Wednesday features a nine-game main slate starting at 7 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.
Editor’s note: Giannis Antetokounmpo was ruled out after this article was written. Check the Player Models for updates.
NBA DFS Point Guard Picks
Stud
When the Blazers traded for Jrue Holiday this offseason, it seemed as though he was brought in to be a mentor to the team’s young roster. It was unclear how much he’d actually provide on the court after his numbers diminished heavily in his final season with the Celtics.
It turns out that Holiday still has plenty of gas left in the tank. He’s been fantastic to start the year, posting an average Plus/Minus of +6.78 through his first 10 games. He’s had at least 35.5 DraftKings points in all but one contest, and he’s averaged a robust 1.20 DraftKings points per minute. That’s the sixth-best mark at the position on Wednesday’s slate, and the five players ahead of him are all significantly more expensive.
Holiday has a chance to put together another excellent performance vs. the Pelicans. It’s one of the best matchups in fantasy, with New Orleans ranking 28th in defensive efficiency to start the year. Holiday has the top optimal lineup rate at the position on Sim Labs, and it exceeds his projected ownership by more than 10%.
Value
There are a ton of big-name players currently listed as out or questionable on the injury report. We’re also waiting for a few teams who are going to be on the second leg of a back-to-back, so it could be a slate loaded with value plays.
The Cavs stand out as one of the clearest teams to target. They’re going to be without Darius Garland, Donovan Mitchell, and Evan Mobley, leaving them without their top three options offensively.
Craig Porter should take on a much larger role than usual, making him an elite option at $3,200. He’s currently projected for 26 minutes in our NBA Models, and he’s averaged 0.83 DraftKings points per minute for the year. That’s a tough combination to pass up, and he leads all point guards in projected Plus/Minus.
Fast Break
Jeremiah Fears stands out as another elite option. The Pelicans are still playing without Zion Williamson and Dejounte Murray, and Jordan Poole will also miss his fourth straight game. Fears hasn’t exactly crushed with all three out of the lineup, but he’s had ample opportunities on offense. He’s increased his usage rate to 27.74% with Williamson and Poole off the floor, and he’s played at least 30.7 minutes in back-to-back games.
Cade Cunningham is coming off a bananas game in his last outing. He shot the ball a ridiculous 45 times in an overtime win vs. the Wizards, and he finished with 96.0 DraftKings points on 46 points, 12 rebounds, 11 assists, five steals, and two blocks. The Pistons are going to be without a bunch of key contributors once again on Wednesday, so Cunningham is going to be asked to carry the load as long as he’s available. That said, he’s also listed as questionable on the injury report, so make sure to monitor his status before tip-off. He has the clear top ceiling projection at the position, and he trails only Giannis Antetokounmpo overall.
Editor’s note: Giannis was ruled out after this article was written. Check the Player Models for updates.
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
Kon Knueppel was a pre-draft favorite among many analysts, and he’s proving why with the Hornets. He has an excellent offensive game that can fit in any system, and he’s had the opportunity to put it on display recently. Knueppel has scored at least 40.0 DraftKings points in four straight games, and he’s posted a positive Plus/Minus in six of his past eight.
The Hornets have one of the lengthiest injury reports on Wednesday’s slate, and they’ve already ruled out LaMelo Ball and Brandon Miller. With both players sidelined, Knueppel is poised for another big game offensively. He’s seen a +2.92% usage bump with both players off the floor this season, resulting in an average of 1.08 DraftKings points per minute.
Knueppel stands out as an excellent combination of value and upside at just $6,600. He ranks third at the position in projected ceiling, and he has the best Plus/Minus projection among players priced above $4,500.
Value
The Cavaliers have a trio of SG-eligible values to consider on this slate: Sam Merrill, Lonzo Ball, and Tyrese Proctor.
Merrill is the safest option of the bunch. He’s projected for the most minutes of the trio (32), and players with comparable salaries and minute projections have historically averaged a Plus/Minus of +2.66 (per the Trends tool). Merrill has also averaged a healthy 0.96 DraftKings points per minute with Mitchell, Garland, and Mobley off the floor, albeit over a small sample size.
Ball has arguably the most per-minute upside of the trio. He hasn’t quite been as dominant as usual in that department this season, but he’s the type of player who has historically averaged more than a fantasy point per minute. He could be asked to run the show when he’s on the floor on Wednesday.
Proctor is priced at the minimum at $3,000, and he’s a bit of a wild card. He’s only projected for 19 minutes, but he’s averaged 1.18 DraftKings points per minute with the Cavs’ big three off the floor.
Fast Break
The Rockets have the top implied team total on the slate (125.5 points), making Reed Sheppard an interesting pivot off the chalkier Cavs’ values. His playing time has trended up over his past two games, and he’s averaged 1.06 DraftKings points per minute for the year. If he can get back to around 30 minutes in an elite matchup vs. the Wizards, he has the potential to be one of the best per-dollar options of the day.
Stephon Castle has not been hurt much by the return of De’Aaron Fox. If anything, his performances have gotten stronger. He’s posted double-digit assists in three straight games, and he’s posted a positive Plus/Minus in seven straight. He leads the position with an average of 1.23 DraftKings points per minute for the year, and he has the top ceiling projection among Wednesday’s SGs.
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NBA DFS Small Forward Picks
Stud
Jaylen Brown cooled off a bit in his last game, finishing with just 38.5 DraftKings points in 35.2 minutes vs. the 76ers. The Celtics as a team managed just 100 points in the loss, and Brown’s usage rate was down to just 29.1%.
That stands out as a clear outlier. Brown had a 39.9% usage rate in his previous five games, and he ranks third in the league in that department for the year. He should be much more aggressive on Wednesday vs. the Grizzlies, and it’s a phenomenal matchup. Memphis has played at the fourth-fastest pace in basketball this season, and they’ll be on the second leg of a back-to-back. The Knicks dropped 133 points on the Grizzlies last night, so the Celtics have plenty of offensive upside in this contest.
Value
De’Andre Hunter isn’t quite as cheap as some of the Cavaliers’ other value options, but he’s still one of their clear top targets. Hunter has already been excellent this season, posting a positive Plus/Minus in six of his past seven games. That includes at least 36.5 DraftKings points in four of his past five, and he’s averaged 1.1 DraftKings points per minute for the year.
With Garland, Mitchell, and Mobley unavailable, Hunter should be one of the team’s offensive focal points. He’s seen a +5.1% usage bump with all three off the floor this season, and his optimal lineup rate is just under 40% in Sim Labs.
Fast Break
Saddiq Bey is back after missing all of last year with an injury, and he’s impressed with the Pelicans. He’s averaged 0.86 DraftKings points per minute, and he’s had the opportunity to take on a larger workload following the injury to Williamson. He’s played at least 29.1 minutes in three straight games, making him a logical target at $4,800.
Royce O’Neale continues to churn out steady performances for the Suns. He’s posted a positive Plus/Minus in six of his past seven games, and he’s averaged 0.95 DraftKings points per minute for the year. He’s underpriced at $5,200 for Wednesday’s matchup vs. the Mavericks, and he stands out as one of the most undervalued options at the position in Sim Labs. His optimal lineup rate is just under 20%, but he’s projected for less than 9% ownership.
NBA DFS Power Forward Picks
Stud
The Blazers’ acquisition of Deni Avdija from the Wizards continues to look like one of the smartest moves in recent years. Well, at least in deals that didn’t involve Nico Harrison. He wasn’t exactly free – the Blazers shipped off Malcolm Brogdon, the pick that became Bub Carrington, and a 2029 first-round pick – but Avdija has become an absolute star in Portland.
Avdija has done a little bit of everything for fantasy purposes, resulting in an average of 1.30 DraftKings points per minute. He’s been particularly good recently, scoring at least 43.75 DraftKings points in four straight games. That includes two outings with at least 58.5 DraftKings points.
Avdija remains reasonably priced at $8,700, especially for a juicy matchup vs. the Pelicans. Only Giannis has a higher ceiling projection at power forward, and he also ranks second in projected Plus/Minus. Ultimately, he’s one of the strongest pay-up options on the entire slate.
Value
Dean Wade gets the nod for the Cavaliers at power forward. He’s not the same level of per-minute producer as some of the team’s other options on Wednesday, but he should make up for it through sheer volume. He’s projected for 30 minutes in our NBA Models, and players with comparable salaries and minute projections have historically averaged a Plus/Minus of +3.36.
All of the Cavs’ value targets should benefit from the game environment vs. the Heat. Miami has played at the fastest pace in basketball this season, and this game leads the slate with a 238.5-point total. The Cavs are listed as underdogs, but it’s still expected to be a competitive contest.
Fast Break
Tari Eason has been phenomenal for the Rockets so far this season. He’s shooting 51.2% from 3-point range, and if he can add a consistent perimeter shot to his skill set, he has the potential to be a monster for fantasy purposes. He was already an excellent per-minute producer, and he’s at 0.92 DraftKings points per minute so far this season. Eason is projected for 26 minutes vs. the Wizards, and he has immense upside for his price tag in that matchup.
The Pelicans’ decision to trade an unprotected first-round pick for Derik Queen looks more foolish with every loss, but Queen at least looks pretty good. He’s averaged 1.10 DraftKings points per minute, and he’s gotten to play a bit more consistently with Williamson out of the lineup. He’s posted a positive Plus/Minus in four straight games, and he’s logged at least 24.6 minutes in three straight.
NBA DFS Center Picks
Stud
Like Cunningham, Jalen Duren is also listed as questionable for the Pistons on Wednesday. However, if he’s in the active lineup, it’s hard to look past him at $8,300.
Duren has looked like a man among boys at times this season. He has a non-stop motor, and it’s propelled him to an average of 1.41 DraftKings points per minute. Duren has posted a positive Plus/Minus in five of his past six games, and he’s eclipsed 50 DraftKings points in four of them.
Duren is usually capped at around 30 minutes per game with the team at full strength, but with Isaiah Stewart out of the lineup, he has been able to play more recently. He had 37.4 minutes two games ago, and he had just under 40 in the team’s overtime win over the Wizards. If that trend continues, Duren is simply too cheap at his current salary.
Value
Jarrett Allen is the last man standing in the Cavs’ core. He’s not typically a major offensive threat, and he doesn’t figure to see a huge boost in value with Mitchell, Mobley, and Garland out of the picture. However, he’s still averaged 1.21 DraftKings points per minute for the year, and he’s seen a +2.35% usage bump with all three players off the floor. That gives him more appeal than usual, especially in a fantastic matchup.
Fast Break
Moussa Diabate has posted a positive Plus/Minus in six straight games, and he’s averaged an excellent 1.14 DraftKings points per minute for the year. With the Hornets so banged up, Diabate should get the opportunity to play a bit more than usual vs. the Bucks. He’s projected for 25 minutes in our NBA Models, which should be more than enough to pay off his current price tag.
Victor Wembanyama’s price tag is a bit out of control at the moment. However, there’s no denying that the guy has one of the top ceilings in fantasy. He put that on display in his last outing, racking up 75.5 DraftKings points in just under 36 minutes. He always has the potential to break the slate, and there are more than enough value options available to consider playing him on Wednesday.
Pictured: Jaylen Brown
Photo Credit: Imagn
