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Fantasy basketball tips and projections for Wednesday

Davion Mitchell could start at point guard in place of the injured De'Aaron Fox. Chris Nicoll-USA TODAY Sports

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What you need to know for Wednesday's games

Keep a close eye on injuries on Wednesday, as they could create some big shifts in rotations around the league.

Detroit's Jalen Duren (ankle) is iffy, which could mean big things for Isaiah Stewart if Duren doesn't play. Daniel Gafford (ankle) is in jeopardy of missing another game for the Wizards so Bilal Coulibaly could make another start in his absence; Coulibaly had nine points and filled the stat sheet in Monday's start.

Trae Young is iffy for the Hawks with an Achilles injury which would clear the way for Dejounte Murray to have another huge game. The Pacers are listing Tyrese Haliburton (ankle), Bennedict Mathurin (elbow) and Jalen Smith (knee) as questionable for Wednesday, putting T.J. McConnell, Andrew Nembhard, Buddy Hield and Obi Toppin all in play for more minutes.

The Nets will be without Nic Claxton (ankle) and Cameron Johnson (calf) again, while Spencer Dinwiddie is questionable with a hip injury. Cam Thomas, Royce O'Neale, Lonnie Walker IV and Dorian Finney-Smith should all get extra minutes again on Wednesday.

The Cavaliers will be without Jarrett Allen and Darius Garland once again, while Caris LeVert will likely be a game-time call due to a hamstring injury. If they're all out, Max Strus should go off after fizzling on Tuesday night, while Isaac Okoro will also get a boost.

Brandon Ingram (knee) is iffy for the Pelicans and on Monday rookie Jordan Hawkins started in his place and played 35 minutes with 14 points, 5 rebounds, 2 assists, 2 steals and 2 3-pointers against the Warriors. That's another one to watch.

Wednesday's Stream Team

This segment nominates three key streaming options ahead of that day's action. A streamer, by our standards, is a player available in at least half of ESPN men's fantasy basketball leagues.

Davion Mitchell, PG, Kings (rostered in 1.3% of ESPN leagues): Fox won't play tonight due to his ankle injury and Mitchell is likely to get the start. In nine starts last season Mitchell averaged 9.2 points, 1.7 rebounds, 4.0 assists, 1.2 steals and 1.3 3-pointers in nearly 29 minutes per game. While none of those numbers jump off the page, Mitchell's worth a flier against the Warriors.

Max Strus, SG/SF, Cavaliers (54.7%): Strus is off to a hot start this season but really struggled with his shot on Tuesday night against the Knicks. The two teams will move to New York for Wednesday's game and Strus should be in line for a bounce-back game. He was averaging 18.7 points, 9.3 rebounds, 4.0 assists, 1.0 steals, 0.7 blocks and 4.3 3-pointers before Tuesday's dud.

Dorian Finney-Smith, SF/PF, Nets (2.3%): DFS drew a start on Monday and went off for 19 points, seven rebounds, a steal, two blocks and four triples in 31 minutes. Nic Claxton and Cameron Johnson are out tonight, and Spencer Dinwiddie may not play due to a hip injury. Finney-Smith should be in line for another start and should build on Monday's success.

Royce O'Neale, SF, Nets (21.7%): O'Neale is another guy benefitting from the absence of so many of his teammates and while he only managed eight points, two rebounds, two blocks and two 3-pointers on Monday, he played 32 minutes. He's another solid streaming option for Wednesday night, with or without Dinwiddie.

T.J. McConnell, PG, Pacers (34.6%): Tyrese Haliburton (ankle) appeared on the injury report on Tuesday and is questionable to play against the Celtics. If he's out, McConnell should get the start and averaged 12.7 points, 4.8 rebounds, 8.8 assists and 1.3 steals in six starts last season. Just beware that he is not a 3-point shooter. But if Haliburton ends up playing, McConnell should be faded in most formats.

Projections and Injury Reports

Fantasy projections powered by ESPN Analytics.* Projections assume all players who are listed as GTD will play. Injury information powered by Rotowire.com. Players available in at least 50% of ESPN leagues are listed in italics.


Portland Trail Blazers at Detroit Pistons
7 p.m. Little Caesars Arena, Detroit


Injury Report:
Blazers: Ish Wainright, (OUT - Calf); Anfernee Simons, (OUT - Thumb)
Pistons: Jalen Duren, (GTD - Ankle); Monte Morris, (OUT - Quadriceps); Isaiah Livers, (OUT - Ankle); Bojan Bogdanovic, (OUT - Calf)

Blazers projections:

Pistons projections:


Milwaukee Bucks at Toronto Raptors
7 p.m. Scotiabank Arena, Toronto


Injury Report:
Bucks: MarJon Beauchamp, (GTD - Illness)
Raptors: Precious Achiuwa, (GTD - Groin); Christian Koloko, (OUT - Illness)

Bucks projections:

Raptors projections:


Washington Wizards at Atlanta Hawks
7:30 p.m. State Farm Arena, Atlanta


Injury Report:
Wizards: Daniel Gafford, (GTD - Ankle)
Hawks: Trae Young, (GTD - Achilles); Wesley Matthews, (OUT - Calf)

Wizards projections:

  • Jordan Poole, PG/SG: 41.0 FPTS (26.4 pts, 3.6 reb, 4.3 ast, 3.2 3PM)

  • Kyle Kuzma, SF/PF: 34.9 FPTS (21.6 pts, 6.3 reb, 2.1 ast, 2.4 3PM)

  • Tyus Jones, PG: 24.3 FPTS (9.6 pts, 2.8 reb, 4.1 ast)

  • Deni Avdija, SF/PF: 23.8 FPTS (10.5 pts, 6.3 reb, 3.1 ast)

  • Bilal Coulibaly, SG: 18.3 FPTS (8.4 pts, 6.6 reb, 2.2 ast)

  • Corey Kispert, SG/SF: 16.9 FPTS (9.3 pts, 2.9 reb, 0.9 ast, 1.9 3PM)

  • Delon Wright, PG/SG: 16.6 FPTS (5.6 pts, 3.5 reb, 3.0 ast)

Hawks projections:


Indiana Pacers at Boston Celtics
7:30 p.m. TD Garden, Boston


Injury Report:
Pacers: Bennedict Mathurin, (GTD - Elbow); Jalen Smith, (GTD - Knee); Tyrese Haliburton, (GTD - Ankle)
Celtics: Neemias Queta, (GTD - Foot)

Pacers projections:

Celtics projections:

  • Jayson Tatum, SF/PF: 47.9 FPTS (26.6 pts, 8.9 reb, 5.1 ast, 2.9 3PM)

  • Jaylen Brown, SG/SF: 35.8 FPTS (20.7 pts, 5.5 reb, 3.9 ast, 1.9 3PM)

  • Kristaps Porzingis, PF/C: 34.6 FPTS (19.7 pts, 7.2 reb, 2.3 ast, 2.3 3PM, 1.5 blk)

  • Jrue Holiday, PG/SG: 33.2 FPTS (15.4 pts, 5.4 reb, 5.4 ast)

  • Derrick White, PG/SG: 25.1 FPTS (13.2 pts, 3.9 reb, 2.3 ast, 1.8 3PM)

  • Al Horford, PF/C: 19.4 FPTS (6.2 pts, 6.5 reb, 2.3 ast)

  • Svi Mykhailiuk, SG: 15.0 FPTS (7.5 pts, 2.3 reb, 1.6 ast)


Brooklyn Nets at Miami Heat
7:30 p.m. Kaseya Center, Miami


Injury Report:
Nets: Dennis Smith Jr., (GTD - Hip); Spencer Dinwiddie, (GTD - Ankle); Nic Claxton, (OUT - Ankle); Cameron Johnson, (OUT - Calf)
Heat: Bam Adebayo, (GTD - Hip); Haywood Highsmith, (GTD - Knee); Jimmy Butler, (GTD - Knee); Caleb Martin, (OUT - Knee)

Nets projections:

Heat projections:

  • Tyler Herro, PG/SG: 40.2 FPTS (22.0 pts, 4.8 reb, 4.4 ast, 3.3 3PM)

  • Jimmy Butler, SF/PF: 40.1 FPTS (21.7 pts, 7.2 reb, 4.4 ast)

  • Bam Adebayo, C: 29.9 FPTS (16.9 pts, 8.0 reb, 3.0 ast, 1.2 blk)

  • Kyle Lowry, PG: 24.3 FPTS (8.1 pts, 4.6 reb, 4.6 ast)

  • Kevin Love, PF/C: 19.0 FPTS (8.3 pts, 5.7 reb, 1.3 ast)

  • Duncan Robinson, SG/SF: 16.6 FPTS (9.0 pts, 2.1 reb, 1.1 ast, 2.2 3PM)

  • Josh Richardson, SG/SF: 14.9 FPTS (7.1 pts, 2.3 reb, 1.8 ast)


Cleveland Cavaliers at New York Knicks
7:30 p.m. Madison Square Garden, New York


Injury Report:
Cavaliers: Ricky Rubio, (OUT - Personal); Caris LeVert, (GTD - Hamstring); Darius Garland, (GTD - Hamstring); Jarrett Allen, (GTD - Ankle); Ty Jerome, (GTD - Ankle)
Knicks: None reported

Cavaliers projections:

  • Donovan Mitchell, PG/SG: 44.2 FPTS (24.8 pts, 4.4 reb, 5.2 ast, 3.5 3PM)

  • Evan Mobley, PF/C: 28.1 FPTS (14.6 pts, 9.0 reb, 2.5 ast, 1.4 blk)

  • Max Strus, SG/SF: 25.4 FPTS (11.2 pts, 4.9 reb, 1.9 ast, 2.9 3PM)

  • Caris LeVert, SG/SF: 23.1 FPTS (11.3 pts, 2.5 reb, 3.0 ast, 2.2 3PM)

  • Isaac Okoro, SG/SF: 18.9 FPTS (9.3 pts, 3.7 reb, 1.4 ast)

  • Dean Wade, PF: 12.6 FPTS (4.2 pts, 3.2 reb, 1.1 ast)

  • Sam Merrill, SG: 11.6 FPTS (5.2 pts, 1.8 reb, 0.7 ast)

Knicks projections:


New Orleans Pelicans at Oklahoma City Thunder
7:30 p.m. Paycom Center, Oklahoma City


Injury Report:
Pelicans: Brandon Ingram, (GTD - Knee); Jose Alvarado, (OUT - Ankle); Naji Marshall, (OUT - Knee); Trey Murphy III, (OUT - Knee)
Thunder: Jaylin Williams, (OUT - Hamstring); Kenrich Williams, (OUT - Back)

Pelicans projections:

Thunder projections:


Charlotte Hornets at Houston Rockets
8 p.m. Toyota Center, Houston


Injury Report:
Hornets: Cody Martin, (OUT - Knee); James Bouknight, (OUT - Knee); Miles Bridges, (OUT - Suspension); Frank Ntilikina, (OUT - Lower Leg)
Rockets: Tari Eason, (OUT - Lower Leg); Victor Oladipo, (OUT - Knee)

Hornets projections:

Rockets projections:


Denver Nuggets at Minnesota Timberwolves
8 p.m. Target Center, Minneapolis


Injury Report:
Nuggets: Vlatko Cancar, (OUT - Knee)
Timberwolves: Jaylen Clark, (OUT - Achilles); Jaden McDaniels, (GTD - Calf); Shake Milton, (GTD - Foot)

Nuggets projections:

Timberwolves projections:


Chicago Bulls at Dallas Mavericks
8:30 p.m. American Airlines Center, Dallas


Injury Report:
Bulls: Lonzo Ball, (OUT - Knee); Zach LaVine, (GTD - Back)
Mavericks: Kyrie Irving, (GTD - Foot)

Bulls projections:

Mavericks projections:

  • Luka Doncic, PG: 53.4 FPTS (31.6 pts, 8.3 reb, 6.3 ast, 3.9 3PM)

  • Kyrie Irving, PG/SG: 41.2 FPTS (23.7 pts, 3.9 reb, 4.9 ast, 2.7 3PM)

  • Tim Hardaway Jr., SG/SF: 25.3 FPTS (14.3 pts, 3.3 reb, 2.1 ast, 2.6 3PM)

  • Jaden Hardy, SG: 18.8 FPTS (12.3 pts, 2.6 reb, 1.6 ast)

  • Grant Williams, PF: 17.7 FPTS (8.5 pts, 4.2 reb, 1.0 ast)

  • Josh Green, SG/SF: 16.6 FPTS (8.8 pts, 3.1 reb, 1.4 ast)

  • Maxi Kleber, PF: 13.9 FPTS (5.8 pts, 4.3 reb, 1.1 ast)


Memphis Grizzlies at Utah Jazz
9 p.m. Delta Center, Salt Lake City


Injury Report:
Grizzlies: Brandon Clarke, (OUT - Achilles); Steven Adams, (OUT - Knee); Derrick Rose, (OUT - Knee); Santi Aldama, (OUT - Ankle); Ja Morant, (OUT - Suspension)
Jazz: None reported

Grizzlies projections:

Jazz projections:


Sacramento Kings at Golden State Warriors
10 p.m. Chase Center, San Francisco


Injury Report:
Kings: Trey Lyles, (OUT - Calf); De'Aaron Fox, (OUT - Ankle)
Warriors: Dario Saric, (GTD - Hip); Jonathan Kuminga, (GTD - Knee); Klay Thompson, (GTD - Knee)

Kings projections:

Warriors projections:


LA Clippers at Los Angeles Lakers
10 p.m. Crypto.com Arena, Los Angeles


Injury Report:
Clippers: Filip Petrusev, (GTD - Not Injury Related); James Harden, (GTD - Not Injury Related); Joshua Primo, (GTD - Suspension); P.J. Tucker, (GTD - Not Injury Related); Terance Mann, (GTD - Ankle); Brandon Boston Jr., (OUT - Quadriceps)
Lakers: Cam Reddish, (GTD - Foot); Rui Hachimura, (GTD - Eye); Jalen Hood-Schifino, (OUT - Knee); Jarred Vanderbilt, (OUT - Heel)

Clippers projections:

  • Kawhi Leonard, SF/PF: 46.6 FPTS (26.4 pts, 7.0 reb, 5.1 ast, 2.7 3PM)

  • Paul George, SG/SF/PF: 42.7 FPTS (25.7 pts, 4.7 reb, 4.2 ast, 2.8 3PM)

  • Russell Westbrook, PG: 34.1 FPTS (15.5 pts, 6.3 reb, 6.9 ast)

  • Ivica Zubac, C: 20.1 FPTS (10.2 pts, 8.2 reb, 0.7 ast, 1.3 blk)

  • Bones Hyland, PG/SG: 17.8 FPTS (10.0 pts, 2.0 reb, 1.8 ast, 1.9 3PM)

  • Norman Powell, SG/SF: 17.2 FPTS (10.5 pts, 2.5 reb, 1.4 ast)

  • Joshua Primo, SG: 14.8 FPTS (6.2 pts, 2.6 reb, 3.0 ast)

Lakers projections: