This article is part of our FanDuel NBA series.
After a two-game slate for Opening Night, the NBA season hits full gear with a 12-game slate on tap for Wednesday. The action begins at 7:00 p.m. ET.
Our article structure will be the same as in previous seasons, beginning with a brief overview of the slate. We then examine the top of the positional lists (ELITE PLAYERS), identify key players with mid-range salaries who will be popular (EXPECTED CHALK AND OTHER TARGETS) and conclude with budget picks and undervalued players (VALUE PICKS).
For those unfamiliar with NBA DFS on FanDuel, the site's lineup differs from DraftKings and other sites. The open slots are very position-specific, with two slots each for PG, SG, SF and PF, and one slot for Center. The format forces you into some interesting scenarios, as some positions will be very scarce, especially on smaller slates. On any given night, you might find scarcity at a position (SF is a frequent culprit), and it allows for two choices. You can either spend up for the best possible option at the position or punt the slots and reap your low-cost action. There is an upside to this, as often the makeup of players at a particular position will help steer you toward the most sensible lineup construction. For example, I prefer to make elite plays from the thinnest position because the production differential from best to worst player will be more significant.
OK, enough DFS theory -- let's get down to the nitty-gritty.
SLATE OVERVIEW
For the latest spreads and over-unders, visit RotoWire's NBA Odds page. There, you can also find player props, futures, picks articles and sportsbook bonus codes.
You'll find that Vegas plays it safe with the odds as the NBA begins and pushes out narrow spreads without making any huge missteps. The DFS sites act similarly. After all, we are all working on last year's data, and while we can make some educated guesses, we only have the preseason as a sample size. I like to keep my investment conservative until we've had three to five games of data, which is why cash games offer the best chance of success for the first week or so. Still, FanDuel's conservative approach results in some exploitable spots, with players that are either too low or too high based on 2022-23 data.
Although sportsbooks take the variance with narrow spreads for several games, the sportsbooks can offer a realistic glimpse at game pace. We see some fast-paced, competitive contests right off the bat, as the first two games (WAS/IND and ATL/CHA) offer some of the slate's highest totals. Only SAC/UTA comes close in terms of pace and DFS potential. Games that I am deciding to fade are a little more difficult to pinpoint, but my eventual projections weren't very kind to the Knicks, Celtics, Pistons and the Nets.
INJURIES
For all the latest updates, visit RotoWire's NBA Injury News page and our comprehensive NBA Injury Report. Below are some of the most recent and relevant injuries for Wednesday. Keep in mind that this is not a complete list. Use your best judgment when evaluating ongoing injury scenarios elsewhere on the slate.
DAL Luka Doncic (calf) - QUESTIONABLE
I expect Doncic to play, but it's best to take a wait-and-see approach to him as tipoff approaches. If he misses, Kyrie Irving ($10,000) becomes a viable add if Doncic is absent, but he's otherwise too expensive.
CLE Jarrett Allen (ankle) - OUT
Allen's injury represents one of my favorite pivots of the evening. Evan Mobley ($7,400) will likely slide into the center role for Cleveland, but he's a dynamo who can cover a lot of ground at the four as well. Mobley's an excellent scorer, rebounder and defender, and he'll have every opportunity to succeed with Allen off the floor.
ELITE PLAYERS
For this slate, we will consider elites as players with salaries of $9000 or above.
Unsurprisingly, Luka Doncic ($11,600) is at the top of the heap despite his injury tag, and even with the designation, I believe he represents the best opportunity to succeed at the elite level. The only other players that come close are LaMelo Ball ($9,700) and Trae Young ($9,600), who will be trading shots in a speedy matchup. The other candidates in this range will be productive, but their ability to match value to their salary will be more difficult to attain. I would also consider Kawhi Leonard ($9,400), who should be about $1,000 higher. You'll be able to squeeze in two elites with the available value on this slate.
EXPECTED CHALK AND OTHER TARGETS
De'Aaron Fox, SAC 
($8,800) @ UTA
Fox is an example of a player who should probably be about $1,000 higher. I love him in this high-paced matchup against the Jazz, who allowed an average of 25.5 FDFPs to opposing point guards last season. Fox leads a squad that made a huge leap forward last season, and Coach of the Year Mike Brown will have his team finely tuned and ready to go with Fox as their leader.
Jaren Jackson, MEM 
($8,200) vs. NOP
All eyes will be on Zion Williamson and the Pelicans tonight, but it will be Jackson who enjoys the best night of the evening. With Ja Morant (suspension) unavailable and Tyus Jones off to greener pastures, the offense will revolve around Jackson and Desmond Bane ($8,100), who I will also gladly endorse in this spot. Both players served the Grizzlies well when Morant was out last season, and we should expect Jackson and Bane to produce 35 FDFPs or more. I have no problem using them as a stack in most builds.
Zach LaVine, CHI 
($7,800) vs. OKC
I think several Bulls could use a salary adjustment, but now that LaVine has shed his injury designation, I'm more than willing to endorse him at this salary, especially given his dual eligibility at SG and SF. While most consider LaVine to be a pure scorer, he stuffs the stat sheet in other categories. He's a reliable provider of assists and rebounds, and although you won't see many double-doubles from LaVine, his scoring average will more than make up for that shortcoming. LaVine averaged 24.8 points per game last season. The Thunder also ranked near the bottom in containing shooting guards last season.
Jrue Holiday, BOS 
($7,500) @ NYK
I am not a fan of this game, but when was the last time you saw Jrue Holiday at $7,500? Granted he's in an entirely different system, but he's used to an elite stealing the limelight. Swap Giannis Antetokounmpo for Jayson Tatum, and you still have a dynamic All-Star to dish the ball to. Although Holiday isn't getting any younger, I think he's an upgrade from Marcus Smart at this position, and although some have the opinion that Holiday will see a regression with his new team, I'm not as convinced.
Tyler Herro, MIA 
($6,700) vs. DET
Now that the Heat are fully healthy, we'll finally see what kind of damage the first unit can inflict on opponents. Herro had trouble staying on the court last season but is good to go for Opening Night, and despite acting as a third scoring option behind Jimmy Butler and Bam Adebayo, I think we'll see Herro return to his high-scoring ways. His fully-healed broken hand should still possess the stroke that made him one of the best perimeter shooters in the league in previous seasons, and with age becoming a factor for the Heat, the 23-year-old still has plenty of gas left in the tank.
Also consider: Nikola Vucevic, CHI ($8,000) vs. OKC, Jordan Poole, WAS ($7,700) @ IND, Jabari Smith, HOU ($6,000) @ ORL
VALUE PLAYS
Tyus Jones, WAS 
($5,700) @ IND
Jones will have the starting job with the Wizards, and it will be interesting to see how he handles life with the first unit. After bailing out Ja Morant for four seasons, he'll finally have floor general duties to himself for the first time in his eight-year career. Jones and Jordan Poole should form an apt backcourt that may find themselves playing from behind frequently, so expect some prolific shooting from the duo this season. Jones is also playing in one of the speediest games of the evening.
Jeremy Sochan, SAS 
($5,500) vs. DAL
Even though the 6-8 sophomore seems a little oversized for the role, Sochan is slated to be the Spurs' point guard this season, and all I can say is that this should be an interesting first unit for San Antonio this season. With generational talent Victor Wembanyama set to take center stage, it'll be Sochan's responsibility to feed him the ball and create opportunities for himself at the perimeter, which is a slightly different role than he's accustomed to. He's not known as a three-point threat, so he's likely going to be a bit more like Dejounte Murray was during his days as a Spur. Murray was consistently one of the best rebounding point guards in the league during his tenure in San Antonio, and Sochan's ability to slash into the interior may mirror that style. His dual eligibility at PG and PF only heightens his value.
Bennedict Mathurin, IND 
($5,400) vs. WAS
I called Mathurin's number often as the season drew down, and the Pacers expect big things from the youngster after exercising his third-year team option. Mathurin will start in one of the fastest-paced games on the slate, and he'll have an excellent chance to exceed his salary value if he gets enough opportunities. He's an apt defender and an even better pure shooter, and a breakout season could be in the works.
Saddiq Bey, ATL 
($5,000) @ CHA
I'm headed back to this fast-paced matchup and will go with Bey, who will take over the role vacated by John Collins. Although other players will try to fill that void, Bey will get the first shot and will have a greater role in his first full season with the Hawks. Collins' departure puts him in a far better position, and it's an upgrade for the Villanova product after wallowing through two full seasons with the Pistons. This will likely be Bey's lowest salary of the season.
Also consider: Dennis Schroder, TOR ($5,300) vs. MIN, Shaedon Sharpe, POR ($5,500) @ LAC
