This article is part of our FanDuel NBA series.
Despite there being only five games on the schedule for Wednesday's slate, there's still plenty 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:
Lonzo Ball, LAL at GSW ($7,800): This matchup is easily my favorite to target, as it should be an uptempo affair, while there's also plenty of injuries that make for some strong plays on both the Lakers and Warriors. Ball, specifically, should be a solid guard option, as he'll likely be matched up against some combination of Quinn Cook, Shaun Livingston and Nick Young with both Steph Curry (ankle) and Klay Thompson (hand) sidelined. That should allow Ball to have his way offensively without much issue, so I feel comfortable getting him in my lineup despite being priced just short of $8,000.
Khris Middleton, MIL at ORL ($7,400): There's not much to like about the shooting guards on Wednesday's slate, unless you're willing to gamble on a guy like Nick Young, who's priced at just $3,800. In tournaments, I could see him being an option, but still, I'd prefer to pay up for a known commodity like Middleton instead. His opposing matchup, the Magic, have given up the eighth most FanDuel points to shooting guards on the season, while they're also dealing with some injuries to guys like Evan Fournier (knee) and Aaron Gordon (concussion). With less depth and bodies to cover a scorer like Middleton, he should have a chance to put together a big night.
Wayne Ellington, MIA at SAC ($4,000): The Heat have ruled out Dwyane Wade (hamstring) for Wednesday's contest and Josh Richardson (foot) has also been given a doubtful designation, which should free up a good chunk of minutes on the wing. Ellington is one of the favorites to see the biggest boost in his overall workload as a result, making him an intriguing value play at a price of just $4,000. While Ellington is definitely scoring dependent, he can get hot at any point in time, so I'm not entirely worried about his ability to hit value.
FORWARDS:
Kevin Durant, GSW vs. LAL ($10,500): The Warriors will be without Steph Curry (ankle), Klay Thompson (thumb) and Draymond Green (shoulder), so Durant is going to see a spike in usage and will be taking as many shots as he wants against the Lakers. Look for Durant to be one of the highest owned players in terms of percentage on Thursday's slate, especially considering there's only one other player priced above $9,000. Due to Durant's upside and his price tag, fantasy owners could be putting themselves at a disadvantage by not getting him in their lineups.
Kelly Olynyk, MIA at SAC ($5,500):Bam Adebayo ($4,300) is also an option here, though I personally trust Olynyk a little more for guaranteed production. The Heat are set to be without Hassan Whiteside (hip) once again, so there's going to be plenty of minutes available for Olynyk to take advantage of. Olynyk has averaged 29.0 FanDuel points over his last five games and will be facing off against a porous Sacramento defense that will be without promising youngster Skal Labisierre (hip).
Andre Iguodala, GSW vs. LAL ($4,500): Like Durant, Iguodala should see a sizable increase in his usage with all the injuries the Warriors are dealing with. While Iguodala is coming off a three-game absence from a wrist injury of his own, he's officially been taken off the injury report and should be in line for big minutes barring any sort of in-game setback. At a price of just $4,500, Iguodala seems like a no-brainer for those trying to free up some salary elsewhere. Iguodala scored at least 27.0 FanDuel points in each of the last three games he's played, which would easily hit value at his current price.
CENTERS:
Brook Lopez, LAL at GSW ($6,700): I just can't stay away from this matchup, as the over/under is the highest on the slate at a whopping 225. Lopez has actually played very well of late, averaging 36.7 FanDuel points over his last five games. Without Draymond Green (shoulder) to be a defensive stopper in the paint and to soak up a ton of rebounds for the Warriors, Lopez's numbers should benefit overall, making him a strong play at a sub $7,000 price.
Willie Cauley-Stein, SAC vs MIA ($6,500): There aren't any real intriguing cheap options at center for Wednesday's slate, so I'm sticking with another mid-tier guy for my second pick. Cauley-Stein will be facing a Heat team that's without Hassan Whiteside (hip) and despite coming off the bench, he continues to log huge minutes. While he's finished below 30 FanDuel points in each of the last two contests, he previously had posted over 30.0 in three of the prior four games, which is the output I'm looking for Wednesday.
