One of the keys to finding success in daily fantasy basketball is uncovering potential value plays. If you're looking to roster a stud player or two, you need to consider squeezing in one of these lower-priced options into your lineup.
Let's take a look at five players who can help fill in the gaps in your lineup.
Reggie Jackson, PG, Detroit Pistons ($4,500)
Reggie Jackson should be getting the start at point guard for the Detroit Pistons tonight and in a great spot.
The Pistons played yesterday, and we saw Derrick Rose leave the game early and is unlikely to play tonight versus the Memphis Grizzlies. This puts Jackson in a spot for the start at point guard, along with plenty of minutes in a soft defensive matchup. Jackson is projected for 28.9 minutes, set to produce 28.8 FanDuel points. This has him coming in as our top projected players on the entire slate, which should -- ultimately -- make him one of the most popular players on the slate.
This is also a massive pace-up spot for the Pistons, as they are 22nd in the league and the Grizzlies are the fourth-fastest team in the league. It also helps that the Grizzlies are allowing 46.7 FanDuel points per game to opposing point guards this season.
Brad Wanamaker, PG, Boston Celtics ($4,100)
With both Kemba Walker and Marcus Smart ruled OUT tonight, Brad Wanamaker should be the starting point guard.
A bit of injuries are going around for the Boston Celtics right now, and that means Wanamaker is going to be playing plenty of minutes. We have him projected for 30 minutes and 25 FanDuel points against the Atlanta Hawks tonight. This makes Wanamaker our third-best value play on the night and has him exceeding 5x value. When Walker and Smart are off the court this season, Wanamaker is carrying a modest 16.9% usage rate, along with producing 0.69 FanDuel points per minute. Modest production overall, but with his lower price point, he should be popular tonight.
The Hawks are allowing 47.1 FanDuel points per game to opposing point guards this season -- the 12th-worst in the league -- puts him in a good spot, along with it being pace-up. Expect him to be highly owned in all formats tonight due to these factors.
Caris Levert, SG, Brooklyn Nets ($4,100)
With Kyrie Irving out for the Brooklyn Nets, Caris LeVert should have an increased role.
When Irving is off the court this season, Levert is carrying a 30.6% usage rate, along with producing 0.95 FanDuel points per minute. That is a 4.0% increase in usage when Irving is on the court, making him a clear target tonight. The over/under for tonight's game against the Phoenix Suns is sitting at 223.5 points -- tied for the third-highest on the slate -- along with it set to be very fast-paced, as these two teams are sitting as the 9th and 10th fastest teams in the league.
Levert might not be int he starting lineup for the Nets, but we have him projected for 26 minutes and 23.7 FanDuel points tonight -- falling right in line with production when Irving is off the court. The Suns come into this game allowing 42.9 FanDuel points per game to shooting guards this season, which is the eighth-most in the league.
Justin Holiday, SF, Indiana Pacers ($3,900)
Justin Holiday could be getting the start tonight with T.J. Warren ruled OUT.
Warren is the starting small forward for the Indiana Pacers and is dealing with a concussion, so he will miss tonight's game. This leaves the opening for Holiday -- at sub $4K -- to be a popular value play tonight against the Dallas Mavericks. Among small forwards tonight, Holiday is our eighth-best value play and projected for 20.6 FanDuel points in 27 minutes.
Holiday is already a normal rotational player for the Pacers -- playing in the mid-20s per game -- and has posted 23 FanDuel points or more in three of his past four games.
Cheick Diallo, PF, Phoenix Suns ($3,500)
Hear me out on this one, Cheick Diallo is a viable punt value play tonight.
The Suns are on the second night of a back-to-back, and as established above with Levert, this game has a strong over/under and should be fast-paced. Those are two great factors we always want to look for when it comes to finding potential options for NBA DFS. The Suns have Dario Saric, Frank Kaminsky, and Aron Baynes all ruled out for tonight. This leaves Deandre Ayton as the starting center and really no one else in their frontcourt. The Suns need some size out on the court, and we saw that yesterday with Diallo playing 25 minutes, posting 20.9 FanDuel points.
They should have a similar rotation tonight, and that means a solid amount of minutes are on the table for Diallo. He is the minimum salary tonight and can truly help roster construction if you are for a stars and scrubs build.