This article is part of our FanDuel NBA series.
The massive Wednesday NBA slates keep coming! Let's find the best DFS plays on this 11-game slate.
SLATE OVERVIEW
CHA (-2.5) vs. WAS O/U: 214.5
IND (-6.5) @ DET O/U: 211
ATL (-4) vs. BOS O/U: 214
BKN (-10.5) vs. CLE O/U: 206.5
MIA (-8) vs. NOR O/U: 220.5
NYK (-11.5) vs. ORL O/U: 208.5
MIL (-7.5) vs. LAL O/U: 213
MIN (-1.5) vs. SAC O/U: 223.5
OKC (-3.5) vs. HOU O/U: 211.5
PHO (-7.5) vs. DAL O/U: 216
POR (-1) vs. CHI O/U: 220
Tonight is another night to focus on the big men, and we can use FanDuel's new eligibility options to our advantage.
INJURIES
CHA P.J. Washington (elbow) - OUT
Mason Plumlee ($4,800) is a suitable pivot for the Hornets. His minutes have ramped up amid Washington's absence.
IND Chris Duarte (shoulder) - QUESTIONABLE
Duarte could return, but the starting lineup will slide over and insert Justin Holiday ($4,400) if he stays out.
BOS Jaylen Brown (hamstring) - OUT
BOS Robert Williams (knee) - QUESTIONABLE
If Williams can't go, pivot over to Al Horford ($6,800), who should see a minute increase in the absence. Dennis Schroder ($6,200) will continue to play maximum minutes in Brown's absence.
ATL Bogdan Bogdanovic (ankle) - QUESTIONABLE
ATL Kevin Huerter (hamstring) - QUESTIONABLE
Cam Reddish ($4,400) will be in line for a slight usage boost if these absences hold.
CLE Jarrett Allen (illness) - OUT
CLE Evan Mobley (elbow) - OUT
CLE Collin Sexton (knee) - OUT
CLE Lauri Markkanen (COVID-19 Protocols)
CLE Kevin Love (conditioning) - QUESTIONABLE
Both Mobley and Sexton will be out for an extended period. Keep an eye on Kevin Love's ($5,300) status tonight because the Cavs have no other options underneath the basket. I like Ricky Rubio ($6,600) more than Darius Garland as the guard pivot based on recent numbers. With more minutes to go around, you also can't go wrong with Cedi Osman ($4,000).
MIA Jimmy Butler (ankle) - QUESTIONABLE
MIA Bam Adebayo (knee) - QUESTIONABLE
MIA Dewayne Dedmon (groin) - QUESTIONABLE
Miami continues to be a source of frustration, and we'll have to wait and see what happens here. Obviously, Tyler Herro ($7,400) continues to be a great play in this scenario, as does Kyle Lowry ($7,700) to a lesser extent. If Bam and Dedmon sit, one must assume some increased output for P.J. Tucker ($4,200).
ORL Jalen Suggs (ankle) - QUESTIONABLE
No one has stood out amid Suggs' absence, but Cole Anthony ($7,600) will pick up a lot of the slack in the backcourt and is still an excellent play despite the matchup.
MIL Brook Lopez (back) - OUT
Although his salary is a bit too steep, Bobby Portis ($6,400) remains the best pivot for Lopez.
HOU Kevin Porter (thigh) - QUESTIONABLE
Houston could actually have a shot at winning a game tonight against the Thunder. Pivot to Jalen Green ($5,000) if Porter can't go.
DAL Luka Doncic (ankle) - OUT
This is the most significant injury of the night. Expect Jalen Brunson ($5,800) to have a fantastic night, and it's finally time to utter chalk and Kristaps Porzingis ($8,000) in the same sentence.
CHI Nikola Vucevic (COVID-19 Protocols) - OUT
Just concentrate on the Bulls' starters. There hasn't been a significant shift for any particular player in Vucevic's absence that is worth mentioning on this large slate.
POR Damian Lillard (abdomen) - QUESTIONABLE
POR Norman Powell (ankle) - QUESTIONABLE
I like Lillard if he plays. Obviously, CJ McCollum ($7,800) is worth mentioning in this scenario, and Anfernee Simons ($4,000) is a decent low-cost pivot.
ELITE PLAYS
We have 10 players ranging from 9k to the top tonight. Before beginning, it's important to stress that these picks are for FANDUEL and not other sites. Some of these players (especially elites) have very different salaries. LaMelo Ball ($9,000) is an excellent example of this. 9k is an appropriate number for Ball tonight, but that's not the case on DraftKings, where his numbers skew way upward.
I like rostering the big men on this slate. Assuming Anthony Davis ($10,600) keeps his shoes tied (seriously, ref?), he's in a great spot in a competitive game against the Bucks. Karl-Anthony Towns ($9,800) also makes complete sense against the Kings, and KAT should be able to put Richaun Holmes in foul trouble in short order.
Kevin Durant ($10,400) and James Harden ($10,200) are candidates for lower rostership tonight, so I'm going to ramp up their exposure as a mini-contrarian play. The same could be said for Giannis Antetokounmpo ($11,400), but if this game gets out of hand, I see Giannis fading down the stretch, and his salary is just a few hundred too expensive, especially when you consider the ability to get others close to his output at a slighter cheaper number.
Also consider: Trae Young, ATL ($9,600) vs. BOS
EXPECTED CHALK AND CORE TARGETS
Malcolm Brogdon, IND ($8,600) @ DET
Brogdon has a favorable matchup against Detroit, and his recent production falls right in line with the slightly elevated salary. Over his past five games, he's clocked in at a very respectable average of 43.75 FDFP per game and is also a nightly triple-double threat.
DeMar DeRozan ($8,500) and Zach LaVine ($7,900), CHI @ POR
I'm still a bit shocked at the salaries here, especially for DeRozan, who crushed value with a 38-point tour-de-force against the Lakers on Monday. Although recency has brought LaVine's salary down, his two excellent showings in SoCal over the past week make his lowered number justifiable.
Devin Booker, PHO ($8,100) vs. DAL
Booker is another guy who should carry a higher salary, and I expect him to crush as the Mavs play without Luka Doncic. As long as his salary hovers around 8k, Booker is a nightly chalk candidate, especially in tournaments, where his upside is extremely valuable.
D'Angelo Russell, MIN ($7,200) vs. SAC
Anthony Edwards gets most of the love in DFS on this squad, but you have to like where Russell's minutes have sat recently. He's also averaged 18.5 shots per game over the last five contests, so the volume is certainly there for a favorable number.
Tyrese Haliburton, SAC ($6,700) @ MIN
Let's pivot off of De'Aaron fox for the night and find some value with Haliburton on the other side of this matchup. Haliburton just posted a season-high stat line against Detroit, and he's averaged 35 minutes on the floor over his last two games. I'd like him to be a few hundred bucks less, but he should still be a favorite to beat 5x value at this salary.
Also consider: Jonas Valanciunas, NOR ($8,800)
VALUE PLAYS
I can't overstate the value of our sections in the injury section. Your exposure to the pivots and favored selections in that section should be high. Jalen Brunson is my favorite of the bunch in that section.
Lonzo Ball, CHI ($6,000) @ POR
As you can see, I am all over the Bulls in this matchup against Portland. Although Ball can be a dart throw and burn you when he underperforms, it's wise to buy into the upside at this reduced salary. You immediately regret not buying into the value when he has nights like his 27-point effort against the Lakers. Even when he isn't scoring as much, his assist and rebound numbers usually save him. Both Ball brothers are top-flite picks tonight.
Talen Horton-Tucker, LAL ($5,200) @ MIL
We'll keep calling THT's number until we are given cause to act otherwise. The most likely reasons to get off him will be a considerable salary increase or LeBron James' return. Since neither of those events is on the horizon, he's a value pick whenever he's in the player pool. When you do a drill-down of the Lakers' lineup, the minutes have to go somewhere, and they seem to be flowing freely to THT, who logged 37 minutes and posted 40 FDFP against Chicago.
Chimezie Metu, SAC ($4,100) @ MIN
Ruchaun Holmes could find himself in foul trouble against Karl-Anthony Towns, but he'll still need some relief in either case. Enter Metu, who has made the most of his recent opportunities with the Kings. He's got a sweet three-point shot for a center and has shown promise as an excellent point-per-minute contributor. There's double-double potential for Metu if he sees enough minutes in this matchup.
