Kawhi Leonard Headlines Wednesday's Fantasy Basketball Start 'Em Lineup (Jan. 7)

Building a fantasy basketball Start 'Em lineup for Wednesday's 12-game NBA slate, headlined by Los Angeles Clippers forward Kawhi Leonard.

Jan 5, 2026; Inglewood, California, USA; LA Clippers forward Kawhi Leonard (2) dunks the ball against the Golden State Warriors in the second half at Intuit Dome. | Kirby Lee-Imagn Images

Wednesday night features a highly anticipated slate of NBA action, with 22 teams around the league set to suit up. Fantasy basketball managers will have their hands full building lineups for such a crowded slate, but have plenty of options. The Boston Celtics-Denver Nuggets matchup will kick off the first of two nationally televised games, with the Los Angeles Lakers and San Antonio Spurs set to follow. Here’s a dive into Wednesday night’s Start ‘Em lineup for fantasy managers who may need assistance drumming up lineups. 

G - Tyrese Maxey, Philadelphia 76ers

Jan 5, 2026; Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, USA; Philadelphia 76ers guard Tyrese Maxey (0) drives against Denver Nuggets forward Spencer Jones (21) during the second quarter at Xfinity Mobile Arena. Mandatory Credit: Bill Streicher-Imagn Images | Bill Streicher-Imagn Images

Tyrese Maxey and the Philadelphia 76ers will host the Washington Wizards, presenting a favorable matchup for the All-Star guard. Former MVP Joel Embiid is coming into Wednesday’s game with a questionable tag, and will be a game-time decision to suit up. This will leave Maxey, the league’s third-leading scorer coming into Wednesday, with the bulk of the offensive load against a struggling Wizards squad that allows the second-highest point-per-game total of any team in the league this season. Maxey projects to continue his upward trend of offensive production, as the Sixers come into the game as a 13.5-point favorite.

G - Jaylen Brown - Boston Celtics

Jan 1, 2026; Sacramento, California, USA; Boston Celtics forward Jaylen Brown (7) goes up for a layup against the Sacramento Kings during the second quarter at Golden 1 Center. | Dennis Lee-Imagn Images

Jaylen Brown has kept the Boston Celtics afloat without Jayson Tatum to start the 2025-26 season. Boston will take on the Denver Nuggets on Wednesday night, a matchup that should see Brown dominate once again. The Nikola Jokic-less Nuggets are coming into Wednesday’s game with a plethora of notable injuries on tonight’s report, with Jamal Murray, Aaron Gordon and Christian Braun each entering with questionable tags. Brown, who is averaging 30.6 points, 6.8 rebounds and 5.4 assists over his last five, will look to torch a banged-up Nuggets backcourt on Wednesday as Boston seeks its fifth consecutive win.

F - Kawhi Leonard - Los Angeles Clippers

Jan 5, 2026; Inglewood, California, USA; LA Clippers forward Kawhi Leonard (2) shoots the ball against the Golden State Warriors in the second half at Intuit Dome. | Kirby Lee-Imagn Images

After an abysmal start to the season, Kawhi Leonard has helped the Los Angeles Clippers surge over recent weeks, leading the club to wins in seven of their last eight games. Leonard, who has retained his title as one of the top two-way players in the league, is averaging 35.0 points, 8.3 rebounds and 4.0 assists, along with 2.5 steals and 1.5 blocks on the defensive end. The Clippers will go on the road to Madison Square Garden for a matchup against the New York Knicks, who will be without one of their top defenders in Josh Hart. New York will have a tough time snapping a four-game skid against a red-hot Clippers squad, led by the two-time Finals MVP. 

F - Jalen Johnson - Atlanta Hawks

Jan 5, 2026; Toronto, Ontario, CAN; Atlanta Hawks forward Jalen Johnson (1) makes a no look pass in front of Toronto Raptors forward Collin Murraly-Boyles )12) in the first half at Scotiabank Arena. | Dan Hamilton-Imagn Images

With Trae Young sidelined for much of the season through the Atlanta Hawks’ first 38 games, rising star Jalen Johnson has seemingly taken yet another leap. So far this season, Johnson is one of only two players (Nikola Jokic) to average at least 23 points, 10 rebounds and five assists, emerging as one of the top fantasy players in the NBA this season. Johnson and the Hawks will square off against the New Orleans Pelicans on Wednesday night, presenting an immensely favorable matchup for the fifth-year forward. New Orleans allows the third-most PPG of any team in the league this season, a trend that doesn’t project to continue against a Hawks squad that’s favored by 10.5 points. 

C - Nikola Vucevic - Chicago Bulls

Jan 3, 2026; Chicago, Illinois, USA; Chicago Bulls center Nikola Vucevic (9) shoots a three-point basket against the Charlotte Hornets during the second half at United Center. | Patrick Gorski-Imagn Images

Many big men throughout the NBA will endure tough matchups on Wednesday night, which can be said for Nikola Vucevic, who will take on the Detroit Pistons. The Chicago Bulls will look to pull off a notable win against the top seed in the Eastern Conference, who could be without the likes of All-Star point guard Cade Cunningham. An equally banged-up Bulls team will rely on Vucevic for much of scoring responsibility without the likes of Josh Giddey, and potentially Coby White and Matas Buzelis, who check into Wednesday night’s contest with questionable designations. The two-time All-Star is averaging 20.0 points, 9.0 rebounds and 5.4 assists over his last five games, a trend that projects to continue with expanded offensive volume.