This article is part of our FanDuel NBA series.
With a whopping 12 games on the schedule for Wednesday's slate, there's a ton of options to sort through at all levels of the price scale. The following list should provide a handful of players to consider building your lineup around:
GUARDS:
Damian Lillard, POR vs GSW ($9,000): Lillard is the fourth highest priced point guard on Wednesday's slate, sitting behind the likes of Russell Westbrook, Stephen Curry and Chris Paul. While Westbrook always puts up big numbers, his price is just too high for me and I'd rather save nearly $3,000 and use Lillard. While some may be scared off against the powerhouse of Golden State, they aren't necessarily the best at defending opposing guards and Lillard already took advantage of the two team's matchup earlier this season when he posted 39 points, four rebounds, two assists and two steals back on Dec. 11.
Josh Hart, LAL at NOP ($6,000): The Lakers have officially ruled Lonzo Ball (knee) out through the All-Star break, so Hart should remain in the starting lineup Wednesday. He struggled to just 11.9 FanDuel points the last time out, which has dropped his price down to $6,000. However, prior to Saturday's dud, Hart averaged 35.0 FanDuel points in the four prior games, which is the sort of production I'm looking for once again Wednesday. This game has the highest over/under on the night and the Pelicans have given up the fourth most FanDuel points to point guards on the season, which makes Hart an attractive play.
Malcolm Delaney, ATL at DET ($3,500): The Hawks are set to be without Dennis Schroder (back) on Wednesday, so Delaney becomes the instant favorite to take over starting point guard duties. That hasn't officially been confirmed, however, so it will be a situation to monitor up until tip-off. That said, with Delaney sitting at a minimum price, he won't need much to provide value and he's already surpassed 20 FanDuel points in two of the last three games despite seeing limited minutes. For that reason, it seems safe to use Delaney if you're in need of a serious salary break elsewhere.
FORWARDS:
Kevin Durant, GSW at POR ($10,200): Durant has had a couple poor showings of late, failing to reach 40 FanDuel points in two straight games. However, the positive there is the fact that his salary is down $700 from a game ago, which provides some nice salary relief for a guy with Durant's upside. In his lone matchup with Portland earlier this season, Durant had no troubles finding success, tallying 28 points, nine rebounds, five assists and three blocks, giving him 51.3 FanDuel points. I don't expect Durant to have any trouble once again and this is the last game prior to the All-Star break, so it seems unlikely the Warriors will opt to rest or keep any of their superstars limited.
Kyle Kuzma, LAL at NOP ($6,900): After a fairly long stretch where Kuzma had struggled, the departure of Larry Nance at the trade deadline appears to have given the rookie a spark. In back-to-back games since Nance was dealt, Kuzma has posted 39.5 and 38.8 FanDuel points, while averaging 28.0 minutes. It appears the Lakers are ready to get Kuzma as much run as possible during the second half of the season, so go ahead and fire Kuzma up at a price of $6,900. The Pelicans have also been surprisingly poor defending opposing power forwards this season, giving up a league-high number of FanDuel points to the position on the year.
Dragan Bender, PHO at UTA ($4,000): To say Bender has been a bit inconsistent of late is an understatement, considering he posted 45.6 FanDuel points on Saturday vs. the Nuggets, before notching a meager 7.6 against the Warriors on Monday. Still, I like his outlook Wednesday, especially with Tyson Chandler (neck) sitting out. Bender has already been announced a fill-in start at center and he should see 30-plus minutes and added usage. With the sort of upside he showed on Saturday, Bender's $4,000 price makes him a strong, cheap tournament play Wednesday.
CENTERS:
Andre Drummond, DET vs ATL ($10,600): Drummond has been an absolute force of late, averaging 17.8 points, 19.3 rebounds, 2.9 assists, 2.1 steals and 2.5 blocks over his last eight games. That is good enough to be averaging 56.2 FanDuel points during that stretch. When you add his recent surge to his appealing matchup with the Hawks, he easily becomes the top center option for Wednesday's slate. The Hawks have given up the second most FanDuel points to centers on the season, which should give Drummond plenty of opportunities to build on his recent play.
Julius Randle, LAL at NOP ($7,000): If you can't afford to pay up for Drummond and are looking for a solid mid-tier option, Randle makes a lot of sense here. He's averaged 34.6 FanDuel points over his last five games and is coming off a 41.1-point showing against the Mavericks on Saturday. The Lakers also continue to be the number one team in terms of pace of play and once again boast the highest over/under on the slate, which is always beneficial in terms of a player's fantasy upside.
Dewayne Dedmon, ATL at DET ($5,700): Dedmon is my favorite value play when it comes to the center position. While there's certainly some risk here due to his matchup against Andre Drumond, his price is still extremely intriguing. Since reclaiming a role in the starting lineup over Miles Plumlee the last two games, Dedmon has averaged a double-double with 16.3 points, 11.5 rebounds, 2.0 steals and 1.0 block across 29.5 minutes. That's good enough for 38.5 FanDuel points on average, which is very strong value for a price of $5,700.
