This article is part of our DraftKings NBA series.
TEAM ANALYSIS
Defense To Avoid
Cleveland Cavaliers at Brooklyn Nets
There likely won't be any saltier unit in action Wednesday than the Cavs, who have to be steaming after their embarrassing blowout loss at home to the Warriors on Monday. They should have a chance to significantly vent against a Nets unit that continues to be very inconsistent on offense, and that's particularly struggled at home. Brooklyn has dropped 11 of their last 12 at the Barclays Center, and their 95.7 points-per-game average on offense ranks them ahead of only the Sixers. Meanwhile, despite the outlier on Monday night, the Cavs still check in as the third-stingiest unit in the league, surrendering only 96.0 points per game.
Offense To Use
Sacramento Kings and Los Angeles Lakers
Although the Rockets and Pistons will face off in what could be a sneaky shootout (and are well represented in the player selections below), neither of those defenses quite approximates the ineptitude of the two that will face off out west. Sacramento comes in behind only powerhouses Golden State and OKC in points scored per game (106.3), but they also yield a league-worst 108.3 per contest. The Lakers are right behind them in that category at 106.0 points surrendered per night. Although Los Angeles hasn't come close to matching the Kings in offensive proficiency, George Karl's squad has a way of bringing up their opposition's scoring several notches in a hurry. They also notably surrendered 115 to this same Lakers squad in their most recent meeting - Los Angeles' second-highest scoring tally this season - and 114 in their first matchup back in the second game of the season.
Teams on a Back-to-Backs
First game: Cavaliers, Pistons, Hawks, Kings
Second game: Heat, Timberwolves, Thunder
DAILY PLAYER RECOMMENDATIONS
Point Guard
Kemba Walker, CHA at OKC ($8,300): There are appealing point guard options abound on Wednesday's full slate, but Walker stands out as a particularly intriguing choice in the upper mid-tier. Needless to say, his 80.75 fantasy point-outburst on MLK Day in an overtime thriller versus the Jazz will have a good chunk of the masses on him in tournaments, but that will be offset somewhat by the presence of Stephen Curry, John Wall and the guy that will line up across from Walker, Russell Westbrook. Even factoring out his career outing, Walker is a potentially explosive play again based on recent performances, expected game flow and matchup. He scored over 30 fantasy points thrice, over 40 twice and over 50 once in the nine games prior to Monday. Walker will need to undoubtedly remain aggressive if the Hornets have any hope of hanging with OKC, and the Thunder come in ranked in the bottom 10 in fantasy points allowed to opposing point guards this season (51.4 per game). They've also been particularly generous of late, surrendering 57.5 per game over the last 10.
Other options: Russell Westbrook, OKC vs. CHA ($10,700); Stephen Curry, GSW at CHI ($10,400); John Wall, WAS vs. MIA ($9,500); Rajon Rondo, SAC at LAL ($8,500); Reggie Jackson, DET at HOU ($7,200); Jordan Clarkson, LAL vs. SAC ($5,900)
Shooting Guard
Kentavious Caldwell-Pope, DET at HOU ($5,800): KCP checks in as another player that will likely need to keep chucking it all four quarters to help keep his team competitive. The Rockets are certainly capable of increasing the pace and lighting up the scoreboard, particularly with the man that Caldwell-Pope will see plenty of, James Harden. On the other side, however, the Beard continues to leave a lot to be desired on the defensive end. Houston comes into Wednesday as the fourth-worst unit defending two-guards this season (43.6 fantasy points per game), and just saw J.J. Redick light them up for 40 actual points in Monday night's overtime thriller. That figure plays a pivotal part in Houston surrendering an especially generous 46.6 fantasy points per game to the position in their last 10.
Other options: James Harden, HOU vs. DET ($9,700); Jimmy Butler, CHI vs. GSW ($8,400); Lou Williams, LAL vs SAC ($6,300); Kobe Bryant, LAL vs. SAC ($5,800)
Small Forward
Marcus Morris, DET at HOU ($5,700): The dependable pair of Rudy Gay ($6,800) and Jae Crowder ($6,700) reside a little higher on the pricing scale and certainly represent appealing options, but we'll roll the dice a bit with another cost-effective member of a Pistons team that should find themselves in a competitive battle. Morris has undeniably had his ups and downs recently, scoring under 20 fantasy points in five straight between New Year's Eve and Jan. 12. However, he's picked it up again in his last three, scoring 22.0, 39.0 and 26.5 fantasy points, respectively. He's taken double-digit shot attempts in each of those games, and the highest of the three scoring hauls came against a team the Rockets approximate in pace and style, the Warriors. Morris will likely need to stay similarly aggressive Wednesday, and will have the added benefit of facing off against a Houston defense ranked second-worst in fantasy points allowed to opposing threes this season (44.2 fantasy points per game), and last over the last 10 (48.5).
Other options: Kevin Durant, OKC vs. CHA ($9,900); LeBron James, CLE at BKN ($9,800); Carmelo Anthony, NYK vs. UTA ($8,300); Rudy Gay, SAC at LAL ($6,800); Jae Crowder, BOS at TOR ($6,700)
Power Forward
Kevin Love, CLE at BKN ($7,200): Love scored just 15.5 fantasy points Monday against the Warriors after playing just 21 minutes in the blowout loss. However, in the prior nine games,Love scored between 24.25 and 48.75 fantasy points. That sample size includes five games with at least 30 fantasy points and two over 40. Although Thaddeus Young has improved his defensive presence down low this season, Love can certainly shoot effectively from a variety of spots on the floor, and the Nets are still surrendering an abundant 48.3 fantasy points per game to opposing fours over the last 10 games. A near sub-$7K price tag for a player capable of providing 6x-7x value on any given night is worth the investment.
Other options: DeMarcus Cousins, SAC at LAL ($10,600); Draymond Green, GSW at CHI ($9,400); Paul Millsap, ATL at POR ($8200); Chris Bosh, MIA at WAS ($7,600); Kristaps Porzingis, NYK vs. UTA ($7,400); Thaddeus Young, BKN vs. CLE ($6,800)
Center
Dwight Howard, HOU vs. DET ($8,100): Like Walker above, this might appear to be a bit of a case of chasing a jaw-dropping performance, but there's a lot more to tabbing Howard as the preferred choice at center Wednesday. Needless to say, the 78.0 fantasy points he scored in Monday's overtime loss against the Clippers catches the eye, but the bottom line is that Howard has been generating excellent production over an extended stretch. He'd scored no fewer than 34.0 fantasy points in the nine contests prior to Monday, a span that included three games over 40 fantasy points, as well as another three over 50. He also posted a double-double in each of those outings. His numbers over that sample are notably better than the man he'll face off against, Andre Drummond, and yet Howard checks in at an $800 savings over the Pistons' center. Drummond and Detroit have also been in a particularly generous mood against opposing fives recently, yielding an eye-popping 62.8 fantasy points per game over their last five, third-highest in the league during that span.
Other options: Andre Drummond, DET at HOU ($8,900); Pau Gasol, CHI vs. GSW ($8,500); Hassan Whiteside, MIA at WAS ($7,500); Al Horford, ATL at POR ($6,900); Zaza Pachulia, DAL vs. MIN ($6,200); Jonas Valanciunas, TOR vs. BOS ($6,200); Mason Plumlee, POR vs. ATL ($5,200)
INJURY REPORT
Out
Victor Oladipo (knee)
C.J. Watson (calf)
Goran Dragic (calf)
Beno Udrih (neck)
Josh McRoberts (knee)
Chris Andersen (knee)
Rondae Hollis-Jefferson (ankle)
Chris McCullough (ankle)
Jarrett Jack (knee)
Andrea Bargnani (ankle)
Alec Burks (leg)
Cleanthony Early (knee)
DeMarre Carroll (knee)
Kevon Looney (hip)
James McAdoo (toe)
Kirk Hinrich (quad)
Mike Dunleavy (back)
Joakim Noah (shoulder)
Jodie Meeks (foot)
Donatas Motiejunas (back)
Sam Dekker (back)
Duje Dukan (leg)
Eric Moreland (foot)
Al Jefferson (knee)
Larry Nance, Jr. (knee)
Alan Anderson (ankle)
Otto Porter (hip)
Kris Humphries (knee)
Drew Gooden (calf)
Game-Time Decision
Nik Stauskas (shoulder)
Derrick Favors (back)
Kristaps Porzingis (foot)
Kevin Seraphin (ribs)
Lance Thomas (knee)
Patrick Beverley (ankle)
Jeremy Lamb (toe)
Nikola Pekovic (rest)
Julius Randle (nose)
Brandon Bass (foot)
