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.
Before we get to the best options at each position, let's quickly review some basics for the website's salary-cap contests. There is one semi-recent change, with the rosters now featuring two guards, two forwards, a center and three flex spots, as opposed to three guards, three forwards, a center and a flex.
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
Russell Westbrook, OKC (vs. LAC), $9500 – Making a lineup without Westbrook would be downright foolish, as the lofty price still doesn't come close to accounting for what he's done. OKC's emerging MVP candidate is in the midst of one of the most ridiculous statistical stretches in NBA history, averaging 40.5 points, 11.8 rebounds and 11.3 assists over his last five games. His worst fantasy showing in that stretch was a 65-point performance against the Bulls, while he topped 70 points in each of the other four games. You'd be happy with 60 fantasy points at this price, and there's little doubt you're going to get it. And, not that it really matters, but lockdown defender Chris Paul (knee) is a bit banged up. I'm actually hoping Paul plays, as the only conceivable scenario in which RWB falls short of 50 fantasy points is one in which the Thunder lead by 30 at the half.
Eric Bledsoe, PHX (vs. MIN), $7100 – Bledsoe surprisingly hasn't thrived since the Suns traded Goran Dragic, giving him something in common with the rest of his teammates. While I've pretty much abandoned any hope for his team this season, Bledsoe should still be in for a huge night against the fast-paced, defensively challenged Timberwolves. Ricky Rubio may be solid, but defending the opposition's primary ball-handler is a team responsibility; one that the Timberwolves seem almost entirely incapable of managing. With Brandon Knight (ankle) unable to play, Bledsoe's usage rate should be even higher than usual, giving him a nice combination of floor and ceiling in what should be an entertaining shootout.
Ricky Rubio, MIN (vs. DEN), $5700 – Along with Westbrook, Rubio should be in every lineup tonight, as the Spaniard's price tag still lags far behind his production. Rubio has 27 or more fantasy points in each of his last 10 games, with 40-plus points in seven of those outings. Given that he's now logging around 40 minutes each night, it's reasonable to project the 24-year-old point guard for 40-to-45 points per game for the rest of the season. He actually has a pretty decent chance to creep into the fifties Wednesday night, with the Suns and Timberwolves squaring off in a game that will surely be fast-paced and poorly defended. The Westbrook-Rubio-Bledsoe trio could get you to 170 fantasy points on its own.
Other Options: James Harden, HOU (at POR), $9300; Giannis Antetokounmpo, MIL (vs. ORL), $5000; Elfrid Payton, ORL (at MIL), $4200; J.J. Redick, LAC (at OKC), $3000
Forwards
Paul Millsap, ATL (at DEN), $7100 – The only thing that has me worried about this matchup is the potential for Millsap to be rested in a blowout. Even with arguably the NBA's best home-court (home-altitude?) advantage, the Nuggets have become so pathetic that they're capable of losing big on any night. However, Denver has played a bit better lately, and the Hawks are only listed as seven-point favorites, so I think Millsap probably ends up playing in the fourth quarter. Like I said, minutes are really the only concern, as Millsap figures to feast on a feeble Denver frontcourt. Kenneth Faried is ill equipped to defend a versatile power forward such as Millsap, and the rest of Denver's healthy frontcourt players are borderline NBA-caliber. With the Nuggets operating at a fast pace with so little talent, there should be room for both Millsap and Al Horford to thrive; assuming Denver can manage a few buckets of its own.
Khris Middleton MIL (vs. ORL), $4800 – This is another game that has me worried about a blowout, with a fatigued Magic team coming off a hideous loss in Indiana to face a far-superior opponent on the road. I can't talk myself out of the blowout in this case, but both Middleton and Giannis Antetokounmpo ($5000) are cheap enough that they should only need three quarters to provide a solid return on their respective price tags. Middleton has topped 21 fantasy points in each of his last 10 games, with performances above 40 in two of his last four. While I wouldn't quite expect that kind of showing Wednesday night, he's a solid bet to provide six points per $1000 of salary, and could go much higher if the game stays tight.
Nikola Mirotic, CHI (at PHI), $4500 – Mirotic's price hasn't quite caught up to his recent performance, with the Montenegrin center topping 22 fantasy points in his last six games. He averages right around a point per minute on the season, and he's consistently getting 28-to-34 minutes in the absence of Taj Gibson (ankle). It's thus fair to project Mirotic for approximately 30 fantasy points, but his upside stretches far beyond that in a highly favorable matchup. Philadelphia owns the NBA's second-worst rebounding rate, and Mirotic is less susceptible than frontcourt-mates Joakim Noah and Pau Gasol to the effects of a blowout.
Other options: Serge Ibaka, OKC (vs. LAC), $7200; Nicolas Batum, POR (vs. HOU), $5400; Brandon Bass, BOS (vs. MEM), $4200; Michael Beasley, MIA (vs. BRK), $2200
Centers
DeMarcus Cousins, SAC (at CHA), $9200 – With players like J.J. Redick, Nikola Mirotic and Michael Beasley offering tons of upside on the cheap, I'm definitely looking to spend big on a sure-thing center Wednesday night, even though a $3600 Alex Len is intriguing. Cousins will be up against a slow-paced Charlotte team that's been tough on opposing centers this season, but Boogie is still a good bet to reach 45 fantasy points in all but the very toughest of matchups. Even then, he's sometimes still a good bet to reach that mark, as he really only encounters trouble when his minutes are limited by a blowout or foul trouble. Other centers may carry prices that appear more favorable, but if I'm looking to spend up at the position, I'm happy to take the guy with both the highest floor and highest ceiling.
LaMarcus Aldridge, POR (vs. HOU), $8100 – This is the kind of spot in which I absolutely love Aldridge, with the Blazers facing a competitive, fast-paced team that's good at defending opposing point guards and three-point shots. Patrick Beverley will be on Damian Lillard for most of the night, and it's no coincidence that the analytics-minded Rockets lead the NBA in opponents' three-point percentage. As great as Aldridge is, the Rockets will probably be fine with allowing an onslaught of mid-range jumpers, which could lead to some of those not-so-entertaining stretches where the rest of the Blazers basically just play defense and watch Aldridge shoot. Further helping matters, LMA should come away with 10-plus rebounds, as the undersized Houston frontcourt has unsurprisingly struggled on the boards in the absence of Dwight Howard (knee).
Other options: DeAndre Jordan, LAC (at OKC), $8000; Al Horford, ATL (at DEN), $6800; Nerlens Noel, PHI (vs. CHI), $5400; Alex Len, PHX (vs. MIN), $3600
