If you have played daily fantasy sports for very long, you realize by now the importance of being contrarian, especially in large-field tournaments. Being able to recognize which players are going to be owned by the majority of the field and find players that you think have a similar point projection but will come at much lower ownership can really separate yourself from your opponents.
It’s a lot easier in NFL to identify the players who will be low-owned due to Thursday Night slates, but NBA can be much more difficult if you aren’t an experienced player.
The purpose of this article will be to bring you some high-upside players at each position who will likely go overlooked and give you an edge.
Keep in mind when constructing rosters that these are contrarian picks. There is a reason that they will be overlooked by many; they are risky plays. If possible, I’d try to relegate these players to GPP-only use, where their high risk-reward styles make more sense.
Nikola Vucevic, C, Orlando Magic
FanDuel Price: $8,000
Why He Will Go Overlooked:
Nikola Vucevic draws a matchup against the Heat, who boast one of the league's best defenses and play at one of the slowest paces. If people are paying up, it will likely be for Hassan Whiteside, but Cole Aldrich will likely be a popular play as well, with DeAndre Jordan and Blake Griffin both already ruled out.
Why You Should Use Him:
Vucevic has played excellently since returning from injury, averaging 39.3 FanDuel points in his past four games.
He draws a matchup against Miami tonight, who has allowed just the seventh-fewest fantasy points to opposing centers. It has been a different story in the low post, though, where Miami has allowed the second-highest points per possession and the third-highest field goal percentage.
Vucevic's main calling card is his work in the low post. He ranks fourth among centers in points out of the post up this season and should have no problem converting down low tonight against Miami.
Vucevic has done well in this matchup in the past, putting up 49 FanDuel points in their one meeting this season, after averaging 36.2 in four meetings last season. He is far from a cash game play, but he is worth a dart throw in tournament lineups.
Goran Dragic, PG, Miami Heat
FanDuel Price: $6,700
Why He Will Go Overlooked:
Point guard is loaded today, as per usual, and Goran Dragic is in the same price range as daily fantasy darling Jose Juan Barea.
This game is also projected to be one of the lowest scoring on the slate, which should keep ownership off of Dragic.
Why You Should Use Him:
Dragic has played well lately, averaging 30.9 FanDuel points over his past six games, including back-to-back games of over 36 FanDuel points.
Dragic draws a matchup against the Magic, who have struggled to defend point guards this season, ranking just 17th against the position.
And he has excelled in this matchup this season, averaging 35.6 FanDuel points per game against Orlando in two previous meetings.
Jae Crowder, SF, Boston Celtics
FanDuel Price: $6,300
Why He Will Go Overlooked:
Giannis Antetokounmpo, Paul George, Carmelo Anthony, and Luke Babbitt are likely to be the popular plays at small forward, which will leave the often underrated Jae Crowder under-owned once again.
Why You Should Use Him:
Crowder hasn't missed a beat in his return to the court, averaging 32 FanDuel points in the three games since he's returned from injury.
He draws a matchup against the Bucks tonight, who have allowed the fifth-most fantasy point to opposing small forwards this season.
Milwaukee also struggles to defend the area in which Crowder really excels, which is as a spot-up shooter. Milwaukee has allowed the most points to opposing spot-up shooters this season, and Crowder leads all small forwards in spot-up points.
In two meetings with Milwaukee in 2016, Crowder has averaged 29.8 FanDuel points, but his efficiency is what has been truly impressive. In those games, Crowder has shot 68.2 percent from the field and 55.6 percent from three.
Those numbers make it clear that the matchup fits, so why has he not averaged more FanDuel points? In his most recent game against Milwaukee, Crowder was on his way to a huge game but couldn't stay out of foul trouble. He finished the game with 20 points on 80 percent shooting, in just 23 minutes. With a full minutes allotment, Crowder should be able to put up some big numbers tonight.
Jordan Clarkson, SG, Los Angeles Lakers
FanDuel Price: $5,300
Why He Will Go Overlooked:
Most expected big things from Jordan Clarkson when the Lakers shut down several of their veteran players, but the second-year guard has averaged just 21.9 FanDuel points since the Lakers have slimmed down their roster. He will likely lose ownership to the cheaper Jamal Crawford, who will be a popular value play with Chris Paul and J.J. Redick out.
Why You Should Use Him:
Clarkson has struggled mightily in his past two games, but a big reason for that is that the Lakers were blown out in both and held to 81 points per game. Los Angeles draws a much easier matchup tonight against New Orleans, who is favored by only two points.
The Pelicans have one of the league's worst defenses, ranking 25th in Defensive Efficiency. They have been especially bad at defending shooting guards, allowing the fifth-most fantasy points to the position.
With Louis Williams and Brandon Bass out for the season, Kobe Bryant limping to the finish line, and D'Angelo Russell struggling, Clarkson is going to have to step up his offensive game tonight. Considering the lack of resistance he is likely to receive from the Pelicans, expect him to perform much better tonight.
He should be locked into 35-plus minutes tonight and could easily return to the form we saw earlier this season and down the stretch last season. He's one of the most appealing under-the-radar tournament plays on tonight's slate.