Which players should you build around and which players should you fade in DFS as we tip off Wednesday's full slate? Our experts have the answers.
Today's panel includes ESPN Fantasy's Joe Kaiser, Kyle Soppe and Eric Karabell.
Players to build around
Eric Karabell -- LaMarcus Aldridge, San Antonio Spurs
He's a 20-and-10 guy anyway, but with the Heat missing center Hassan Whiteside due to a knee injury and the Spurs still missing Kawhi Leonard and lacking another scorer averaging 15 points per night, this seems like a night Aldridge could go for 30 points and more boards than normal.
Joe Kaiser -- Ben Simmons, Philadelphia 76ers
Simmons is still priced under $9,000 on both DraftKings and FanDuel, and he has the perfect skill set to run in the up-tempo game against the Houston Rockets. The rookie comes in averaging 17 points, 10 rebounds, 7 assists and 1 steal per game and is going to be an incredibly difficult matchup for Ryan Anderson or whichever power forward the Rockets decide to use against him. Simmons has a high floor and ceiling against the Rockets.
Kyle Soppe -- Clint Capela, Houston Rockets
Capela's hot start is not a fluke. Is he going to shoot 72 percent from the field for the entire season? Doubtful. But the reason he is shooting 72 percent is real ... and it's spectacular. Capela is essentially the Rockets' lone interior presence, and that role isn't going anywhere. Capela should continue to dominate the paint usage in Houston, and I'll take that to the bank against a Sixers team that ranks bottom 10 in rebound rate, much like they did last season. The knock on Capela is the lack of upside, but early returns this season indicate otherwise, as he is averaging more than two blocks-plus-steals, has made five of his six free throws, and has a 22-point/17-rebound game on his resume. I'm not saying he carries you to victory tonight, but I prefer his price point to other double-double threats in Rudy Gobert and Dwight Howard.
Players to fade
Eric Karabell -- Nikola Jokic, Denver Nuggets
He's certainly been a bit inconsistent statistically in his first three games, and facing a defensive-minded Charlotte center in Howard doesn't offer hope of a monster game. Jokic scored 29 points in his most recent game, after scoring seven combined in the first two. He failed to get to the foul line in those first two games. The turnovers are up. I'll avoid in DFS for now.
Joe Kaiser -- Devin Booker, Phoenix Suns
Booker is always a tough one to read and time correctly in DFS, but here's what we know about his style: at this stage in his career, he is mostly just a scorer. Facing a defensive-minded Jazz team that slows the pace as much as any team in the NBA since Quin Snyder took over a few years ago, Booker will have to earn every point he gets. This isn't the night to roster the Suns' confident young shooting guard.
Kyle Soppe -- Marc Gasol, Memphis Grizzlies
We are in an aesthetically pleasing era of hoops and, well, this game isn't going to be that. It's not crazy to think this game features the two lowest-scoring teams on this slate (they rank 28th and 29th in pace this season), and while Gasol owns a usage rate that currently ranks him just behind Russell Westbrook and just ahead of Blake Griffin, the floor tonight is as low as it is going to be for him. Consider this: During his past two games, Gasol has 26 points ... via free throws alone! He is averaging twice as many freebies in the early going this season than he did last season, and I'm not comfortable counting on that against a Mavs team that has seen just 13.6 percent of opponents' points come courtesy of the free throw (fourth-lowest rate). Gasol should be OK in this spot, but I think he is highly owned and fails to hit value in this spot.
