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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 11-game slate starting at 7:00 ET.
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POINT GUARD
Fred VanVleet – Toronto (at Milwaukee) - DK: $9,500 / FD: $9,900 / Yahoo: $37
My plan is to take a mainly middle-of-the-road approach to tonight’s huge slate rather than trying a super stars/scrubs strategy. VanVleet has been consistent and fantastic this season, and coming off the COVID list, he has picked up right where he left off. With three 30-plus point games in a row leading to three 50-plus fantasy point lines in a row, VanVleet is a hard guy to pass on. His salary is especially nice on Yahoo, most challenging on FanDuel, where you might want to use the bargain PG options and positional eligibility is limited.
Also Consider: Kyle Lowry, Cade Cunningham, Anfernee Simons, Jrue Holiday, Keifer Sykes, Raul Neto, Isaiah Joe
SHOOTING GUARD
Furkan Korkmaz – Philadelphia (at Orlando) - DK: $4,700 / FD: $4,900 / Yahoo: $13
There are a lot of SG options, of course, on such a big slate, and you can certainly mix and match for multi-entry lineups. Korkmaz gets the top billing because the 76ers are down to only three healthy guards in their lineup for tonight’s dream matchup with the equally hobbled Magic. Orlando is fantasy’s third-best overall matchup and the Magic rank 25th in defensive rating. They also play at a slightly faster pace than Philly, but the real opportunity in Korkmaz is going to be the minutes he’ll have to play. Seth Curry (pricey) and Isaiah Joe (less experienced) are also very much in play, but Korkmaz represents the safest value floor/ceiling combination for me. He played 36 minutes in the last game and managed over 50 fantasy points. At these salaries, anything 25 or above would be great.
Also Consider: Josh Giddey, Seth Curry, Bradley Beal, Terry Rozier, Norman Powell
SMALL FORWARD
Saddiq Bey – Detroit (at Charlotte) - DK: $8,300 / FD: $8,000 / Yahoo: $29 (PF)
Following some late November-early December struggles, Bey has found his groove and dominated the courts. In the last two weeks, he’s scored at least 21 points and nabbed at least eight rebounds and has three consecutive 50-plus fantasy point games. Yes, his salary has come up, but it’s not at all crazy for what he’s doing, relative to Kevin Durant or Jayson Tatum. This game has one of the highest point totals of the night (227.5 points). Charlotte has the league’s highest pace and gives up the second-most overall fantasy points with good DvP to players on the wing. The Hornets rank 28th in defensive rating and 30th in rebounding, setting up another potential double-double and great fantasy line from Bey. If you’re stuck between two players, and one of them is in this game, go for him.
Also Consider: Anthony Edwards, Caleb Martin, Andrew Wiggins
POWER FORWARD
Kyle Kuzma – Washington (vs. Houston) - DK: $7,700 / FD: $7,800 / Yahoo: $29
Another potential fantasy bonanza is this game in D.C. Kuzma is my favorite play, but Daniel Gafford, Raul Neto, Bradley Beal and KCP are also DFS candidates given that Houston is the most generous fantasy opponent in the league. The Rockets rank first in pace, first in turnover rate, and 29th in defensive rating. Kuzma has been playing well over his season averages in the past week, with 45-65 fantasy points in his last three games. He fits the high floor/high ceiling mid-priced player I’m targeting heavily tonight and in a great game environment should come through in all DFS formats.
Also Consider: Giannis Antetokounmpo, Jayson Tatum, Tobias Harris, Draymond Green, P.J. Tucker, Robert Covington, Miles Bridges
CENTER
Jusuf Nurkic – Portland (vs. Miami) - DK: $6,800 / FD: $6,000 / Yahoo: $24
This isn’t one of the flashier, high point-total games of the night, but it is expected to be a close one, with both sides down a few star players. The on-paper matchups tilt in Miami’s favor, but Nurkic is such a good value on FanDuel and Yahoo that I had to include him here. With Damian Lillard and CJ McCollum out, Nurkic returned from protocols to produce a 21-point, 12-rebound, five assist stat line vs. Atlanta Monday night. Expect his usage, along with Norman Powell’s, to remain high as the team is now also without Larry Nance Jr. Nurkic is both high-floor and high-ceiling and the price is definitely right.
Also Consider: Nikola Jokic, Joel Embiid, Daniel Gafford, Clint Capela, Omer Yurtseven
ADDITIONAL NOTES
Keifer Sykes (G – IND) Malcolm Brogdon is going to remain out until Saturday, it seems, and with TJ McConnell, Chris Duarte and Caris LeVert also sidelined, Indiana is out of guards. Enter Sykes, who is priced at the minimum across the board, played 35 and 38 MPG in the Pacers’ last two games, and put up 25 and 40 fantasy point lines, filling the stat sheet in both games.
Isaiah Joe (G – PHI) I mentioned Joe above, along with the great Orlando matchup and shorthandedness of the 76ers, but just want to highlight that he can be the path to a really high floor, high upside lineup as another min priced guard option. He’s been inconsistent when playing at least 20 minutes, but the opportunity and matchup tilt in favor of using him to fit another second-tier player into any lineup tonight.
Anthony Edwards (G/F – MIN) is one of those ‘extra stars’ I’m actively trying to squeeze in tonight. The Timberwolves, like everyone else, are still dealing with COVID and injuries, making Edwards the centerpiece of this team on both sides of the court. He has a block and a steal in each of the last two games, where he’s also contributed four assists per game. He generally scores at least 20 points per game, and in a matchup with the Thunder, who give up the second-most fantasy points to shooting guards (third to SF) and fifth-most overall, the second-year wing could be in for another huge night.
