There will be plenty of action in the NBA on Wednesday with nine games set to be played. One of the marquee matchups will feature the Bucks hosting the Pacers. Let’s dig into all of the games and highlight some players to consider on Yahoo, as well as a few to possibly avoid.
GUARDS
Tyrese Haliburton, IND at MIL ($48): Both the Pacers and Bucks rank inside the top-five in pace of play and bottom-10 in defensive rating. That should lead to plenty of points being scored by both sides. In two previous meetings with the Bucks this season, Haliburton scored 52.2 and 60.9 Yahoo points, respectively. Don’t expect the Bucks to be able to slow him down this time, either.
Duncan Robinson, MIA vs. CHA ($15): Robinson had a rare off night against the Cavaliers on Friday in which he scored one point on 0-for-7 shooting from the field. However, he has scored at least 16 points in four of his last five games, overall. That included when he chipped in 24 points on his way to scoring 44.4 Yahoo points versus the Hornets on Monday. The Hornets have the second-worst defensive rating in the league, so it’s difficult to pass on Robinson at his cheap salary.
Guard to Avoid
Jordan Poole, WAS vs. NO ($22): The transition to the Wizards hasn’t gone well for Poole. He is averaging only 16.7 points per game and shooting 40.0 percent from the field. He has struggled from behind the arc, where he is shooting only 29.5 percent. On a night with plenty of other viable options, stay away from Poole in DFS.
FORWARDS
Scottie Barnes, TOR vs. ATL ($37): The departure of Fred VanVleet has provided a huge boost to Barnes. While he’s playing the same number of minutes as he did in both of his first two seasons in the league, he is averaging career-highs in points (19.8), rebounds (9.0), assists (5.6) and steals (1.7) per game. The Hawks have played at the third-fastest pace and have the fourth-worst defensive rating in the league, setting Barnes up to thrive.
Caleb Martin, MIA vs. CHA ($13): Maritn also played well against the Hornets on Monday, scoring 35.3 Yahoo points over 39 minutes. That extended his streak to three straight games with at least 33.2 Yahoo points. Tyler Herro (ankle), Bam Adebayo (hip) and Haywood Highsmith (back) are all still out, so an expanded role leaves Maritn in a great spot to provide value.
Forward to Avoid
Kelly Oubre Jr., PHI at DET ($23): Oubre has been eased back into action since returning from being struck by a car. He hasn’t logged more than 24 minutes in any of his last three games, and he played fewer than 20 minutes twice. The 76ers could blow out the floundering Pistons, which would give them another opportunity to limit Oubre’s minutes. There’s too much risk that comes with adding him to your lineup.
CENTERS
Joel Embiid, PHI at DET ($55): The potential for a blowout in this matchup does make Embiid a little risky. However, if it gets to that point, Embiid will likely be the main reason why. Even with the 76ers beating the Wizards by 45 points Monday, he scored 58.2 Yahoo points. Don’t let the potentially lopsided score scare you away.
Isaiah Hartenstein, NY at UTA ($10): The Knicks started Jericho Sims at center Monday with Mitchell Robinson (ankle) set to miss at least the next eight weeks. Sims wasn’t great, posting two points and seven rebounds over 21 minutes. Hartenstein logged 27 minutes off the bench, posting 11 points, eight rebounds, two assists, two steals and a block. Expect Hartenstein to play more minutes than Sims again, making him a potential steal at the minimum salary.
Center to Avoid
Xavier Tillman Sr., MEM at HOU ($18): The stars were aligning for Tillman to take on a big role with Steven Adams (knee) out for the season and Brandon Clarke (Achilles) without a timetable for a return. However, Tillman has also battled injuries, limiting him to just 12 games. Bismack Biyombo played well in his absence, so even now that Tillman is healthy again, he has averaged only 13 minutes over the last five games. Those looking for a center with a cheap salary should focus on Hartenstein, not Tillman.