembanyama expected to sit, Luke Kornet could see an uptick in playing time on Wednesday. He’s currently projected for 23.5 minutes in our NBA Models, and he’s averaged 0.98 DraftKings points per minute with Wembanyama and Castle off the floor this season. That doesn’t give him a ton of upside at $4,400, but he should be able to return value.
Pictured: Deni Avdija
Photo Credit: Imagn
