This article is part of our FanDuel NBA series.
Wednesday is offering a massive 11-game slate, so we've got a lot of ground to cover. Let's get right to the action!
SLATE OVERVIEW
POR (-3.5) @ CLE, O/U: 220.5
WAS (-3) vs. TOR, O/U: 218.5
IND (-1) vs. NYK, O/U: 219.5
BOS (-6.5) @ ORL, O/U: 216
PHI (-1.5) vs. CHI, O/U: 216.5
BKN (4.5) vs. ATL, O/U: 218.5
MEM (-1.5) vs. DEN, O/U: 212.5
MIN (-1) vs. LAC, O/U: 217.5
DAL (-1) @ SAS, O/U: 216.5
GSW (-6) vs. CHA, O/U: 225
INJURIES
CLE Kevin Love (COVID protocols) - OUT
CLE Isaac Okoro (hamstring) - OUT
Expect Cedi Osman ($4,500) and Lauri Markkanen ($6,000) to benefit from this scenario.
TOR Scottie Barnes (thumb) - OUT
Chris Boucher ($4,500) should see more minutes here, and I'll also target a couple of other Raptors who should benefit later in the article.
PHI Tobias Harris (COVID protocols) - OUT
Tough break for the Sixers, as they lose one of their best playmakers. Furkan Korkmaz ($4,200) is expected to start in his place, but Georges Niang ($3,700) should also see a slight bump in production.
ATL John Collins (foot) - QUESTIONABLE
If Collins can't go, Danilo Gallinari ($3,900) should see a significant boost in production.
BKN Nicolas Claxton (illness) - OUT
LaMarcus Aldridge ($4,800) is the best play here, although Blake Griffin ($3,800) could be relevant as well.
LAC Marcus Morris (knee) - OUT
Nicolas Batum ($4,600) will see increased run in Morris' absence.
MIN D'Angelo Russell (ankle) - OUT
I still like Malik Beasley ($4,500) in this spot, continuing from earlier in the week.
DAL Kristaps Porzingis (back) - QUESTIONABLE
Porzingis could miss another game Wednesday. Dorian Finney-Smith ($5,100) was just adequate in his place but saw 31 minutes on the floor.
NOR Brandon Ingram (hip) - OUT
I'll illustrate some great Pelican pivots later in the article.
ELITE PLAYERS
We have a whole load of elite talent on this massive slate, so we will have to narrow the field and make some solid endorsements and fades. My top two plays up top are Paul George ($10,500) and James Harden ($9,900). George is carrying the Clippers on his shoulders with tremendous shot volume, and I think Harden is beginning to put it all together. You also can't discount the league's top scorer in Stephen Curry ($10,100), who will be in a fast-paced matchup against the Hornets.
For big men, I think Julius Randle ($9,300) carries the most value at this salary, and thanks to FanDuel's new multi-category eligibility, you can slot him at power forward and make room for any of the big-name centers above him (Embiid, Towns, Jokic).
FanDuel is practically begging you to go with Bradley Beal ($9,100) at this salary, so he'll garner some exposure as well.
EXPECTED CHALK AND CORE TARGETS
PELICANS GALORE
The absences of Brandon Ingram and Zion Williamson are opening up a lot of opportunities for a variety of Pelican players, so we'll begin the chalk section with a brief write-up for this back-to-back game. Last night's game illustrated how important Jonas Valanciunas ($8,800) is to this offense, and for my money, he is one of the best big men to play on this slate. Beyond him, it will be interesting to see how the minutes are divided, but I'm going to go back to the well with Devonte' Graham ($6,800), who was painfully close to hitting a multitude of shots. If he can up his volume again, he should reap more than 5x value. Also, I like Herbert Jones ($4,000) in stars-and-scrubs lineups, assuming he comes back after getting hit in the face in last night's contest. Take a look at the Pelicans starting five when it locks, and take your chances on any of them.
Anthony Edwards, MIN ($7,900) vs. LAC
Edwards is worth every penny of this salary. His stat line can easily eclipse 5x value and pay off. Although there are some dips in the scoring graph for the standout, he is capable of blowing up at any time and is one of the best upside candidates to target.
OG Anunoby ($7,300), Fred VanVleet ($8,000), Svi Mykhailiuk ($4,500), TOR @ WAS
The Raptors head to D.C. with a great chance to come away with a win, and despite Scottie Barnes' absence, I like a variety of playmakers here. VanVleet and Anunoby are obvious smash spots, and Mykhailiuk started in Barnes' place and played very well.
LaMelo Ball, CHA ($8,600) @ GSW
Watching Ball and Curry square off will make for a fun game to watch. Ball is coming off two consecutive 50 FP-plus games and has a good chance to three-peat. It's a fast-paced matchup against a Warriors defense that struggles to contain opposing backcourts.
VALUE PLAYS
The amount of excellent value present in the injury section cannot be overstated. Although Malik Beasley is my favorite from that list, refer to that section for the value headlines.
Michael Porter, DEN ($6,200) @ MEM
Coach Michael Malone is a man of few words, but he is on the record about Michael Porter recently, stressing that Porter will be much more involved moving forward. I'll trust him on that. Although we saw a bit of an uptick in the past two games, Porter's struggle to find the bottom of the basket was painful for those who rostered him. Still, I think it's more likely that he'll get his rhythm back sooner rather than later, and the upside relative to this salary is immense.
Andrew Wiggins, GSW ($6,300) vs. CHA
It's easy to forget about Wiggins when Steph Curry grabs all the headlines, but he's been very consistent in the season's opening stages. Over the past five games, he's averaging 17 points and four rebounds and will routinely approach 30 FP nightly.
Franz Wagner ($5,300) and Jalen Suggs ($5,500), ORL vs. BOS
Both players are locked into full-time gigs, and I like both of them in what could be an upset spot against the struggling Celtics. Wagner is making plays all over the court with 18.5 percent usage, and while Suggs has had difficulty finding his shot on occasion, he's also seeing a full complement of minutes. Wendell Carter ($6,100) cannot be excluded from the conversation, either.
Also consider: Davion Mitchell, SAC ($4,000) vs. NOR
