3 Under-the-Radar Daily Fantasy Basketball Plays for 2/23/17
Ty Lawson, PG, Sacramento Kings
FanDuel Price: $4,600
Why He Will Go Overlooked:
While much attention will likely be given to the Sacramento Kings players with Cousins gone, most will likely be focused on the frontcourt, especially with the newly acquired Tyreke Evans, Buddy Hield, and Langston Galloway all being backcourt players.
Ty Lawson will likely fly under-the-radar despite a terrific matchup against his former team.
Why You Should Use Him:
While the backcourt situation is a bit muddled right now, it would make sense for Lawson to continue logging heavy minutes as the newly-acquired players become acclimated to their new team. With Cousins gone, Sacramento will be in need of a playmaker on offense, and Lawson is now arguably their most talented one.
Per nbawowy.com, no player has benefited more from Cousins' absence this season than Lawson. He has seen his usage rate skyrocket from just 15% with Cousins to 24.8% without him, while his FanDuel points per minute has spiked from 0.68 to 0.96 in the same situation.
If he takes on the anticipated role tonight, he should thrive in a revenge game against the Denver Nuggets. Denver has been one of the worst at defending opposing point guards, giving up the third-most FanDuel points to the position and ranking dead last in defensive efficiency.
Starting point guard, Jameer Nelson, boasts a -1.20 DRPM, which ranks 56th among point guards. When he is out of the game, he'll be replaced by Emmanuel Mudiay, who ranks 81st among point guards with a -2.49 DRPM.
It's still unclear what Lawson's role will be on this revamped Kings roster, which takes him out of cash-game consideration, but he has big-time upside at his price. Give him a look in tournaments as a salary-saving option.