The NBA schedule for Wednesday night is absolutely loaded with 10 games and that means plenty of options when it comes to building the perfect fantasy basketball roster. It’s always nice to have options but the reality is that with so many different players to choose from it can be difficult to pin down the perfect superstar talent to build around and ideal value options to help fill out the remainder of your roster. Here is some important fantasy advice to consider for Wednesday’s NBA action.
Weak Defense To Target: Brooklyn Nets
The Nets finally hit the reset button following a terrible start that has them on track to miss the playoffs and while that might be the best thing for their long term future the reality is things could get a lot worse before they get better for Brooklyn. The Nets have lost five straight to fall to 14th in the Eastern Conference and it certainly hasn’t helped that they rank in the bottom half of the NBA with an average of 102.4 points allowed per game this season. The New York Knicks will roll in to town within reach of the final couple of playoff spots and will be looking to make a statement against their rival in Brooklyn so look for another strong performance from Carmelo Anthony with Robin Lopez a strong value option to consider as well.
Player Who’s Hot Right Now: Damian Lillard, Portland Trail Blazers
The Portland Trail Blazers will have to rebuild over the next couple of years to become a playoff contender in the Western Conference once again but they do have a solid franchise player to build around in Lillard. He has been absolutely on fire since returning from injury, performing like the superstar we know him to be. Lillard has averaged 30.3 points, 9.3 assists, 6.0 three-point shots, 5.7 rebounds, 2.0 steals and 1.0 block per game over the last seven days and he should be in for another strong performance with the Utah Jazz in town on Wednesday so he is definitely a superstar player worth building around.
Injuries, Rest Create Opportunities For…. Garrett Temple, Amir Johnson
The Washington Wizards will be without Bradley Beal again when they host the Milwaukee Bucks on Wednesday night and that should make Garrett Temple a strong value option once again. Temple has averaged 13.3 points, 2.5 rebounds, 2.5 assists and 1.8 three-point shots over the last week of action and as long as Beal remains sidelined, he should continue to get his fair of touches for Washington. You can clearly see his uptick in minutes of late as he’s averaging just 23.6 minutes on the season but over his last 12 games, Temple is playing an average of 35.1. That’s why he’s worth a look in this spot.
Meanwhile, Boston Celtics forward Amir Johnson has returned to the lineup after taking a couple of games off because of foot inflammation and he has looked very good ever since. That includes an average of 13.0 points, 7.5 rebounds, 2.0 assists and 1.0 block over his last two games. Johnson isn’t going to put up elite superstar options but he should be a decent value option when Boston hosts the Indiana Pacers on Wednesday night. He won’t cost you much.
Highest Scoring Game Of The Night: NO @ SAC
It might seem surprising at first but the Sacramento Kings actually rank third in the NBA with 106.5 points per game this season while the New Orleans Pelicans have climbed in to the top half of the association in that department. More importantly, both teams rank in the bottom three in points per game allowed with the Pelicans ranked 28th with an average of 106.0 points allowed per game while the Kings are giving up an NBA-worst 108.6 points per game. That should lead to another high scoring game for both teams so even if you can’t afford DeMarcus Cousins or Anthony Davis it’s worth considering some strong sleeper options including Marco Belinelli for Sacramento and Ryan Anderson for the Pelicans as players worth taking a chance on for Wednesday’s NBA fantasy action.
