This article is part of our DraftKings NBA series.
TEAM ANALYSIS
Defense To Avoid
Boston Celtics vs. Los Angeles Lakers
The matchup could hardly be better for the talented Celtics defense, which has now held all four opponents under 100 points during the team's current winning streak. Boston comes into the night limiting teams to a stingy 98.7 points per game overall, a top-10 mark. The 43 and 32-percent figures they surrender on field goals and three-pointers, respectively, each qualify as fourth-best in the league as well. Meanwhile, the Lakers sport one of the NBA's most anemic offenses, ranking only above the Sixers with 96.3 points per game. They also find themselves on the last game of a three-game road swing, and will be playing their third contest in four nights.
Offense To Use
Sacramento Kings vs. Philadelphia 76ers
Spearheaded by the stellar ball distribution and overall play of offseason acquisition Rajon Rondo, as well as solid contributions from across their roster, the Kings have lit up the scoreboard so far. They roll into Wednesday scoring 104.1 points per game, behind only juggernauts Golden State and Oklahoma City. The Sixers are likely to be generous facilitators of some solid production from Sacramento as well, as they give up a robust 104.8 points per game and may very well be without standout rookie Jahlil Okafor once again.
Teams on Back-to-Back Sets
First game: Pacers, Timberwolves, Warriors, Clippers, Suns, Trail Blazers, Jazz
Second game: None
DAILY PLAYER RECOMMENDATIONS
Point Guard
Ish Smith, PHI at SAC ($5,600): While the Kings might be the most appealing offensive unit on the night, their defense tends to yield plenty to the opposition as well. Despite his generally outstanding performances when the ball's in his hands, Rondo has typically allowed very productive outings to opposing point guards all season, and Smith certainly has the talent to exploit the matchup. He looked right at home in his first game back in a Sixers uniform last Saturday against the Suns, when he netted 27.0 fantasy points. He then let loose against the Jazz on Saturday, racking up 45.25 fantasy points on the strength of 22 point and 11 assists. Encouragingly, Smith put up 21 shot attempts in that game, demonstrating a willingness to attack the basket. In what should be a fast-paced matchup, Smith should have plenty of opportunities to return solid value on a very reasonable price.
Other options: John Wall, WAS at TOR ($9,700); Rajon Rondo, SAC vs. PHI ($8,400); Kyle Lowry, TOR vs. WAS ($8,400); Kemba Walker, CHA vs. LAC ($7,500); Tony Parker, PHO at SAS ($5,000)
Shooting Guard
DeMar DeRozan, TOR vs. WAS ($7,600): DeRozan has essentially been a terrific play regardless of opponent, but he stands out Wednesday against one of the weakest shooting guard defenses in the league. Although they've ironically been a tad better since Bradley Beal's departure from the lineup with his leg injury, they've still yielded 50.0 fantasy points per contest over their last 10 games to the position. Meanwhile, DeRozan has been fantastic during that same period, amassing between 35.25 and 47.0 fantasy points over that span.
Other options: C.J. McCollum, POR vs. DEN ($7,700); Klay Thompson, GSW at DAL ($7,400); Jimmy Butler, CHI vs. IND ($7,400); Will Barton, DEN at POR ($7,100); J.J. Redick, LAC at CHA ($5,200)
Small Forward
Jae Crowder, BOS vs. LAL ($6,200): Crowder makes a nice tournament pivot Wednesday from the red-hot Omri Casspi, who's at the exact same price. While he naturally makes for a solid play as well, Crowder continues to produce while often being overlooked at the position in favor of shinier—but much pricier—options, such as Kawhi Leonard and Paul George. He's tallied between 31.5 and 39.5 fantasy points in four of his last five, and is capable of knocking down multiple threes on any given night to boost his totals. His playing time is never in question, as he's received at least 30 minutes in nine out of his last 10 games. The matchup won't hurt either, as Crowder will draw a Lakers' bottom-10 defense against small forwards that has yielded an average of 47.4 fantasy points per game to the position in their last 10 games.
Other options: Paul George, IND at CHI ($8,700); Kawhi Leonard, SAS vs. PHO ($8,600); Gordon Hayward, UTA at MIN ($7,500); Kawhi Leonard, SAS at MIN ($8,400); Omri Casspi, SAC vs. PHI ($6,200); Chandler Parsons, DAL vs. GSW ($5,600)
Power Forward
Nerlens Noel, PHI at SAC ($5,900): This selection is based on Noel drawing one more start at center in place of the ailing Jahlil Okafor (knee), who was unable to practice Tuesday and remains a very iffy game-time decision. Assuming he gets the call, Noel will draw a Kings defense that has struggled recently against centers. Sacramento is surrendering 54.6 fantasy points per game over their last five to the position and a fourth-worst 15.7 rebounds per game, one of Noel's primary sources of fantasy scoring, over the course of the season. The Sixers' big man has also been hot lately, scoring 26.75, 37.25 and 39.0 fantasy points in his last three games, with the last two totals coming at the five in Okafor's stead. While he may have to tangle some with DeMarcus Cousins down low, Noel should have enough of a clear path to pay off a sub-$6K price tag.
Other options: DeMarcus Cousins, SAC vs. PHI ($10,000); Thaddeus Young, BKN at ORL ($7,200); Kenneth Faried, DEN at POR ($6,300); Taj Gibson, CHI vs. IND ($5,500); Larry Nance, Jr., LAL at BOS ($3,900)
Center
Nikola Vucevic, ORL vs. BKN ($7,500): While he's the second-priciest center on the slate, the combination of his recent play and Wednesday's matchup make Vucevic worth the investment. The Magic's big man has exploded over the last 10 games, tallying over 40 fantasy points on four different occasions and over 50 in a fifth. He's been considerably aggressive attacking the basket, taking over 20 shots in his last two games and scoring over 20 points in six straight. He'd also be hard-pressed to find a better matchup than Brook Lopez, who's spearheaded a Nets defense ranked last in the league against opposing centers, yielding a particularly robust 61.3 fantasy points per game to the position over their last five.
Other options: Pau Gasol, CHI vs. IND ($7,800); DeAndre Jordan, LAC at CHA ($7,500); Marcin Gortat, WAS at TOR ($7,100); Kelly Olynyk,BOS vs. LAL ($5,200); Joffrey Lauvergne, DEN at POR ($4,400)
INJURY REPORT
Out
Blake Griffin (quadriceps)
Rondae Hollis-Jefferson (ankle)
Chris McCullough (ankle)
C.J. Watson (calf)
Bradley Beal (lower leg)
Gary Neal (quadriceps)
Alan Anderson (ankle)
Nene Hilario (calf)
Drew Gooden (calf)
Jordan Hill (dental work)
Joakim Noah (shoulder)
Alec Burks (leg)
Rudy Gobert (knee)
Nikola Pekovic (Achilles)
Harrison Barnes (ankle)
Leandro Barbosa (shoulder)
Eric Bledsoe (knee)
Emmanuel Mudiay (ankle)
Danilo Gallinari (ankle)
Jusuf Nurkic (knee)
Willie Cauley-Stein (finger)
Eric Moreland (foot)
Game-Time Decision
Jeremy Lin (ankle)
Nicolas Batum (toe)
Spencer Hawes (back)
Elfrid Payton (ankle)
David Lee (back)
C.J. Miles (back)
Myles Turner (finger)
Doug McDermott (knee)
Derrick Favors (back)
Stephen Curry (lower leg)
Draymond Green (ankle)
Festus Ezeli (foot)
Deron Williams (hamstring)
Tim Duncan (knee)
Damian Lillard (foot)
Ed Davis (ankle)
Jahlil Okafor (knee)
Kosta Koufos (illness)
