The NBA schedule for Wednesday is absolutely loaded with 22 teams in action and that will mean plenty of options to choose from when it comes to Daily Fantasy Leagues. Finding the perfect balance between superstar talent and strong sleeper plays is never easy and it’s important to research as much information as possible when it comes to building the optimal fantasy lineup. Here is some important fantasy advice to consider for Wednesday’s NBA daily fantasy action.
Weak Defense To Target: Phoenix Suns
There is no team in the association that is colder than the Suns right now and while the majority of experts feel that this team has too much talent to continue to struggle like this forever the bottom line is that the locker room appears to be in disarray and Phoenix has been absolutely embarrassed while dropping nine in a row including most recently a brutal loss to the Los Angeles Lakers. The Suns have fallen to 28th in scoring defense with an average of 106.3 points allowed per game and it only makes sense to capitalize on their struggles by targeting their defense. The Charlotte Hornets will visit the Phoenix Suns on Wednesday night and while Kemba Walker is on obvious option, Jeremy Lin and Jeremy Lamb are also worth consideration as pure scorers available at a reasonable price tag. On the interior, you can look at a guy like Cody Zeller if you want a dart throw at a cheaper price.
Player Who’s Hot Right Now: Paul George, Indiana Pacers
The Pacers have struggled a bit over the past couple of weeks but that has had nothing to do with their biggest star George, who has been one of the hottest players in the NBA despite Indiana dropping six of its last 10. George has averaged 28.5 points, 8.0 rebounds, 4.3 three-point shots, 3.5 assists and 2.3 steals over the past seven days and there is every reason to expect a big game from him on Wednesday as the Pacers look to get back in the win column against the Orlando Magic.
Injuries, Rest Create Opportunities For… Rodney Hood, Shane Larkin
The Utah Jazz are dealing with plenty of injuries but one player that has stepped up of late is Rodney Hood, who has capitalized on the opportunity to put up some big numbers of late. Hood has averaged 19.8 points, 5.3 rebounds, 4.0 assists, 3.8 three-point shots and just under a steal per game over the last week of action and Utah will need him to step up again when they visit the San Antonio Spurs on Wednesday night.
Meanwhile, a torn ACL for Jarrett Jack has opened the door for Shane Larkin to start for the Brooklyn Nets and while his numbers from his first game in place of the injured Jack weren’t incredible, he remains a strong sleeper option based on his potential and low price point. What you have to like is the minutes. He was played just 19.1 minutes as a bench player but he’s averaged 25 minutes as a starter. There is definitely an element of risk versus reward when it comes to Larkin but if you’re cash strapped and looking for a cheap fill-in that has a high(er) ceiling, Larkin is a good option.
Highest Scoring Game Of The Night: DAL @ NO
The Oklahoma City Thunder and Memphis Grizzlies might be able to give this matchup a run for its money in terms of the highest scoring games of the night but Dallas and New Orleans both rank in the top half of the NBA in points per game this season as well as in the bottom half in points allowed per game and that means this contest has the potential to feature plenty of offense. Wesley Matthews has been hot of late and Zaza Pachulia is another good sleeper option if you can’t afford Dirk Nowitzki for Dallas while Ryan Anderson and Jrue Holiday are both quality options for New Orleans if you can’t afford to build around Anthony Davis on Wednesday night.
