Showing posts with label DraftKings. Show all posts
Showing posts with label DraftKings. Show all posts

Wednesday, February 11, 2015

Fantasy NBA DraftKings DFS Values (Feb. 11)

The good news is that it's Wednesday and we have a busy slate of games (12) tonight. The bad news is that we will go a full week without any NBA DFS contests with only one game on tap tomorrow night before the start of the All-Star break.


With that said, here are my favorite DraftKings values ($6,500 salary or less) for Wednesday's NBA games:

PG - Elfrid Payton, Orlando Magic (vs. ORL), $5,400: Like any rookie, Payton has had some ups and downs this season, but he has had scored at least 28.75 fantasy points in back-to-back games and in three of his past four. Over the past month, Payton has averaged 29.13 fantasy points in 15 games. During that 15-game span, he has averaged 10.87 points, 6.73 assists, 4.13 rebounds and 2.0 steals per game. And with Tobias Harris out tonight, Payton should also see a slight bump in minutes and usage rate as well.

Others to consider: Tony Parker, San Antonio Spurs ($4,900); J.J. Barea, Dallas Mavericks ($4,900); George Hill, Indiana Pacers ($4,900); Marcus Smart, Boston Celtics ($4,700); Ramon Sessions, Sacramento Kings ($4,200); Dante Exum, Utah Jazz ($3,300)

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SG - J.J. Redick, Los Angeles Clippers (vs. HOU), $3,300: With James Harden scoring nearly 150 fantasy points over his past two games, many will spend all the way to Harden ($10,300) at shooting guard tonight. If you're looking for a viable option at the opposite end of the price spectrum, Redick is worth a look. Returning to the starting lineup from back spasms, he scored 15 (real) points and 25.5 fantasy points in 31 minutes on Feb. 9th. Not only is his salary roughly $1,000 less than its typical range, but the Rockets have allowed the eighth-most fantasy points to opposing shooting guards this season.

Others to consider: Kevin Martin, Minnesota Timberwolves ($6,100); Eric Gordon, New Orleans Pelicans ($5,900); Jamaal Crawford, Los Angeles Clippers ($5,500); Rodney Stuckey, Indiana Pacers ($4,300); Elijah Millsap (if Joe Ingles is ruled out), Utah Jazz ($3,600); J.J. Redick, Los Angeles Clippers ($3,300); Jodie Meeks, Detroit Pistons ($3,300); Courtney Lee, Memphis Grizzlies ($3,100); Garrett Temple, Washington Wizards ($3,000)

SF - Trevor Ariza, Houston Rockets (at LAC), $5,700: Ariza had just 25.75 fantasy points last night, but it was the first time in five games that he had less than 30 fantasy points. Over that five-game span, he has averaged 33.85 fantasy points, which is 5.94x tonight's salary. During that span, Ariza has averaged 15.6 points, 5.8 rebounds, 3.6 assists and 2.4 steals per game and has connected on 15-of-32 three-point attempts. Given that the Clippers have allowed the third-most fantasy points to opposing small forwards, Ariza should reach or exceed value once again.

Others to consider: Chandler Parsons, Dallas Mavericks ($6,500); Josh Smith, Houston Rockets ($6,400); Andrew Wiggins, Minnesota Timberwolves ($6,200); Nicolas Batum, Portland Trail Blazers ($5,400); C.J. Miles, Indiana Pacers ($4,300); Shabazz Muhammad, Minnesota Timberwolves ($3,400); Tony Allen, Memphis Grizzlies ($3,100)

PF - Dirk Nowitzki, Dallas Mavericks (vs. UTA), $6,400: With the All-Star break nearly upon us and an opportunity for Nowitzki to rest, perhaps he sees a few more minutes than typical tonight with Rajon Rondo and Tyson Chandler both out. In addition, Monta Ellis is considered questionable for tonight's game. Either way, Nowitzki has a rock-solid floor with a minimum of 20.75 fantasy points in 31 consecutive games. With only two games of 40-plus fantasy points during that same span, however, Nowitzki makes for a better play in cash games than tournaments.

Others to consider: David West, Indiana Pacers ($6,500); Thaddeus Young, Minnesota Timberwolves ($6,000); Jason Smith, New York Knicks ($4,900); Mitch McGary, Oklahoma City Thunder ($3,800); Lance Thomas, New York Knicks ($3,200)

C - Enes Kanter, Utah Jazz (at DAL), $5,800: Kanter has three double-doubles with more than 30 fantasy points in his past four games and he has a chance to have another strong game with Tyson Chandler out. Not that I expect a DeAndre Jordan-type outing from Kanter against a Chandler-less Mavs interior defense, but Kanter has shown some significant upside with back-to-back games of 49.75 and 50 fantasy points a couple of weeks ago.

Others to consider: Marcin Gortat, Washington Wizards ($5,100); Timofey Mozgov, Cleveland Cavaliers ($5,100); Alexis Ajinca (if Anthony Davis is out), New Orleans Pelicans ($3,800);

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Thursday, February 5, 2015

Fantasy NBA DraftKings DFS Values (Feb. 5)

In tonight's four-game slate, one of those games is not like the other. All four games are projected to be fairly close (five-point spreads or less), but three of the four games have an over-under of 207 points or more. The other, Hornets vs. Wizards, has an over-under of 186.5 points.

There are a few decent plays in the expected low-scoring affair, but in general, I'll look to roster mostly players from the three higher-scoring games.


With that said, here are my favorite DraftKings values ($6,500 salary or less) for Thursday's NBA games:

PG - J.J. Barea, Dallas Mavericks (at SAC), $3,400: Once again, Barea will draw the start and he has scored at least 23 fantasy points in back-to-back starts with Rajon Rondo sidelined. In order to reach 6x tonight's salary, Barea needs to score only 20.4 fantasy points and he should do that fairly easily. Not only have the Kings have allowed the second-most fantasy points to opposing point guards this season, but only the Trail Blazers are projected to score more points tonight than the Mavs based on Vegas odds.

Others to consider: Darren Collison, Sacramento Kings ($6,500); Goran Dragic, Phoenix Suns ($6,100); Isaiah Thomas, Phoenix Suns ($5,400); Devin Harris, Dallas Mavericks ($3,900)

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SG - Jamal Crawford, Los Angeles Clippers (at CLE), $5,000: As J.J. Redick deals with back spasms and is expected to miss another game, Crawford should get another start. Although he made less than one-third of his 22 (yes, 22!) shot attempts on Monday, Crawford scored 30.25 fantasy points in 37 minutes against the Nets. Crawford has played 30-plus minutes in three of his past five games and has scored at least 30 fantasy points in all three of those 30-minute games.

Others to consider: Bradley Beal, Washington Wizards ($6,000); Wesley Matthews, Portland Trail Blazers ($6,000); Ben McLemore, Sacramento Kings ($3,900)

SF - Nicolas Batum, Portland Trail Blazers (vs. PHO), $5,000: I considered going back to the well here with Chandler Parsons, my small forward value pick from yesterday, but I like Batum as much tonight. As noted earlier, the Blazers are projected to score the most points tonight and the Suns have allowed the fourth-most fantasy points to opposing small forwards this season. Batum made just two-of-seven shots on Tuesday yet finished with 34.5 fantasy points as he added eight rebounds, six assists, two blocks and a steal. And without LaMarcus Aldridge in the lineup, Batum went off for 52.5 fantasy points against the Suns just a couple of weeks ago. I don't expect another 50-point game against the Suns, but Batum's ability to rack up multiple statistical categories give him a strong chance to exceed value.

Others to consider: Chandler Parsons, Dallas Mavericks ($5,700); Matt Barnes, Los Angeles Clippers ($4,200)

PF - Brandan Wright, Phoenix Suns (at POR), $3,000: Wright lacks upside as he has played only 17, 19, 19 and 22 minutes over his past four games, respectively. That said, the efficient Wright has a solid floor -- minimum of 16.0 fantasy points over those four games with an average of 19.5 per game over that four-game span -- to make him a viable punt option at the position at the contest-minimum salary.

Others to consider: Dirk Nowitzki, Dallas Mavericks ($6,200); Markieff Morris, Phoenix Suns ($5,900); Cody Zeller, Charlotte Hornets ($5,300)

C - Timofey Mozgov, Cleveland Cavaliers (vs. LAC), $5,200: Mozgov has at least 21 fantasy points in eight of his past nine games and has averaged 27.81 per game (5.35x tonight's salary) over that nine-game span. Over that stretch, Mozgov has averaged 10.66 points, 8.78 rebounds, 2.0 blocks and 0.78 steals per game with four double-doubles. In addition, the Clippers have allowed the sixth-most fantasy points to opposing centers this season.

Others to consider: Tyson Chandler, Dallas Mavericks ($6,400); Marcin Gortat, Washington Wizards ($5,000); Robin Lopez, Portland Trail Blazers ($4,400); Alex Len, Phoenix Suns ($3,200)

* Fantasy Basketball World Championship (FBWC): Qualify for DraftKings FBWC and spend a five-night VIP experience in Vegas culminating in a one-in-40 shot at the $1 MILLION top prize.

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Wednesday, February 4, 2015

Fantasy NBA DraftKings DFS Values (Feb. 4)

The best night of the week for the NBA and daily fantasy basketball purposes is Wednesday night. And making tonight better is that the lone late game, Mavericks at Warriors, has the highest over/under (216.5), by far.

Golden State vs. Dallas will tip off at 10:30 PM; all other games have a 9:00 PM start time (or earlier).

In addition to studs like Stephen Curry, some of my favorite value plays can be found in the final game of the night as well.

It's always a great feeling to be in a strong position in a tournament with a healthy allotment of PMR (player minutes remaining) and to watch your team(s) rise up the leaderboard.


With that said, here are my favorite DraftKings values ($6,500 salary or less) for Wednesday's NBA games:

PG - J.J. Barea, Dallas Mavericks (at GS), $3,400: Not only is Rajon Rondo (face) ruled out for tonight, but Devin Harris (knee, ankle) is questionable for tonight's game. Either way, Barea got the start over Harris without Rondo on Monday and finished with 10 points, eight assists and four rebounds as he scored 26.5 fantasy points in 29 minutes. Even though the Mavs are nearly double-digit underdogs to the Warriors, there are still projected to be one of tonight's top-scoring teams with a Vegas-projected total of 103.5. The debate for favorite value point guard came down to Barea and D.J. Augustin, who has back-to-back 52-point games and three of them in his past five, but many of my lineups will feature both point guards.

Others to consider: D.J. Augustin, Detroit Pistons ($6,200); Tony Parker, San Antonio Spurs ($5,500); Jordan Clarkson, Los Angeles Lakers ($4,800); Trey Burke, Utah Jazz ($4,600); Jerryd Bayless (if Brandon Knight is out), Milwaukee Bucks ($4,300); Marcus Smart, Boston Celtics ($3,700)

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SG - Giannis Antetokounmpo, Milwaukee Bucks (vs. LAL), $5,800: The Bucks are dealing a bunch of injuries as Brandon Knight, Ersan Ilyasova and Zaza Pachulia all sat out in the team's last game, but the Greek Freak has been playing consistent minutes with strong production. Antetokounmpo has double-doubles in back-to-back games and 30-plus fantasy points in three consecutive games. In addition, he has played at least 33 minutes in six consecutive games.

Others to consider: Eric Gordon, New Orleans Pelicans ($6,400); Bradley Beal, Washington Wizards ($6,000); Joe Johnson, Brooklyn Nets ($5,600); Kevin Martin, Minnesota Timberwolves ($5,500); Arron Afflalo, Denver Nuggets ($5,500); Dion Waiters, Oklahoma City Thunder ($4,500); Avery Bradley, Boston Celtics ($4,200)

SF - Chandler Parsons, Dallas Mavericks (at GS), $5,700: Typically (and frustratingly), I tend to start Parsons when he flops. That said, tonight's game against the Warriors is going to be an up-tempo game with a lot of real points and fantasy points alike and his price point should allow him to reach (and exceed) value. Connecting on 10-of-17 three-pointers in his past three games, Parsons has now scored more than 30 fantasy points in back-to-back games with at least 26.5 fantasy points in seven of his eight games. Of course, he was in many of my lineups in the one exception (5.75 fantasy points) during that eight-game span. (Perhaps my inclusion of Parsons on this list is your cue to stay as far away as you can.)

Others to consider: Wilson Chandler, Denver Nuggets ($5,700); Khris Middleton, Milwaukee Bucks ($5,600); Josh Smith, Houston Rockets ($5,300); Luol Deng, Miami Heat ($5,000); Jared Dudley (if he starts again), Milwaukee Bucks ($4,500);

PF - Jared Sullinger, Boston Celtics (vs. DEN), $6,500: After a one-game punishment (benching) for being late, Sully was back in the starting lineup last night and delivered 41.75 fantasy points against the Knicks front court. Tonight, he gets an even more favorable matchup against the Nuggets, who have allowed the most fantasy points to opposing power forwards this season. Over the past 14 games (minus the one-game benching), Sullinger has scored more than 25 fantasy points in every game.

Others to consider: David West, Indiana Pacers ($6,300); Kenneth Faried, Denver Nuggets ($6,200); Donatas Motiejunas, Houston Rockets ($5,600); John Henson, Milwaukee Bucks ($5,000); Kris Humphries, Washington Wizards ($4,600); Patrick Patterson, Toronto Raptors ($4,300); Ed Davis, Los Angeles Lakers ($4,200)

C - Joakim Noah, Chicago Bulls (at HOU), $6,400: Over a one-week span (Sat., Jan. 31st to Fri., Feb. 6th), the Bulls will play only one game -- tonight against the Dwight Howard-less Rockets. Over his past three games, Noah has scored a minimum of 34.5 fantasy points and averaged 43.5 fantasy points. During that three-game span, he averaged 12.0 points, 14.0 rebounds and 6.67 assists with a block and a steal per game.

Others to consider: Brook Lopez, Brooklyn Nets ($6,300); Robert Sacre, Los Angeles Lakers ($3,300)

* Fantasy Basketball World Championship (FBWC): Qualify for DraftKings FBWC and spend a five-night VIP experience in Vegas culminating in a one-in-40 shot at the $1 MILLION top prize.

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Tuesday, February 3, 2015

Fantasy NBA DraftKings DFS Values (Feb. 3)

On a five-game NBA slate on Tuesday, there are only three players priced above $8,800 -- Sacramento's DeMarcus Cousins ($10,500), Golden State's Stephen Curry ($10,300) and Portland's LaMarcus Aldridge ($9,400).

While I'll have some exposure to all three of those high-priced studs, Curry will undoubtedly be the one that I have the most in my lineups. If there's any concern, it's that this game turns into a blowout as the Warriors are favored by 9.5 points and Curry has played less than 30 minutes in two of his three matchups against the Kings this season.

That said, Curry is averaging more than 46 fantasy points per game this season, the Kings have allowed the third-most fantasy points to opposing point guards and are projected to score the most points, by far, tonight based on Vegas odds.

On any given night, Curry has 60-point upside. Only three players in the league have more games with 60-plus fantasy points than Curry (seven games) -- Anthony Davis and James Harden (both 11 games) and Cousins (eight).

In order to fit Curry (and/or Boogie and/or LMA) into your lineup(s), you'll need to find some value plays elsewhere.


With that said, here are my favorite DraftKings values ($6,500 salary or less) for Tuesday's NBA games:

PG - Trey Burke, Utah Jazz (at POR), $4,600: Even if he isn't starting, Burke has played at least 31 minutes in three consecutive games. And over his past four games, Burke has scored 30.0, 20.0, 20.0 and 29.0 fantasy points, respectively, and he has been averaging 16 shot attempts per game over that stretch. Meanwhile, Damian Lillard and the Blazers have allowed the 10th-most fantasy points to opposing point guards this season.

Others to consider: Darren Collison, Sacramento Kings ($6,400); D.J. Augustin, Detroit Pistons ($6,200); Marcus Smart, Boston Celtics ($3,700); Larry Drew, Philadelphia 76ers ($3,000)

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SG - Tyler Johnson, Miami Heat (at DET), $3,900: Listed as a point guard on FanDuel, Johnson is listed as a shooting guard on DraftKings, which makes me like him more on DK. Playing only three NBA games in his career, Johnson now has impressive back-to-back outings and scored a massive (given his minimum-salary price tag) 38.25 fantasy points on Sunday. Doing a bit of everything, he has averaged 8.5 points, 5.0 rebounds, 3.5 assists, 2.5 steals and 1.5 blocks in those two games. Far from the level of "Hassanity," Johnson has nonetheless provided the team with a spark and should continue to see minutes in the mid-20's, at least, as long as Dwyane Wade remains out.

Others to consider: Wesley Matthews, Portland Trail Blazers ($5,800); Arron Afflalo, Denver Nuggets ($5,500)

SF - Jerami Grant, Philadelphia 76ers (vs. DEN), $3,000: Listed in yesterday's post as well, Grant is once again priced at the contest-minimum salary. Grant won't see much more than 26 minutes on any given night, but he should easily reach value while providing lots of salary-cap relief. Scoring a career-high (real) 18 points and 29.75 fantasy points last night, he has connected on 8-of-11 three-point attempts over his past three games. Few players have his potential to make multiple three-pointers and block multiple shots (remember his eight blocks vs. NYK last month?) on a given night. In his past six games, Grant is averaging 20.92 fantasy points per game (6.97x his salary) with a minimum of 16.5 fantasy points (5.5x) and could approach last night's production if Michael Carter-Williams (ankle/shin) sits.

Others to consider: Wilson Chandler, Denver Nuggets ($5,700); Luol Deng, Miami Heat ($5,000); Nicolas Batum, Portland Trail Blazers ($4,900); Joe Ingles, Utah Jazz ($4,300)

PF - Kenneth Faried, Denver Nuggets (at PHI), $6,200: Too inconsistent for cash games, Faried has plenty of upside tonight as a tournament play against the Sixers, who rank last in the NBA in rebounding differential (-4.5). In addition, the Sixers have allowed the fourth-most fantasy points to opposing power forwards this season. Over his past 19 games played, The Manimal has six games with at least 40 fantasy points including games with 57.25 and 61.25 fantasy points, but he has also has six games during that span with less than 25.0. Faried needs just 31.0 fantasy points to reach 5x value and he's averaged 33.34/G during that 19-game span.

Others to consider: Nerlens Noel, Philadelphia 76ers ($5,200); Brandon Bass, Boston Celtics ($5,200); Robert Covington, Philadelphia 76ers ($5,000); Jason Smith, New York Knicks ($4,700); Louis Amundson, New York Knicks ($3,700)

C - Andrew Bogut, Golden State Warriors (at SAC), $4,800: More often than not, I'll pay up for center tonight, but Bogut could potentially see a bump in minutes from his 24 per game as they get a difficult matchup against Cousins. Bogut has been averaging a little more than one fantasy point per minute this season and he's priced at 5.4 times his average fantasy production this season (25.9/G).

Others to consider: Robin Lopez, Portland Trail Blazers ($4,500); Jusuf Nurkic, Denver Nuggets ($4,400); Tyler Zeller, Boston Celtics ($4,100);

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Monday, February 2, 2015

Fantasy NBA DraftKings DFS Values (Feb. 2)

When setting your DraftKings lineup(s) today, you will notice that all players priced at $8,700 or higher have favorable matchups tonight.

New Orleans Pelicans power forward Anthony Davis ($10,800) has the "worst" matchup of that group, but the Hawks have allowed the 11th-most fantasy points to opposing power forwards this season. Of course, the Unibrow (and other players in his salary stratosphere) tend to be matchup-proof anyways.

The only concern for the other $10,000 guys -- LeBron James ($10,600, vs. PHI) or Russell Westbrook and Kevin Durant ($10,100 and $10,000, vs. ORL) -- is the blowout potential. For at least three quarters, however, they should rack up fantasy points at an impressive clip.

In order to afford one (or more) of the high-priced studs, you'll need to find some value plays elsewhere to generate some salary-cap relief.


With that said, here are some DraftKings values ($6,500 salary or less) for Monday's NBA games:

PG - Devin Harris, Dallas Mavericks (vs. MIN), $3,100: With Rajon Rondo (face) already ruled out for Monday, Harris is expected to get the start at point for one of the league's most efficient offenses -- second only to Clippers in Offensive Rating (points scored per 100 possessions). With a salary only $100 above the contest minimum, Harris should be a lock to reach 6x value (18.6 fantasy points) with upside for more. In his past two games, Harris has played 27 and 30 minutes and finished with 23.0 and 21.25 fantasy points, respectively.

Others to consider: Elfrid Payton, Orlando Magic ($5,700); Isaiah Thomas, Phoenix Suns ($5,400); Greivis Vasquez, Toronto Raptors ($4,000); J.J. Barea, Dallas Mavericks ($3,000)

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SG - J.J. Redick, Los Angeles Clippers (at BKN), $3,600: It's not often that I start Redick, but he provides plenty of salary-cap relief if you want to pay up elsewhere and he should easily be able to reach value. Over the past 10 games, he has been priced between $4,000 and $4,600, which is his normally salary range. In other words, he's not usually priced below $4K. Redick needs just 18.0 fantasy points to reach 5x value, something he has done in five of his past seven games.

Others to consider: Eric Gordon, New Orleans Pelicans ($6,200); Bradley Beal, Washington Wizards ($5,900); Giannis Antetokounmpo, Milwaukee Bucks ($5,600); Kyle Korver, Atlanta Hawks ($5,200); Kevin Martin, Minnesota Timberwolves ($5,100); J.R. Smith, Cleveland Cavaliers ($4,700); Lance Stephenson, Charlotte Hornets ($4,600); O.J. Mayo, Milwaukee Bucks ($4,500); Kent Bazemore, Atlanta Hawks ($4,000); Evan Fournier (if Oladipo is out again), Orlando Magic ($3,700)

SF - Jerami Grant, Philadelphia 76ers (at CLE), $3,000: The dropoff in small forward salaries is steep with LeBron and KD both in the five-figure range, then Andrew Wiggins at $6,900 and everybody else at $5,600 or less. If you decide to not pay up and/or punt the position, Grant provides salary-cap relief with his minimum salary and should easily reach value. Grant only gets 20-something minutes per night, but he has the rare potential for multiple three-pointers and blocked shots on any given night and has averaged 18.79 fantasy points per game over his past seven games. Grant has 16.5 fantasy points in five consecutive games and in seven of his past eight.

Others to consider: Khris Middleton, Milwaukee Bucks ($5,300); Paul Pierce, Washington Wizards ($4,800); Luc Richard Mbah A Moute, Philadelphia 76ers ($4,200); Jared Dudley, Milwaukee Bucks ($4,100); Tony Allen, Memphis Grizzlies ($3,000)

PF - Nerlens Noel, Philadelphia 76ers (at CLE), $5,200: In his past 10 games played, Noel has averaged 30.78 fantasy points per game, which would be nearly 6x his salary (5.92). Noel has reached at least 5x tonight's salary (26.0 points) in seven of those 10 games with some upside for 45-plus points, something he has done twice during that stretch. Over that 10-game span, Noel has averaged 9.8 points, 7.9 rebounds, 2.1 steals and 2.2 blocks per game.

Others to consider: Thaddeus Young, Minnesota Timberwolves ($6,200); Dirk Nowitzki, Dallas Mavericks ($6,200); Markieff Morris, Phoenix Suns ($6,000); Ryan Anderson, New Orleans Pelicans ($5,600); Cody Zeller, Charlotte Bobcats ($5,500); John Henson, Milwaukee Bucks ($4,600); Amir Johnson, Toronto Raptors ($4,400); Patrick Patterson, Toronto Raptors ($4,100);

C - Brook Lopez, Brooklyn Nets (vs. LAC), $6,200: It was tough choosing a "favorite" center play as I like, but don't love, all of the options I debated. Obviously, we shouldn't expect a repeat performance of Friday's 63.0-point performance in overtime, but Lopez has played at least 31 minutes and scored at least 31 fantasy points in back-to-back games. If he gets 30-plus minutes tonight versus the Clippers, who have allowed the ninth-most fantasy points to opposing centers, Lopez should have a chance to reach value once again.

Others to consider: Mason Plumlee, Brooklyn Nets ($5,400); Nikola Pekovic, Minnesota Timberwolves ($5,300); Timofey Mozgov, Cleveland Cavaliers ($5,000); Alex Len, Phoenix Suns ($3,500)

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Friday, January 30, 2015

Fantasy NBA DraftKings DFS Values (Jan. 30)

With my value posts in the past, I've listed several options at each position that I liked for that night's games. The idea was that multiple suggestions would lead to greater flexibility when constructing your lineups.

For today's post, I'm going to switch things up and give you my favorite value play at each position as well as list several alternative options that I like as well.


With that said, here are some DraftKings values ($6,500 salary or less) for Friday's NBA games:

PG - Mario Chalmers, Miami Heat (vs. DAL), $4,800: With Dwyane Wade (hamstring) out for several weeks and Luol Deng (calf) out on Friday as well, Chalmers will get a nice bump in his usage rate. Chalmers has scored 30-plus fantasy points in back-to-back games and should be able to duplicate those numbers against the Mavs, who have allowed the fourth-most fantasy points to opposing point guards this season.

Others to consider: Darren Collison, Sacramento Kings ($6,500); Jarrett Jack, Brooklyn Nets ($6,200); Isaiah Thomas, Phoenix Suns ($5,400); Greivis Vasquez, Toronto Raptors ($4,200); Zach LaVine (if Mo Williams is out), Minnesota Timberwolves ($4,000)

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SG - Kevin Martin, Minnesota Timberwolves (at PHI), $4,600: In the two games back in November before Martin's extended absence, he scored 40.75 and 51.5 fantasy points, respectively. Returning from his wrist injury on Wednesday, Martin came off the bench, but he played 29 minutes and scored 21 (real) points as well as 27.5 fantasy points. Facing a Sixers team that has allowed the second-most fantasy points to opposing off guards, Martin should build upon the success he had earlier this week.

Others to consider: Eric Gordon, New Orleans Pelicans ($5,900); J.R. Smith, Cleveland Cavaliers ($5,000); Lou Williams, Toronto Raptors ($4,700); Avery Bradley, Boston Celtics ($4,200); Iman Shumpert, Cleveland Cavaliers ($3,000)

SF - Joe Ingles, Utah Jazz (vs. GS), $4,100: I strongly considered listing Danny Granger here as he should get another start with Deng ruled out, but Ingles has played a minimum of 30 minutes and scored at least 21.5 fantasy points in four consecutive games. Over that four-game span, Ingles has averaged 8.5 points including 2.0 three's, 6.0 assists, 3.5 rebounds and 2.0 steals per game.

Others to consider: Chandler Parsons, Dallas Mavericks ($5,800); Josh Smith, Houston Rockets ($5,300); Danny Granger, Miami Heat ($3,400); Jerami Grant, Philadelphia 76ers ($3,200)

PF - Nerlens Noel, Philadelphia 76ers (vs. MIN), $5,000: With a relatively inconsistent game log, Noel is better as a tournament play, but he has averaged nearly 30 fantasy points (29.28) per game over his past eight games. Noel has averaged 9.13 points and 7.88 rebounds per game during that span, but his upside comes from both blocks (2.0/G over past 10 games) and steals (2.11/G over past nine games). Last but not least, the T'Wolves have allowed the fourth-most fantasy points to opposing power forwards.

Others to consider: Markieff Morris, Phoenix Suns ($5,800); Donatas Motiejunas, Houston Rockets ($5,300); Brandon Bass, Boston Celtics ($5,200); Robert Covington, Philadelphia 76ers ($5,200)

C - Joakim Noah, Chicago Bulls (at PHO), $6,400: Both Noah and Miami's Hassan Whiteside are priced at $6,400 and there is no wrong choice here, but I like Noah's matchup better. (To be fair, I'll have plenty of exposure to Whiteside tonight as well, though.) One concern is that the Bulls game went into double OT last night and Noah has now played 40-plus minutes in two games over three nights, but he was a point and assist shy of a triple-double last night and has racked up 96.0 fantasy points in those two games. Even though the Bulls are 5.5-point underdogs, they are projected to score the sixth-most points (of 18 teams) based on Vegas odds tonight.

Others to consider: Hassan Whiteside, Miami Heat ($6,400); Timofey Mozgov, Cleveland Cavaliers ($5,200); Nikola Pekovic, Minnesota Timberwolves ($5,000); Omer Asik, New Orleans Pelicans ($4,400); Alex Len, Phoenix Suns ($4,200); Alexis Ajinca (if Anthony Davis is out), New Orleans Pelicans ($3,000)

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Thursday, January 29, 2015

Fantasy NBA DraftKings DFS Values (Jan. 29)

Salaries are fairly low at the top tonight as only six players, four of which are bigs (PF/C), are priced at $8,000 or more, which includes brothers Pau Gasol ($9,300) and Marc Gasol ($8,000).

Both Gasol brothers have great matchups -- Pau vs. LAL and Marc vs. DEN -- and stacking them will be a popular strategy tonight. Marc's teammate Zach Randolph ($8,200) is a strong play as well as the Nuggets allow the second-most fantasy points to opposing power forwards and Z-Bo has 10 consecutive double-doubles.

If you load up on high(er)-priced bigs, the good news is there is plenty of value at guard tonight to allow you do so.


With that said, here are some DraftKings values ($6,500 salary or less) for Thursday's NBA games:

PG - Elfrid Payton, Orlando Magic (vs. MIL), $5,600: With impressive consistency for a rookie point guard, Payton scored an eight-game low of 26.5 fantasy points against the Grizzlies on Monday. Over that stretch, Payton has averaged 13.13 points, 8.0 assists and 2.13 steals per game. Although the Bucks have held opposing point guards to the fewest fantasy points this season, Payton does a number of different things to generate fantasy points.

PG - Langston Galloway, New York Knicks (at IND), $4,300: Playing 30 or more minutes in all five of his starts, Galloway has scored at least 32 fantasy points in four of those five games. Based on average production of 30.95 fantasy points per game as a starter, he's priced at 7.2 times his bargain-basement salary. During that five-game span, he has averaged 15.2 points, 2.0 three's, 5.8 rebounds, 3.2 assists and 1.4 steals per game. If Carmelo Anthony rests on the second night of their back-to-back, Galloway may need to shoulder more of the scoring load.

PG - Jordan Clarkson, Los Angeles Lakers (vs. CHI), $3,800: Starting his third consecutive game at the point on Tuesday, Clarkson played more than 36 minutes, scored 18 (real) points and 28.25 fantasy points, all of which were highs this season. He has exceeded 20 fantasy points in two of his three starts and he just needs to score 19.0 fantasy points to reach 5x value.

PG - Beno Udrih, Memphis Grizzlies (vs. DEN), $3,200: If Mike Conley (wrist) misses another game, then Udrih is a strong value play even though Nick Calathes was more productive in their last game. That said, Udrih has played at least 20 minutes in five of his past seven games and has at least 22 fantasy points in four of those five games with 20-plus minutes.

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SG - Arron Afflalo, Denver Nuggets (at MEM), $6,100: Afflalo has scored at least 22.5 fantasy points in 13 of his past 14 games and has averaged 28.7 during that 14-game span. The Grizzlies have one of the league's best defenses and play at the fifth-slowest pace, but Afflalo has a high floor and scored 29.75 fantasy points in his first matchup against the Grizz.

SG - Giannis Antetokounmpo, Milwaukee Bucks (at ORL), $5,400: The allotment of minutes by Jason Kidd is as difficult to predict as the allocation of workloads to running backs by Bill Belichick, but the Greek Freak has seen 33-plus minutes in five of his past six games. During that span, he has averaged 25.67 fantasy points per game -- or slightly less than 5x his salary (4.75). With his all-around statistical contributions, The Alphabet has upside for 35-40 points (and would be 1 and 2 in the player nickname rankings tonight).

SG - O.J. Mayo, Milwaukee Bucks (at ORL), $4,400: With limited upside as a bench player getting less than 30 minutes per night, Mayo has still been consistent with at least 21.5 fantasy points in nine consecutive games and an average of 25.97 during that stretch. Mayo needs just 22.0 fantasy points to reach 5x value.

SF - Khris Middleton, Milwaukee Bucks (at ORL), $5,200: On nights with a large slate of games, I typically avoid the Bucks with the possible exception of Brandon Knight. On a night with four games, I'm more willing to roll with some Bucks in my lineups. That said, Middleton has scored at least 25 fantasy points in three consecutive games and in six of his past nine. Based on the options throughout the price scale tonight, small forward is my least favorite position, which means that Middleton will likely be my most-owned Buck tonight.

PF - David West, Indiana Pacers (vs. NYK), $6,300: Perhaps one of the least exciting options in daily fantasy basketball, West is consistently productive, which is exciting in its own way. In his past 25 games, West has scored less than 20 fantasy points only once and that one game was 19.5 points. During that same 25-game span, he's averaging 30.18 FPPG and has averaged a line of 13.12/7.28/3.56 with 1.0 steals and 0.8 blocks per game as well.

PF - Jason Smith, New York Knicks (at IND), $3,900: Smith had his first double-double of the season last night with 11 points and 11 rebounds while adding six assists and a steal. Smith has played 32-plus minutes in five consecutive games and he has scored at least 25.5 fantasy points in four of those games.

C - Joakim Noah, Chicago Bulls (at LAL), $6,300: Although we shouldn't expect another 50 fantasy points, Noah had an 18/15 double-double with six assists and two steals in Tuesday's overtime win at Golden State. Noah has recently mentioned that he feels as healthy as he has felt all season and he should easily reach value in an exploitable matchup against the Lakers.

C - Zaza Pachulia, Milwaukee Bucks (at ORL), $4,600: If Ersan Ilyasova (groin) misses tonight's game, Pachulia may get a bump in minutes. (Pachulia has played roughly two minutes less over his past six games with Ilyasova in the lineup than he had in the previous 10 games without him.) Either way, he has a favorable matchup against the Magic, who have allowed the sixth-most fantasy points to opposing centers. Over his past 16 games, Pachulia is averaging 27.86 fantasy points, which is 6.06 times tonight's salary.

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Wednesday, January 28, 2015

Fantasy NBA DraftKings DFS Values (Jan. 28th)

Q: When is it a bad idea to pay up for Anthony Davis?
A: Never.

The Unibrow has scored at least 52 fantasy points in six of his past eight games including 64.5 points in his last game against the Sixers on Monday. During that eight-game span, Davis has averaged 28.88 points, 10.0 rebounds, 3.0 blocks and 1.75 steals per game.

With a matchup against the Nuggets, who have allowed the second-most fantasy points to opposing power forwards, it's going to be risky to fade Davis ($11,000), who is priced higher than all players not named James Harden ($11,100).

To make matters more interesting, however, power forward has as much value as any other position tonight.



With that said, here are some DraftKings values ($6,500 salary or less) for Wednesday's NBA games:

PG - Jarrett Jack, Brooklyn Nets (at ATL), $6,000: With Deron Williams out again, Jack should see 34-plus minutes and he has scored at least 34.5 fantasy points in four of his past five games. Over that five-game span, Jack has scored 17.4 points with 6.6 assists, 3.8 rebounds and 2.0 steals per game. The Hawks are one of the best defensive teams in the league, but they have allowed the 10th-most fantasy points to opposing point guards this season.

PG - D.J. Augustin, Detroit Pistons (at PHI), $5,800: In his second start following the season-ending injury to Brandon Jennings, Augustin followed up his 53.5-point performance with 40.5 fantasy points. Augustin had 19 points, nine assists, four rebounds and two steals against the Cavs in 36 minutes last night. While we shouldn't expect 40-plus points from him on a nightly basis, Augustin has a favorable matchup against the Sixers, who have allowed the sixth-most fantasy points to opposing point guards. Take advantage of his depressed price tag while you can.

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PG - Langston Galloway, New York Knicks (vs. OKC), $4,300: Signed for the rest of the season after back-to-back 10-day contracts, Galloway has been one of the bright spots for the Knicks. In his past four games, he has averaged 32 minutes and nearly 30 fantasy points (29.69) per game.

PG - Brian Roberts, Charlotte Bobcats (at SA), $4,200: With Kemba Walker scheduled to have knee surgery on Wednesday, Roberts will run the point for the foreseeable future, but the best thing about him is his price. On the season, he is averaging only 0.66 fantasy points per minute, but the uptick in minutes due to his role should allow him to reach value.

[Update: Mo Williams has been ruled out for personal reasons, which means Zach LaVine gets the start with a $3,000 price tag and should see 30-plus minutes.  As I noted in my FanDuel values post, LaVine has played 30-plus minutes in 11 games.  In those games, he has scored at least 20 fantasy points 10 times and averaged 26.8 per game.]


SG - DeMar DeRozan, Toronto Raptors (vs. SAC), $6,500: DeRozan continues to shake the rust off as he has scored at least 24 (real) points and 36.5 fantasy points in back-to-back games. The good times should continue to roll for DeRozan as the Kings have allowed the 10th-most fantasy points to opposing shooting guards this season.

SG - Wesley Matthews, Portland Trail Blazers (at CLE), $6,100: Matthews has been really productive over his past five games. During that stretch, he has scored at least 28.75 fantasy points and averaged 32.25 per game. Averaging four three-pointers over that stretch, Matthews has averaged 20.2 points and 1.6 steals per game.

SG - Kyle Korver, Atlanta Hawks (vs. BKN), $4,800: Priced at 5.31 times his full-season production (25.5 fantasy points per game), Korver is a deadly outside shooter (and occasional high riser). Given the inconsistent nature of his game log, however, Korver is a better suited as a tournament play.

SG - Kentavious Caldwell-Pope, Detroit Pistons (at PHI), $4,100: Of the shooting guards in action tonight that average at least 23 minutes per game, only Ben McLemore (0.54) averages fewer fantasy points per minute than Caldwell-Pope (0.59). That said, KCP gets nearly 32 minutes per game and a favorable matchup tonight against the Sixers, who have allowed the third-most fantasy points to the position.

SF - Wilson Chandler, Denver Nuggets (at NO), $6,000: Chandler has now scored 38-plus fantasy points in back-to-back games and at least 33 fantasy points in three consecutive games. And Wilson had just shy of 33 fantasy points (32.8) the first time he played the Pelicans this season. The Pelicans have allowed the ninth-most fantasy points to opposing small forwards.

SF - Paul Pierce, Washington Wizards (at PHO), $4,700: Pierce (toe) sat out last night's game against the Lakers, but if he plays against the Suns tonight, he is one of my favorite values at small forward. Pierce has played at least 30 minutes and scored a minimum of 28.75 fantasy points in each of his past three games played. Meanwhile, the Suns have allowed the sixth-most fantasy points to opposing small forwards. Since this game has a 10:30 start, we may not know his status prior to 7 PM, but you can pivot to P.J. Tucker ($4,100), if necessary, thanks to DraftKings' late-swap feature.

PF - Thaddeus Young, Minnesota Timberwolves (vs. BOS), $6,400: Over his past seven games, Young has scored at least 30 fantasy points six times and has averaged 35.82 fantasy points per game. During that span, he's averaging 18.57 points, 6.14 rebounds, 4.71 assists and 1.43 steals per game.  In addition, he has played over 40 minutes in back-to-back games.

PF - Dirk Nowitzki, Dallas Mavericks (at HOU), $6,400: Last night, Nowitzki had a 17-game low in fantasy points (25.25). While his ceiling isn't what it once was, Nowitzki has a 25-point floor and needs 32 fantasy points to reach 5x value. During that 17-game span, he has averaged 31.38 fantasy points per game.

PF - Brandon Bass, Boston Celtics (at MIN), $4,900: Even as his price creeps up, Bass remains a solid value option at the position. Bass has scored a minimum of 22 fantasy points in six consecutive games and the T'Wolves have allowed the third-most fantasy points to opposing power forwards this season.

PF - Jason Smith, New York Knicks (vs. OKC), $3,900: Playing at least 32 minutes in four consecutive games, Smith has scored more than 25 fantasy points in three of those four games. With Amar'e Stoudemire dealing with some injuries (ankle and wrist) and expected to miss some time, Smith should continue to see big minutes despite his sub-$4,000 price tag.

C - Marcin Gortat, Washington Wizards (at PHO), $5,500: Gortat's production has underwhelmed recently and he's been a bit inconsistent as well -- less than 20 fantasy points in five of his past 16 games. That said, he has averaged more than 25 fantasy points per game over his past 12 games and I think he has an excellent shot to reach 5x his value tonight. Moreover, I'm not crazy about many of the other low-priced center options tonight.

C - Nikola Pekovic, Minnesota Timberwolves (vs. BOS), $4,900: Pekovic has now played 30-plus minutes in back-to-back games although he has averaged roughly 20 fantasy points in those two games. Pek gets a more favorable matchup tonight against the Celtics, who have allowed the seventh-most fantasy points to opposing centers this season.

[Note: Al Jefferson is priced slightly higher than my cutoff at $6,700, but he's going to start tonight and is probably my favorite play at center tonight.]

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