Which players should you build around and which players should you fade in DFS as we tip off Wednesday's NBA action? Our experts have the answers.
Today's panel includes ESPN Fantasy's Joe Kaiser, Kyle Soppe, Andre Snellings and Renee Miller.
Players to build around
Andre Snellings -- Kristaps Porzingis, New York Knicks
The Los Angeles Lakers have struggled against opposing big men all season, and have been worse of late as they have allowed the fifth-most fantasy points to centers over the last five games. The only Laker big enough to defend the 7-foot-3 Porzingis is Brook Lopez, who is too slow of foot to defend him on the perimeter and isn't all that interested in defense anyway. Porzingis is coming off scoring 30 points with 8 rebounds, 3 blocks, 2 assists and 2 steals in his last outing to show that he is feeling healthy again, and has a great matchup at home against an exploitable Lakers defensive front.
Joe Kaiser -- Ben Simmons, Philadelphia 76ers
Simmons is going to have a field day against a Timberwolves defense that ranks 26th in the league, allowing 107.9 points per 100 possessions. Though Simmons' salary is high, he offers a high floor in the 40-point range and a high ceiling in the 65-point range in this one. In his last three games, Simmons is averaging 17.6 points, 7.6 rebounds and 11.7 assists. Expect another big game out of the young point-forward.
Kyle Soppe - Kristaps Porzingis, New York Knicks
Call me crazy, but LeBron James is priced 38.8 percent ahead of Porzingis on DraftKings and I don't see him covering that difference. That's not a knock on The King, but I just don't see how the Lakers slow The Unicorn even a little bit, and that makes him my top value on the board tonight. The Lakers are allowing the most paint points in the NBA this season, so the fact that a career-high 61.2 percent of Porzingis' shots come inside of 16 feet elevate his floor to a level in which I am very comfortable. And if we are talking upside, who is going to cover him? Brook "Allergic to the Paint" Lopez? Julius "Good Defender But Giving Up 6 Inches" Randle? The Knicks have wasted no time in giving Porzingis his role back (74 minutes and 48 shot attempts over his last two games) and I think there's a decent chance he is the top overall fantasy scorer tonight.
Renee Miller -- LeBron James, Cleveland Cavaliers
A bit of a cop-out, but James really is the player I don't want to be without. He is not only on fire, he has bested the Hawks with an average of 57 fantasy points in two games this season. Kevin Love is questionable, but James is an equally good play regardless of Love's status. Ranking second in usage rate and player efficiency, James is third in both points per game and assists per game. Simmons, Andre Drummond, and Karl-Anthony Towns are close runners-up for this honor, but there's enough value to mix two or three of these stars in your lineups tonight.
Players to fade
Andre Snellings -- Kawhi Leonard, San Antonio Spurs
Leonard is set to make his season debut against the Dallas Mavericks. He is one of three superstars with a chance to return from injury on Tuesday, including Joel Embiid and John Wall. Leonard is the most likely to play, though, as he no longer even has an injury designation. Conversely, he's also the one that should have the lowest expectations. After having missed the first couple of months of game action, the expectation is that the Spurs will bring him along slowly as they reintegrate him to the lineup. His price is still relatively high, though, making him a bit risky to play in what could be an attenuated night of work.
Joe Kaiser -- Harrison Barnes, Dallas Mavericks
Say what you want about Barnes, he's having a fine season as one of the main scoring options on a Dallas team that's last in the Western Conference with a 7-20 record. That being said, he is priced in the mid $6,000s tonight against a Spurs defense that ranks third in the NBA with 101.1 points allowed per 100 possessions and is set to get Leonard back. Leonard will probably need some time to get back in playing shape after a long layoff, but we're talking about one of the game's best defenders and a player who will likely spend some time on Barnes. I'm moving away from Barnes tonight for these reasons.
Kyle Soppe - LaMarcus Aldridge, San Antonio Spurs
With Leonard expected back, I'm not waiting to jump off the Aldridge DFS bandwagon that has been rolling right along all season. His price tag remains reflective of the player who holds a top 25 usage rate this season, something I don't expect to at all be the case with Leonard active. If I'm right in forecasting a dip in usage, this price point is more symbolic of his production ceiling, as we are looking at a game with a limited number of possessions (two of the six slowest offenses in the NBA). Dallas is allowing a league-low 39.1 paint points per game, so I'd be awfully surprised if Aldridge reached his season average in points or assists, and that has him underachieving give the price tag.
Renee Miller -- John Wall, Washington Wizards, and Kawhi Leonard, San Antonio Spurs
The potential return of both Wall and Leonard is fantastic for their respective teams, but not especially attractive on tonight's slate. Leonard should be limited to start, as the last thing the Spurs want is to risk their superstar. His salary is attractive, but I expect the first few games to be a little rusty. Wall returns to a great matchup with Brooklyn, but Bradley Beal is the player I want from the Wizards. He's still priced to play 40 minutes and I don't see that happening, especially with the Wizards entering a back-to-back set.
