Wednesday features a two-game main slate starting at 8 p.m. ET.
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 Cavaliers will once again be operating at less than full strength on Wednesday. This time, they’ll be without Evan Mobley. He’s been ruled out with a calf injury, opening up some additional offensive responsibilities for the rest of the roster.
Darius Garland has already been a solid source of fantasy production of late. He’s posted a positive Plus/Minus in four of his past six games, including 45.5 DraftKings points vs. the Hornets in his last outing. He’s struggled with efficiency for most of the year, knocking down just 36.2% of his field goal attempts and 28.2% of his 3-pointers, but he’s still averaged 0.99 DraftKings points per minute. As his efficiency returns to his usual levels, he should be able to provide nice value at his current price tag.
Garland’s big game on Sunday came with Mobley out of the lineup, and he’s seen a huge spike in usage with the big man off the floor this season. He’s seen a team-high +10.74% usage bump, resulting in an average of 1.12 DraftKings points per minute.
Garland ultimately leads the position in projected Plus/Minus, and he ranks second in ceiling projection as well. He’s a logical starting point for your lineups.
Value
Sticking with the Cavaliers, Lonzo Ball is another potential option at the position. Ball hasn’t provided his usual per-minute efficiency this season, but his average of 0.86 DraftKings points per minute is nothing to sneeze at. He’s played at least 24 minutes in back-to-back games, and he’s expected to get to a similar threshold on Wednesday. Ball has increased his production to 0.96 DraftKings points per minute with Mobley off the floor, so that should give him a chance to return value.
Fast Break
Josh Giddey and the Bulls’ hot start feel like distant memories. They’ve plummeted back to 10-15 for the year, and Giddey has struggled to find his footing alongside Coby White. He’s posted a negative Plus/Minus in three of his past four games, including two performances of 26.75 DraftKings points or fewer. Still, there’s no denying his upside. He went off for more than 54 DraftKings points in his lone good game recently, and he leads the position in ceiling projection on Wednesday’s slate.
Tre Jones looks like a nice undervalued target for GPPs. He’s currently projected for roughly 2.7% ownership, but his optimal lineup rate is above 20% in Sim Labs. He has eligibility at both guard spots, and he’s averaged a healthy 0.87 DraftKings points per minute for the year. He doesn’t need a ton of playing time to potentially pay off his $4,900 salary.
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
Like Garland, Donovan Mitchell should also benefit from Mobley’s absence on Wednesday. He’s seen a +6.76% bump to his usage rate with Mobley off the floor, and he’s averaged 1.49 DraftKings points per minute in that split. That represents a nice increase from his average of 1.37 DraftKings points per minute for the year.
Unlike Garland, Mitchell has had no issues scoring the ball this season. He’s averaging a career-best 30.7 points per game while shooting nearly 50% from the field, and he’s added 4.7 rebounds and 5.5 assists per game. He hasn’t been at his best recently, but he’s averaged a Plus/Minus of +1.30 for the season.
The Cavs also stand out from a matchup standpoint. The Bulls have played at the second-fastest pace this season, and Cleveland’s 123.25 implied team total ranks first on the slate by a decent margin. They’re the clear top team to target, and Mitchell is undoubtedly their best player.
Value
The Grizzlies have not had a strong start this season, but Cedric Coward has been a silver lining. The No. 11 pick in the 2025 NBA Draft is off to a solid start as a rookie, averaging 13.4 points, 6.2 rebounds, and 2.8 assists per game. The result is an average of 0.92 DraftKings points per minute, and he’s expected to see around 30 minutes vs. the Timberwolves.
Coward stands out as another undervalued option per Sim Labs. He’s projected for around 21% ownership on this slate, but his optimal lineup rate is closer to 32%.
Fast Break
White has appeared in just nine games for the Bulls this season, but he’s been pretty productive when he’s been available. He’s averaging more than 20 points per game, and he’s averaged 1.12 DraftKings points per minute for fantasy purposes. He ranks second at the position in projected Plus/Minus, trailing only Ball.
Anthony Edwards is officially questionable for the Timberwolves, and his status will be important to monitor. He’s missed their past two contests, and if he’s out of the lineup once again, it’s going to open up plenty of value with the rest of the team’s roster. However, he would be worth considering if he does suit up. His minutes could be limited in his first game back, but only Mitchell has a higher ceiling projection on this slate. Edwards’ ownership projection is significantly lower than both Mitchell’s and Giddey’s, so he would be an interesting pivot for tournaments.
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NBA DFS Small Forward Picks
Stud
There is no real stud to consider at small forward on Wednesday. No one at the position is priced above $6,500, and no one is projected for more than 30 DraftKings points.
Jaylon Tyson might be the closest thing to a stud. He’s been excellent when given the chance to play this season, averaging 1.02 DraftKings points per minute, and he should pick up some additional minutes on Wednesday. He’s currently projected for 30 minutes in our NBA Models, and Tyson has historically averaged a Plus/Minus of +6.96 with a comparable minute projection (per the Trends tool).
Tyson has gotten a bit more expensive of late, but it’s hard to say it isn’t warranted. He’s posted an average Plus/Minus of +6.34 over his past 10 games, and he’s scored at least 30.75 DraftKings points in six of his past nine. That includes 37.75 DraftKings points in his last outing. Tyson also owns the top optimal lineup rate at small forward in Sim Labs.
Value
Only one small forward has a positive Plus/Minus projection on Wednesday: Isaac Okoro. Okoro is dirt cheap at $3,200, resulting in a 92% Bargain Rating. He’s not very productive on a per-minute basis – he’s averaged just 0.64 DraftKings points per minute for the year – but he could be a bit better than usual in that department vs. the Bulls. He leads the position with a +2.74 Opponent Plus/Minus, and he did crack 20 DraftKings points two games ago. Okoro doesn’t bring much upside to the table, but he should be able to pay off his meager salary.
Fast Break
Jaylen Wells has been hot for the Grizzlies of late. He’s posted a positive Plus/Minus in 10 of his past 11 games, and he owns an average Plus/Minus of +5.93 over his past 10. He’s scored at least 28.75 DraftKings points in three straight games, despite the fact that Ja Morant returned to the lineup for the past two. Morant is still playing limited minutes for the Grizzlies, which should keep Wells’ role in the rotation pretty safe for the time being. He ranks second at the position in optimal lineup rate, and it exceeds his projected ownership by more than 10%.
Jaden McDaniels is the most expensive player at the position on Wednesday. He hasn’t been quite as good as Tyson on a per-minute basis this season (0.80 DraftKings points per minute), but he makes up for it through volume. He’s projected for the most minutes at the position (34), and he’s posted a positive Plus/Minus in five of his past six games. He would become the clear top choice at SF if Edwards were forced to miss his third straight game: he’s seen a team-high +3.73% usage bump with Edwards off the floor this season.
NBA DFS Power Forward Picks
Stud
Julius Randle would be another clear beneficiary if Edwards were ruled out. He’s seen a +2.97% usage bump with Edwards off the floor this season, and he’s averaged 1.36 DraftKings points per minute in that split. Unsurprisingly, Randle has performed well in his past two games without Edwards, finishing with 49.0 and 46.75 DraftKings points.
Randle would still have some appeal even if Edwards returns. He has the top ceiling projection at the position, and he ranks fourth overall in that metric for the slate. He also ranks first at power forward with nine Pro Trends.
Value
Brandon Clarke has yet to appear in a game for the Grizzlies this season, but he’s been upgraded to questionable for Wednesday’s matchup vs. the Timberwolves. He would be a very intriguing punt play at the absolute minimum if he’s able to suit up. He’s currently projected for just 16 minutes in our NBA Models, but Clarke has historically been an excellent per-minute producer. He’s had 16 previous contests with a comparable salary and minute projection, and he’s averaged a Plus/Minus of +2.52 in those outings.
Clarke leads the position in projected Plus/Minus on Wednesday, and using him allows you to spend up basically everywhere else. There are no mega-studs to consider on this slate, so one $3,000 player would let you get to most of the big names.
Fast Break
Regardless of Clarke’s status, Santi Aldama also has some appeal in the Grizzlies’ frontcourt. They’re still without starting center Zach Edey, which should result in a few additional minutes for Aldama. That’s an appealing prospect. He’s averaged 1.08 DraftKings points per minute for the year, so he can take advantage of extra playing time. Aldama is coming off a poor showing in his last outing, but he had 37.75 and 39.75 DraftKings points in his two previous games.
Dean Wade isn’t quite as cheap as Clarke, and he’s not nearly the same caliber of per-minute producer. However, he’s a bit safer. He should see mid-20s minutes with Mobley out of the lineup, and he delivered 30.5 DraftKings points sans Mobley in his last game. He leads the position in optimal lineup rate, and he ranks second in projected Plus/Minus.
NBA DFS Center Picks
Stud
Jarrett Allen has not produced at his usual level this season. He’s averaged just 14.0 points and 7.3 rebounds per game, resulting in a mediocre 0.72 DraftKings points per minute. That’s simply not going to get the job done for fantasy purposes.
Allen also missed a few weeks due to injury and was limited to just 22.9 minutes in his first game back. That number should hopefully increase moving forward. We have him projected for 26.5 minutes on Wednesday, and his salary has come down to $6,000. He has historically seen a spike in production with Mobley off the floor, and this year has been no exception. He’s averaged 1.27 DraftKings points per minute in that split, so there’s reason to be optimistic with Allen in an elite matchup vs. the Bulls. He ranks first at the position in projected Plus/Minus and optimal lineup rate.
Value
Rudy Gobert has a pretty wide range of outcomes at this point. There are games where he’s limited to around 20 minutes and others where he plays 35+. As a result, we’ve seen him go for 50+ DraftKings points recently, and we’ve also seen him slump to 16.75.
Overall, Gobert has averaged 1.06 DraftKings points per minute, and he’s projected for 30 minutes on Wednesday’s slate. He’s much better suited for tournaments than cash games.
Fast Break
Jock Landale should continue to start at center in place of Edey. He’s not going to play a huge workload, but he’s seen at least 27.3 minutes in back-to-back games. Landale has also averaged 1.16 DraftKings points per minute for the year, so that’s more than enough for him to potentially return value. Landale has gotten a bit more expensive of late, but he still has some appeal on a two-game slate.
Pictured: Donovan Mitchell
Photo Credit: Imagn
