In the eight games on Wednesday’s main slate there are only two active players (assuming Kyrie Irving sits) with a salary above $10k – Karl-Anthony Towns and Nikola Jokic – and because they’re both centers, you can only play of them. Hence, this is an evening on which you can spread the wealth around a bit more, with less pressure to find that bargain-bin winner. Nevertheless, the recommendations here cover a range of salaries, as they need to fit the criterium of collectively coming in under the FanDuel $60k budget; this week there’s a mere $400 left over.
Check out today’s NBA Shot from FanDuel 
Point Guard
Damian Lillard (POR): $9,400 vs. UTA
Lillard (knee) returns from a one-game absence, given so he could rest a sore knee. The Blazers only have one game this week, so expect Lillard not to be under any minutes restriction. In his three prior games, Lillard averaged 28.0 points, 5.3 rebounds, 6.3 assists, 0.7 blocks and 2.3 steals.
Terry Rozier (BOS): $6,500 vs. CHA
Rozier has done well in the two games Kyrie Irving has missed, averaging 19 points, 7.5 rebounds and 6.5 assists. With Irving (hip) all but certain to be out for Wednesday, Rozier should again be primed for a big night. But only play Rozier if Irving does indeed sit.
Shooting Guard
Tim Hardaway Jr. (NYK): $6,400 vs. DAL
The Knicks are a banged-up team. Emmanuel Mudiay (shoulder), Luke Kornet (ankle) and Frank Ntilikina (groin) are out, and Enes Kanter is again a healthy scratch. Hardaway is the most reliable player still standing and the best source of scoring. He’s going to be leaned on a lot in this one.
Malik Beasley (DEN): 4,300 @ NO
Beasley has scored double-digit points in his last three games, averaging 17 points over 22 minutes. Jamal Murray (ankle) will miss his third consecutive game on Wednesday, with Beasley and Will Barton filling in. Barton is also worth considering; Murray, however, is the better value.
Small Forward
Josh Richardson (MIA): $6,500 vs. CHI
Richardson dropped 26 points in 29 minutes in Chicago just 10 days ago. Being that he is currently seeing around 35 minutes a game, he should be in line for another good go against the Bulls, this time at home after two days rest.
Trevor Ariza (WAS): $6,400 vs. IND
Ariza is seeing a hefty amount of minutes and as a result has seen 20+ points in seven of his last ten games. After a lighter workload on Tuesday, just 28 minutes, Ariza will be featured heavily on Wednesday; in his three games prior to Tuesday, he has averaged 38 minutes, which sounds about right for how many he will see in this one.
Power Forward
Lauri Markkanen (CHI): $7,400 @ MIA
Markkanen has seen an uptick in total production in his last five games, culminating in double-doubles in games on Tuesday and Sunday, with an average of 19.0 points and 17.5 rebounds. Also, he has sunk at least three trebles in each of his last eight games.
Derrick Favors (UTA): $5,400 @ POR
Throw out last Wednesday’s game, in which Favors was ejected for a dust-up at the five-minute mark, and you’ll find that he has been returning value with an average of 28.9 FPTS over his previous three games. Favors should again generate value, as long as matters don’t get too heated.
Center
Myles Turner (IND): $7,300 @ WAS
Turner has double-doubled in both of the Pacers’ matchups with the Wizards this season, with an average of 22.0 points and 14.5 rebounds, plus 3.5 blocks. Over his last four games, he has averaged 13.0 points, 8.8 rebounds and 2.8 blocks, against tougher defenses. The momentum is there for Turner to again put up big numbers against Washington.
Note: I would have put Jahlil Okafor here, but I already picked him last week.
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Jason Micklewright is a correspondent at FantasyPros. For more from Jason, check out his archive and follow him @FantasyPonder.
