The NBA schedule will ramp up again on Wednesday with an absolutely loaded slate with 22 teams in action. With 11 games on the slate, that there will mean plenty of options to choose from when it comes to building the optimal roster for NBA fantasy leagues. Here is some important advice to consider for Wednesday.
Weak Defense To Target: Sacramento Kings
The Sacramento Kings have ranked at or near the bottom of the NBA in scoring defense for nearly the entire season, so it only makes sense to target them as much as possible in NBA fantasy leagues. The Kings have allowed an NBA-worst 108.1 points per game this season and they will be vulnerable again with the Chicago Bulls in town on Wednesday night. Jimmy Butler has been a beast for Chicago all season but if you don’t want to spend the big bucks on him, then it’s definitely worth taking a chance on Taj Gibson as a sneaky sleeper play. Gibson has averaged 7.7 points, 11.0 rebounds, 2.3 blocks, 2.0 assists and 1.0 steal per game over the last week of action and his numbers should get a boost based on the matchup versus Sacramento.
Player Who’s Hot Right Now: Kevin Durant, Oklahoma City Thunder
Kevin Durant has been absolutely on fire for Oklahoma City over the past week of action. The Thunder superstar has averaged a ridiculous 33.0 points, 11.0 rebounds, 4.3 assists and 2.3 three-point shots per game over that span and there is no reason to expect him to slow down with the Orlando Magic in town on Wednesday night. When healthy, Durant and his teammate Russell Westbrook have been the most dominant tandem in the NBA this season. With Durant’s scoring totals as impressive as they have been of late, it only makes sense to bank on him for as long as he continues to produce at this level.
Injuries, Rest Create Opportunities For… Zach LaVine, Michael Kidd-Gilchrist
Anybody looking for sneaky value options on Wednesday can turn to a pair of young players getting plenty of opportunity from their respective teams of late. The first player is Minnesota Timberwolves guard Zach LaVine, who has averaged 28.3 minutes per game over the last seven days. LaVine has averaged 22.7 points, 2.0 assists, 2.0 three-point shots and 1.7 rebounds per game over that span and he should continue to produce at a very reasonable price when the Timberwolves visit the Los Angeles Clippers on Wednesday night.
Meanwhile, Michael Kidd-Gilchrist has been very productive for the Charlotte Hornets since his return from injury. Kidd-Gilchrist has averaged 16.0 points, 9.5 rebounds, 2.0 assists and 1.0 rebound in 31.0 minutes per game over the last week of action. What’s encouraging is that his minutes have been very strong. He played 34 minutes in his season debut against the Portland Trail Blazers on Friday and then played 28 minutes in Charlotte’s blowout of the Los Angeles Lakers on Sunday. Had the game not gotten out of hand, he probably would have played even more minutes. MKG is a player who is on the rise for a team that’s on the rise. The Hornets have rounded out their starting lineup and they have more weapons than they had the last time he played. With defenses having to spread out a bit, it should create more opportunities for him going forward. Look for him to deliver another strong performance when Charlotte hosts the Cleveland Cavaliers on Wednesday night.
Highest Scoring Game Of The Night: GS @ WAS
The Golden State Warriors lead the NBA by a wide margin with an average of 115.0 points per game this season. They will rely on their offense again when they match up against a Washington Wizards’ team that ranks 11th in the NBA in that department with an average of 102.2 points per game this season on Wednesday. Stephen Curry is the obvious superstar choice from the Warriors but Draymond Green has been extremely productive across the board of late and is worth consideration as well. Meanwhile, John Wall continues to stuff the stat sheet for Washington, but Garrett Temple might be worth considering as well because of his strong play of late. Temple has averaged 12.0 points, 3.3 rebounds, 2.3 assists and 2.3 three-point shots per game over the last week of action and he is a sneaky value play for Wednesday night’s NBA action.
