This article is part of our FanDuel NBA series.
The NBA features eight games for Wednesday, and we'll cover our favorite FanDuel endorsements in today's article. The action begins at 7:30 p.m. ET, and FanDuel's premier contest is the $15 $300K NBA Clutch Shot, with $100k guaranteed for first.
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.
CHI/MIL wins the race for projected total tonight, but the pace of the ATL/GSW matchup stands out as well. There are some potential blowout scenarios where you might want to consider more budget fliers, with NOPCLE and NYK/PHX serving as the best examples.
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.
ATL Jalen Johnson (leg) - QUESTIONABLE
During the previous game, Zaccharie Risacher ($5,000) took Johnson's spot in the lineup at power forward, which moved Garrison Mathews into the first unit. Mathews didn't do much, but you can expect a slight bump for Risacher and Bogdan Bogdanovic ($4,600), who is working his way back up to full speed.
PHO Kevin Durant (calf) - OUT
PHO Bradley Beal (calf) - OUT
PHO Jusuf Nurkic (ankle) - QUESTIONABLE
Phoenix has been stuck in this scenario for a while and has lost four straight games as a result. A start would go to Mason Plumlee ($4,800) if Nurkic can't make it. I'd also expect increased output from Oso Ighodaro ($4,700), Josh Okogie ($5,100) and Grayson Allen ($4,400).
MEM Ja Morant (hip) -OUT
MEM Zach Edey (ankle) - OUT
MEM Marcus Smart (illness) - OUT
MEM Vince Williams (ankle) - QUESTIONABLE
The Grizzlies need help staying healthy. I favor Desmond Bane ($7,500) as the top producer here, with Scotty Pippen ($5,700) providing value as a budget option.
PHI Tyrese Maxey (hamstring) - QUESTIONABLE
Jared McCain ($6,500) will start again with Kyle Lowry (hip) also out, although his salary has started to rise significantly.
NOP CJ McCollum (thigh) - QUESTIONABLE
NOP Zion Williamson (hamstring) - OUT
NOP Herbert Jones (shoulder) - OUT
NOP Jordan Hawkins (back) - OUT
NOP Jose Alvarado (hamstring) - OUT
Getting McCollum back would be great news for the depleted Pelicans, but he might be on a minute restriction if he plays. Trey Murphy ($5,900) is my favorite budget pivot in this spot.
IND Myles Turner (calf) - QUESTIONABLE
If Turner misses, I will place more focus on Pascal Siakam ($7,600) instead of Turner's direct replacement, Enrique Freeman.
LAC Norman Powell (hamstring) - OUT
A productive budget pivot is tough to find here, but Amir Coffey ($4,200) comes close.
POR Deandre Ayton (finger) - DOUBTFUL
POR Anfernee Simons (illness) - QUESTIONABLE
Scoot Henderson ($5,200) will start if Simons is out. I'm less confident about Robert Williams and Donovan Clingan, as the two have stolen each other's fantasy potential with Williams healthy.
ELITE PLAYERS
The slate offers three players with 10k-plus salaries. Joel Embiid ($10,400) and Giannis Antetokounmpo ($11,700) are both available again, and I'd be interested in taking a flier on Embiid in some GPPs. He doesn't appear to have any minute limitations, but he'd need to drop 50 FDFP to be viable.
Karl-Anthony Towns ($9,300) grabs my attention in the 9k range as he continues to bring down double-doubles, although he lacks the advantage of dual eligibility. There's more to offer in the 8k range, with Alperen Sengun ($8,500) emerging as a solid option if Myles Turner misses. Jalen Brunson's ($8,800) salary is also reasonable.
Also consider: Damian Lillard, MIL ($8,400) vs. CHI
EXPECTED CHALK AND OTHER TARGETS
Evan Mobley, CLE ($7,800) vs. NOP
It's advantage Cleveland against the Pelicans, who have holes throughout their roster. Mobley has recorded two straight double-doubles after a brief absence and should be able to take advantage in the paint. I'm encouraging a universal first-unit endorsement for the Cavs, even if some of them don't get a direct mention here.
Josh Hart, NYK ($7,200) @ PHX
Hart has a rhythm where he pops for 40, then regresses, and pops back up again. He hit the low end in his last game, and I like the matchup against the shorthanded Suns. The Knicks should be able to beat up Phoenix here, which is why they are my favorite team to target on the slate. We already mentioned Towns and Brunson, but OG Anunoby ($6,800) also deserves a mention.
Draymond Green, GSW ($6,200) vs. ATL
I may sound like a broken record by going back to Green again and again, but he's giving us exactly what we need at this low salary. You can get him in three slots, although I think we have better options at center tonight.
Tari Eason, HOU ($6,400) vs. IND
I admit I haven't looked at Eason's line very often, but you notice an interesting trend if you drill down. He consistently delivers in every major category, providing multiple opportunities to put fantasy points on the board any night. Limited rostership is a pretty likely outcome for Eason, and we also have a four-slot advantage for him.
Also consider: Zach LaVine, CHI ($7,300) @ MIL
VALUE PLAYS
We deliver a massive section devoted to injuries, and you'll find most of our favorite values and alternate targets above. To conclude, I'll scour the pool below 6k and provide some preferred options for each position.
PG (SG) Kris Dunn, LAC ($4,800) vs. ORL
SG (SF) Toumani Camara, POR ($5,300) @ OKC
SF (PF) Jonathan Isaac, ORL ($4,600) @ LAC
PF/C Onyeka Okongwu, ATL ($5,100) @ GSW
C Yves Missi, NOP ($4,900) @ CLE
