3 NBA FanDuel Studs to Target on Wednesday 1/19/22

Basketball is the most consistent sport for daily fantasy purposes.

A top slugger in baseball will have his fair share of 0-for-4 days, and an elite fantasy football player is at risk of having games where his team's offense as a whole is shut down. A high-salaried NBA stud is generally going to get his, though. With so many possessions in a game providing opportunities to produce, top fantasy basketball options will be posting high scores just about every night.

While this consistency puts us in a good position to identify top plays, it also means you can't afford to miss when you're paying up for someone. Even with strong value plays in your lineup, paying up and getting a dud is likely going to leave your lineup drawing pretty close to dead.

Which top players should be the focal points of your lineups today?

Nikola Jokic, C, Denver Nuggets ($11,500)

"The Joker" gets another chance to beat up on a Clippers squad that doesn't really have a way to stop him.

The Clips struggle with size. They are last in the NBA in estimated rebounding percentage (73.9%), and they've also allowed the fourth-most points in the paint per game (49.5) in the NBA.

The last time L.A. locked horns with the Denver Nuggets, it was the streaky Aaron Gordon that posted 32 points and 10 boards. This time, the safer bet is with Nikola Jokic in Denver's frontcourt.

Jokic victimized the Clippers for 26 points and 22 rebounds back on December 27th, and that was part of an absurd streak where Jokic has collected double-digit rebounds in 12 of his last 13 games.

That type of volume on the glass, a path to paint points, and 8.10 assists per 36 minutes this season in totality should have Jokic being monitored for a hefty triple-double the second he steps foot in the arena on Wednesday.

James Harden, SG/SF, Brooklyn Nets ($10,600)

Over the weekend, Kevin Durant sprained his knee and will reportedly miss approximately four weeks.

That thrusts James Harden into the primary scoring role for the Nets at present, and it's likely at a new position. Harden debuted with forward eligibility on Wednesday's main slate as a result of being the projected small forward during road games as Patrick Mills and Kyrie Irving man the backcourt.

Harden, unsurprisingly, has been remarkable with Durant off the floor this season. He's posted a gaudy 1.48 FanDuel points per minute in that floor condition with a team-best 33.9% usage rate. "The Beard" is also already riding a streak of topping 52 FanDuel points in four of his last five games, and most of those came with K.D. in the lineup.

The 234.0-point total as Brooklyn battles Washington is the second-highest one on the monstrous 13-game slate, and many will likely flock to Irving at a lower salary. Realistically, though, both are tremendous options, and the bump without Durant has Harden even on Giannis Antetokounmpo's level when filling out a wing spot on Wednesday.

Ja Morant, PG, Memphis Grizzlies ($9,100)

There aren't a ton of absences amongst the 26 teams in action on Wednesday, but the Grizzlies definitely have a case for the team most impacted by what few there are.

Memphis will be without Kyle Anderson and Desmond Bane as the pair sit in COVID-19 protocols, and Dillon Brooks remains out due to his extended ankle injury. That opens the door for plenty of the Grizzlies' value options, but the safest place we'll see production from tonight is Ja Morant.

Morant's role is out of this world when the other key scorers (Bane and Brooks) are off the floor. He has a team-best 34.5% usage rate in that floor condition that he's turned into a cool 1.31 FanDuel points per minute. Only Jaren Jackson Jr. has higher per-minute production in that event, but even so, Jackson has fought to see regular minutes since Steven Adams returned.

While Ja's production has declined when the Grizz were at full strength, so has his salary. Now, back in a primary role, Morant checks in at a more-than-reasonable salary in one of the best games of the day. Memphis meets Milwaukee, and these two top-10 teams in terms of pace have a projected 227.0-point total on FanDuel Sportsbook.

Morant will likely be a large chunk of the Grizzlies' side.