Point Guard
Top Tier: Ben Simmons- Russell Westbrook also could be seen as the top point guard play, but given his price tag I’m willing to drop to Ben Simmons in a nut matchup with the Phoenix Suns. Simmons has actually began to shoot a bit more, and while he isn’t efficient I will gladly take the attempts with the triple double upside against a bottom-five defensive backcourt.
Mid Tier: Lonzo Ball- I really hate this matchup for Lonzo against a really good Oklahoma City defense, but he owns a near 32% assist rate without LeBron James in the lineup this season along with over 30 minutes of action. The offense flows much more through Ball without James taking up possessions and he really hasn’t seen a substantial price increase to reflect this.
Low Tier: Terry Rozier- With Kyrie Irving out again, everyone in the industry will be locking in Terry Rozier for cash games. Rozier has topped 30+ minutes in the last few games that Irving has missed, and locking him in along with Josh Okogie gets you an easy path to getting in Anthony Davis.
Shooting Guard
Top Tier: Brad Beal- Beal is nearly $10,000 now, but without John Wall and in a matchup with the Atlanta Hawks that price tag is well warranted. He’s easier to fit in on DraftKings, but he has averaged over a 30% usage and assist rate without Wall on the floor this season.
Mid Tier: D’Angelo Russell- I’m always hesitant to make Russell a core play given the presence of Spencer Dinwiddie, but in a pace-up matchup at home against the Pelicans I’m having a hard time getting away from him. The Pelicans have struggled to defend guards all season, and Russell’s score-first mentality should match up well with the increase in pace.
Low Tier: Josh Okogie- Okogie is the second chalk lock on Wednesday night, as Jeff Teague, Derrick Rose and Rob Covington are all expected out for the Timberwolves. We know that the minutes will be there given how Thibs coaches, and it’s just too hard to pass up on the value especially on FanDuel where you are protected by a low score drop.
Small Forward
Top Tier: Brandon Ingram- A lot of people seem to be off Brandon Ingram, but he finally put it all together in his last game and I will continue to go back to the well with LeBron James out. He put up a 21-7-9 line in 39 minutes against the Kings, and is playable in all formats given his lack of a price increase.
Mid Tier: Trevor Ariza- Otto Porter will be back for the Wizards tonight on a limited basis, and with Markieff Morris still out we should still expect pretty big minutes for Trevor Ariza. He has averaged well over 36 minutes in his time in Washington, and he remains a strong mid tier play on a slate where there are no big SF’s to spend up on outside of Paul George.
Low Tier: DeMarre Carroll- DeMarre Carroll is not a sexy DFS play whatsoever, but he has quietly topped 30 minutes in each of his last two games, something that is a rarity given how the Nets rotation is run.
Power Forward
Top Tier: Anthony Davis- AD is fresh off burning the entire industry on Monday night, and is listed as probably to play in tonight’s contest. I, personally, am not worried about Monday, and with the plethora of value available tonight he is easy to fit in on both websites. He matches up perfectly with this Nets frontcourt that we have attacked relentlessly with big men this season.
Mid Tier: Kyle Kuzma- Kuzma is pretty much a lock for me in all formats tonight with LeBron James still sidelined. He’s topped 40 (!!) minutes in each of the last three games and he will be massively owned, especially on FanDuel.
Low Tier: Marcus Morris- Not many people will think of Morris as a go-to play with Kyrie Irving sidelined, but at under $6,000 on FanDuel I think we can make the case. Morris’ usage sits at almost 26% with Irving off the floor this season, and his price point makes him playable in all formats even though I do expect Davis/Kuzma to be the chalk combo on FD.
Center
Top Tier: Nikola Vucevic- Joel Embiid sticks out as the top overall center tonight, but my personal favorite play against the Chicago Bulls. The Bulls rank bottom-five in the NBA against centers this season, and Vuc just roasted them for a near 60 point FanDuel point performance in their last meeting on the back of a 19-19-4-4 line.
Mid Tier: Julius Randle- Yes, Anthony Davis is going to play tonight but that does not remove Randle from play, especially against the Nets. Randle has averaged nearly 40 fantasy points as a starter, and he has not fallen below 35 minutes in the last four games. His playing style fits perfectly for this matchup, and a Randle + AD stack makes a ton of sense tonight.
Low Tier: Willy Hernangomez- Hernangomez saw a price bump on FanDuel, but he remains under $4,000 and is moving into the starting lineup for the injured Cody Zeller. The minutes still are a concern for him, and I would only be considering him on DK tonight.
Written by Ben Hossler (Follow @BenHossler on Twitter)
