Unlike Tuesday, with the NBA schedule consisting of just four games, Wednesday's NBA slate has ten games so FanDuel players won't lack for options. One matchup that will immediately catch the eye of some is Sacramento's trip north to take on Portland. Sacramento center DeMarcus Cousins and Portland center Meyers Leonard have some history, and there was no love lost following a game in which Cousins tallied 55 points, 14 rebounds and three blocked shots. Cousins finished that game with 76.3 FanDuel points, and in the first meeting this season Cousins (33 points, nine rebounds, three assists and two blocks) accounted for 51.3 FanDuel points.
Cousins won't be up against Leonard all too often, with Portland using Mason Plumlee as their starting center and primary defender. But given how well he's performed against the Blazers this season, not to mention his skill set, it likely won't matter who Portland assigns to Cousins ($11,000 FanDuel value) provided he's focused on the task at hand. Cousins is one of four players with five-figure salary cap numbers in action on Wednesday, with New Orleans forward Anthony Davis ($11,300), Milwaukee forward Giannis Antetokounmpo ($10,300) and Golden State forward Kevin Durant ($10,000) being the others. Here are our FanDuel picks for Wednesday's games, working with a $60,000 salary cap and a nine-player roster. (Getty)
NOTE: Statistics from Basketball Reference and Rotowire were used in this post.
PG: Derrick Rose, New York
Opponent: vs. Phoenix
Price: $6,600
To his credit Rose has played well since the bizarre incident in which he returned to Chicago to address a family issue without informing the team or answering their calls. In the six game since, Rose has averaged 21.0 points, 4.5 rebounds and 4.3 assists per game, shooting 52.5 percent from the field. There continues to be the occasional struggle with balancing his own offense with the need to get Carmelo Anthony and Kristaps Porzingis their touches, but Rose has worked hard to take steps in the right direction in recent games. (Getty)
PG: Austin Rivers, LA Clippers
Opponent: at New Orleans
Price: $4,600
With Chris Paul (hamstring) out of the lineup, Doc Rivers has used Raymond Felton as the starting point guard with Austin Rivers seeing an increase in opportunities with the second unit. Rivers has accounted for 21 FanDuel points in three of the last five games, most recently tallying 27.1 points against the Nuggets on Monday (19 points, five assists and three rebounds). The inconsistency makes this pick a risk, but given the Clippers' injury issues (Blake Griffin's out, as well) Rivers will have opportunities to produce alongside Jamal Crawford. (Getty)
SG: C.J. McCollum, Portland
Opponent: at Golden State
Price: $8,000
McCollum is three days removed from the highest scoring output of his career, as with Damian Lillard out of the lineup he scored 43 points in Portland's win over Minnesota. Even with the Timberwolves focusing primarily on him McCollum was efficient in scoring those 43 points, shooting 16-for-25 from the field while also accounting for five rebounds, three assists and three steals. Golden State will be a much tougher test for McCollum, but if Lillard's sprained left ankle isn't healed enough for him to play C.J. is going to have a heavy load to shoulder yet again. (Getty)
SG: Zach LaVine, Minnesota
Opponent: at Denver
Price: $6,500
LaVine has been one of the most improved players in the NBA this season, as he's raised his scoring average (21.2 ppg) by more than seven points from last season (14.0) while shooting career-high percentages from the field (47.4 percent) and from three (41.4 percent). LaVine was kept in check by the Nuggets in their first meeting this season, as he finished with 14 points, five rebounds and three assists in a three-point loss on November 3. But given how well he's played, it's tough to see LaVine not putting together a solid night offensively. (Getty)
SF: Danilo Gallinari, Denver
Opponent: vs. Minnesota
Price: $6,300
Speaking of that first meeting of the season between the Timberwolves and Nuggets, Gallinari played well in that Denver victory. Gallinari finished with 19 points, five rebounds and two assists, shooting 6-for-9 from the field and making all three of his three-point attempts. Gallinari's tallied 25 FanDuel points or more in four straight and five of his last six games, and there's a good chance that he extends that run Wednesday night. Minnesota has some athletic wings, but none would be labeled as defensive stoppers, so Gallinari should be able to find his spots within the Denver offense. (Getty)
SF: Michael Kidd-Gilchrist, Charlotte
Opponent: vs. Oklahoma City
Price: $4,600
Averaging just under 22 FanDuel points per game this season, Kidd-Gilchrist's production has dropped some over the last three games. His highest output during that stretch was the 22.6 points scored against Cleveland, with the other two games both falling below the 20 FanDuel point mark. He's averaging 9.0 ppg on the season, so Kidd-Gilchrist isn't going to give you a great deal offensively. But if he can get into double figures while also contributing as a defender and rebounder, Kidd-Gilchrist is worth the gamble given his price tag. (Getty)
New York Knicks foroward Kristaps Porzingis
PF: Trevor Booker, Brooklyn
Opponent: at Chicago
Price: $5,300
After being rested for Brooklyn's loss to Cleveland Friday night, Booker was quiet offensively in the win over Charlotte on Monday. Booker scored just three points, shooting 1-for-3 from the floor. Booker's shot attempts have decreased in recent weeks, with the return of Jeremy Lin being one factor, but he's a good enough rebounder to help make up for that. Against the Hornets, Booker still accounted for 21.9 FanDuel points thanks to his grabbing 12 rebounds and dishing out three assists. (Getty)
C: DeMarcus Cousins, Sacramento
Opponent: vs. Miami
Price: $11,200
There is one significant factor that works in Cousins' favor here. The Heat are still without injured starting center Hassan Whiteside (eye). Add in the fact that Cousins racked up 30 points, seven rebounds and four assists in the first meeting back on November 1, and this could be a big night for one of the NBA's best big men. Cousins has tallied 47.9 FanDuel points or more in seven consecutive games. (Getty)
FanDuel NBA Lineup Picks, Advice & Analysis for December 28