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This article aims to highlight some of the best NBA DFS Plays at every position for your cash game lineups. Keep in mind that the following player write-ups were constructed earlier in the day, and sometimes injury/rest situations can alter the fantasy landscape. Monitoring our NBA News & Headlines Feed throughout the day will keep you in the loop while giving you the subsequent DFS consequences of each information piece.
We’ll take a look at Wednesday’s six-game slate starting at 7:00 ET.
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POINT GUARD
Dejounte Murray – San Antonio (at Cleveland) - DK: $10,600 / FD: $10,600 / Yahoo: $47
Murray doesn’t need much justification if you have the salary for him, but there are a couple extra factors in his favor tonight. He has had a solid four days off, not that he needs the rest to produce his outstanding stat lines, but it can’t hurt to have fresh legs. Second, he is as far from a trade rumor as can be, and days like today, that matters. The matchup with Cleveland isn’t one of the best (in fact, I prefer it for the Cavs), but the last time these teams played, Murray scored 30 points with 14 rebounds and eight assists. Cleveland’s high turnover rate might net him a couple steals to boost an always-impressive fantasy line.
Also Consider: Anfernee Simons, Stephen Curry, Fred VanVleet, De’Aaron Fox, Tre Mann
SHOOTING GUARD
Donovan Mitchell – Utah (vs. Golden State) - DK: $8,600 / FD: $8,800 / Yahoo: $38
Both of these teams are down a couple starters tonight, but Vegas has it as still a close and fairly high-scoring game. Mitchell is one of the most consistent SG in the league, almost always scoring in the mid-40’s but showing off 50-plus upside every so often. Offense usually trumps defense, and Mitchell’s high shot volume puts him in the best position to keep pace with Curry. While Curry is a distant first in three pointers made per game, Mitchell is fifth in that category, not too bad!
Also Consider: Gary Trent, Zach LaVine, Ben McLemore
SMALL FORWARD
LeBron James – LA Lakers (at Portland) - DK: $10,800 / FD: $10,800 / Yahoo: $55
There are going to be lots of opportunities to save tonight, but there is one more priority spend. I’m happy with either James or Anthony Davis, but one of the Lakers’ stars deserves a spot in tonight’s lineups. The Lakers are decent road favorites in Portland tonight, a team in transition to say the least, and this should be a fantasy friendly game on both sides. The Trail Blazers have the second-best DvP in the league to small forwards, and allow the eighth-most fantasy points overall. James previously had his best game of the season against Portland on New Year’s Eve (a 43-point, 14-rebound monster). Things are different with AD back on the court, but James continues to put up 50-plus on a regular basis and should bounce back from a down game vs. the Bucks tonight.
Also Consider: Kelly Oubre, OG Anunoby, Harrison Barnes, Justise Winslow, Taurean Prince, Javonte Green
POWER FORWARD
Chimezie Metu – Sacramento (vs. Minnesota) - DK: $4,200 / FD: $4,300 (C) / Yahoo: $12
One of the fallouts from making big moves during the trade deadline while dealing with a ton of injuries is that players like Metu, Davion Mitchell, and Damian Jones, who have been holding down bit roles, should be thrust into bigger workloads. Since Domantas Sabonis is highly unlikely to be ready to make his debut with the team tonight, and Marvin Bagley, Richaun Holmes, and Moe Harkless are all possibly/probably out tonight, Metu should be able to post another valuable line. He’s been averaging over 20 fantasy points in the last four games, with one of the best coming against the Timberwolves Tuesday. This is expected to be a fast-paced and high-scoring game, with fantasy goodness for both sides.
Also Consider: Miles Bridges, DeMar DeRozan, Evan Mobley
CENTER
Jarrett Allen – Cleveland (vs. San Antonio) - DK: $8,100 / FD: $7,600 / Yahoo: $31
If you read this often, you know I love targeting the Spurs at center. No offense to Jakob Poeltl, but opposing centers are crushing them this year. Allen himself had a nice game vs. San Antonio, one of his trademark double-doubles (17 points, 16 rebounds). I wasn’t sure how it would work with Allen, Love and Mobley in the Cavs’ frontcourt, but all three have been worth the spend, especially in good matchup. I think if there is fantasy fallout from the addition of Caris LeVert, Allen is least likely to experience a downturn tonight. However, he is not so easy to fit with the other stars I like on some sites; on DK you might need to save here with Azubuike or Jones.
Also Consider: Nikola Vucevic, Anthony Davis, Jusuf Nurkic, Udoka Azubuike, Damian Jones
Additional Notes
Gary Trent Jr. (G – TOR) is not exactly a cheap option, but if you’re not married to the idea of including Donovan Mitchell or James in tonight’s lineups, I love him. In 35-40-plus MPG, he’s been steadily contributing in every category. He’s tied with Mitchell in 3PM per game, and ranks seventh in steals per game. Oklahoma City is the league’s third-most generous fantasy matchup and the second-best for opposing two-guards. This is great news for Trent, who approached 40 fantasy points when these teams met in December.
Anfernee Simons (PG – POR), Ben McLemore (SG) and Justise Winslow (SF) are all on my radar tonight. Although the Lakers are favored, Portland has some fantasy appeal tonight as well. LA plays at the third-highest pace and gives up the second-most fantasy points to PGs. Simons has been a solid replacement for Lillard these last few weeks, though his salary isn’t ideal for this slate and how I want to build. If you go a different route (fade Murray or James), Simons could be a high-floor with modest upside sort of play. McLemore is a player I hate to roster, and is more expensive than I’d like on some sites ($15 Yahoo), but he should see heavy minutes tonight at the least. Winslow started and played 32 minutes in his debut with the new team, turning in a full line. Full disclosure, I’ve rooted for Winslow to find a consistent role for years and I love this spot for him. He can do a little of everything and is super affordable everywhere ($10 Yahoo!).
Coby White (PG – CHI) has no reason not to succeed tonight. The Bulls are set to be without the usual guards (Ball and Caruso), plus Ayo Dosunmu is out. The three stars are likely to handle the bulk of the work tonight, but White has a nice opportunity to hit the higher end of his range tonight. Dosunmu’s absence also creates some extra usage for Javonte Green if you’re looking to save even more at a F slot. Charlotte offers a sweet pace bump, is ranked 29th in rebounding rate, and gives up the fourth-most overall fantasy points to opponents.
