Yahoo DFS Basketball: Wednesday Picks

Yahoo DFS Basketball: Wednesday Picks

This article is part of our Yahoo DFS Basketball series.

Wednesday brings six more games in the NBA, five of which will make up the main slate on Yahoo. There has the potential to be a couple of lopsided scores with the Wizards facing the Sixers and the Nets taking on the Celtics. Let's dive into all of the matchups and discuss some players to target for your entry, as well as a few to possibly avoid.

GUARDS

Fred VanVleet, TOR at ORL ($28): VanVleet was scorching hot from behind the arc against the Heat on Monday, hitting 7 of his 12 attempts. He was also a perfect 13-for-13 from the charity stripe, which helped propel him to score 36 points. He's logged at least 40 minutes in both games since the season restarted, scoring 38.5 and 47 Yahoo points, respectively. Even though the Magic are a good defensive team, VanVleet's high minutes floor still makes him an appealing option.

Shake Milton, PHI at WAS ($11): Milton bounced back from a dreadful performance against the Pacers to score 16 points Monday against the Spurs. He attempted only one shot against the Pacers, but was more aggressive in his second contest, taking nine shots from the field. The Wizards have played at the fifth-fastest pace and have the worst defensive rating in the league, so Milton certainly has a favorable matchup to try and string together a couple of productive stat lines.

Guard to Avoid

Markelle Fultz, ORL vs. TOR ($19): The Magic are being cautious with Fultz, keeping him on a minutes limit that they likely won't be lifting anytime soon, according to head coach Steve Clifford. The Magic will be playing the second game of a back-to-back set Wednesday, so this isn't exactly an ideal situation for him to receive even a few extra minutes. Since he doesn't come at much of a discount, it's difficult to make an argument for adding him to your lineup.

FORWARDS

Tobias Harris, PHI at WAS ($31): Before the season went on hold, Harris was in the midst of an excellent campaign. He's picked right back up where he left off, contributing at least 25 points and six rebounds in both games in the bubble. With little quality depth behind him on the bench, he has averaged 35 minutes per contest, which is tied for the highest mark of his career. Considering how bad the Wizards have played on defense, don't expect them to be the team to slow down Harris.

Michael Porter Jr., DEN at SA ($14): The Nuggets have dealt with several key injuries since the season resumed, which has resulted in Porter starting both of their games. He laid an egg by scoring 16.7 Yahoo points against the Heat, but he bounced back in a big way against the Thunder, scoring 55.9 Yahoo points across 44 minutes. If injuries continue to be an issue for the Nuggets in this contest, taking a chance on Porter at this cheap price could pay off in a big way.

Forward to Avoid

Al Horford, PHI at WAS ($21): The Sixers have moved Horford back to their second unit, a move they also tried earlier this season. He just hasn't meshed well with Joel Embiid and the bench unit could certainly benefit from his leadership, so this is a move that could stick for the rest of the season. The problem is that it doesn't help his fantasy value. After scoring no more than 26.7 Yahoo points in back-to-back contests, he might be one of the few Sixers to avoid despite this favorable matchup.

CENTERS

Joel Embiid, PHI at WAS ($49): Embiid couldn't duplicate the 80.2 Yahoo points that he scored against the Pacers on Saturday, but he was still excellent when he scored 44.3 Yahoo points versus the Spurs. His usage rate sits at 32.9 percent and he has never finished a season with a usage rate lower than that, so his offensive floor is incredibly high. The Wizards have allowed the seventh-most Yahoo points per game to opposing centers, leaving Embiid with the potential for another monster stat line.

Daniel Theis, BOS vs. BKN ($20): The Nets are coming off the first game of a back-to-back set, but a few of their top starters should be well-rested since they didn't play Tuesday. That's the good news. The bad news is that they still have very little depth and are facing one of the best teams in the league. They have struggled to slow down opposing centers this season, allowing the 10th-most Yahoo points per game to the position. Theis might not be a sexy option, but he could still provide value if you're looking to fade Embiid in a GPP.

Center to Avoid

Marc Gasol, TOR at ORL ($16): The Raptors are easing Gasol back into action, which is probably a wise move considering he entered the bubble having played in just one game since the end of January. He's still starting, but he didn't play more than 25 minutes in either of their first two games. The Raptors want him healthy for the playoffs, so don't expect him to all of a sudden see a heavy workload Wednesday.

The author(s) of this article may play in daily fantasy contests including – but not limited to – games that they have provided recommendations or advice on in this article. In the course of playing in these games using their personal accounts, it's possible that they will use players in their lineups or other strategies that differ from the recommendations they have provided above. The recommendations in this article do not necessarily reflect the views of RotoWire. Mike Barner plays in daily fantasy contests using the following accounts: FanDuel: mbarner, DraftKings: mbarner51.
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ABOUT THE AUTHOR
Mike Barner
Mike started covering fantasy sports in 2007, joining RotoWire in 2010. In 2018, he was a finalist for the FSWA Basketball Writer of the Year award. Mike also won the 2022-23 FSGA NBA Experts Champions league. In addition to RotoWire, Mike has written for Sportsline, Sports Illustrated, DK Live, RealTime Fantasy Sports, Lineup Lab and KFFL.com.
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