This article is part of our FantasyScore NBA series.
FantasyScore.com 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
Russell Westbrook, OKC (vs. BOS), $9500 – Westbrook has inevitably cooled off a bit over the last few games, but he's still a must-roster player on FantasyScore, as the maximum price of $9500 doesn't quite do him justice. Westbrook fell between 58 and 60 fantasy points in each of his last three games, and there's no reason to expect anything less in a decent matchup with the Celtics. Until Kevin Durant (foot) is healthy, Westbrook should be in your FantasyScore lineup every time he plays.
Stephen Curry, GSW (vs. ATL), $9000 – This is a perfect spot to use Curry, with the Warriors missing Klay Thompson (ankle) and facing an excellent team. The problem with Steph this season is that he often isn't needed in the fourth quarter, especially when he plays well through the first three frames. This is the rare matchup in which Curry can play very well and still be needed in the final minutes, so I'd actually like him even if Thompson were playing. With the other half of the Splash Bros tandem stuck on the sideline, Curry is a fantastic option on any DFS site.
J.J. Redick, LAC (at SAC), $3000 – Redick's price is lagging behind his production as the Clippers head into a matchup with the up-tempo Kings. He's topped 20 fantasy points in each of his last 10 contests, making him a near-lock to provide a favorable return on his Wednesday price. You'd be happy with 20 points for $3000, but you probably won't have to settle for just that. Redick is regularly getting 35-to-40 minutes, and the matchup couldn't get much better. As a bonus, Matt Barnes (hamstring) is unlikely to play, further cementing Redick's minutes and production. The former Blue Devil would still be an excellent option with Barnes in the lineup, so think of the veteran's absence as icing on the cake.
Other Options: Victor Oladipo, ORL (at DAL), $6300; Gordon Hayward, UTA (vs. WAS), $6000; Goran Dragic, MIA (vs. POR), $5800; Ricky Rubio, MIN (at TOR), $5700; Reggie Jackson, DET (at PHI); Giannis Antetokounmpo, MIL (vs. SAN), $5000; George Hill, IND (at CHI), $5000 Elfrid Payton, ORL (at DAL), $4200; Aaron Brooks, CHI (vs. IND), $4000
Forwards
Blake Griffin, LAC (at SAC), $8200 – Wednesday's slate calls for big spending at the guard spots, but Griffin is the one upper-echelon frontcourt player that I'm willing to pay up for. He played 41 and 36 minutes in his first two games back from a staph infection, going for 11-11-8 and 19-11-4. While those aren't quite the numbers you want at this price, Wednesday's opponent should allow Griffin to get there. The Kings have been an excellent matchup for all positions since they fully committed to going up-tempo. While I am a bit worried about a blowout, Griffin still offers a reasonable floor to go with his excellent ceiling.
Nicolas Batum POR (at MIA), $5400 – Batum finally seems to have found the 2013-14 version of himself, as he's topped 38 fantasy points in five of his last seven games. While he rarely scores 20 points, he provides assists and rebounds in a way that few other small forwards can. The injury to Wesley Matthews (Achilles) helps a tiny bit, but the bigger factor is simply that Batum is finally playing well. The Frenchman appears to be past the wrist injury that's bothered him all season, and while the issue may resurface later, his shot has been falling for the past few weeks.
Nikola Mirotic, CHI (vs. IND), $4500 – Taj Gibson (ankle) is nearing a return but won't be back for Wednesday, leaving Mirotic as something close to a must-roster option, yet again. The 24-year-old forward has fallen between 36 and 39 fantasy points in each of his last four games, averaging 34.3 minutes over that stretch. Even in a tough matchup with the Pacers, Mirotic is a good bet to reach 30 fantasy points, making him one of the top values at any position for Wednesday.
Other options: Draymond Green, GSW (vs. ATL), $7200; Chandler Parsons, DAL (vs. ORL), $5200; Evan Turner, BOS (at OKC), $4000; Rodney Hood, UTA (vs. MIN), $2800
Centers
Gorgui Dieng, MIN (at TOR), $5300 – This selection is dependent on Nikola Pekovic (ankle) not playing, and while the Serbian center hasn't officially been ruled out, the Timberwolves have no reason to rush him back into action. Pekovic missed the past three games, allowing Dieng to log 42, 32 and 39 minutes, with totals of 50, 20.5 and 34.75 fantasy points. Given that Kevin Garnett (knee) is also doubtful for Wednesday's game, Dieng could again approach 40 minutes. That makes the Senegalese center an excellent bet to reach 30 fantasy points, seeing as he averages just under a point per minute.
Steven Adams, OKC (vs. BOS), $3400 – Adams has stepped up in the absence of Serge Ibaka (knee), logging 30 and 33 minutes in his last two games, with 34.75 and 23.5 fantasy points to show for it. The Celtics have been incredibly friendly to opposing big men this season, so while Adams and his foul issues carry some risk, the upside is worth taking a shot at. Enes Kanter ($6000) is an excellent and much safer option, but he also costs nearly twice as much as Adams.
Other options: Nikola Vucevic, ORL (at DAL), $7500; Greg Monroe/Andre Drummond, ORL (at PHI), $7400; Enes Kanter, OKC (vs. BOS), $6000; Zaza Pachulia, MIL (vs. SAN), $3500; Justin Hamilton, MIN (at TOR), $3200
