This article is part of our FanDuel NBA series.
Here's a look at players to consider for Wednesday's slate of NBA contests on FanDuel. The players listed will be comprised of both bargains and studs. Also, note whether the player is specifically mentioned for cash games or Guaranteed Prize Pools (GPPs). If neither is mentioned, consider the player an option for both formats.
Point Guards
Russell Westbrook, $11,000 – Kevin Durant missed practice Tuesday and it looks like he's set to miss Wednesday's contest against New Orleans. Durant's absence vaults Westbrook to the top player for the night's slate and he'll be likely heavily owned after Monday's triple-double. Westbrook put up a whopping 67.5 fantasy points Monday night, and he has routinely posted better fantasy stats with Durant out of the lineup. Tyreke Evans isn't used to covering point guards and he'll have a tough time matching Westbrook's speed and quickness. The floor should be at least 40 fantasy points and there's a good chance finishes in the 50-60 point range. Just make sure Durant sits before committing a hefty chunk of your salary cap to Westbrook.
D.J. Augustin, $7,000 – Augustin checks in at the exact same price tag he had Tuesday night, a result of playing in back-to-back games. The only reason to hesitate with Augustin is that he failed his fantasy owners miserably the last time he played in a back-to-back games, registering only 10.6 fantasy points against the 76ers last week. Still, it's hard to ignore Augustin's recent success as he's had games of 51.3, 47.4, 36.3 and 49.8 fantasy points sandwiched around that Philadelphia dud. While it will burn a good amount of your budget, building your team around Westbrook and Augustin seems like a good way to establish a nice floor tonight.
Marcus Smart, $4,600 – Smart was inserted into the starting lineup and should be a fixture there for the rest of the season as the Celtics continue to rebuild. Smart had a season-high nine assists Sunday, and he logged 30 and 37 minutes in his past two outings. He should continue to see similar playing time moving forward. Also, the Nuggets play an up-tempo style of basketball, which will only add to Smart's value Wednesday night.
Jose Juan Barea, $3,900 – Barea should draw another start Wednesday, with Devin Harris nursing a bad ankle and Rajon Rondo dealing with a broken orbital bone. This game will have one of the higher over/under totals with the Warriors being one of the higher scoring teams in the league. Barea logged 29 minutes Monday night, finishing with 10 points and eight assists for a total of 25.8 fantasy points. If you feel like fading Westbrook or Augustin in GPPs, going with Smart and Barea in your two points guard spots would allow you to load up at the other positions.
Shooting Guards
DeMar DeRozan, $7,000 – Ever since logging some gym time a little over a week ago, DeRozan has been a fantasy stud for the Raptors. His worst game over the last six contests was Monday when he turned in a 21.4 fantasy-point performance while only playing 25 minutes. However, in four of his last six games he has had at least 34 fantasy points while contributing in other categories besides scoring. And it certainly doesn't hurt that DeRozan is coming off a performance last Friday night where he scored 26 points with four rebounds and nine assists.
O.J. Mayo, $4,900 – Here's a great under-the-radar pick, as Mayo will be largely under-owned after being ejected Monday and putting up only 10.2 fantasy points. It's highly unlikely Mayo gets ejected again and looking at his game logs over the last two weeks shows a very consistent fantasy player. Before Monday, Mayo had scored at least 19.3 fantasy points in nine straight games and had five straight games of 24.8 fantasy points. Look for Mayo to dominate the Lakers second unit tonight.
Small Forward
Draymond Green, $7,100 – Green's price has come down as a result of some sub-par fantasy performances over the last few weeks. Part of his drop off in production can be attributed to a decrease in minutes, as the Warriors have blown out multiple opponents. That shouldn't be the case tonight as the Warriors welcome a potent Mavericks offense to town. Green's price is a nice value considering he's surpassed 31 fantasy points in the last four games when he's played at least 30 minutes. Exceeding both of those numbers should be in cards for Wednesday's game.
Chandler Parsons, $6,100 – Parsons missed a couple of games over the weekend while dealing with the flu. The good news is he returned Monday night and played a full complement of minutes. Despite recent comments that he understood he isn't the first or second scoring option for Dallas, Parson has been able to post at least 24 fantasy points in seven of his last eight games. When looking at games with high over/under marks don't hesitate to target players on the underdog side of the matchup.
Power Forward
Ryan Anderson, $5,400 – With all of the attention on Anthony Davis and Tyreke Evans, Anderson often gets lost in the shuffle. He's better suited for GPPs, as his production can yo-yo on a regular basis. Over his last five games he's had games of 27.5, 33.4 and 38.3 fantasy points, which shows his potential. It doesn't appear that Oklahoma City has a good matchup for Anderson, a big player who can step out and nail the three.
Jared Sullinger, $6,200 – Sullinger left many owners disappointed Sunday after he was late to the practice facility, left out of the starting lineup and logged only 19 minutes of playing time. It was a quick lesson from his coach who re-inserted Sullinger into the starting lineup Tuesday night against the Knicks. Sullinger received his regular playing time in Tuesday's game and responded with a huge line of 22 points, nine rebounds and a career-high six assists.
Center
Joakim Noah, $7,100 – It's often tough to put a ton of stock in what a player says about their health. Noah appears to have been completely forthright last week when he told reporters both his knee and ankle were better and he was feeling the healthiest he has all season. His fantasy production has been through the roof since that statement was made, as he's posted games of 33.5, 44.9 and 47 fantasy points over his last three contests. Arguably the best passing center in the league, Noah contributes across the board and doesn't need to score points to have a monster fantasy night. With no Dwight Howard (knee), Noah should have his way in the paint going up against Joey Dorsey and company.
