FanDuel Price: $4,900
Projected FanDuel Points: 22.2
Projected FanDuel Value: 4.54
Yesterday, the New Orleans Pelicans shipped backup point guard Jameer Nelson to the Chicago Bulls in order to bring on Nikola Mirotic. Mirotic isn't expected to debut until Saturday, and with DeMarcus Cousins already out, there will be usage and playmaking to go around for the Pels. That's where Rajon Rondo comes in.
According to NBAWowy!, when both Cousins and Nelson have been off the floor, Rondo's averaged 1.25 FanDuel points per minute with a ridiculous 53.7% assist rate in 347 minutes. Ian Clark is the only point guard left behind Rondo, and he's averaged just 16.4 minutes per game this season. In other words, Rondo should get a lot of run on Friday.
Right now, the Pelicans' matchup with the Oklahoma City Thunder is expected to be the second-highest scoring game (219-point over/under) of the night. And when you take into account that the Thunder are coming home into the second half of a back-to-back -- after a late-night loss in Denver -- the Pelicans could be in for some cheap points.