This article is part of our FanDuel NBA series.
Wednesday Value Plays
Point Guards
Mo Williams, CHA, $5,400: The Bobcats haven't been shy about using the newly-obtained Williams, who has logged 38 minutes in each of the first two games he's suited up for. That amount of time has translated into 43.8 and 28.7 fantasy points. With Kemba Walker out for the time being, Williams should continue to play a ton of minutes, and the Bulls are no longer the feared team they were last season on defensively. Williams likely provides the safest floor, dollar for dollar, at the position Wednesday night.
Deron Williams, BKN, $5,900: Williams has found new life over his last two games with teammate Jarrett Jack sidelined with a hamstring injury. He's posted two straight fantasy performances of over 40 points. Williams has taken the role of the floor general again and has 27 assists over those two games. It should be noted that those contests came against the Nuggets and Lakers, two of the worst teams defending the point guard position in the league. Williams' recent uptick in minutes should continue against New Orleans even with Jack back in action, as the Nets will have him come off the bench and play limited minutes. Expect this to be the last time Williams is south of $6K for a while.
Shooting Guards
Avery Bradley, BOS, $5,800: Bradley's critics, who claim he's only a defensive specialist, have been quieted over the last week as the guard is on a remarkable fantasy tear. He's scored 20 or more points in three straight games and has recorded a total of 13 steals over that span. Those games have seen him score 42.3, 36.5, and 50.6 fantasy points. The Boston backcourt has gotten a little more crowded with the addition of Isaiah Thomas, yet Bradley is still playing starter's minutes. The matchup Wednesday is excellent, drawing the Knicks at the Boston Garden. The only small red flag here is the potential of a blowout. Even in that event, it's likely Bradley makes his value once again.
Markel Brown, BKN, $3,900: Who? Brown is a rookie guard out of Oklahoma State who was originally drafted by the Timberwolves and then traded to the Nets. With the Nets playing for the future, Brown was given the start against Denver on Monday and responded in a big way. The former Cowboy scored 10 points with 11 rebounds, four blocks, two assists, and two steals (37.2 fantasy points) while playing a whopping 45 minutes. It'll be interesting to see how the Nets handle him and his minutes going forward, and he's a great punt play to take a chance on given his current price. The floor could be very low here if he goes back to playing less than 10 minutes per game, but the opportunity for him to provide almost 10 times his price in value is too good to pass up.
Small Forwards
Danilo Gallinari, DEN, $4,000: The departure of Arron Afflalo to Portland has opened up a spot in the starting five for Gallinari, who plays big at the two guard. Gallinari has also received a full complement of starter's minutes, playing over 30 minutes in two of his last three games (the "under" game was a blowout against Oklahoma City). This game against Phoenix should be one of the higher scoring games of the night, and the Nuggets should be able to keep the game close playing at home. Look for Gallinari to play at least 30 minutes and have a floor of producing 5-6 times his value.
Khris Middleton, MIL, $6,600: There's a lot of talk about Hassan Whiteside, Draymond Green, or Robert Covington being the waiver pickup of the year. However, Middleton has made just as strong of case given what he's done over the course of the season and more specifically since the calendar turned to February. In nine games for the month, he has averaged 16.8 points while scoring at least double-digits in every contest. He's also averaged 6.2 rebounds, 3.0 assists, and 2.1 steals over that span while shooting 97 percent from the free-throw line. While a blowout is a possibility, the matchup doesn't get any better than getting the 76ers at home.
Power Forwards
Terrence Jones, HOU, $5,600: After being injured earlier this season, Jones is back to 100 percent and playing some solid basketball. He was rewarded with a spot as a starter in the Rockets' last game and has helped clean the glass for the Rockets in the absence of Dwight Howard. Jones has at least nine points and nine rebounds in his last three games while averaging three blocks per contest. His minutes are up around 30 per game, and he draws a very favorable matchup Wednesday going up against Spencer Hawes.
Centers
Rudy Gobert, UTA, $5,900: Wednesday is one of those slates when playing two centers would make a lot of sense. Starting with Gobert, he's been a blocks machine since Enes Kanter left town with 12 over his last three games. One of the problems with Gobert is his tendency to get into foul trouble, a skill he'll learn as he gets more and more experience with the Jazz. The matchup doesn't get much better than the Lakers who have given up a plethora of fantasy points to opposing big men. Look for Gobert to dominate the paint in what should be an easy win for Utah.
Alex Len, PHO, $5,000: The other terrific value of the night is Len, who is finally getting a lot of run after dealing with an ankle injury and seeing Miles Plumlee jettisoned off to Milwaukee. The key for Len has been his playing time as he's played at least 32 minutes in each of his last three games. Those three contests have seen him score 33, 24.7, and 36.4 fantasy points or at least five times his price tag. Like Gobert, he gets an excellent matchup against Jusuf Nurkic and the Nuggets, a team that has been dominated in the paint. Considering their similar good matchups, price tags, and playing time, the lean here is to Len over Gobert.
