This article is part of our FanDuel NBA series.
With a whopping 12 games on the schedule for Wednesday's slate, there's a ton of options to sort through at all levels of the price scale. The following list should provide a handful of players to consider building your lineup around:
GUARDS:
James Harden, HOU vs LAL ($11,100): Of all the higher priced options, Harden's matchup against the Lakers is the most intriguing. This game is going to be an up-and-down affair with easily the highest over/under on the night, so there should be plenty of opportunities for Harden to rack up statistics across the board. While Harden has been playing through some recent injuries, he's still seeing a full workload with 38 and 39 minutes played in his last two games. He also essentially has a floor of 40 FanDuel points, so even on an off night, he's going to put up some points.
Jeff Teague, MIN at DEN ($6,400): Teague will be taking on a Nuggets defense that really struggles to defend opposing point guards. The Nuggets have given up the most FanDuel points to the position on the season and have been even worse in terms of their last five games out. Coach Tom Thibodeau also likes to run his starter's into the ground, so Teague is almost guaranteed to see a huge workload and should have plenty of chances to take advantage of the favorable matchup.
Tyler Johnson, MIA at BOS ($4,500) The Heat are dealing with a ton of injuries and are only going to have a limited amount of bodies available. The most important injury for Johnson's sake, however, is Goran Dragic, who is doubtful to play with an elbow injury. Johnson started in Dragic's place on Monday, posting 19 points, three rebounds, two assists and two steals, which was good enough for 27.6 FanDuel points. The biggest thing was that he played 40 minutes, so at a price of just $4,500, that should present some strong potential value. He'll have every opportunity to surpass that 30-point FanDuel mark Wednesday.
FORWARDS:
Will Barton, DEN vs MIN ($6,200): Barton has been fairly inconsistent this season, but when he's on, he can put up some huge numbers. Fellow guard Gary Harris is currently questionable with an elbow injury and if he doesn't play, that's going to give Barton some huge upside. I would feel fine with the Barton pick even if Harris does play, though Barton becomes a must-play for me if Harris sits out. Barton has posted seven games this season with over 40 FanDuel points.
Julius Randle, LAL at HOU ($5,500): The Lakers are set to be without Brook Lopez (ankle) for the next three weeks. That's going to open up some minutes in the frontcourt, with Randle being one of the biggest beneficiaries. With Lopez leaving the last game early, Randle double-doubled with 15 points, 11 rebounds, two assists and a block over 31 minutes and he should have the chance to post similar, or better, numbers with Lopez out for the entire contest Wednesday.
Reggie Bullock, DET at DAL ($3,700): Bullock is one of the more intriguing value plays at the small forward spot. The Pistons are once again going to be without Avery Bradley, who's slated to miss the next three games with a groin injury. Bullock has started the last four games in his place and should do so again Wednesday, which likely means another 30-minute workload. In his last two contests, Bullock posted 29.0 and 28.2 FanDuel points, which is plenty of value at a near minimum price of $3,700.
CENTERS:
Nikola Vucevic, ORL at CHI ($10,00): Vucevic has been one of the biggest surprises of this season, averaging a whopping 50.1 FanDuel points. He has yet another great matchup against a weak Bulls squad that gives up the seventh most FanDuel points to centers on the season. The Magic are also set to be without Aaron Gordon (calf), so that means a bump in usage for Vucevic in the frontcourt, which could potentially lead to an improvement on his already strong numbers.
Willie Cauley-Stein, SAC at BKN ($6,000): There's a lot to like about Wednesday's game for Cauley-Stein. The matchup is great, as the Nets give up the eighth most FanDuel points to the center position. It's the second night of a back-to-back set, which typically is something I like to avoid, though I think that actually benefits Cauley-Stein in this situation. The Kings have kept fellow big man Zach Randolph's minutes down in back-to-backs previously this year and if they do so again, Cauley-Stein will likely benefit directly. If you can't afford one of the more expensive centers, that makes Cauley-Stein a great fall-back option.
