This article is part of our DraftKings NBA series.
TEAM ANALYSIS
Defense To Avoid
Detroit Pistons vs. Philadelphia 76ers
The Pistons are rightfully riding high after their remarkable 96-88 defeat of the Cavaliers on Monday, which was only the fifth home loss for Cleveland this season. Detroit now gets the lowly Sixers, who come in on the second half of a back-to-back after a fast-paced 124-115 loss to the Magic on Tuesday night. Although they've shown a bit more offensive life in scoring over 100 points in four straight games, Philadelphia still sports the most turnover-prone squad in the league (17.1 per game) and scores the fewest points per game (96.0).
Offense To Use
Oklahoma City Thunder at Dallas Mavericks
With both of their superstars at full health the majority of the season, OKC has had little trouble lighting up scoreboards, checking in behind only the Warriors with 109.6 points per game. The Thunder has disposed of the Mavs in fairly comfortable fashion in three other meetings this season, scoring 117, 108 and 109 points, respectively. OKC notably played without Kevin Durant in one contest, and Russell Westbrook was ejected in a second for a tussle with J.J. Barea. With both stars presumably available for all four quarters this time around, and Dallas giving up an average of 112 points per game over their last five, the Thunder could be in for quite a scoring haul in what should be a fast-paced game.
Teams on a Back-to-Back
First game: Warriors, Thunder, Spurs
Second game: Sixers, Kings, Nuggets, Wizards
DAILY PLAYER RECOMMENDATIONS
Point Guard
Goran Dragic, MIA vs. GSW ($6,400): To be clear, the amount of appealing options at point guard Wednesday is almost overwhelming, with nearly every top player at the position in action. Even those a notch below the elite, such as John Wall and Kyle Lowry, have excellent matchups and are certainly in play. However, for those looking to uncover some likely under-owned value in the mid-tier, Dragic deserves strong consideration. The eight-year veteran has come out of the All-Star break on fire, scoring over 40 fantasy points in all three games, the first two without Dwyane Wade in the lineup. His backcourt mate's return Monday did nothing to slow Dragic down, as he still racked up 41 fantasy points on the strength of 24 points, eight rebounds and five assists. Wednesday, he'll have a great opportunity to extend his outstanding stretch of play against a Warriors defense that has hemorrhaged fantasy production to point guards over their last five, allowing a league-worst 64.6 fantasy points per game.
Other options: Russell Westbrook, OKC at DAL ($11,000); Stephen Curry, GSW at MIA ($10,500); Chris Paul, LAC vs. DEN ($9,700); John Wall, WAS at CHI ($9,300); Kyle Lowry, TOR vs. MIN ($8,500); Kemba Walker, CHA at CLE ($8,200); Derrick Rose, CHI vs. WAS ($7,500); Mike Conley, MEM vs. LAL ($6,900); Reggie Jackson, DET vs. PHI ($6,700); Jordan Clarkson, LAL at MEM ($5,600); Tony Parker, SAS at SAC ($5,100)
Shooting Guard
Klay Thompson, GSW at MIA ($7,700): With Dragic typically providing stingy defense against opposing point guards, and Dwyane Wade gamely trying to battle through a troublesome knee, Thompson may see ample opportunity to wreak some havoc. Stephen Curry will undoubtedly get his shots, but Thompson could see more action funneled his way against the Heat, giving him an opportunity to build on his recent stretch of stellar play, scoring between 30.75 and 53.25 fantasy points over his last four.
Other options: DeMar DeRozan, TOR vs. MIN ($7,300); Nicolas Batum, CHA at CLE ($7,200); Dwyane Wade, MIA vs. GSW ($6,900); Bradley Beal, WAS at CHI ($6,400); Will Barton, DEN at LAC ($5,800)
Small Forward
Chandler Parsons, DAL vs. OKC ($6,400): The light seemingly went on for Parsons a little over a month ago, and he's been essentially playing at an All-Star level since then. Save for a six-point clunker against Kawhi Leonard's near-impenetrable defense, Parsons has scored in double digits in 14 games since Jan. 18, also posting two double-doubles over that span. He's also been on fire from beyond the arc, tallying multiple threes in 11 of those contests. His fantasy output has naturally followed suit, as he's scored between 26.0 and 46.0 fantasy points in nine of the last 10. It's also worth noting that the low end of that range came in his most recent game, when he scored his total in just 27 minutes in a blowout of the Sixers. Wednesday should certainly see Parsons play all four quarters in what should be a high-scoring shootout, as Dallas attempts to avoid the season sweep at the hands of the Thunder. While he'll have his hands full on defense, he'll also need to remain aggressive for Dallas to have a chance to keep pace.
Other options: Kevin Durant, OKC at DAL ($9,800); LeBron James, CLE vs. CHA ($9,600); Paul George, IND vs. NYK ($8,600); Danilo Gallinari, DEN at LAC ($7,100); Luol Deng, MIA vs. GSW ($6,100); Tobias Harris, DET vs. PHI ($6,000)
Power Forward
Kevin Love, CLE vs. CHA ($7,400): Love represents a nice pivot down from the pricier alternatives of DeMarcus Cousins and Draymond Green, and he draws a juicy matchup to boot. The Hornets have struggled against power forwards all season, and have given up 50.4 fantasy points per game to the position over their last five, an increase of over three fantasy points per game compared to their season average (47.0). Love has also scored between 37.75 and 50.25 fantasy points in seven of the last 10, and he should encounter little resistance in approximating that range of production again Wednesday.
Other options: DeMarcus Cousins, SAC vs. SAS ($10,900); Draymond Green, GSW at MIA ($8,700); LaMarcus Aldridge, SAS at SAC ($7,100); Zach Randolph, MEM vs. LAL ($6,900); Kristaps Porzingis, NYK at IND ($6,700); Nerlens Noel, PHI at DET ($6,500)
Center
Marcin Gortat, WAS at CHI ($6,800): Much like at point guard, there are many appealing options at center. However, Gortat checks in at a nice savings over considerably pricier options, and based on his recent play, with nearly as much upside. He's scored between 30.0 and 49.5 fantasy points in nine of the last 10, including over 40.0 in two of his last four. He's also just one rebound short of having collected eight straight double-doubles, and he could hardly ask for a better matchup Wednesday. The Bulls have struggled against centers all season, surrendering the sixth-most fantasy points per game (51.7) this season. Moreover, there's at least a possibility they could be further weakened against the Wizards, with Pau Gasol a game-time decision due to an illness.
Other options: Karl-Anthony Towns, MIN at TOR ($8,800); Pau Gasol, CHI vs. WAS ($8,600); Andre Drummond, DET vs. PHI ($8,000); DeAndre Jordan, LAC vs. DEN ($7,800); Hassan Whiteside, MIA vs. GSW ($7,600); Dwight Howard, HOU at POR ($7,400); Jahlil Okafor, PHI at DET ($6,400); Jonas Valanciunas, TOR vs. MIN ($6,000); Nikola Jokic, DEN at LAC ($5600)
INJURY REPORT
Out
Spencer Hawes (back)
Mo Williams (knee)
Cleanthony Early (knee)
C.J. Miles (calf)
Rodney Stuckey (ankle)
Spencer Dinwiddie (ankle)
Stanley Johnson (shoulder)
Jodie Meeks (foot)
Anthony Tolliver (knee)
James McAdoo (toe)
Festus Ezeli (knee)
Beno Udrih (foot)
Tyler Johnson (shoulder)
Chris Bosh (calf)
Nemanja Bjelica (foot)
Kevin Garnett (knee)
Nikola Pekovic (Achilles)
DeMarre Carroll (knee)
Alan Anderson (ankle)
Jimmy Butler (knee)
Nikola Mirotic (appendectomy)
Larry Nance, Jr. (knee)
Jordan Adams (knee)
Marc Gasol (foot)
Austin Rivers (hand)
Blake Griffin (hand)
Manu Ginobili (groin)
Matt Bonner (calf)
Eric Moreland (foot)
Game-Time Decision
Iman Shumpert (shoulder)
T.J. McConnell (ankle)
Joel Anthony (personal)
Anderson Varejao (personal)
Pau Gasol (illness)
Tony Allen (knee)
Andre Roberson (knee)
Kawhi Leonard (calf)
