The most interesting and meaningful of ten NBA games on Wednesday is not necessarily the one to focus on in daily fantasy action. The 18-2 Warriors host the 16-4 Rockets, but there are question marks galore.
Even with Dwight Howard and Terrence Jones missing so many games, the Rockets are 8-1 on the road. Now James Harden $11400 (back spasms) is showing some wear and tear, and his only real backup is Jason Terry $5500, who has been playing well recently. After a slow start to the season, Donatas Motiejunas $5200 has also become important to Houston. Stephen Curry $10700 can take over, even with defensive specialist Patrick Beverley $5100 on him, and Draymond Green $6300 provides bang for the buck. If Andrew Bogut $5900 (knee) is out, Marreese Speights $4100 becomes playable and even Festus Ezeli $3000 is worth a look.
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Can Anthony Davis $11700 be the equalizer against Dallas? Jrue Holiday $7800 is also playable and last night Tyreke Evans $7400 went off for 27 as the Pelicans handled the Knicks. This is a back-to-back for both teams; after a decent first half in Memphis, the Mavs were no match in the third quarter. The 17-4 Grizzlies completely silenced Monta Ellis $8000 (1-11 for 2 PTS) and Tyson Chandler $7100 (scoreless in 32 minutes) with only Chandler Parsons $7300 solving that defense.
I loved the Spurs last night and they lost. Cory Joseph $4700 was all but invisible (7 PTS, zero AST in 30 minutes) and Manu Ginobili $5000 had a terrible 3-17 shooting night. Though Tim Duncan $8500 was great as expected (23 PTS, 14 REB, 4 BLK) it’s hard to predict his minutes in a back-to-back. Marco Belinelli $3900 is on the short list again as he makes up for lost time. Be wary about using Carmelo Anthony $10000 as his knee is not 100%; Amar’e Stoudemire $5900 was by far the best Knickerbocker in last night’s loss, their ninth in a row.
One-sided games are also not the greatest in DFS, and the Clippers are simply too good for the Pacers, with more stars, more depth, and more to play for. Chris Paul $10300 and Blake Griffin $10400 are on a mission. DeAndre Jordan $7600 can handle Roy Hibbert $7000 in the lane. The outcome is not in question as much as the score, and how long the L.A. starters will be needed.
Easiest road trip ever? After a stroll through Detroit last night, overconfidence is the main obstacle for Portland against the T-Wolves. The same problem exists — none of the Blazers’ stars is likely to have a huge stat line, because there’s no incentive to run up the score. Minnesota kids like Andrew Wiggins $5000 and Zach LaVine $5000 can be cost-effective in losses.
Charlotte, a disappointing 5-15, did manage to beat the Knicks by a point last Friday. After five off-days to practice, Al Jefferson $8400 is the best Hornet to use, but I prefer the visiting Celtics. There was a Marcus Smart $4000 sighting on Monday (23 PTS, 4 REB, 5 AST) and Jeff Green $6500 had two big games in a row as they split a home-and-home with Washington. Jared Sullinger $7300 is also good value, but there’s a timeshare at C between Tyler Zeller $5000 and Kelly Olynyk $3600 that has become difficult to predict.
The Wizards will have an easier time in Orlando if Nikola Vucevic $8300 (back) is still out. Marcin Gortat $7300 has an edge in size and experience over Kyle O’Quinn $4500 and John Wall $10300 is too good for Victor Oladipo $7500. For the Magic to win, Tobias Harris $6800 and Evan Fournier $5100 must both play well.
Pride is a factor now for the 76ers after winning two of three. They are one game back of the Pistons with two in hand and while management is tanking, the players seem inspired. Michael Carter-Williams $8900 is a fantasy asset, unheralded Robert Covington $4300 has become a bench scorer, and Luc Richard Mbah a Moute $4200 is contributing. The Hawks should win easily enough, but the better Philly plays, the more I like Jeff Teague $8200, Paul Millsap $8700 and Al Horford $7200.
Sorry, Nets. No chance in Chicago, especially without Joe Johnson $7700 (illness). For the Bulls, Joakim Noah is doubtful, making Taj Gibson $5500 a nice play alongside Pau Gasol $9000. Jimmy Butler $7300 could have a big night at both ends of the floor.
The Nuggets have lost four straight, but Ty Lawson $9500 is not the problem. Also beginning to show more consistency are Wilson Chandler $6300, Arron Afflalo $5500 and Timofey Mozgov $5700. In his coach’s doghouse and nursing a sore back, Kenneth Faried $5300 is not recommended; Darrell Arthur $3500 filled in quite capably on Monday. We touted Chris Bosh $8500 last night (34 PTS, 9 REB, 4 STL) as the Heat won in Phoenix; Dwyane Wade $7900 and Luol Deng $5200 were also sharp. However, a road back-to-back at altitude does not inspire confidence. This less-than-stellar game could be a good source of daily fantasy points.
Wednesday is a tough puzzle to solve; even narrowing it down to 15 for the Short List was difficult.
| Pos | Premium | Midrange | Bargain |
| PG | Stephen Curry $10700 | Jrue Holiday $7800 | Marcus Smart $4000 |
| SG | Dwyane Wade $7900 | Jimmy Butler $7300 | Marco Belinelli $3900 |
| SF | Kawhi Leonard $7700 | Chandler Parsons $7300 | Luc Mbah a Moute $4200 |
| PF | Pau Gasol $9000 | Jared Sullinger $7300 | Taj Gibson $5500 |
| C | Chris Bosh $8500 | Marcin Gortat $7300 | Kyle O’Quinn $4500 |
Good luck with all your teams. Hope to see you on the leaderboard.
The Fantasy Spin features DFS advice every day of the NBA season. Follow Kent Williams @SheridanFantasy for updates.