This article is part of our DraftKings NBA series.
Sacramento is the only team on the tail end of a back-to-back on Wednesday's 12-game slate, so 23 teams are hitting the floor with at least a day of rest. Travel-wise, the Grizzlies have a long flight out to Oakland, and Miami, San Antonio, Orlando and the Lakers each have sizeable trips to make as well. As far as other intangibles, Vegas seems to like the Rockets/Lakers (O/U: 225) and the TImberwolves/Nuggets (O/U: 216) matchups, and my early projections find a ton of value on all four of these teams.
First, to the high-salary candidates. There are only three 10K-plus players on the slate, and Kevin Durant ($11,600) rightfully sits atop that list. With Seth Curry out, Draymond Green and Shaun Livingston questionable and a quality matchup at home against the Grizzlies, it's hard to find a better chalk play on Wednesday if you can afford him.
The ups-and-downs of Russell Westbrook (relatively speaking) continue, but there's optimism for Westbrook owners after he was given permission to take over the game against Denver on Monday. I believe better value exists further down on the slate, so despite his potential I will be divvying up $11,400 elsewhere.
Chris Paul has rightfully joined the ranks of the expensive elite at $9,800 and the conversation will continue about how best to forecast output for Paul and James Harden ($11,000) on a game-by-game basis. When calculating value (FPts/Salary *1000) Harden is the clear winner, but much of Harden's sample size includes pre-Paul numbers. Harden comes a lot closer to Paul if you look at Harden's numbers from Nov. 16 through Dec. 18, when both players have been in the backcourt. So, yes,it's tough. I feel that Harden's numbers depend so much on how well he is shooting now that assists are no longer a given, so when you consider Wednesday's game, the Lakers rank second in the league in three-point percentage allowed to opponents, which is where Harden bakes his bread. DFS players will wrestle with this one all season, but I will give a nod to Paul against the Lakers.
On to position selections. I'll pick three players per position at high, medium ($6,250 on DraftKings) and low salaries, with equal weight given to some un-highlighted players as well.
GUARDS
As listed above, I like Paul in a lot of my cash lineups at point guard. You've got a ton of options here so I'm inclined to spend down a bit more at guard on Wednesday, as things get thinner at forward and center on this slate.
Victor Oladipo, IND at ATL ($9,200): Oladipo emerges as a no-brainer alternative to Paul against an Atlanta team that ranks dead-last against opposing shooting guards, and near the bottom practically everywhere else. The Pacers have clearly handed the keys over to the former Thunder utility man, and he's currently cruising at a clip of around 50 DKFP over the past five games.
Will Barton, DEN vs. MIN ($6,200):Gary Harris (elbow) is a game-time decision, which should ensure Barton a spot in the starting lineup. Even if he doesn't start, Barton should see an uptick in minutes. That category has already trended up with or without Harris, as he's averaged 34.2 minutes per game over his last four contests.
Josh Hart, LAL at HOU ($3,000): Consider this the beginning of a month-long experiment where the Lakers have to adjust their lineup for Kentavious Caldwell-Pope, who can't leave California until mid-January. He'll only miss a few games, but the first man up is Josh Hart, and although Houston isn't an ideal environment, his first game against the Cavs went well and I see no reason to think that they won't send him out again to begin the game. Hart is one of Wednesday's best value candidates.
Other guards to consider:DeMar DeRozan, TOR at CHA ($8,300); Kris Dunn, ORL at CHI ($7,200); Klay Thompson, MEM at GS ($7,200); Rodney Hood, UTA at OKC ($5,600); Mario Hezonja, ORL at CHI ($4,700)
FORWARDS
Injuries and other team combinations have rendered these positions a bit scarce on Wednesday, so this may be the best place to spend up with someone like Durant or DeRozan (who has dual eligibility). There are a few others worth listing, though.
Zach Randolph, SAC at BKN ($6,200): Randolph is the Kings' most reliable scoring option, and I think Randolph can meet value with a 30 DKFP performance Wednesday, and could be in line for more against Rondae Hollis-Jefferson and Tyler Zeller.
Thaddeus Young, IND at ATL ($6,200): A very simple, no-nonsense pick for a cash lineup, Young hasn't exactly lit it up in the past few games, but he lines up fairly well against Taurean Prince and anyone else Atlanta tries to throw at him. While he has a ceiling of close to 40 DKFP, 30 is a more realistic number to expect.
Andrew Wiggins, MIN at DEN ($6,000): There's good reason why Wiggins has tumbled down the ranks to $6K in recent weeks – his shooting. He's only shot 34.9 percent over his last five games and his rebound totals have taken a huge hit. It's hard to find a more favorable environment for Wiggins to regain form, as Denver is in the bottom-fourth of the league in points allowed and opposing field-goal percentage. If Wiggins were any higher, he'd quite likely be a fade for me, but I'm giving him a go in GPPs.
Other forwards to consider: Nikola Mirotic, CHI vs. ORL ($6,400); Domantas Sabonis, IND at ATL ($5,500); Jamil Wilson, LAC vs. PHO ($3,700)
CENTERS
Nikola Vucevic, ORL at CHI ($9,300): He's the top-salary center, but Robin Lopez and Nikola Mirotic won't have Vucevic shaking in his boots and I have difficulty fading him. I'll gladly go here as a second spend-up option on most slates. He's also in Tier 2 if you play pick 'ems, and I like him there as well.
DeAndre Jordan, LAC vs. PHO ($7,500): The Clippers have multiple injuries at forward and Jordan will be the linchpin of their frontcourt on Wednesday. It's been a bit of a jumble down low since Blake Griffin went down, but Jordan has been a consistent presence who will get things done against the Suns.
Clint Capela, HOU vs. LAL ($7,400): Reports of a heel injury appeared to be greatly exaggerated on Monday, as he went off for 24 points and 20 rebounds against the Jazz. When you're getting dealt the ball by the best dime-dropping duo in the business, you've got tremendous upside. Capela is consistently under-owned and is a great tournament option on the slate.
Other centers to consider: Karl-Anthony Towns, MIN at DEN ($9,000); Dwight Howard, CHA vs. TOR ($7,600); Jusuf Nurkic, POR vs. SA ($6,400)
That finishes things up for Wednesday. Re-check all your picks before tip-off to make sure you don't fall victim to any goose-egg scratches!
