This article is part of our FanDuel NBA series.
Wednesday's medium-sized NBA slate features eight games and begins at 7:30 PM Eastern time. A combination of opportunities and matchups dictates which players stand out as the top value plays in this slate, so read on to see which guys are primed to provide the best bang for the buck. FanDuel's format only counts the eight highest scores in your nine-player lineup, so keep that in mind when making your selections.
POINT GUARD
Darren Collison, IND at WAS ($6,500): Collison has taken on a significantly larger role in the Pacers' offense since Victor Oladipo went down for the season with a knee injury. The veteran guard has averaged 15.5 PPG and 8.5 RPG in two games sans Oladipo, including much more on-ball action. Another productive outing should be forthcoming against a defensively challenged Wizards team that's playing the second leg of a back-to-back.
De'Aaron Fox, SAC vs. ATL ($7,800): Fox dominated his first matchup against Trae Young, recording 31 points, 10 rebounds and 15 assists in Atlanta on Nov. 1. Given Young's deficiencies on the defensive end, Fox is capable of producing a similar stat line in this home rematch. The Hawks are giving up a league-high 117.5 points per game as a team, so Fox should have no trouble eclipsing 20 for the third consecutive contest.
SHOOTING GUARD
Luka Doncic, DAL at NY ($9,800): Doncic became the youngest player in league history to post a 30-point triple double Sunday, and he could well match that effort against the hapless Knicks. The Slovenian stud has been stuffing the stat sheet for a while now, having scored at least 25 points in seven of his past 10 games while pulling down eight or more rebounds in nine of the past 13 and dishing six-plus assists in seven of his past eight. Another strong all-around outing is a near certainty here considering the Knicks are surrendering 115.0 points per game and have lost 18 of their last 19 games.
Tim Hardaway, NY vs. DAL ($6,400): Hardaway is having one of the least-efficient seasons in league history when combining his sub-40 shooting percentage with high volume, but that volume is what allows him to provide solid fantasy value on a Knicks team with a dearth of alternative scoring options. He's eclipsed 20 points in three of the past five games and has picked up some slack on the boards with New York ailing up front, pulling down 7.5 RPG in the past two games. You'll rarely find players with such heavy involvement in their team's offense available for just $6,400.
SMALL FORWARD
Will Barton, DEN at NO ($6,500): Barton looks to be fully recovered from his hip injury, averaging 18.0 PPG, 5.8 RPG and 3.3 APG in 30 minutes over his past four games. The 36 minutes he played Monday represent his high water mark since returning from injury, and he should have another chance to see extended minutes with Jamal Murray sidelined for a third straight game. In addition to ranking among the league's five most-generous defenses, the Pelicans will be playing the second leg of a back-to-back while missing Anthony Davis, Julius Randle, Nikola Mirotic, E'Twaun Moore and Elfrid Payton.
Justise Winslow, MIA vs. CHI ($6,400): Winslow's scoring has been inconsistent, but he has established a high floor in rebounds and assists, grabbing at least five boards in 13 of his last 18 games while adding four or more assists in 13 of those 18 games as well. He's capable of significantly outperforming his $6,400 valuation on a good night, as illustrated by the five games in which he's eclipsed 20 points over this stretch. Winslow won't have many better opportunities to live up to his high ceiling than this home matchup with a lowly Bulls team that's playing the second leg of a back-to-back and has won just once in its last 15 games.
POWER FORWARD
Thaddeus Young, IND at WAS ($6,200): Young is another guy capable of filling some of the scoring void left by Oladipo's absence. He's averaging a tidy 17.0 PPG and 10.0 RPG over his past three games, throwing in 2.7 APG, a steal and a block per game for good measure. The Wizards rank among the three most generous teams in both points and rebounds allowed per game, and they're coming off of a bad loss to Cleveland on Tuesday.
Marcus Morris, BOS vs. CHA ($5,500): Morris won't win you fantasy contests on his own, but he brings a high floor relative to his $5,500 valuation. He's averaging 14.6 PPG and 6.1 RPG this season and has a good chance to exceed both of those averages against a Hornets team that's just 7-17 on the road.
CENTER
Dewayne Dedmon, ATL at SAC ($6,300): Dedmon has played well over his past four contests, averaging 15.5 PPG, 7.3 RPG, 2.0 APG, 1.3 steals and 1.0 block per game. He gets a nice opportunity to keep the good times rolling against a Kings team that's surrendering 115.1 points and 57.0 rebounds per game -- the latter mark representing the league's highest total.
