This article is part of our FantasyScore NBA series.
FantasyScore is an up-and-coming player in the world of daily fantasy sports, offering a trio of different game types on a website that's as user-friendly as they come.
You can check out my first article for a more comprehensive overview, but today we're going to focus on NBA salary-cap game player picks for Wednesday night.
I'm feeling pretty good about my lineup, but feel free to send a contest to JD0505, if you dare. While there's always a chance that late injuries/scratches will change things, I plan to exclusively use players mentioned in this article.
Before we get to the best options at each position, let's quickly review some basics for the website's salary-cap contests.
Scoring, as follows, is fairly simple:
1 point = 1 point
1 rebound= 1.25 points
1 assist = 1.5 points
1 block = 2 points
1 steal = 2 points
1 turnover= -0.5 points
There's a $50,000 budget for eight roster spots, with two guards, two forwards, a center and three flex spots (any position). The lack of differentiation between point guards and shooting guards (or small and power forwards) is nice, as it allows for increased flexibility when building your lineup,
Further adding to flexibility, the cheapest players are priced at $2200, while the most expensive typically cost $9000-9500. The large price range makes it possible to load up a roster with three-to-five superstars, if you're willing to take a risk on some of those sub-$3000 guys.
Anyway, here are some of my favorite players for Wednesday night…
Guards
Kevin Martin, MIN (at POR), $5100 – While I typically like to roster at least one or two high-priced guards, most of the top guys either aren't playing or are faced with a difficult matchup. I'm thus going to spend big on frontcourt players, as there's no lack of viable guard options in the middle and lower price tiers. Martin is one of the many excellent choices in the $4500-6000 price range, having logged 35 and 44 minutes in two games since returning from a hamstring injury. With the short-handed Wolves frequently letting their starters get minutes into the high-30s and low-40s, either Martin or Zach LaVine – if not both – will likely have a big showing on any given night. And, while Wednesday's matchup is obviously much tougher, K-Mart did just drop a 37-8-5 line on the Kings on Tuesday. He only needs about 60 percent of that Wednesday night to provide a nice return on the discounted salary.
Jordan Clarkson, LAL (at DEN), $4800 – Clarkson is the best overall value for Wednesday's slate, with the possible exception of a few minimum-priced players that may be able to benefit from teammates' injuries. The matchup is quite obviously favorable here, and the Lakers have been happy to ride Clarkson over the final few weeks of the season. The rookie has responded better than anyone could have hoped for, putting up 33 or more fantasy points in seven of his last 10 games, with two outings above 50 points. Outside of one dud against Chris Paul over the weekend, Clarkson has consistently provided an excellent return on his price while assuming a starring role.
Shane Larkin, NY (vs. IND), $3000 – Another guy forced into big late-season minutes because of teammates' injuries, Larkin has finally shown signs of being a useful fantasy player, with 20 or more fantasy points in five consecutive games. He most recently lit the 76ers up for 41.25 points, and while I don't expect a similar performance Wednesday, Larkin looks like a safe bet for 30-plus minutes and 20-plus fantasy points. At $3000, 25 points would be a great return, and Larkin is the rare low-priced option with a high floor to complement his high ceiling.
Other Options: Kemba Walker, CHA (vs. TOR), $6500; Deron Williams, BRK (vs. ATL), $5600; Zach LaVine, MIN (at POR), $5300; Ish Smith, PHI (vs. WSH), $5000; Lou Williams, TOR (at CHA), $3900; Grievis Vasquez, TOR (at CHA), $3000; Ray McCallum, SAC (at UTA), $3000; Kent Bazemore, ATL (at BRK), $2600; Patty Mills, SAN (vs. HOU), $2200; Shelvin Mack, ATL (at BRK), $2200
Forwards
LeBron James, CLE (at MIL), $9100 – I'm not totally removing Anthony Davis ($9400) from consideration, but with the 22-year-old superstar facing the always-stingy Grizzlies, James becomes my favorite top-tier player for Wednesday night. Your point return per dollar probably won't be as good with this pick as most of my other recommendations, but with so many cheap players available, it's hard to build a great lineup without at least one superstar. Just make sure that James isn't scratched, as the Cavs are essentially locked into the No. 2 seed, and Wednesday's game is on the road.
Kawhi Leonard, SAN (vs. HOU), $7700 – The only thing holding Leonard back is the Spurs' recent string of blowout wins, as the budding superstar has yet to top 24 minutes through the first four games of March. No matter, he's averaging 20.5 points, 4.5 rebounds, 2.5 assists, 3.3 steals and 0.5 blocks for the month, playing arguably the most efficient basketball of his career. If Leonard can actually stay on the court for 30-plus minutes, he'll almost certainly be one of the night's top performers. Wednesday provides a nice opportunity, with the Houston-San Antonio game expected to be high-scoring and reasonably close. While neither team appears overly concerned with seeding, a win for the Spurs would greatly increase their chances of moving up toward the No. 2 or 3 spot.
Evan Turner BOS (at DET), $5500 – Turner already has a reputation for inconsistency, and it doesn't help that his playing time in any given game is closely correlated with his performance. This has the effect of exacerbating both his good and bad outings, much like we saw with Brandon Jennings (Achilles) earlier this season. While that may not sound like a ringing endorsement, Turner is still one of my favorite options for Wednesday night, as he carries a ceiling in the range of 50 points at a middle-of-the-pack price. He topped 44 fantasy points in four of his last 10 games, and he even seems to be improving a bit on the consistency during a playoff push, with 25-plus points in six consecutive games. The Celtics let Marcus Smart be more aggressive a few months back, but with the playoffs now in sight, Turner has taken on more of the ball-handling duties.
Other options: Anthony Davis, NO (at MEM), $9400; Pau Gasol, CHI (at ORL), $8500; Nicolas Batum, POR (vs. MIN), $5400; Patrick Patterson, TOR (at CHA), $2200; Tyler Hansbrough, TOR (at CHA), $2200; Omri Casspi, SAC (at UTA), $2200; Mike Scott, ATL (at BRK), $2200
Centers
Andre Drummond, DET (vs. BOS), $8400 – While the expected return of Greg Monroe (shoulder) may lead to a dip in minutes and shots, Drummond should still be in for a huge game against the vulnerable Boston frontcourt. The former UConn Husky may not offer the consistency that you typically want at this price, but it's been a while since he put up a true stinker, as he's mostly been able to avoid foul trouble, despite taking on extra minutes. Drummond topped 50 fantasy points in four of his previous eight games, including an effort of 56.5 points against these very same Celtics on March 22. He's all but a lock for a double-double Wednesday night, and he could still approach 40 minutes, even with Monroe expected to play.
Bismack Biyombo, CHA (vs. TOR), $3800 – With the Hornets missing both Al Jefferson (knee) and Cody Zeller (shoulder), Biyombo is now a good bet to get 30-to-35 minutes each night. While his offensive skill set is still mostly limited to dunks and easy putbacks, he piles up enough rebounds and blocks to be a decent fantasy producer on a per-minute basis. It's also nice that we've already seen the Congolese center have some recent success, as he topped 25 fantasy points in each of his last four games, highlighted by a 41.5-point outing Tuesday in Miami. While I wouldn't quite call him a lock for 25 points, Biyombo can safely be projected in that range until (if?) Jefferson and/or Zeller return(s).
Other options: Brook Lopez, BRK (vs. ATL), $7500; Rudy Gobert, UTA (vs. SAC), $7400; Jonas Valanciunas, TOR (at CHA), $4700; Brandan Wright, PHX (at DAL), $3500; Mike Muscala, ATL (at BRK), $2200
