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. As an added perk, FantasyScore is currently running freerolls on a regular basis, meaning you can sign up and play for cash prizes at no cost.
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.
Here are some of my favorite players for Wednesday night…
Guards
Russell Westbrook, OKC (at MIN), $9500 – With so many sub-$3000 options as the regular season comes to an end, I highly recommend using the stars-and-scrubs approach that is often optimal on FantasyScore. Westbrook should be the building block of any such lineup, as he's easily been the top DFS performer over the past few months, and there's no question that he has something to play for Wednesday night. While there's admittedly a decent chance this game turns into a blowout, Westbrook may only need three quarters to provide a strong return on his very reasonable $9500 price tag.
Zach LaVine, MIN (vs. OKC), $5300 – Looking to the other side of Wednesday's game in Minnesota, LaVine should also be in for a big night, facing a Thunder team that's been operating at an extremely fast pace in Kevin Durant's (foot) absence. Even better, the rookie point guard has been forced to carry the load in recent weeks, with the Timberwolves focused on the future while dealing with an unusual number of injuries. LaVine topped 22 fantasy in each of his past 10 games, most recently putting up outings of 52.75 and 39.25 points.
Jordan Clarkson, LAL (vs. SAC), $4800 – Clarkson has seemingly been a must-use option on every DFS site over the past few weeks, as an increasingly injury-riddled Lakers squad has leaned heavily on its promising young point guard. With his team completely lacking in healthy backcourt options, Clarkson has regularly been getting minutes in the high-30s and low-40s, with a sky-high usage rate to boot. He's coming off four consecutive outings of 40-plus fantasy points, and his Wednesday matchup is about as good as they get. Despite turning his ankle during Monday's game against the Kings, Clarkson remains one of the top overall plays for Wednesday, as he's still expected to suit up for the Lakers' finale.
Other options: Ray McCallum, SAC (at LAL), $3000; Ramon Sessions, WAS (at CLE), $2500; Jabari Brown, LAL (vs. SAC), $2200
Forwards
Anthony Davis, NO (vs. SAN), $9400 – Davis finishes the regular season with a difficult matchup, but he should still be your second pillar for a stars-and-scrubs approach. He's proven to be more than capable of having big games against good teams, and he probably won't spend much time on the sidelines Wednesday night, with the Pelicans fighting to make the playoffs. Davis is essentially a lock for 40-plus fantasy points in the spot, as he should be in for a busy night.
Kawhi Leonard, SAN (at NO), $7700 – The Spurs also still have plenty to play for, as a win ensures them of the No. 2 seed in the Western Conference, while a loss could put them on the road to open the playoffs. Minutes are always a concern with Leonard and the other key Spurs, but this is one of the rare times during the regular season where you can confidently deploy San Antonio's big names. Despite the Pelicans' slow pace, I actually like this matchup for Leonard, as the Spurs will probably turn to their perimeter playmakers, rather than attacking Davis and Omer Asik on the block.
Jason Thompson SAC (at LAL), $2200 – The Lakers-Kings game is absolutely loaded with value, as both teams have been decimated by injuries in the latter stages of the season. Thompson isn't a very good player, but he's consistently getting 25-to-35 minutes for a team that lacks a primary scoring option. While the upside here probably sits around a modest 30-35 points, Thompson has notched 21-plus points in six consecutive games, making him a near-lock to provide a strong return on the $2200 price tag. Teammate Derrick Williams is another excellent $2200 choice at forward, while Lakers guard Jabari Brown is holding it down at $2200 for the guards.
Other options: Andrew Wiggins, MIN (vs. OKC), $5800; Tobias Harris, ORL (at BRK), $5500; Danilo Gallinari, DEN (at GSW), $4500; Omri Casspi, SAC (at LAL), $3800; Trevor Booker, UTA (at HOU), $2200; Derrick Williams, SAC (at LAL), $2200
Centers
Brook Lopez, BRK (vs. ORL), $8400 – Lopez has made himself a lot of money over the past two months, but before he can hit free agency, he may first have a stop in the playoffs. Brooklyn can still qualify with a win and an Indiana loss to Memphis, so I'd expect to see guys like Lopez and Deron Williams getting minutes in the high-30s. While Orlando's Nikola Vucevic has put together a fine season in his own right, the Montenegrin big man isn't exactly a defensive stalwart. This should be a favorable matchup for both starting centers, seeing as Lopez and Vucevic both do their best work on offense.
Hassan Whiteside, MIA (at PHI), $7000 – Miami may have been eliminated from the playoffs Tuesday night, but I'm guessing Whiteside will still get his usual allotment of minutes in the season finale, while the same may not be true for older guys such as Dwyane Wade and Luol Deng. 2014-15's biggest breakout star should finish his memorable season with a bang, as he'll be facing a Philadelphia squad that is completely lacking in healthy frontcourt talent. Now that the laceration on his hand has mostly healed, Whiteside once again looks like the dominant force we saw earlier in the season. He's working on a three-game streak of 40-plus fantasy points, and is nearly a lock to record a double-double Wednesday night.
Other options: Andre Drummond, DET (at NYK), $8000
