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 André Snellings, Jim McCormick, Joe Kaiser, Kyle Soppe and Renee Miller.
Players to build around
André Snellings -- Victor Oladipo, Indiana Pacers
Oladipo has been strong all season, but he's been a monster of late to the tune of 31.8 points, 7 rebounds, 4.6 assists, 2 steals, 1.2 blocks and 4.4 made treys in his past five games. On Wednesday, he faces the Oklahoma City Thunder, the team that traded him this offseason, setting up the chance to show they made a mistake. The Thunder have recently had difficulty with opposing shooting guards, allowing the fifth-most fantasy points to the position in the NBA over the past five games.
Jim McCormick -- Khris Middleton, Milwaukee Bucks
The New Orleans Pelicans have yielded nearly 40 fantasy points to small forwards on FanDuel this season, a generous rate that ranks in the bottom half of the league. They've also allowed the most fantasy points per game to shooting guards over the past 10 games. This signals that Middleton is well positioned to exceed value tonight, especially as he's hot from beyond the arc of late and can be confidently projected to top 35 minutes.
Joe Kaiser -- Rajon Rondo, New Orleans Pelicans
Affordably priced on both DraftKings and FanDuel, Rondo has an excellent chance of exceeding his salary value against a Milwaukee defense that ranks 17th in the league in efficiency. Rondo registered a triple-double in Monday's loss to the Houston Rockets and is averaging 11.8 points, 6.3 rebounds, 12 assists, 1.8 steals and 1.8 3-pointers in his past five games. Get him in your lineup tonight.
Kyle Soppe -- Jonathon Simmons, Orlando Magic
Bitcoin. Listen, I'm good with sports, not the stock market, but I'm aware that Bitcoin started cheap, then spiked and now the discussion is when is it too late to invest. Is it going to crash the second you get involved? Are you going to miss out on significant earnings if you refuse to invest? I don't have an answer for you there, but that train of thought is why I think Simmons will be on too few rosters tonight. He's made a 3-pointer and scored at least 15 points in five straight games, averaging nearly eight rebounds-plus-assists over that stretch. The recent returns have been nice, but I'm more encouraged by the fact that he has logged at least 33 minutes in eight straight games and gets the fourth-least efficient defense tonight after a rare three-day rest period. With the price on the rise, are you too late? I say no. Join me on the Bitcoin Simmons train tonight!
Renee Miller -- DeMarcus Cousins, New Orleans Pelicans
With Anthony Davis looking more probable than questionable tonight, I think Cousins may be underused in DFS tonight. He gets a favorable matchup with the Milwaukee frontcourt, has been slightly better at home than on the road and boasts a superhigh floor and ceiling. Cousins ranks second in usage and is ninth on NBA.com's player impact rating scale. Of all the stars in his price range, the combination of safety and upside with Cousins is my favorite.
Players to fade
André Snellings -- Carmelo Anthony, Oklahoma City Thunder
Anthony has more field goal attempts than points scored in four of his past five games, and in the fifth game, his points only exceeded his shots taken by one. He's struggling with his scoring efficiency, and outside of the 7.2 rebounds he has averaged over that stretch, he has not done much with the peripheral categories to make up for it. Plus, you have to expect Paul George has some added motivation against his former team, and Russell Westbrook will certainly drive the offense, so Anthony takes a bit of a backseat against Indiana.
Jim McCormick -- Jaylen Brown, Boston Celtics
I love the energy and athleticism that Brown brings to the floor for Boston, but with a usage rate that barely ever cracks 25 percent and without much upside in assists or defensive stats, his shot needs to fall in order to exceed value. With a price on DraftKings that demands he delivers around 30 fantasy points to meet value, it's not encouraging that Brown has failed to hit that mark in nine straight contests.
Joe Kaiser -- Dwight Howard, Charlotte Hornets
Not only is Howard an awkward fit in this game against the dynamic Rockets offense, he also has to contend with a much younger and bouncier center in the form of Houston's Clint Capela. Additionally, this is a game that could get out of hand early if the Rockets' offense clicks as well as it has over the past few weeks. For the $7,500-plus it costs to have Howard in your lineup on Wednesday, that money is better spent somewhere else.
Kyle Soppe -- TJ Warren, Phoenix Suns
There is a level of excitement surrounding Warren and his DFS potential with Devin Booker on the shelf, but this isn't the spot. Warren played 39 minutes in Sacramento last night (giving him 114 minutes played in the three games since Booker was hurt), and I expect some fatigue to show against a top-10 Raptors defense that really doesn't have to worry about many other Phoenix scoring options. If Warren isn't pouring on points, he's a long shot to return value tonight, as he has a total of five assists and one blocks-plus-steals over his past four games. The lack of versatility paired with the public hype has me leveraging Warren to gain an edge on the field tonight.
Renee Miller -- Carmelo Anthony, Oklahoma City Thunder
While Melo is tempting, thanks to the ever-generous Indiana frontcourt defense (top six in fantasy points allowed to power forwards), he won't be on many of my teams tonight. First, he's been up and down lately, with Westbrook coming on strong. Second, this is George's game to shine. The ex-Pacer played only 19 minutes when these teams met in the first week of the season. As André stated, I think Anthony is the one who takes a backseat tonight. I actually think PF is a good place to find some value tonight, too.
