FanDuel Price: $6,700
Why He Will Go Overlooked:
Kristaps Porzingis is normally a popular daily fantasy option when Carmelo Anthony is injured, but a unique set of circumstances might keep his ownership lower than it should be on tonight's ugly six-game slate.
For starters, Porzingis is coming off a disappointing game in which he posted just 20 FanDuel points, even with Melo sidelined. In a pace-down matchup against a tough Detroit Pistons interior defense, some fantasy owners may be scared off.
There are also several appealing options at power forward tonight, especially since they're cheaper than Porzingis. Willie Cauley-Stein has been playing exceptionally in an expanded role and should be popular against a potentially Marc Gasol-less Memphis Grizzlies squad. Enes Kanter has played quite well recently and could be a trendy pick.
Serge Ibaka has put up solid numbers since joining the Toronto Raptors and has a revenge matchup against a susceptible Orlando Magic interior defense. If Gasol does end up sitting out, that opens up more playing time for Zach Randolph and JaMychal Green, both of whom could deflect potential Porzingis ownership.
Why You Should Use Him:
Prior to his dud against the Spurs, the Unicorn had enjoyed a productive three-game string of scoring at least 36-plus FanDuel points. With Melo's status up in the air, the Zinger could certainly get back to that level of production. According to RotoGrinders' Court IQ, Porzingis has really benefited from Melo's absence this season, upping his usage rate by two percentage points.
Detroit has been middle-of-the-pack against power forwards, but Porzingis has had no trouble exploiting their interior defense by averaging 40.9 FanDuel points in three meetings, highlighted by a 50.9-point performance the last time the Pistons visited Madison Square Garden.
If Melo ends up playing, Porzingis isn't anything more than a high-upside tournament play. However, if Melo sits, Porzingis is worth a look in any format. The potential for low ownership is just an added bonus.