Happy Wednesday, premium members! We have a ten-game NBA slate to parse through today. As of right now, there are not any game-breaking injury situations, so this should be a slate with more spread out ownership. Here are some of the plays that stand out the most on FanDuel!

Check out today’s NBA Shot from FanDuel

Guards

Russell Westbrook (PG – HOU): $9,200 vs. Trail Blazers
It is tough to play Harden at $11,700 when Westbrook is healthy, which is not saying that it is not a good idea to take a shot, but I think the optimal route would be to stay away in cash games. The Rockets are the top team in terms of projected points scored and fantasy points tonight, so there is reason to want some exposure. Westbrook took a game off for rest last night and should be a full go tonight against the Blazers who have added nine fantasy points to their opponent’s averages this year. Westy has been shooting a ton lately, putting up 20+ shot attempts in ten straight games (with two 30+ attempt games mixed in there). I like the price for Westbrook, and he provides a very strong floor in this nice matchup.

Zach LaVine (SG – CHI): $8,300 vs. Wizards
This is the best matchup on the board, as LaVine is in great form lately and takes on a Wizards team that has been getting torched all year long. On average, guards return 5.8x on their salary when facing the Wizards. He has shot the ball more than 20 times in seven of his last eight games. This is a high price to pay, but the floor is so high and the ceiling is there as well with this great matchup. LaVine is a great guy to build around tonight, especially in cash games.

Jeff Teague (PG – IND): $4,700 vs. Pacers
For whatever reason, point guards have just been torching the Pacers this year. On average, they are returned a 5.5x value on their daily salary, and Teague’s price is near a season-low on FanDuel. He has not shot well lately, shooting just 25% from the field over the last two games, which to me means it is time to take advantage of the depressed price tag. Teague has 35 fantasy point upside in this spot, which is always nice to have at a price below $5,000.

Goran Dragic (PG – MIA): $4,600 vs. Spurs
Dragic is underpriced on FanDuel for a guy with a 25% usage rate and a 1.09 fantasy point per minute rating. The Spurs have been a slightly below-average defensive team against guards, and Dragic has been a pretty consistent 20-30 fantasy point contributor this year when he is healthy. I do not think this is a huge upside play, as Dragic has only busted out for 40+ fantasy points a couple of times this year, but he provides some salary relief and a safe floor in cash games tonight.

Isaiah Thomas (PG – WAS): $3,900 @ Bulls
I have been recommended Thomas a value play seemingly all year long and it has not worked out very often, but I just cannot stop it. His price has taken a massive plunge lately as he has really been struggling. Two games ago against the Hawks he shot a ridiculously bad 2/16 from the floor, and then the next matchup was against the Jazz who suppress fantasy points better than any other team. Minutes are the real reason for negativity, as he has not played 25 minutes since December 28th. However, for $3,900 I do think this is a strong play in a matchup with the Bulls. Thomas has been right around one fantasy point per minute all year long, so with 20+ minutes and a good shooting night, he can easily be a 6x+ player tonight. You are embracing some risk without a huge ceiling here, but I do think he is one of the better options if you need to really pay down at guard tonight.

Forwards

Jayson Tatum (PF – BOS): $8,000 vs. Pistons
I do not think Tatum will be very popular at this higher price tag, but the Pistons have been really brutal against power forwards this year, giving up an average salary return of 5.96x to them. Tatum has been a consistent contributor this year, which has been driven by him shooting the ball a ton and contributing in every other category to boot. He has shot the ball 15 or more times in seven of his last eight games while grabbing six or more rebounds in seven of his last eight. The ceiling is a little bit lower than what we would like since he is priced at $8,000, but the floor is high enough to make it worth a shot. I like Tatum at low ownership tonight.

Al Horford (PF – PHI): $6,700 vs. Nets
The Embiid injury gives a big boost to Horford, as he averages 0.18 more FanDuel points per minute with Embiid off the floor. He had an average game in the 76ers first contest without Embiid, which has kept his price down, but I do suspect a big output is coming. The Nets have only been an average matchup for centers this year, but the price just makes Horford too enticing with Embiid not playing. He is the first guy I am putting into my lineup tonight.

Lauri Markkanen (PF – CHI): $5,100 vs. Wizards
The Wizards have just been a goldmine for fantasy points this year, adding on 15 fantasy points to their opponent’s average per game totals. Markkanen seems a bit too cheap on FanDuel at just $5,100. He has been playing close to 30 minutes consistently this year, taking double-digit shot attempts, and contributing nicely in rebounds as well. The Bulls project for the biggest team boost in production tonight and Markkanen should be able to get a piece of that.

Centers

Nikola Jokic (C – DEN): $9,700 vs. Hornets
A home matchup with the Hornets is just what Jokic needs to keep his hot streak going. He has been much more like himself over the last few weeks compared to what we were seeing from his earlier in the season. Over his last four games, he is averaging 30 points, ten rebounds, and six assists. That brings some real triple-double upside to the table, and the matchup is pristine as well. The Hornets have given up an average salary return of 5.8x to centers this year. Jokic brings a big-time floor/ceiling combo to the table here.

Hassan Whiteside (C – POR): $9,500 @ Rockets
The price is exorbitant for Whiteside, which makes him not a priority play, but also means we should get some lower ownership on him. The Rockets are one of the best matchups in the leagues for centers, as big men have averaged a 5.8x return on salary when facing Houston. He is going to need one of his best games of the season to put up a really strong score at this price, but the guy has real 20-20 upside in this game. He makes a nice GPP play as I really am suspecting some very low ownership tonight.

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Jon Anderson is a featured writer at FantasyPros. For more from Jon, check out his archive and follow him@JonPgh.