5 Daily Fantasy Basketball Value Plays for 2/3/16
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'll need to find one of these lower-priced options to squeeze everyone into your lineup.
Let's take a look at five guys -- prices according to FanDuel -- who can help fill the gaps in your lineup tonight. Of course, remember to check our projections closer to tip because so much can change in the NBA throughout the day.
Derrick Rose, PG, Chicago Bulls - $6,000
Derrick Rose has shown signs of life of late and will now take on a Kings team that is allowing the fourth-most FanDuel points to opposing point guards on the season. He should be matched up with Rajon Rondo tonight, which will be an exploitable matchup for him. Rondo ranks a lackluster 19th in Defensive Real Plus-Minus among point guards.
Sacramento is a two-point favorite tonight, so that's interesting regarding DeMarcus Cousins' availability. When we consider the pace of play of these two teams -- the Kings play at the fastest pace in the league and the Bulls at the 11th-fastest -- opportunities for fantasy production should be plentiful in this matchup.
At just a couple hundred dollars more, Jeff Teague has a nice matchup but will have extremely high ownership after his last big outing. Rose makes for a nice pivot off of him at a comparable price point who should be capable of producing a similar output at a decreased ownership percentage.
Rodney Hood, SG, Utah Jazz - $5,900
The Denver Nuggets have struggled defending opposing shooting guards this season -- they've allowed the seventh-most FanDuel points to the position -- which makes targeting Rodney Hood an even easier decision tonight. Hood has had his issues with foul trouble of late, but his increased involvement in the Jazz offense trumps any concerns regarding that issue.
| Time Period | FGA | Points | Usage Rate | FanDuel Points |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Oct-Dec | 10.9 | 12.2 | 21.5% | 20.6 |
| Jan-Feb | 13.5 | 16.7 | 25.8% | 27.1 |
The over/under (195.5) isn't ideal, but Hood's increased efficiency and usage should allow him to overcome this and meet or exceed value tonight.
Robert Covington, SF, Philadelphia 76ers - $5,100
Robert Covington is just too cheap on FanDuel right now; there really isn't much more to it than that. But we don't expect you to just take our word for it of course. As always, we've got numbers to back it up.
Averaging 27.5 FanDuel points over his previous nine contests, Covington has a price that isn't rising quickly enough -- it's only gone up $800 over this timeframe.
The matchup with the Hawks isn't optimal -- they're middle of the pack in terms of fantasy production allowed to opposing small forwards -- but it isn't necessarily enough to push us off of him this evening. Look for Covington -- who is 12th in rebounds per game among small forwards -- to make an impact on the glass against an Atlanta team that boasts the worst rebound differential in the league.
Tobias Harris deserves consideration at just $400 more, but the threat of blowout against the Thunder was enough to push us off of him for the top spot. Watch the status of Covington throughout the day, as he's been dealing with illness this week. If he's a late scratch, Harris makes for a good pivot at a comparable price point.
Myles Turner, PF, Indiana Pacers - $5,500
Before we get into it, let's take care of some housekeeping. If you haven't yet, you need to watch this.
Okay, now that we're all up to speed, let's dig into why Myles Turner is an elite play this evening. Since having his training wheels removed eight games ago, Turner is averaging 32.9 FanDuel points per game and hasn't dropped below 24 in that timeframe. Now he'll face a Nets team that is generous to both frontcourt positions.
There are plenty of options at power forward this evening -- Aaron Gordon and Tristan Thompson are both good values as well -- but Turner has a ceiling that is too intriguing to pass up at this price.
Gorgui Dieng, C, Minnesota Timberwolves - $5,500
With his frontcourt mates Kevin Garnett and Nikola Pekovic likely to be sidelined again this evening, Gorgui Dieng becomes a great value at center on FanDuel. Over the past four games, Dieng is averaging a ridiculous 36 FanDuel points per game. There's a legitimate case to be made for paying up at the center position this evening, but if you're looking to save a few dollars, Dieng's value is unmatched.
If either Garnett or Pekovic play tonight, it takes a little bit of the shine off of Dieng, but he'd still deserve consideration as a tournament option.
