NBA

3 Daily Fantasy Basketball Value Plays for 3/29/16

Jacob Gibbs  —  @jagibbs_23 Mar 29th, 2016
Ian Mahinmi draws an advantageous matchup against Chicago tonight and comes at quite the discount. Who else is underpriced?

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 three guys 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.

Kyrie Irving, PG, Cleveland Cavaliers

FanDuel Price: $7,000

While $7,000 is slightly higher than the typical cutoff for "value plays," Kyrie Irving comes at such a discount tonight that it felt wrong to not include him. LeBron James has already been declared out for tonight's game, meaning Irving will step into a larger role against a weak Houston defense.

While most expect both Irving and Kevin Love to see big boosts when LeBron sits, it has actually just been Irving who has seen an increase in production this season. Per statmuse.com, Irving has averaged 37.4 FanDuel points in two games without LeBron.

Per NBAwowy.com, Irving's Usage Rate jumps from 25.7 percent with James to a ridiculous 38.8 percent without him. For context, DeMarcus Cousins leads the league in Usage Rate at 35.4 percent. Irving has also averaged 1.28 FanDuel points per minute without LeBron, as opposed to 0.87 with him.

He draws a matchup against Houston tonight, who ranks 22nd in Defensive Efficiency. As a result, Cleveland is expected to outscore their season average by 3.8 points tonight despite the loss of LeBron. Don't try to be cute. Get Irving in your lineups, people.

Ian Mahinmi, C, Indiana Pacers

FanDuel Price: $5,100

Ian Mahinmi is coming off of a 19-point, 11-rebound performance and now has back-to-back contests with at least 33 FanDuel points.

He draws a matchup against the weak interior defense of the Bulls tonight, who have allowed the sixth-most fantasy points to opposing centers. Chicago is also on the back end of a back-to-back, and Pau Gasol played 34 minutes last night -- despite reportedly dealing with knee and ankle injuries. Expect Mahinmi to have his way inside tonight.

In three previous meetings with Chicago this season, Mahinmi averaged 27.2 FanDuel points. He is a safe bet for 20-plus FanDuel points, and he put his upside on full display with his 38.2 FanDuel point performance against Houston two nights ago.

Carl Landry, PF, Philadelphia 76ers

FanDuel Price: $4,700

Carl Landry has been forced into a larger role with Philadelphia dealing with a litany of frontcourt injuries. Over his past five contests, Landry has averaged 25.8 FanDuel points, and he could be in line for similar production tonight, depending on who is available for Philly.

If Nerlens Noel and Jerami Grant are both out tonight, Landry should be expected to handle 25-plus minutes. If Noel suits up, I would likely fade Landry at this price.

Be sure to keep an eye on the injury news because Landry could make some noise against a Charlotte frontcourt that has allowed the 7th-most fantasy points to opposing power forwards this season and ranks 19th in Rebounding Rate.