We have what could be considered a modest slate by Wednesday standards, as there are “only” eight games. Of course, that still gives us a very robust player pool to work with, and we fortunately have several players with salaries that give them very high value picks.
As usual, we’ll highlight multiple advantageous positional matchups to exploit at each position for your Yahoo Fantasy lineups, as well as a good trio of candidates that might be best avoided due to a combination of circumstances/salary.
Guardians
Tyrese HaliburtonIND at HOU ($42): Haliburton has been over 45 Yahoo points in each of his last two games, and he also has a pair of tallies north of 54 Yahoo points already this season. The talented guard had some atypical inefficiencies with his shot in the early going, but Haliburton’s ceiling is beyond question, and he may have the right matchup party to snap him out of his funk Wednesday. The Rockets are giving up an NBA-high 59.1 Yahoo points per contest to point guards in the last seven games, and they’re also making 36.8% 3-point shooting on their home floor.
Jared McCainPHI at MEM ($19): McCain’s salary is pretty eye-popping when you consider his work in recent games with Tyrese Maxey (hamstring) unavailable. The rookie has averaged 34.8 to 54.4 Yahoo points in his last three games, and he generated 32.6 and 27.6 Yahoo points in the two contests before that stretch as well. The opposing Grizzlies play at the league’s fastest pace (108.3 possessions per game) and rank in the bottom 10 of the league in offensive efficiency rating allowed to two-guards (23.8), brightening McCain’s case at his very acceptable salary
ALSO CONSIDER: Stephen CurryGSW vs. ATL ($42); Paul GeorgePHI at MEM ($35)
Guard to Avoid
Bogdan BogdanovicATL at GSW ($25): Bogdanovic returned Monday from a multi-week absence with a hamstring injury, posting 14.1 Yahoo points through a modest 18 minutes. Bogdanovic naturally has a lot of upside, but he carries a salary commensurate with his usual bench role, which gets him minutes in the upper 20s on average. Bogdanovic probably isn’t ready to get back to it on Wednesday after missing nearly a month, so there’s definitely a chance you’d be overpaying at his current salary.
advances
Karl-Anthony TownsNYK at PHO ($38): Towns has adapted quickly to his new Big Apple digs, averaging 48.4 Yahoo points per contest and already surpassing 50 Yahoo points six times, including a trio of 60-plus tallies. That’s a great ceiling for his salary, especially if Joel Embiid has a tag that’s $15 higher and has been far less productive thus far. Kat is averaging a career-high 26.2 points per game and shooting a career-high 54.4 percent, including a career-high 51.5 percent from behind the arc. Meanwhile, the Suns transfer the eighth highest offensive efficiency to centers (34.3) and 55.4 Yahoo points per contest to the position, as well as 36.9% 3-point shooting overall.
Dyson DanielsATL at GSW ($20): Daniels is another player who certainly has the ability to offer a nice return on investment, considering he’s averaging 36.7 Yahoo points per contest on the season. Daniels has scored at least 28 Yahoo points in seven straight games, topping 40 and 50 Yahoo points twice each in that stretch. The Hawks could be without Jalen Johnson (lower leg) again Wednesday, and Daniels boasts a 24.1% usage rate and is averaging more than 46 Yahoo points per 36 minutes with his teammate off the floor. Additionally, the Warriors surrender the fifth-most points per game to two guards (24.7), furthering Daniels’ appeal.
ALSO CONSIDER: Tari EasonHOU vs. IND ($24)
Forward to Avoid
Deni AvdijaFOR and OKC ($28): Avdija has a ceiling north of 30 Yahoo points – he’s scored more than 34 Yahoo points on four occasions already this season – but when he misses, he tends to miss pretty significantly. The offseason addition has scored fewer than 20 Yahoo points on six occasions already, including a season-low tally of 9.4 against the Grizzlies on Nov. 10. The Thunder are a quality defensive team and have allowed just 42.2% shooting to small forwards so far, making it a likely uphill battle for Avdija to justify his relatively elevated salary.
Centers
Jarrett AllenCLE vs. NOP ($33): Allen has averages of 53.5 and 43 Yahoo points in his last three games, and he’s bookended those with 29.9 and 29.2 Yahoo points. The big man has scored at least 31.9 Yahoo points in 11 games overall, giving him a reliable floor that should manifest itself again in Wednesday’s favorable matchup. The Pelicans surrender the seventh-highest offensive efficiency rating to centers (34.8) and the second-most Yahoo points per game to the position in the last seven contests (63.1). New Orleans also gives up the second most points in the paint per game (54.8), an area of the floor where 78.1% of Allen’s scoring originates.
Robert WilliamsFOR and OKC ($20): Williams has been quite the revelation over the last four games while Deandre Ayton (finger) has been sidelined, and the latter is listed as questionable for Wednesday’s contest as well. Williams has scored 28.6 to 51.3 Yahoo points in three of his first four games with Ayton out, and he’s encouragingly logged at least 25 minutes in each of the last two games. Williams’ durability can always be a bit of a concern, but a matchup against a Thunder team that is without Chet Holmgren (hip) and giving up 53.5 Yahoo points per game to centers on the season is attractive at Williams’ salary.
ALSO CONSIDER: Alperen SengunHOU vs. IND ($43)
Center for Avoidance
Joel EmbiidPHI at MEM ($53): Embiid has already been mentioned earlier as carrying a salary that doesn’t really match his production thus far, so the fact that he qualifies for an Avoid designation isn’t entirely surprising. The star big man dealt with both a knee injury and suspension to open the season, and he scored just 25.1 to 32.6 Yahoo points in his first three contests. While there’s no doubting Embiid’s ceiling, he’s been quiet by his standards so far but carries a salary that’s commensurate with when he’s in peak form. Therefore, the money could be better spread elsewhere on your roster Wednesday, giving you a chance to potentially grab two quality picks for the same salary you’d have to shell out for the big man.
