Ariel Epstein breaks down her top plays and who to fade for the NBA DFS slate on Wednesday, Jan. 5

Video Transcript

ARIEL EPSTEIN: Welcome to "Yahoo Daily Fantasy" in the NBA. I'm the Prop Queen Ariel Epstein. I've got two plays and a fade for Wednesday, January 5.

And I'm starting with this Detroit Pistons shooting guard, Cade Cunningham. He is at $29 on Yahoo Fantasy. Going up against the Charlotte Hornets is one of the best ways to go and try to find your plays in "DFS," solely because they are the worst defense in the NBA.

Not only have they been bad all season, the Hornets go from an average of just under 117 points per game allowed to just over 118 points per game allowed. The total has gone up in points they've been giving to their opponents.

When looking at what Cunningham has done, he has done very well when up against bottom 10 defenses, averaging just over 19 points per game, 7 rebounds, and just under 6 assists. I'm putting Cunningham in my lineup tonight. For my second play, I'm putting in my lineup for $26 the Miami Heat shooting guard Tyler Herro.

First off, it looks as if the leading scorer on the heat, Jimmy Butler, is probably going to be out for the game, solely because he's being re-evaluated on that right ankle. He left the game against Golden State on Monday in the third quarter. And with Herro playing without Jimmy Butler this year, he's averaging just over 20 points per game, just under 5 rebounds, and just under 4 assists.

The Portland Trail Blazers are their opponent, and the Trail Blazers have been a terrible defense. They've allowed for the fourth-most points per game to their opponents. And that number of just over 113 points per game has been on the rise in the last 10 games to just under 119 points per game allowed. That's the second-worst defense in the last 10 games in the NBA.

With Herro up against a bottom 10 defense, he's averaging just under 23 points per game, just under 5 rebounds, and 5 assists. I'm putting Tyler Herro in my lineup. For my fade tonight, I am not going to be playing for $49 the Dallas Mavericks point guard Luka Doncic.

He's up against the number 1 defense in the NBA in the Golden State Warriors. I looked back at some of the top 10 players in the NBA. The top 10 shooters up against the Warriors this year, they're averaging just over 21 points per game, 7 and 1/2 rebounds, and just over 5 assists.

Also, the Mavericks are without their big man, Kristaps Porzingis, who's entered the health and safety protocols. This year, without Porzingis, Doncic is averaging 22 points, just over 7 rebounds, and just under 8 assists. For the $49, it's just not worth it to play Luka against the best defense in the NBA.

Here's your NBA "DFS" recap. For $29, I'm playing Cade Cunningham. For $26, I'm playing Tyler Herro. My fade of the night, $49, no way for Luka Doncic. That's it for me, the Prop Queen Ariel Epstein, here on "Yahoo Daily Fantasy." Good luck tonight.

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