Fantasy NBA FanDuel DFS Values (Jan. 28)

Earlier today, I posted some value plays that I like on DraftKings and now I turn my attention to FanDuel.

Wednesdays always have a large slate of games and there are four $11,000-plus players on tonight's 11-game slate: Anthony Davis ($11,400), James Harden ($11,400), DeMarcus Cousins ($11,100) and LeBron James ($11,000).

In order to afford one of those high-priced studs, finding lower-priced bargains is essential. With that said, here are some FanDuel values (salaries of $7,000 or less) for Wednesday's NBA games:

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PG - D.J. Augustin, Detroit Pistons (at PHI), $6,000: In his second start following the season-ending Achilles injury to Brandon Jennings, Augustin followed up his 49.8-point performance with 36.3 fantasy points. Augustin had 19 points, nine assists, four rebounds and two steals against the Cavs in 36 minutes last night. While he may not score 36 fantasy points again tonight, Augustin has a favorable matchup against the Sixers.

PG - Isaiah Thomas, Phoenix Suns (vs. WAS), $5,800: Over his past four games, Thomas has knocked down 15-of-30 three-pointers and scored at least 22 (real) points in every game. During that four-game span, Thomas has averaged 32.38 fantasy points (5.58 times tonight's salary). Even though the Wizards have one of the league's best defenses, they have been a little friendlier to opposing point guards recently by allowing the fourth-most fantasy points to the position over their past five games and Vegas projects the Suns to score the most points tonight. IT2 will be on a few of my FanDuel tournament lineups.

PG - Langston Galloway, New York Knicks (vs. OKC), $4,800: Signed for the rest of the season after a pair 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 28 fantasy points per game.

PG - Zach LaVine, Minnesota Timberwolves (vs. BOS), $3,700: LaVine gets a huge boost tonight with both Mo Williams (personal reasons) and Ricky Rubio out and should see 30-plus minutes at a near minimum salary.  In 11 games in which he has played at least 30 minutes, LaVine has averaged 24.34 fantasy points per game.

PG - Dante Exum, Utah Jazz (vs. LAC), $3,500: The good news is that Exum should score more than he did in his last game. Of course, it'd be difficult to score less than 2.2 fantasy points. The matchup against Chris Paul and the Clippers tonight is difficult, but Exum is priced at the position-minimum salary, his ownership levels should be very low after his previous dud and he had scored at least 19.5 fantasy points in his previous two games.

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SG - Wes Matthews, Portland Trail Blazers (at CLE), $6,000: Matthews has been really productive over his past five games. During that stretch, he has scored at least 26.6 fantasy points and averaged 29.66 per game. Matthews has a little more upside on DraftKings due to the half-point bonus for three-pointers as he's averaging four three-pointers over that stretch, but he's a solid bet to reach value tonight.

SG - Eric Gordon, New Orleans Pelicans (vs. DEN), $5,600: Over his past 11 games, Gordon has scored a minimum of 19.1 fantasy points in each game with an average of 25.83 per contest. During that stretch, he has averaged 15.36 points and 2.18 three's per game. Over their past 10 games, the Nuggets have allowed the fifth-most fantasy points to opposing shooting guards.

SF - Wilson Chandler, Denver Nuggets (at NO), $5,900: Chandler has now scored 34-plus fantasy points in back-to-back games and at least 32 fantasy points in three consecutive games. And Chandler had 30.5 fantasy points the first time this season against the Pelicans, who have allowed the sixth-most fantasy points to opposing small forwards.

SF - K.J. McDaniels, Philadelphia 76ers (vs. DET), $4,600: I considered listing McDaniels in the DraftKings values post, but I like his value even more on FanDuel where he is priced $100 less. And with a higher average salary on FanDuel, that puts McDaniels' salary at 69.0 percent of the average starter salary versus 75.2 percent on DraftKings. That said, McDaniels has scored at least 28.5 fantasy points in two of his past three games and should be able to reach value tonight.

PF - Thaddeus Young, Minnesota Timberwolves (vs. BOS), $6,800: Over his past seven games, Young has scored at least 32 fantasy points five times and has averaged 34.59 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 - Jason Smith, New York Knicks (vs. OKC), $4,100: Playing at least 32 minutes in four consecutive games, Smith has scored more than 24 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.

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 six of his past 16 games. That said, he has averaged 24.1 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.

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Fantasy NBA DraftKings DFS Values (Jan. 25th)

On Saturday, no player had a higher salary than Portland's Damian Lillard ($9,400) and all of the games had an over-under of 196.0 or less.

What a difference a day makes!

For Sunday's slate of games, we have six different players priced at $10,000 or more with Anthony Davis ($11,100) priced the highest. And nine of the 11 Sunday games have an over-under of at least 200 with the Suns and Clippers leading the way at 222.0.

With an average available salary of $6,250 per player on DraftKings, identifying some values will be key if you're going to fit some of the high-priced studs into your lineup(s).

As usual, we will highlight some players we like that are priced at $6,500 or less in order to help you uncover some value.

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With that said, here are some DraftKings values for Sunday's NBA games:

PG - Elfrid Payton, Orlando Magic (vs. IND), $5,500: Payton left Friday's game late with knee soreness and is considered questionable for tonight's game. If he plays, however, Payton has scored at least 28.5 -- and averaged 35.21 -- fantasy points in his past six games. During that span, the rookie has averaged 13.83 points, 8.33 assists, 4.17 rebounds and 2.33 steals per game.

PG - D.J. Augustin, Detroit Pistons (at TOR), $3,200: The devastating injury to Brandon Jennings (Achilles) last night will open up plenty of minutes for Augustin, who moves into the starting point guard spot. Augustin is averaging 0.82 fantasy points per minute and should easily see 30-plus minutes today, which makes him one of the top value plays of the day at any position.

PG - Jerryd Bayless, Milwaukee Bucks (at SA), $3,000: Bayless has played 20-plus minutes with 20-plus fantasy points in each of his past two games. In those two games, Bayless has dished out nine and eight assists, respectively. Bayless provides some salary-cap relief at the position-minimum salary, but I'll have much more Augustin than Bayless today.

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SG - Bradley Beal, Washington Wizards (at DEN), $6,300: Given Beal's inconsistency, he's better suited as a tournament play than for cash games. Over his past eight games, however, Beal has scored at least 26 fantasy points in all six games that he has played at least 30 minutes. During that eight-game span (including the two duds), Beal has averaged 13.38 points, 1.5 three's, 4.5 rebounds, 4.25 assists and a steal per game. Given the favorable matchup against the Nuggets, who allow the eighth-most fantasy points to opposing two guards and rank fourth in the league in pace, Beal has 40-point upside Sunday.

SG - Eric Gordon, New Orleans Pelicans (vs. DAL), $5,700: With Jrue Holiday out for a few more weeks, Gordon should continue to be a strong option although his price is beginning to creep up. Over his past nine games, Gordon has averaged nearly 30 fantasy points (29.64) with an average of 16.3 points, 2.11 three's, 4.78 assists and 3.22 rebounds per game with a steal in eight of those nine games.

SG - Kyle Korver, Atlanta Hawks (vs. MIN), $4,800: As 18.5-point favorites, the Hawks may rest some starters, but the matchup is otherwise as good as it gets. No team has allowed more fantasy points to opposing shooting guards this season than the Timberwolves. Because of the likelihood of a blowout, I'll avoid all of the higher-priced options just in case, but the risk with Korver is relatively low even if he plays only three quarters given his sub-$5,000 salary.

SG - Wayne Ellington, Los Angeles Lakers (vs. HOU), $3,600: With Kobe Bryant out for the rest of the season, Ellington will be one of the biggest beneficiaries. Ellington has 20-plus fantasy points in back-to-back games and should reach value today while providing owners with some salary-cap relief.

SF - Paul Pierce, Washington Wizards (at DEN), $4,600: I almost never play Pierce, but he has been productive in his past two games with at least 31 fantasy points in each. In those two games, he has averaged 16.5 points, 2.5 three's, 9.0 rebounds and a steal per game. Especially for the contests that start at 6 p.m. and therefore exclude LeBron James and Kevin Durant, I'm not crazy about the small forward options today.

SF - P.J. Tucker, Phoenix Suns (vs. LAC), $4,200: As noted earlier, the Suns-Clippers game has today's highest over-under (222.0) and stacking this game is certainly a recommended course of action. Obviously, Tucker is far from the Suns' top option, but he's a cheap way to get additional exposure to a game loaded with this much fantasy upside. Tucker's production tends to be a bit inconsistent, but he has averaged 24.07 fantasy points per game over his past seven games. In addition, he doesn't need to score to be productive as he showed on Wednesday with three real points and 36.75 fantasy points.

PF - Thaddeus Young, Minnesota Timberwolves (at ATL), $6,000: Young had just 21 fantasy points on Friday, but he had scored more than 30 fantasy points in each of his previous four games. Over his past five games, he is averaging 16.4 points, 5.8 rebounds, 4.6 assists and 1.4 steals per game.

PF - Nene Hilario, Washington Wizards (at DEN), $5,400: Nene returns to Denver, where he has spent the majority of his career. The Nuggets really struggle to defend bigs as they allow the fourth-most fantasy points to opposing power forwards and Nene has been productive recently. Not only does he have at least 20 fantasy points in nine of 10 games, but he has averaged 31.88 over his past four games.

PF - Brandon Bass, Boston Celtics (at GS), $4,400: Whether or not the Celtics are showcasing Bass for a trade, he's become nearly a must-start as long as he's still a Celtic with his low price point. Over his past four games, Bass has averaged 15.75 points, 6.5 rebounds, 3.25 assists and 1.25 steals per game. And he's been especially good in his past two games with 38.0 and 43.75 fantasy points, respectively.

PF - Patrick Patterson, Toronto Raptors (vs. DET), $4,000: Patterson has been playing well and even if he doesn't start (although he started the second half on Friday), Two-Patt should be able to reach value. In his past three games, he's averaging 10.67 points and 11.67 boards per game with a total of 11 three-pointers in those three games. (DraftKings offers a bonus for double-doubles and three-pointers.)

C - Marcin Gortat, Washington Wizards (at DEN), $5,500: The Polish Hammer is coming off a sub-par performance (13.75 fantasy points), but he is another Wizard that is a solid value today. As noted with Nene, the Nuggets struggle to defend the low post and they have allowed the third-most fantasy points to opposing centers.

C - Timofey Mozgov, Cleveland Cavaliers (vs. OKC), $5,200: Mozgov has now posted double-doubles in three consecutive games. During that span, he's averaging 15.0 points, 12.0 rebounds, 1.67 blocked shots and 35.83 fantasy points per game.

C - Alex Len, Phoenix Suns (vs. LAC), $4,600: The potential of early foul trouble against the talented Clippers front court is a concern, but Len has had a couple of productive outings the first two times he has faced the Clippers this season. Even though he had 11 personal fouls in those two games, he has averaged 15.5 points and 9.0 rebounds in 26 minutes per contest.

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Fantasy NBA DraftKings DFS Values (Jan. 24th)

More so than in most nights, there is not much offensive firepower in tonight's five-game NBA slate.

No game has an over-under greater than 196.0 and only the Memphis Grizzlies (103.5) and Washington Wizards (100.5) are projected to score at least 100 points based on Vegas odds.

In addition, the Grizzlies are 17-point favorites over the Sixers so we could see their starters on the bench for most or all of the fourth quarter.

Moreover, there are no $10,000 players tonight and Portland's Damian Lillard ($9,400) is the highest-priced player. With all of the team's injuries, his usage rate should be off the charts even if the matchup against the Wizards is difficult. Washington's John Wall ($9,200) and Charlotte's Kemba Walker ($9,000) are the only other options priced at $9,000-plus.

[Update: LaMarcus Aldridge will postpone surgery and play tonight vs. Wizards.]

With an average salary of $6,250 per player on DraftKings, you'll still need to identify some values in order to play guys like Lillard or Wall. As usual, we will highlight some players we like that are priced at $6,500 or less in order to help you uncover some value.


With that said, here are some DraftKings values for Saturday's NBA games:

PG - Jarrett Jack, Brooklyn Nets (at UTA), $6,000: With Deron Williams (rib) ruled out at least until Monday, Jack will get as many minutes as he can handle. In a tough matchup against Chris Paul and the Clippers, Jack had just 17.25 fantasy points on Thursday. Prior to that, however, he had averaged 32.56 fantasy points in his previous nine games.

PG - Langston Galloway, New York Knicks (at CHA), $4,100: Another start with at least 30 minutes for Galloway and another 30-point fantasy performance. With starts in the team's past three games, Galloway has scored a very consistent and productive 32.25, 32.25 and 32.5 fantasy points, respectively. For as long as he's starting and priced under $5,000, Galloway has become close to a must-start. And with Jose Calderon (knee) out tonight, that only further assists Galloway's fantasy production.

PG - Dante Exum, Utah Jazz (vs. BKN), $3,200: With Exum getting the start over Trey Burke on Thursday, he played a season-high 35 minutes and finished with 23.5 fantasy points. Exum knocked down five of 10 three-pointers for 15 points and added five assists. Exum is averaging an extremely low 0.56 fantasy points per minute on the season, but he should reach and exceed value assuming he gets more than 30 minutes again.

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SG - Giannis Antetokounmpo, Milwaukee Bucks (vs. DET), $5,300: As difficult as it is to trust Jason Kidd, The Alphabet is productive when given minutes and he has averaged 31 minutes and 28 fantasy points over his past three games. Contributing in a variety of ways, he has averaged 11.7 points, 4.7 boards, 2.7 assists and 3.3 steals per game during that span. In addition, the Pistons have allowed the third-most fantasy points to opposing shooting guards this season.

SG - Courtney Lee, Memphis Grizzlies (vs. PHI), $3,800: After taking double-digit shot attempts in five consecutive games, Lee was 0-for-3 on Wednesday against the Raptors. Even so, he still finished with 16.75 fantasy points. In his previous five games, he scored a minimum of 21.5 fantasy points with an average of 24.2 fantasy points per game. While he has a low ceiling, Lee should easily reach 5x salary (19.0) against the Sixers, who have allowed the second-most fantasy points to opposing shooting guards.

SF - Jeff Green, Memphis Grizzlies (vs. PHI), $5,100: Green had a disappointing performance (11.5 fantasy points) on Wednesday, but a matchup against the Sixers is the perfect recipe for a bounce-back performance. In his previous three games, Green averaged exactly 30 fantasy points per game.

SF - Luc Richard Mbah a Moute, Philadelphia 76ers (at MEM), $3,800: After missing a game, Mbah a Moute returned to the starting lineup and scored 10 points with five rebounds, two assists, a steal and a block on Friday night. Mbah a Moute has now reached 20 fantasy points in his past three games and despite the difficult matchup, he has a solid shot at reaching 5x (19.0) his salary if you're looking for some salary-cap relief.

PF - Nerlens Noel, Philadephia 76ers (at MEM), $5,100: After missing Wednesday's game with flu-like symptoms, Noel returned to drop 35.5 fantasy points last night. In order for Noel to reach 6x salary, he'll need to score 30.6 fantasy points tonight. Noel has scored more than that in four of his past five games and the Grizzlies have allowed the third-most fantasy points to opposing power forwards this season.

PF - Jason Smith, New York Knicks (at CHA), $3,900: Smith has played at least 32 minutes in each of the team's past three games and has scored a minimum of 25.5 fantasy points in those games including 33.75 last night. Although Amar'e Stoudemire, who missed last night's game, is available for tonight, Smith has a great chance to reach value at his salary.

C - Marcin Gortat, Washington Wizards (at POR), $5,500: The Polish Hammer has averaged less than 29 minutes over his past seven games with a couple of outings during that span of less than 20 fantasy points. That said, he has scored more than 33 fantasy points in two of his past three games and the Blazers front court has been decimated by injuries.

C - Zaza Pachulia, Milwaukee Bucks (vs. DET), $5,300: Pachulia gets a favorable matchup against the Pistons, who have allowed the most fantasy points to opposing centers this season. Pachulia has scored at least 25 fantasy points in three consecutive games and in five of his past six games. In addition, he has posted five double-doubles in his past nine games, with 36-plus fantasy points in four of those nine games.

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Daily Fantasy Basketball: FanDuel Values for March 8th

If you play daily fantasy sports (and who doesn'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, every player has a salary and your roster cannot exceed the game's salary-cap maximum.

For FanDuel leagues, rosters consist of nine players and the salary cap is $60,000, which averages to roughly $6,667 per player. To give you an idea of the range for Saturday's games, Knicks PF Carmelo Anthony ($10,200) has the contest's highest salary while many are tied for the lowest at the game-minimum salary ($3,500).

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 Saturday (March 8th) FanDuel leagues:

PG - Mike Conley, Memphis Grizzlies (vs. CHA), $6,600: Excluding a dud to the Nets on Wednesday, Conley has scored at least 30 fantasy points in three of his past four games. On the season, Conley is averaging 17.15 points, 6.21 assists and 1.5 steals per game.

PG - Trey Burke, Utah Jazz (at PHI), $5,600: The rookie out of Michigan has struggled with inconsistent fantasy production over his past six games. During that stretch, Burke has scored less than 20 fantasy points four times and has averaged a mere 17.53 per game. If there's a game in which Burke will break out of that slump, it could be tonight against the Sixers. No team has allowed more fantasy points to opposing point guards this season than the Sixers.

PG - Darren Collison, Los Angeles Clippers (vs. ATL), $6,000: While he has scored 30-plus fantasy points in three of his past four games, Collison's fantasy value will take a hit if Jamal Crawford returns from his three-game absence tonight. Earlier tonight, beat writer Dan Woike tweeted that Crawford "felt good" at shootaround and will be a dreaded "game-time decision" for tonight. Unfortunately, this game does not tip off until 11:30 p.m. ET, which would likely leave you rolling the dice if you start Collison.

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SG - Dion Waiters, Cleveland Cavaliers (vs. NYK), $5,400: In his two games back since returning from injury, Waiters has scored 29.7 and 32.5 fantasy points, respectively. The good times should continue to roll for Waiters as the Knicks have allowed the fourth-most fantasy points to opposing off guards this season.

SG - Manu Ginobili, San Antonio Spurs (vs. ORL), $4,500: Ginobili is coming off a disappointing performance (six points, four assists and only 11.0 fantasy points) against the Heat on Thursday. That said, he had 22-plus fantasy points in each of his previous four games and the Magic have allowed the fifth-most fantasy points to shooting guards this season.

SG - Chris Douglas-Roberts, Charlotte Bobcats (at MEM), $3,700: Douglas-Roberts has seen 24, 29 and 33 minutes, respectively, in his last three games and Gerald Henderson (calf) will miss another game tonight. In an all-around performance on Friday night, CDR was a rebound shy of a double-double with 14 points, nine boards, two steals and a block for 32.3 fantasy points.

SF - Matt Barnes, Los Angeles Clippers (vs. ATL), $5,700: Like with Collison, Barnes is a better daily option tonight if Crawford (GTD) sits out. In the three games that Crawford has missed, Barnes has scored 31.2, 41.2 and 43.9 fantasy points, respectively. In addition, tonight's matchup is favorable as the Hawks have allowed the ninth-most fantasy points to opposing small forwards.

SF - Maurice Harkless, Orlando Magic (at SAS), $4,600: In his past five games, Harkless has averaged 36.2 minutes per game and posted an average line of 14.8 points, 4.0 rebounds, 1.8 steals and 1.2 blocks. During that stretch, he has scored a minimum of 22.1 fantasy points per game. While the Spurs are one of the better teams in the league at defending small forwards, there's a good chance that he produces well enough to exceed his relatively low cost.

SF - Jeff Adrien, Milwaukee Bucks (vs. WAS), $4,000: Getting extra minutes due to Ersan Ilyasova's suspension, Adrien posted a double-double (20 points, 10 rebounds) and added three blocks, two assists and a steal in his most recent game. Either way, Adrien has been a beast on the boards with five games of double-digit rebounds.

PF - Derrick Favors, Utah Jazz (at PHI), $6,100: With three consecutive duds lowering his cost and an extremely favorable matchup tonight, you should strongly consider starting Favors on Saturday. Only the Lakers have allowed more fantasy points than the Sixers, which gives Favors the ideal opportunity for a bounce-back performance.

PF - Boris Diaw, San Antonio Spurs (vs. ORL), $5,100: Diaw has been highly productive and consistent recently with 31.0 to 31.5 fantasy points in each of his past three games. Doing a bit of everything, he has averaged 15.33 points, 7.67 rebounds, 3.33 assists, 1.0 blocks and 1.0 steals per game during that span.

C - Marcin Gortat, Washington Wizards (at MIL), $7,100: In his last nine games, Gortat has scored at least 30 fantasy points eight times. The lone exception was 28.1 fantasy points against the Grizzlies, who have allowed the fewest fantasy points to opposing centers this season. The Bucks aren't the Grizzlies as only the Lakers and Sixers allow more fantasy points to opposing centers.

C - Kyle O'Quinn, Orlando Magic (at SAS), $4,700: Despite playing less than 20 minutes in three of his past four games, O'Quinn has scored 22-plus fantasy points in five of past six games. In the one game over the past four that he barely saw more than 20 minutes (22), O'Quinn had a double-double (14 points, 15 rebounds) and scored 39.0 fantasy points.

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Daily Fantasy Basketball: DraftStreet Advice for March 8th

In order to help you set your DraftStreet lineups in daily fantasy basketball leagues, Sean Beazley has a list of some players that he likes for Saturday's games:

Here are a few players I like tonight.

C – Marcin Gortat – Washington – $15,285

Gortat has a great matchup vs. the Bucks, against whom he has averaged 19.5 points and 8.0 boards in two games. I think Gortat is a lock for a double-double and should exploit the middle of this defense that ranks 28th in the NBA against fantasy centers. I’m expecting 40 fantasy points (FP) tonight.

F – Boris Diaw – San Antonio – $11,429

In his past four games, Diaw has averaged 28 FP, and almost 30 minutes per game. Diaw is now the starting center in San Antonio, and he is very efficient from the field knocking down 55 percent of his shots. Diaw is definitely a player I’m aiming to hit maximum value tonight.

F – Thaddeus Young – Philadelphia – $15,543

Thad is a boom-or-bust play. In his last outing vs. the Thunder, he had a tiny 7.5 FP. He was a lineup crusher for sure. I think he rebounds tonight against a Jazz team that has been in the bottom third in the league vs. PFs over the past 10 games. I’m hoping for a 40+ point night.

G – Dion Waiters – Cleveland – $9,710

New York has had a tough time defending opposing SGs this year, so Waiters has great value at less than 10K. He is averaging about 26.5 FP per game since coming back from injury, which means he is undervalued tonight. He is still coming off the bench for the Cavs, but played five more minutes than starter Jarrett Jack last night. Waiters is a must-play in all formats tonight.

Best of Luck Tonight

Put Sean's advice to use in a DraftStreet league for tonight's games.

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Daily Fantasy Basketball: DraftStreet Advice for March 5th

In order to help you set your DraftStreet lineups in daily fantasy basketball leagues, Sean Beazley has a list of some players that he likes for Wednesday's games:

Today is the day of the $50,000 Guaranteed over at DraftStreet. Last week, I was fortunate to finish in 4th place with a monster team including Josh Smith, who went off for 33 fantasy points in the 1st half. Unfortunately, somehow Smith was just held to 3 fantasy points in the 2nd half and I fell just a few points behind the leader and a 10K score.

Here are a few players I like today:

Reggie Evans – F – Sacramento $6,081

Ever since Evans landed in Sacramento, he has been an immediate contributor. He is an absolute beast on the glass. He may be one of the top rebounders in the NBA. He really doesn’t have a lot of game to go with this skill, which is why he doesn’t get more minutes. At just over 6K though, all you need is 15 FP for him to hit value. I like to aim for 20 FP with my low-end plays as the top guys rarely hit actual value. Over his past four games, Evans has averaged 21.5 FP. Milwaukee is one of the worst teams against big men in the NBA. I’ll take Evans all the way to the bank today.

Ty Lawson – G – Denver $15,670

Dallas is one of the best teams in the league when it comes to giving up points to opposing point guards, but I really like Lawson off his 53.5 FP performance coming back from injury. This game also has the highest O/U of the night at 216.5 so I expect a lot of points. The one great thing about Lawson compared to some of the other top PGs is that he can score as well.

Jeff Teague – G – Atlanta $15,866

Portland is dead last in the NBA in giving up points to opposing PGs over the past 15 days. Teague will be in my lineup tonight, but this one is a little tricky, because it is a late start and the injury status of Paul Milsap is still up in air. If he is ruled out, I am playing Teague. If he is starting, or a game-time decision, I am going to look elsewhere. Oh, the joys of DFS.

(* Note: Millsap has been ruled out.)

Marcin Gortat – C – Washington $14,459

Tonight’s slate of games is loaded at talent at center. It’s tough to not play someone like Al Jefferson, who had 60.25 FP in his last game, or Andre Drummond, who set a career high in rebounds his last game with 26, and had 57 FP. Both of these guys are only a little more than 1K more than Gortat, but the matchups they have are brutal vs. Indiana and Chicago. Gortat gets Utah at home, and they give up a healthy amount of FPs to centers. The Wizards will also still be without the normal cast of big men off the bench as well. Gortat had his streak of seven consecutive double-doubles snapped the other night vs Memphis. Memphis does have the top-ranked defense against opposing centers this season. I like Gortat to start a new streak, and I could see him putting up 40 FP tonight.

Best of Luck Today

Put Sean's advice to use in a DraftStreet league for tonight's games.

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Daily Fantasy Basketball (March 1st): FanDuel Bargains

If you play daily fantasy sports (and who doesn'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, every player has a salary and your roster cannot exceed the game's salary-cap maximum.

For FanDuel leagues, rosters consist of nine players and the salary cap is $60,000, which averages to roughly $6,667 per player. To give you an idea of the range for Saturday's games, Timberwolves PF Kevin Love ($11,500) has the contest's highest salary while many are tied for the lowest at the game-minimum salary ($3,500).

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 Saturday (March 1st) FanDuel leagues:

PG - Aaron Brooks, Denver Nuggets (at POR), $4,700: There are several top-notch fantasy point guards going tonight like Chris Paul, John Wall, Kyrie Irving, Damian Lillard, etc. With Wall facing the Sixers, the league's friendliest of teams in terms of fantasy points to lead guards, he will be in many of my lineups despite the high salary ($9,100). With Ty Lawson (ribs) still out, Brooks gets the second-most favorable matchup for point guards at a much cheaper cost. In fact, no team has allowed more fantasy points to PGs over the past 15 days.

PG - C.J. Watson, Indiana Pacers (at BOS), $3,500: With George Hill (shoulder) out tonight, Watson will get the start against the Celtics. Per 36 minutes, Watson is averaging 12.1 points, 3.2 assists, 3.1 rebounds and 1.8 steals and should be a solid option at the game-minimum salary tonight.

SG - Eric Gordon, New Orleans Pelicans (at LAC), $5,000: With solid performances in back-to-back games, Gordon has averaged 36 minutes, 20 points, three assists and 1.5 steals in those two games. Tonight, he will face his former team, which should give him some extra motivation.

SG - Evan Fournier, Denver Nuggets (at POR), $4,400: With Wilson Chandler out tonight, Fournier will get another start. In 44 minutes on Thursday, Fournier had a disappointing outing: eight points, three boards, five assists and four turnovers. That said, he has two 40-point (in fantasy terms) performances in his past six outings and has a decent amount of upside at a relatively low price.

SF - Nicolas Batum, Portland Trail Blazers (vs. DEN), $6,600: Priced at a little below the average salary of the starting lineup, Batum has been productive in his past three outings, which includes a matchup against the Nuggets. He has scored a minimum of 30.7 fantasy points in those three games, but he is averaging 37.97 points during that span. During that three-game stretch, Batum has averaged stat-stuffing line of 19.0 points, 7.33 rebounds, 4.33 assists, 1.67 blocks and 1.0 steals.

SF - Jordan Hamilton, Houston Rockets (vs. DET), $3,700: Hamilton has averaged exactly 24 minutes in his two games with the Rockets and he has scored at least 24 fantasy points in both outings. On the season, the Pistons have allowed the fourth-most fantasy points to opposing small forwards.

PF - Thaddeus Young, Philadelphia 76ers (vs. WAS), $8,600: While he's far from "cheap" in absolute terms at $8,600, Young has been one of the most productive players recently. Since the All-Star break, Young is averaging 43.25 fantasy points per game and only six players have more during that span. In those four games, Young has averaged 23.0 points, 7.5 boards, 4.0 assists and 3.75 steals per game.

Power forward is a stacked position and it's possible you go stud-stud in those two roster spots with someone like Love, Blake Griffin, Young, etc. Love has more than 60 fantasy points in three of his past four games. The "off" game was 41 points. Meanwhile, Griffin has scored more than 45 fantasy points in eight of his past 10 games and the Pelicans, his matchup tonight, have allowed the fifth-most fantasy points to opposing power forwards this season. In many of my leagues, I have a Love-Griffin combo in my starting lineup.

C - Nikola Vucevic, Orlando Magic (vs. MIA), $7,300: Over his past eight games, Vucevic has scored more than 30 fantasy points seven times. During that eight-game stretch, Vucevic has averaged 17.0 points, 11.25 rebounds, 1.25 blocks and 1.25 steals.

C - Marcin Gortat, Washington Wizards (at PHI), $7,200: With a 31/12 line on Thursday, Gortat extended his streak of games with a double-double and 30-plus fantasy points to six games. The Polish Hammer has averaged 18.83 points, 11.33 rebounds and 1.17 blocks per game during that stretch and he faces the league's worst defense tonight.

C - Timofey Mozgov, Denver Nuggets (at POR), $4,400: While I'd prefer to go with Gortat or Vucevic, Mozgov rounds out my (unintended) trio of Eastern European centers as solid bargains. Over his past two games, he's averaged a respectable 23.9 fantasy points per game.

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Daily Fantasy Basketball (Feb. 27th): FanDuel Bargains

If you play daily fantasy sports (and who doesn'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, every player has a salary and your roster cannot exceed the game's salary-cap maximum.

For FanDuel leagues, rosters consist of nine players and the salary cap is $60,000, which averages to roughly $6,667 per player. To give you an idea of the range for Thursday's games, Heat SF LeBron James ($11,400) has the contest's highest salary while many are tied for the lowest at the game-minimum salary ($3,500).

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 Thursday (Feb. 27th) FanDuel leagues:

PG - Aaron Brooks, Denver Nuggets (vs. BKN), $4,200: With only a four-game slate tonight, there aren't a ton of bargains and that is especially true with point guards. If Ty Lawson (ribs) misses another game, and it's possible he returns tonight, I'd consider Brooks as the Nets have allowed the seventh-most fantasy points to opposing point guards over the past 15 days.

* Note: The Nuggets tip off late (10:30 PM ET), which means Lawson's status may not be known by the contest start time (7:00 PM).

SG - Marcus Thornton, Brooklyn Nets (at DEN), $3,600: After missing a couple of games with food poisoning, Thornton made his debut with the Nets and played 27 minutes scoring only nine points with two rebounds and one assist. Thornton and the Nets' shooting guards have a nice matchup against the Nuggets, who have allowed the fifth-most fantasy points to the position over the past 15 days.

SG - O.J. Mayo, Milwaukee Bucks (at IND), $3,900: While he doesn't have a great matchup against the league's best overall defensive team, Mayo is coming off a 25-point performance (31.7 fantasy points) in 35 minutes against the 76ers on Monday. He had played only 23 and 17 minutes, respectively, in his previous two games.

SG - Giannis Antetokounmpo, Milwaukee Bucks (at IND), $4,400: Not a great matchup, as I noted with Mayo, but the rookie from Greece has 29-plus fantasy points in three of his past four games. Of course, the lone exception was the matchup against the Pacers (17.7 fantasy points).

SF - Jeff Adrien, Milwaukee Bucks (at IND), $3,700: Not that you should load up on Bucks, but Adrien has a salary barely above the game minimum and has posted back-to-back games with double-digit boards. In each of of those games, he has posted 22-plus fantasy points.

PF - David West, Indiana Pacers (vs. MIL), $6,800: Considering that only Carmelo Anthony ($10,800) has a higher salary at the position, West is not necessarily a bargain but his salary is only slightly above the starter average ($6,667). West has had strong outings in back-to-back games including 30 points, seven boards and five assists against the Bucks on Saturday. In the past two games, he has averaged 42.4 fantasy points.

PF - Amir Johnson, Toronto Raptors (vs. WAS), $4,900: Consistent but not spectacular in his past five games, Johnson has scored a minimum of 22.2 points in each of those games. Tonight, Johnson and the Raptors face a Wizards' front court that will be without Nene Hilario and possibly Kevin Seraphin.

C - Marcin Gortat, Washington Wizards (at TOR), $6,700: Miami's Chris Bosh is the most expensive center tonight at $7,300. As productive as Bosh has been over his past three games (24.67 PPG, 40.53 Fantasy PPG), Bosh and the Heat face the Knicks, who have defended the position well.

The Polish Hammer is slightly less expensive option and he's been productive and consistent (five consecutive double-doubles). During that five-game stretch, Gortat has averaged 16. 4 points and 11.2 rebounds per game and he has scored in a minimum of 30.9 fantasy points each game. Over the past 15 days, the Raptors have allowed the ninth-most fantasy points to opposing centers.

C - Timofey Mozgov, Denver Nuggets (vs. BKN), $4,300: If at first you don't succeed ... Getting the start against the Blazers, Mozgov had a decent line (14 points, six boards, two blocks and an assist) while J.J. Hickson, who went to the bench, blew up with a 16/25 night. That said, I wouldn't bank on Hickson having another monster night off the bench and I think Mozgov has a better night this time around. (Hickson's salary is $5,900, fourth-most at center tonight.)

Compete in FanDuel's Daily Fantasy Basketball Championship: $1.2 million in cash prizes

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

Keep track of our Fantasy NBA updates by following us on Twitter, "liking" us on Facebook and/or adding us to your Google+ circle.

Report: Nene out 4-6 weeks with sprained knee

Initially, there were fears that Washington Wizards center Nene Hilario would miss the rest of the season after sustaining a knee injury on Sunday against the Cavs.

Per Adrian Wojnarowski of Yahoo! Sports, Monday's MRI shows that Nene has a sprained left MCL and he will miss four to six weeks with the injury.

Based on the longer end of that range, that would put Nene's return roughly on or before April 7th. The regular season concludes for the Wizards on April 16th.

Only John Wall (19.7) and Bradley Beal (16.8) are averaging more points per game than Nene (14.2), who is tied with Trevor Ariza for third on the team in scoring. Nene is also third on the team in rebounding behind Marcin Gortat (8.9 rebounds per game) and Ariza (6.5). In addition, he ranks second on the team in blocks (0.92 per game) and third in steals (1.24).

With Nene sidelined, both Trevor Booker and Kevin Seraphin will see more minutes.

Marcin Gortat has 8th straight dobule-double

In the first eight games of the season, Phoenix center Marcin Gortat had only one double-double. Since then, The Polish Hammer has had eight straight double-doubles.

Last night's loss to the Mavs, Gortat had 19 points and a season-high 17 rebounds.

Since January 4th, Gortat has scored in double-digits in 11 straight games. During that span, Gortat is averaging 17.6 points, 11.6 rebounds and 1.7 blocks per game and he's shooting 61.1 percent from the field.

The Suns face the Raptors Tuesday night.