Daily Fantasy Basketball: Some DraftKings Values for March 9th

If you play daily fantasy sports (and who isn't these days?!), you know that one of the keys to success is uncovering undervalued players to allow you to load up on studs elsewhere.

In case you've never played daily fantasy basketball, you select your team based on a player's salary and your team's salary cannot exceed the game salary-cap maximum.

For DraftKings leagues, rosters consist of eight players and the salary cap is $50,000, which averages to roughly $6,250 per player. To give you an idea of the range for Sunday's games, Thunder SF/PF Kevin Durant ($11,200) has the contest's highest salary while many are tied for the lowest at the game-minimum salary ($3,000).

There are a number of benefits compared to traditional full-season re-draft leagues, such as:

• you don't have to worry about being saddled by players sidelined by injury;
• having a late pick doesn't rule out owning studs like Kevin Durant or LeBron James;
• you get the instant gratification of winning your league(s) that night.

And you know that enthusiasm you have after drafting your fantasy team(s)? Well, you get to experience that feeling on a nightly basis with daily fantasy basketball.

OK, with the preliminary stuff out of the way, here are some value plays to consider for Tuesday (March 4th) DraftKings leagues:

PG - Will Bynum, Detroit Pistons (at BOS), $3,900: Despite the lack of playing time, Bynum has been productive. In his past five games, Bynum has scored at least 27 fantasy points in four of those outings despite playing 21 minutes or less in each of his past four games.

PG - Ray McCallum, Sacramento Kings (at BKN), $3,400: McCallum has seen an uptick in minutes and he has averaged nearly 20 fantasy points per game (19.38) in the month of March.

PG/SG - Randy Foye, Denver Nuggets (at NO), $4,900: Over his past 10 games, Foye has averaged 30.38 fantasy points per outing. During that 10-game stretch, he has averaged 16.8 points, 4.2 assists, 2.5 rebounds and 1.2 steals per game.

PG/SG - Patrick Beverley, Houston Rockets (vs. POR), $4,700: After scoring 34-plus fantasy points in his first two outings of the month, Beverley has averaged only 15.25 fantasy points in his past two games. That said, he has an opportunity to bounce back on Sunday as only the 76ers have allowed more fantasy points to opposing point guards this season than the Blazers.

PG/SG - Jerryd Bayless, Boston Celtics (vs. DET), $4,300: Over his past six games, Bayless has averaged 31.5 minutes and 24.63 fantasy points per game. During that six-game span, he has averaged 15.5 points, 3.17 rebounds, 2.17 assists and 1.17 assists per game..

SG/SF - Gerald Green, Phoenix Suns (at GS), $6,000: Not only is Green coming off a monster outing where he scored 60.75 fantasy points (41 points, eight three-pointers, five boards and three steals), but Green has scored at least 40 fantasy points in three consecutive outings.

SG/SF - Wilson Chandler, Denver Nuggets (at NO), $5,800: Chandler extended his streak of games with more than 30 fantasy points to three games on Friday. During that stretch, he has averaged 21.67 points, 6.67 rebounds, 1.67 assists and 1.33 steals per game. Even though the Pelicans have been excellent at limiting fantasy points to opposing three's, Chandler is a solid option considering his still modest salary.

SG/SF - Terrence Ross, Toronto Raptors (at MIN), $4,000: After missing a game due to his ankle, Ross scored 18 points as he knocked down six of eight three-pointers on Friday night against the Kings to score 29.0 fantasy points.

SG/SF - P.J. Tucker, Phoenix Suns (at GS), $4,500: Tucker has scored at least 23.5 fantasy points in three consecutive games. In those three games, Tucker has averaged 11.67 points, 7.0 rebounds, 4.0 assists and 1.67 steals per game.

SF - Draymond Green, Golden State Warriors (vs. PHO), $3,800: Green has played in 21-plus minutes and has scored 23-plus fantasy points in each of his past three games. During that stretch, he has averaged 8.33 points, 5.33 rebounds, 4.0 assists and 2.33 steals per game.

PF - Marcus Morris, Phoenix Suns (at GS), $4,300: Morris has averaged 15.0 points and 5.25 rebounds per game over his past four games. During that span, Morris has scored at least 23.25 fantasy points in three of those games and has more than 30 fantasy points twice.

PF/C - Reggie Evans, Sacramento Kings (at BKN), $3,600: A great effort guy, Evans' production primarily comes from his rebounding and he has double-digit boards in two of his past three games. Over his past three games, he has seen at least 26 minutes and has scored more than 20 fantasy points in all three outings.

PF/C - Patrick Patterson, Toronto Raptors (at MIN), $4,300: In his past two games, Patterson has averaged 13.5 points and converted on five of nine treys while adding 5.5 boards, 1.5 blocks and a steal per game.

C - Kelly Olynyk, Boston Celtics (vs. DET), $4,000: The Pistons have allowed the sixth-most fantasy points to opposing centers this season. That said, Olynyk's minutes are a bit of a concern as he played only 17 minutes with six turnovers on Friday. With 27 minutes on Wednesday, however, Olynyk scored 19 points and added five boards, three assists and a block for 32.5 fantasy points.

* Sign up with DraftKings and double your money: Get a 100-percent bonus (up to $600) on your initial deposit with DraftKings.

For those interested in FanDuel leagues, I posted some FanDuel values earlier this morning here.

If you play in full-season leagues, check out my rest-of-season Fantasy NBA rankings.

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Fantasy Basketball Waiver Wire (January 12th Update)

The fourth overall pick in the NBA Draft 10 years ago, Shaun Livingston has never lived up to his potential and hype in large part due to injuries.

Since being drafted straight out of high school in 2004, Livingston has bounced around from franchise to franchise as the Brooklyn Nets are his eighth team.

While he has averaged just 6.8 points and 3.4 assists per game over his career, he has been a major contributor recently with Deron Williams (ankles) out of the Nets' lineup.

“I’ve been in some rough places, especially after my injury [in 2007], but that’s a long time ago. And there were a lot of different thoughts, but those doubts kind of turned to faith. My family, everybody that’s been in my corner, God, it’s brought me a long way,” Livingston said per Mike Mazzeo of ESPN New York.

With or without Williams in the lineup, however, Livingston has played at least 30 minutes in every game this month. Livingston has been a solid contributor in multiple categories, especially on defense: 10.5 points, 5.3 rebounds, 3.2 assists, 1.7 steals and 1.2 blocks per game this month.

According to Tim Bontemps of the New York Post, it appears likely that Williams will not make the team's trip to London and miss another week.

Even when Williams returns to the starting lineup, Livingston should continue to be involved in the team's rotation and he's currently available in nearly 90 percent of Yahoo! leagues. With a rash of injuries at the point guard spot this year (Chris Paul, Russell Westbrook, Jrue Holiday, etc.), Livingston can probably help many fantasy owners in need.

That said, if you play in leagues that allow lineup changes only weekly, please note that Livingston and the Nets play only one game this week.

Here are some players to consider adding and all are available in at least 50 percent of Yahoo! leagues:

PG - Kendall Marshall, Los Angeles Lakers (owned in 48 percent of Yahoo! leagues): With multiple injuries in the Lakers' backcourt, Marshall has run with his opportunity. So far this month, Marshall is averaging 13.6 points, 11.2 assists and 4.8 rebounds per game.

PG - Brian Roberts, New Orleans Pelicans (16 percent): The injury to Jrue Holiday (stress fracture) means starter minutes for Roberts at the point for at least a month's time, if not longer. Roberts shot only 2-of-10 from the field Saturday night, but he added eight assists and two steals in 31 minutes as well.

PG/SG - Randy Foye, Denver Nuggets (46 percent): Foye has averaged 17.7 points, 4.7 rebounds and 3.7 assists per game this month. In addition, Foye has knocked down 20 three-pointers in his past five games.

PG/SG - Shaun Livingston, Brooklyn Nets (11 percent): See above.

SG - Jodie Meeks, Los Angeles Lakers (44 percent): Meeks is averaging nearly 20 points (19.7) per game this month. Launching a career-high 5.3 treys per game this season, Meeks ranks 14th in the Association in three-pointers made (76).

* DraftKings: Play Daily Fantasy Basketball and get a 100-percent bonus (up to $600) on your initial deposit.

SG/SF - Gerald Green, Phoenix Suns (50 percent): Green is averaging 14.8 points, 2.2 treys and 1.7 steals per game this month. With Eric Bledsoe (knee) sidelined for a while (and possibly the rest of the season), Green will continue to get starter's minutes.

SG/SF - Iman Shumpert, New York Knicks (30 percent): After scoring more than 25 points in back-to-back games to start the month, Shumpert has averaged only 8.25 PPG over his past four games. Even so, he has also averaged 1.75 three-pointers, 7.0 rebounds and 2.25 steals per game during that four-game stretch as well.

SG/SF - Mike Dunleavy, Chicago Bulls (27 percent): With Luol Deng now in Cleveland, Dunleavy should get plenty of opportunities to contribute for fantasy owners. Dunleavy has averaged 17.5 points, 2.0 three-pointers and 5.0 rebounds in his past two games.

SG/SF - Terrence Ross, Toronto Raptors (26 percent): Ross is currently averaging 12.3 points, 2.8 three-pointers, 4.0 rebounds and 1.3 assists per game this month.

SG/SF - Jeremy Lamb, Oklahoma City Thunder (15 percent): The 12th overall pick of the 2012 NBA Draft, Lamb is getting many more minutes this year (21.7 per game) than he got as a rookie (6.4 MPG). In addition, his playing time has increased each month from 20.2 MPG (Nov.) to 21.9 MPG (Dec.) to 25.2 MPG (Jan.). Not great in any category, Lamb has contributed across the board with the following averages this month: 10.0 points, 3.7 rebounds, 2.3 assists, 1.3 three-pointers, 1.0 steals and 0.8 blocks.

SG/SF - James Anderson, Philadelphia 76ers (eight percent): Someone to consider in deeper leagues, Anderson has returned to the Sixers' starting lineup. Over his past four games, he is averaging 14.0 points, 5.8 rebounds, 2.0 steals and 0.75 blocks per game.

SF/PF - Terrence Jones, Houston Rockets (47 percent): In four games this month, Jones is averaging nearly 30 minutes per game and a double-double: 11.5 points and 11.75 rebounds per game.

PF - Kris Humphries, Boston Celtics (38 percent): If you need rebounding or blocks, Humphries is averaging 10.3 points, 9.3 rebounds, 1.0 steal and 2.3 blocks per game this month.

PF/C - Jared Sullinger, Boston Celtics (40 percent): After playing less than 20 minutes in three consecutive games, Sullinger has posted back-to-back double-doubles with 32 and 28 minutes, respectively. He now has double-doubles in all four games this month that he has played more than 20 minutes.

PF/C - Patrick Patterson, Toronto Raptors (seven percent): Patterson's minutes have fluctuated a bit this month, but he is averaging 14.2 points, 6.4 rebounds, 1.2 three's and 1.0 blocks per game over his past five games played.

For more assistance with waiver-wire decisions, check out my rest-of-season fantasy basketball rankings.

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