This article is part of our FanDuel NBA series.
FanDuel's main slate consists of a whopping 13 games. The featured contests tip off at 7:00 p.m. ET.
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.
Wednesday's slate is chock-full of games with high projected totals, with 10 if 13 games clocking in at an O/U of 225 or more. There's only one game that looks abysmal, and that's the PHI/CLE matchup, which is sitting at a paltry total of 212. We found ourselves giving the most love to LAC/UTA and WAS/BKN, but I'd encourage further exploration of targets for the Bucks, Nuggets and the IND/SAC game, which has a projected total of 240.
Injuries
For all the latest updates, visit RotoWire's NBA Injury News page and our comprehensive NBA Injury Report.
We won't cover all of the injuries on the slate this evening, so use your best judgment when approaching injuries that are ongoing (Miami, Orlando and New Orleans are good examples). Here are some of the more prominent injuries hitting the report for Wednesday.
OKC Shai Gilgeous-Alexander (hip) -QUESTIONABLE
If SGA is unable to go, Tre Mann ($4,400) would be the likely starter at point guard.
BOS Jaylen Brown (neck) - QUESTIONABLE
Brown missed Monday's contest, and Grant Williams ($4,200) absorbed some production, but Blake Griffin ($3,500) made an appearance as well and pitched in a decent line. Jayson Tatum ($10,200) would benefit if Brown is absent.
BRO Ben Simmons (knee) - OUT
While several Nets will pitch in, I think Joe Harris ($4,200) may be the player to deliver the most bang for your buck.
SAS Jakob Poeltl (knee) - OUT
Poeltl may miss another week, but it's an excellent opportunity for Zach Collins ($4,500) to show his stuff.
Elite Players
There's a lot of elite production to be had at the top of the player pool, as Joel Embiid ($11,800) is finally back for the Sixers. As said previously, the projected total doesn't thrill me, but the extended absence of Jarrett Allen continues to leave the Cavaliers vulnerable in the interior. While always a chalk play, I don't know that Giannis Antetokounmpo ($12,000) is a necessity tonight as he might be on smaller slates. A big slate translates to more value opportunities, especially in the 6-7k range.
We'll extend our elite category down to 8k, and it's in the lower tier where I like a lot of targets after sliding past more expensive talent. I have a pretty solid instinct about Dejounte Murray ($8,800) in a spot where the team might allow Trae Young to take a seat and let Murray do more of the heavy lifting. Zion Williamson ($8,500) has also become a nightly smash spot, especially with Brandon Ingram out. He took a huge jump in salary over the weekend, and will probably be in the 8k range for the foreseeable future.
I will round out the section with two more guards. Anfernee Simons ($8,400) and his dual eligibility will have value at least until the end of the week when Damian Lillard is expected to return. Bradley Beal ($8,400) is at the same salary point, and I like his potential against the Nets in a game with a fairly high projected total.
Also consider: Anthony Edwards, MIN ($8,000) vs. MEM
Expected Chalk and Other Targets
Kyrie Irving, BRO ($7,800) vs. WAS
We all have players or teams that we prefer over others. Though it's a tenet of DFS play to divest yourself from a player or team bias, it goes without saying that Irving is a perfect example of someone people have very strong opinions about. In a case as extreme as this one, it might result in a drop in rostership, and though I have to hold my nose as I type this (hard to do), you have to look at what's on paper and consider him as a contrarian opportunity. Over his past five games, he's averaged a little over 32 FDFP, with a high of 37 and a low of 25. He has a pretty good historical record against the Wizards, and although he'd need a slight salary increase to match his current production, his potentially low rostership makes it an easier call.
Kyle Kuzma, WAS ($7,600) @ BRO
I also like Kuzma in this game, who came perilously close to a triple-double against Minnesota Tuesday night. Although it's a back-to-back, it's a short trip up to New York and it seems unlikely that he'd sit as he did on Brooklyn's recent back-to-back tilt over the weekend.
Lauri Markkanen, UTA ($7,500) vs. LAC
Markkanen continues to be one of the year's big surprises as he leads the Jazz through a rebuild. Thanks in large part to Markkanen, the Jazz would be in the playoffs if the season ended today. Despite their losing streak, I am going to go with Markkenen against the Clippers, who continue to be without Paul George and Kawhi Leonard's services.
D'Angelo Russell, MIN ($6,600) vs. MEM
Russell has popped up into the 40-FDFP range over the past two weeks, and a few games below 30 FDFP is the only reason his five-game average of 33.6 FDFP isn't higher. Most of his recent totals fall at or very near 5x salary value, and although I'm more likely to use Anthony Edwards, this is a good spot for Russell, who lit up the Grizzlies several times last season.
Also consider: Rudy Gobert, MIN ($7,50) vs. MEM, Ivica Zubac, LAC ($6,900) @ UTA
Value Plays
Bennedict Mathurin, IND ($5,600) @ SAC
Mathurin's salary continues to rise, but he's still a great value at this price point. He's practically been a resident in my endorsements over the past couple of weeks, and we're starting to expect a floor of 24 FDFP with the potential to go much higher. The Kings' defense is much improved this season, but Mathurin is on a great run of production, and I expect it to continue.
Justise Winslow, POR ($5,200) @ LAL
Speaking of player bias, a bad night from Winslow blew up what was looking like a Top-5 finish in a big tournament two years ago, but I've since gotten over it. It's a good thing because it's tough to ignore Winslow's multi-category contributions while Damian Lillard has been sidelined. He just logged his first double-double of the season, and he's had a nifty run of fantasy points over his past four games, with totals of 26, 27, 28 and 29 FDFP.
Doug McDermott, SAN ($3,600) @ OKC
McDermott's numbers don't pop off the page, but if you plug in his FDFP totals relative to this very cheap salary, he's a certifiable value buster. He had a nice 23-FDFP total in his first game back from injury, and he would be extremely valuable at this salary if he's able to come close to that total again.
I'll end the article with some other value considerations that slipped through the cracks.
SG/SF Will Barton, WAS ($4,300) @ BRO
PF/C Kelly Olynyk, UTA ($5,600) vs. LAC
SG/SF Herbert Jones, NOR ($5,100) vs. TOR
SG/SF Terance Mann, LAC ($5,000) @ UTA
