This article is part of our FanDuel NBA series.
Wednesday's 13-game slate will be the largest we've seen in some time. Beyond the endorsements below, the best advice to give is simple. If you have even the slightest question about a player you are rostering, pivot. With so many viable options at every position, you'll be able to find a better option if you are uncertain.
SLATE OVERVIEW
WAS (-3) @ CLE O/U: 211.5
BKN (-9) @ ORL O/U: 210.5
BOS (-2) vs. TOR O/U: 210
HOU (-1.5) vs. DET O/U: 210.5
NYK (-2.5) vs. MIL O/U: 215
CHI (-3) vs. DAL O/U: 213
MEM (-4.5) vs. CHA O/U: 229
NOR (-4) vs. OKC O/U: 211.5
SAS (EVEN) vs. SAC O/U: 220
IND (-1.5) @ DEN O/U: 213.5
PHO (-6) vs. POR O/U: 220.5
GSW (-6.5) vs. MIN O/U: 223
MIA (-4.5) @ LAL O/U: 214.5
If you haven't done a lot of late swapping during your tenure as a DFS player, tonight would be a great time to do it. If the early games underperform for you, the best way to salvage a losing lineup is to pivot late and go for value and low ownership. Phoenix, Portland, Golden State and Minnesota are four excellent late-night teams to utilize with this method.
INJURIES
CLE Collin Sexton (knee) - OUT
CLE Lauri Markkanen (COVID Protocols) - OUT
CLE Kevin Love (COVID Protocols) - OUT
Ricky Rubio ($5,500) and Cedi Osman ($4,500) figure to get an increased workload amidst these injuries. Rubio is an immediate pickup due to a potentially long absence for Sexton.
BOS Jaylen Brown (hamstring) - OUT
My money is on Josh Richardson ($4,800) to be the biggest beneficiary here, although Romeo Langford ($3,700) will also be a decent pivot for Brown.
HOU Kevin Porter (thigh) - QUESTIONABLE
Jalen Green ($4,800) is probably the safest pivot if Porter can't go.
MIL Khris Middleton (COVID Protocols) - OUT
MIL Brook Lopez (back) - QUESTIONABLE
Grayson Allen ($5,400) showed up in Middleton's place in the last game and should be the best pivot for him while he is out.
NYK Mitchell Robinson (hip) - QUESTIONABLE
NYK Nerlens Noel (knee) - QUESTIONABLE
An elite player emerges if both of these players are out (mentioned later), but Taj Gibson ($3,800) would get an increased load as well.
CHA P.J. Washington (elbow) - OUT
Kelly Oubre ($4,700) and Mason Plumlee ($4,800) have seen increased usage in Washington's absence.
NOR Brandon Ingram (hip) - QUESTIONABLE
A return for Ingram would mix things up in this colossal player pool, but Josh Hart ($5,300) will continue to start if Ingram is out. Garrett Temple ($4,100) is also viable.
SAC Tyrese Haliburton (back) - QUESTIONABLE
Buddy Hield ($6,000) should start if Haliburton is out, but I also like Davion Mitchell's ($4,800) chances in this scenario.
DEN Nikola Jokic (suspension) - OUT
DEN Michael Porter (back) - OUT
JaMychal Green ($3,800) and Jeff Green ($3,700) will be around to absorb Jokic's production, and I still like Aaron Gordon ($5,000) despite some recent inconsistency.
PHO Deandre Ayton (leg) - OUT
JaVale McGee ($4,200) and Frank Kaminsky ($4,300) have played in Ayton's place, but with so many options available tonight, I'm staying away from this spot.
MIA Bam Adebayo (knee) - QUESTIONABLE
MIA Tyler Herro (back) - QUESTIONABLE
MIA P.J. Tucker (shoulder) - QUESTIONABLE
MIA Markieff Morris (neck) - OUT
Since it looks like Caleb Martin ($3,600) will play, he is atop my pivot list amidst all of these potential absences. Dewayne Dedmon ($3,800) would be Adebayo's direct pivot.
ELITE PLAYERS
We only have five players at 10k or higher, which is remarkable considering the size of this slate. Stephen Curry ($10,200) is my favorite at this level. It's not every day that Curry will drop 85 FP as he did against the Hawks, but this fast-paced affair against the Timberwolves should have a high total. I also am fine with Giannis Antetokounmpo ($11,500) despite the back-to-back. Giannis logged 36 minutes in the front end, but considering Khris Middleton's absence, they'll need him as underdogs against the Knicks.
Moving down, utilizing Julius Randle ($9,500) is worthwhile with a multitude of centers potentially out for New York, and he ranks as one of the best spend-ups on the slate for me. With Jaylen Brown out, Jayson Tatum ($9,500) is also a very chalky consideration, and Domantas Sabonis ($9,000) sports an appealing salary tag in an exploitable spot against a Jokic-less Denver team.
Also consider: Anthony Davis, LAL ($10,800), Jimmy Butler, MIA ($9,700)
EXPECTED CHALK AND CORE TARGETS
LaMelo Ball, CHA ($8,700) @ MEM
Ball continues to crush value against his salary, which still hovers around 9k despite a nightly ability to put up 50 or more FPs. Memphis' defense needs some work, and we currently have Ball's projections at around 55 FP in this matchup, which is an approximate average over his past three games.
Christian Wood, HOU ($8,200) vs. DET
The Pistons will have a hard time containing Wood, and the one-two punch of Wood and Daniel Theis will make things hard for Isiah Stewart and Jerami Grant. Wood is coming off a poor performance against Golden State, but he should bounce back in this contest.
De'Aaron Fox, SAC ($7,400) @ SAS
Don't look now, but Fox is soaring back into relevance after a slow start. On such a large slate, those who play it safe will slide right past Fox in search of a more stable floor, but Fox's salary is a little low considering his upside, and he should end up with a low rostership with so many other options available.
Jusuf Nurkic, POR ($6,900) @ PHO
We want to play the matchup here, as the Suns have a considerable gap to fill with Deandre Ayton out. JaVale McGee and Frank Kaminsky are serviceable, but they'll both have difficulty matching Nurkic's muscle under the basket. His last two games were excellent, with double-doubles in both games.
Also consider: Anthony Edwards, MIN ($7,900), Harrison Barnes, SAC ($7,400), Caris LeVert, IND ($7,300), Evan Mobley, CLE ($6,700)
VALUE PLAYS
Keep in mind the wealth of values in the injury section. Look for your favorite pivots there before considering these additional options. My favorite in the injury section is Ricky Rubio, but frontcourt discounts like JaMychal Green and Dewayne Dedmon are also valuable considerations.
Wendell Carter, ORL ($6,400) vs. BKN
This salary is too low for Carter, especially when considering his potential for 30 minutes or more per game. He's also a great per-minute producer, as his 1.19 PPM average is one of the best in the league. He put up 51 FP against a tough Utah team over the weekend, and he should excel against the Brooklyn frontcourt.
Jaren Jackson, MEM ($6,300) vs. CHA
Triple-J's numbers were a bit inconsistent earlier in the season, but he's put together three straight performances with more than 30 FP and has great contrarian potential in a potentially high-scoring matchup against Charlotte. Without P.J.Washington, the Hornets will have some vulnerability inside. If he gets 30 minutes, he should have little trouble reaching 5x value at this salary.
Will Barton, DEN ($6,000) vs. IND
Barton could very well have one of the highest rosterships on this slate due to Denver's absences. With dual eligibility at SF and SG, he's easy to fit in at this salary. He fills up the stat sheet in almost every category, and he's coming off to straight games of 40 or more FP. At his current pace, he should be about $1,500 more expensive on FanDuel.
This massive slate deserves an essay, but due to the multitude of viable plays, it will be more economical to give you a list of my top value plays beyond what I've just mentioned at guard, forward and center.
SG Josh Giddey, OKC ($6,000)
PG Lonzo Ball, CHI ($5,600)
SG Desmond Bane, MEM ($5,000)
SF/SG Andrew Wiggins, GSW ($5,500)
SF Saddiq Bey, DET ($5,200)
SF/PF Mikal Bridges, PHO ($5,000)
PF/C Bobby Portis, MIL ($5,800)
PF/C Daniel Theis, HOU ($4,000)
