The NBA schedule doesn’t let up even a little bit on Wednesday night with eight games on the slate for the second night in a row and while by this point in the season there isn’t much that we don’t know already about the 16 teams in action and the individual players on the roster, circumstance can still be a major factor when it comes to NBA Daily Fantasy Leagues. Here is some important fantasy advice to consider for Wednesday’s action.
Weak Defense To Target: Denver Nuggets
Denver has registered a .500 record over its past 10 games but they have struggled defensively all season as they rank 23rd in the NBA with an average of 103.8 points allowed per game. Those numbers actually look good when you consider how they’ve played over their last five games. They’ve allowed at least 101 points in each of those contests while coughing up an average of 111.6 points per contest in that span.
That should mean a favorable matchup for the Boston Celtics on Wednesday night as it only makes sense to target the Nuggets defense. Isaiah Thomas has been a strong fantasy option for quite some time in Boston but if you can’t afford him then you might want to add Evan Turner or Marcus Smart as decent value options for Wednesday’s Daily Fantasy Leagues.
Player Who’s Hot Right Now: Karl-Anthony Towns, Minnesota Timberwolves
The top pick from the 2015 NBA Draft has thrived in Minnesota this season and Towns has been particularly hot of late averaging 21.8 points, 12.5 rebounds, 3.0 assists and 1.0 steal per game over the past week of action. He has surpassed the 20 and 10 mark in three of his last four games and he’s proven to have a great floor in NBA daily fantasy this month. While you see his upside in the averages we mentioned over the last week, he’s averaged 15.2 points, 10.5 rebounds, 2.1 assists, 1.5 blocks and 0.7 steals in January. He’s even hitting threes – if you can believe that. He’s hit a three in four of his last seven games.
Towns should be in line for another strong statistical performance when the Timberwolves try to keep pace with the high-flying Oklahoma City Thunder on Wednesday night. The Thunder are a quality team but their defense has some holes in it and they might be a tad fatigued after playing in New York (into overtime) last night. Don’t be shy to take a shot with Towns while he is hot.
Injuries, Rest Create Opportunities For… Ersan Ilyasova, Josh Smith
The Detroit Pistons will host the lowly Philadelphia 76ers on Wednesday night and that should mean more opportunity for Ersan Ilyasova to continue to build on his impressive play of late as he continues to log significant minutes. Ilyasova has averaged 13.3 points, 6.8 rebounds, 1.5 assists and 1.0 three-point shot per game over the last week of action and he should be a strong value NBA daily fantasy option matched up against Philadelphia on Wednesday.
Meanwhile, a return to the Houston Rockets has helped Josh Smith pick up his production and that includes a season-high 16 points against the Dallas Mavericks on Sunday. Smith has averaged just 7.7 points, 4.0 rebounds, 3.7 assists, 1.7 blocks and 1.3 steals per game over the last week of action but the upside is there if you want to take a chance on a value play with the potential to really pay off when the Rockets visit the San Antonio Spurs on Wednesday night.
Highest Scoring Game Of The Night: DAL @ GS
No team averages more than the 114.8 points per game that the Golden State Warriors have put up this season and there is no reason to expect their offense to slow down with the Dallas Mavericks in town on Wednesday. Stephen Curry is the obvious option from the Warriors roster but if you can’t afford to build around the MVP then consider having Shaun Livingston in your lineup as a strong value play. Meanwhile, the Mavericks will be forced to try and keep up with Golden State and that should lead to them scoring more than the 101.2 points per game they have averaged this season. Chandler Parsons has been on fire for Dallas of late while Wesley Matthews is a decent value play for Wednesday’s Daily Fantasy Leagues.
