2014-15 NBA Power Rankings Week 21

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After Paul George's gruesome injury with USA Basketball, it was expected that he would miss the entire season.

Last week, however, it was reported that he could potentially make a return this week, although he has been ruled out for Monday's game.

"We want to make sure I'm as close to 100 [percent] as possible," George said (via ESPN). "It's not coming down to you know, 'Paul's feeling good, let's get him out there.' It's about making sure everything's where I'm comfortable, where the medical staff is comfortable, where the front office is comfortable."

The Pacers were surging in the standings, but they have lost five consecutive games and currently sit outside of the top-eight seeds in the Eastern Conference. That said, they are only one-half game behind the Hornets, who are currently the No. 8 seed.

Four teams -- Charlotte, Boston, Indiana and Brooklyn -- are all separated by one game in the Eastern Conference standings.

Back-to-back triple-doubles for Payton

Elfrid Payton is having a magical rookie season and the ex-Ragin' Cajun did something this past week that no Magic player has ever done.

Payton recorded back-to-back triple-doubles on Wednesday (15 points, 12 assists and 10 rebounds) and Friday (22 points, 10 assists and 10 rebounds). The last time a rookie posted consecutive triple-doubles was Antoine Walker in 1997.

While these are the only two triple-doubles of Payton's career, he is one of just eight players that have multiple triple-doubles this season. In addition, the only player with more than three triple-doubles this season is Oklahoma City's Russell Westbrook (10).

Over his past five games, Payton is averaging 13.2 points, 9.4 assists, 8.2 rebounds and 2.6 assists.

Among rookies that have played at least 25 games this season, Payton ranks first in assists (6.2/G), second in steals (1.6/G), seventh in rebounding (4.2/G) and seventh in scoring (8.6/G).

Six straight losses for Bucks, 4-13 since trade deadline

The Milwaukee Bucks were one of many teams that made major moves prior to the trade deadline.

Sending Brandon Knight to the Phoenix Suns, they received Michael Carter-Williams in return from the Philadelphia 76ers.

MCW did not play in his first three games as a member of the Bucks and he also missed a game against the Grizzlies on March 14th. Since the trade deadline, however, the Bucks have won only four of 17 games. Three of those four wins were against bottom-feeder teams -- Denver, Philadelphia and Orlando.

The Bucks carry a league-high six-game losing streak into this week's games. The Bucks will host the Heat, Pacers and Warriors in a three-game week.

Noel averaging double-double in March

Philadelphia 76ers power forward Nerlens Noel has really stepped up over the past month on a team otherwise devoid of (healthy and local) talent.

In 12 March games, Noel is averaging a double-double -- 13.2 points and 10.5 rebounds -- per game.

More impressive than the double-double, however, is that Noel is averaging 2.7 steals and 2.0 blocks per game.

To put it into perspective, the list of players with at least 15 steals and 15 blocks this month is one: Noel.

But Noel has way more than 15 of each -- 32 steals and 24 blocked shots.

The Manimal averaging double-double post-Shaw

Since the Nuggets have fired Brian Shaw on March 3rd, the Denver Nuggets have been playing much better basketball although they have lost three of their past four games. In the 12 games without him, however, the Nuggets have posted a 7-5 record.

With Shaw, the team won only 20 of 59 games.

One of the players that has been playing well without Shaw is Kenneth Faried.

The Manimal is averaging 16.6 points, 10.3 rebounds, 1.6 blocks and 1.1 steals per game since the firing of his head coach. During that span, Faried has seven double-doubles in 11 games.

As a comparison, Faried averaged 11.2 points, 8.5 rebounds, 0.7 blocks and 0.7 steals in 54 games with inconsistent minutes with Shaw as coach.

Here are my Week 21 NBA Power Rankings:

Rank	Team	Record	Last Week	Change
1	Golden State Warriors	56-13	1	-
2	Atlanta Hawks	53-17	2	-
3	Cleveland Cavaliers	46-26	3	-
4	Memphis Grizzlies	49-21	4	-
5	Houston Rockets	46-23	5	-
6	San Antonio Spurs	44-25	7	+1
7	Los Angeles Clippers	46-25	8	+1
8	Portland Trail Blazers	44-24	6	-2
9	Dallas Mavericks	44-27	10	+1
10	Washington Wizards	40-30	12	+2
11	Oklahoma City Thunder	40-30	9	-2
12	Chicago Bulls	42-29	13	+1
13	Toronto Raptors	42-28	14	+1
14	Phoenix Suns	38-33	17	+3
15	New Orleans Pelicans	37-33	11	-4
16	Indiana Pacers	30-39	15	-1
17	Utah Jazz	31-38	18	+1
18	Charlotte Hornets	30-38	16	-2
19	Miami Heat	32-37	21	+2
20	Milwaukee Bucks	34-36	19	-1
21	Boston Celtics	30-39	20	-1
22	Brooklyn Nets	29-39	23	+1
23	Denver Nuggets	27-44	22	-1
24	Sacramento Kings	24-45	24	-
25	Orlando Magic	22-50	25	-
26	Detroit Pistons	26-44	26	-
27	Philadelphia 76ers	17-53	28	+1
28	Los Angeles Lakers	18-50	27	-1
29	Minnesota Timberwolves	15-54	29	-
30	New York Knicks	14-56	30	-

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Fantasy NBA FanDuel DFS Values (Feb. 2)

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

With that said, here are some FanDuel values (salaries of $7,000 or less) for Monday's NBA games:

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PG - Devin Harris, Dallas Mavericks (vs. MIN), $3,500: Like on DraftKings, Harris is my favorite value play at point guard on FanDuel. With Rajon Rondo out for at least the next three games, Harris is priced at the contest-minimum salary and will get the start tonight (and for a few more games). Harris needs just 17.5 fantasy points to reach 5x his salary and he has scored 21.2 and 18.7 fantasy points in his past two games. Only the Thunder are projected to score more points tonight than the Mavs based on Vegas odds.

Others to consider: Mike Conley, Memphis Grizzlies ($6,900); Elfrid Payton, Orlando Magic ($6,000); J.J. Barea, Dallas Mavericks ($3,500)

* FanDuel's $250K NBA Slam: $250,000 in prizes including $25,000 to 1st in tonight's NBA Slam tourney ($25 entry).

SG - DeMar DeRozan, Toronto Raptors (vs. MIL), $6,800: With an average starter salary higher on FanDuel ($6,667) than DraftKings ($6,250), it's more common for players to be priced higher on FanDuel. That's not the case with DeRozan ($6,800 on FD vs. $7,000 on DK). Since a three-game stretch where DeRozan was 6-of-34 from the field, he has now averaged 37.04 fantasy points over his past five games with at least 27 fantasy points in all five games. During that span, DeRozan has averaged 20.4 points, 6.2 rebounds, 5.6 assists and 1.2 steals per game.

Others to consider: Bradley Beal, Washington Wizards ($5,800); Eric Gordon, New Orleans Pelicans ($5,700); Evan Fournier (if Oladipo is out again), Orlando Magic ($3,600); Kent Bazemore, Atlanta Hawks ($3,500)

SF - Robert Covington, Philadelphia 76ers (at CLE), $5,600: Over his past seven games, Covington has averaged 13.14 points, 4.86 rebounds and 1.43 steals per game during that span. In addition, Covington has averaged 28.53 fantasy points per game over his past three and he has scored at least 22 fantasy points in six of his past seven games.

Others to consider: Michael Kidd-Gilchrist, Charlotte Hornets ($5,600); Paul Pierce, Washington Wizards ($4,900); Jared Dudley, Milwaukee Bucks ($4,500)

PF - Nerlens Noel, Philadelphia 76ers (at CLE), $5,700: In his past 10 games played, Noel has averaged 29.43 fantasy points per game, which is 5.16 times tonight's salary. Becoming more consistent, Noel has reached 25 fantasy points in his past seven of 10 games with a couple of games with at least 44 fantasy points to show his upside. 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 ($6,800); Cody Zeller, Charlotte Hornets ($5,300); Amir Johnson, Toronto Raptors ($4,800); John Henson, Milwaukee Bucks ($4,700); Patrick Patterson, Toronto Raptors ($4,600); Jerami Grant, Philadelphia 76ers ($3,600); Aaron Gordon, Orlando Magic ($3,500)

C - Timofey Mozgov, Cleveland Cavaliers ($5,200): Since a three-game streak of double-doubles, Mozgov only has one double-double in his past five games. That said, he has scored more than 20 fantasy points in seven of eight games, so he has a solid floor, but he has upside against a Sixers team that has allowed the most fantasy points to opposing centers this season. The biggest drawback with Mozgov (or any Cavs' starters) is the blowout potential as they are 16-point favorites tonight.

Others to consider: Mason Plumlee, Brooklyn Nets ($6,400); Brook Lopez, Brooklyn Nets ($6,300); Nikola Pekovic, Minnesota Timberwolves ($5,900)

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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.

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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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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.

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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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Fantasy NBA DraftKings DFS Values (Jan. 26th)

As we brace for a blizzard (Juno) here in the northeast, a couple of games that were scheduled to be played in New York City have been postponed.

Therefore, a seven-game slate is now down to five games, four of which have point spreads of 12.5 points or more leading to plenty of blowout potential.

With the Kings and Blazers no longer in action tonight, some studs like DeMarcus Cousins, LaMarcus Aldridge and Damian Lillard are obvioiusly unavailable. And neither are some bargain-priced players like Langston Galloway and Jason Smith.

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

PG - Elfrid Payton, Orlando Magic (at MEM), $5,500: The matchup is difficult against Mike Conley and the Grizzlies, but Payton does a lot of things to generate fantasy points. Over his past seven games, Payton is averaging 34.07 fantasy points per game with a minimum of 27.25 during that span. In addition, he has averaged 13.29 points, 8.29 assists, 4.0 rebounds and 2.14 steals per game during that stretch.

PG - Dante Exum, Utah Jazz (vs. BOS), $3,500: Exum has played at least 29 minutes and scored at least 23.5 fantasy points in back-to-back games. Meanwhile, the Celtics have allowed the 10th-most fantasy points to opposing point guards this season. While he likely won't continue to knock down three's at his current rate (eight of 15 over past two games), he should once again exceed value at his bargain price.

PG - Larry Drew II, Philadelphia 76ers (at NO), $3,400: With Michael Carter-Williams (illness) out, Drew II will get his first career NBA start tonight. In his six games,he has averaged just 0.58 fantasy points per minute, but with the boost in minutes tonight, he should easily reach value.

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SG - Eric Gordon, New Orleans Pelicans (vs. PHI), $5,700: Gordon has scored more than 20 fantasy points in 10 consecutive games and he should continue to be productive as long as Jrue Holiday is out of the lineup. Over that 10-game span, Gordon is averaging 15.6 points, 4.8 assists, 3.2 rebounds and 2.2 three-pointers per game. Meanwhile, the Sixers allow the third-most fantasy points to opposing shooting guards. In addition, teammate Quincy Poindexter ($3,000) is an intriguing SG punt option as he's averaging more than 27 minutes since joining the Pelicans.

SG - Evan Turner, Boston Celtics (at UTA), $5,300: Turner had one of his best games of the season last night with a 19/7/7 line while adding a steal and a block. In his past five games, Turner has averaged 32.35 fantasy points per game with a minimum of 27 in each. In order for Turner to reach 6x his salary, he'll need to score 31.8 points (less than his five-game average).

SF - Wilson Chandler, Denver Nuggets (at LAC), $5,600: Chandler has scored 33-plus fantasy points in back-to-back games and the Clippers have allowed the fourth-most fantasy points to opposing small forwards this season. Chandler has averaged more than 37 minutes per game over his past three games.

PF - Thaddeus Young, Minnesota Timberwolves (at OKC), $6,000: Young was on this list yesterday and he delivered with 45.5 fantasy points, but Young has been very productive lately. Over his last six games, he is averaging 35.29 fantasy points per game and he has at least 30 fantasy points in five of those six games. During that stretch, he has averaged 18.0 points, 5.83 rebounds, 5.0 assists and 1.33 steals per game.

PF - Nerlens Noel, Philadelphia 76ers (at NO), $5,000: Noel scored just 18.5 fantasy points against the Grizzlies on Saturday, but he had scored more than 30 fantasy points in four of his previous five games. The obvious concern is foul trouble facing Anthony Davis, but Noel scored a fraction shy of 50 fantasy points against the Pelicans on Jan. 16th with a 17/11 double-double and five blocked shots although The 'Brow was out that game.

PF - Brandon Bass, Boston Celtics (at UTA), $4,400: Bass had a relatively modest performance last night (22.75 fantasy points, eight points and nine rebounds) compared to his previous two games (38.0 and 43.75 fantasy points, respectively). That said, he has played 30-plus minutes in three consecutive games and 22.75 fantasy points is still a very solid 5.17 times his salary.

C - Enes Kanter, Utah Jazz (vs. BOS), $6,500: Both Rudy Gobert and Kanter get a favorable matchup against the Celtics, who allow the seventh-most fantasy points to opposing centers. After a pair of 50-point games from Kanter, he came crashing down to earth with 16 fantasy points against the Nets on Saturday. That said, he should bounce back (although not to the 50-point level) with tonight's favorable matchup.

C - Omer Asik, New Orleans Pelicans (vs. PHI), $4,400: Asik may not have a ton of upside especially considering the blowout potential here, but Asik has 21-plus fantasy points in seven of his past eight games and gets an incredible matchup tonight. No team allows more fantasy points to opposing centers than the Sixers.

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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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Fantasy NBA FanDuel DFS Values (Jan. 21)

Earlier today, I posted my favorite DraftKings value plays for tonight's NBA games.

As I turn my attention to FanDuel contests, there will obviously be plenty of overlap in terms of the value plays I like. Even though DraftKings and FanDuel price players independently, their price points are generally in the same ball park.

The players listed in this post will have a maximum salary of $7,000, which is slightly above the average $6,667 salary on FanDuel's nine-men rosters.

View image | gettyimages.com

Here are some FanDuel values for Wednesday's NBA games:

PG - Elfrid Payton, Orlando Magic (at DET), $5,900: Payton has scored 30-plus fantasy points in three of the past four games with an average of 35 fantasy points per game over that span. Over his past four games, he is averaging 16.5 points, 7.8 assists, 4.5 rebounds and 2.3 steals per game. In those four games, Payton has double-digit points plus a minimum of four rebounds, four assists and two steals in each of those games.

PG - Jarrett Jack, Brooklyn Nets (at SAC), $6,800: With Deron Williams out for tonight's game, Jack remains a strong option among the mid-priced point guards. In his past eight games, Jack is averaging 29.76 fantasy points per game with 36-plus in half of those games including back-to-back games against the Wizards. During that eight-game span, Jack has averaged 15.63 points, 7.38 assists, 3.5 rebounds and 3.13 three-pointers in nearly 37 minutes per game. Meanwhile, the Kings have allowed the ninth-most fantasy points to opposing point guards this season.

PG - Mo Williams, Minnesota Timberwolves (vs. DAL), $6,100: Williams is coming off a disappointing performance (18 fantasy points in 29 minutes), but he had at least 25 fantasy points in the previous seven games with 42-plus points in three of them. Even though Kevin Martin is considered a game-time decision, the good news is that Ricky Rubio has been ruled out for tonight's game. This game has the second-highest over/under behind the Warriors-Rockets matchup and Williams price on FanDuel is actually $100 less than his salary on DraftKings even though the average salary per player in FanDuel is higher than it is on DraftKings ($6,250).


* FanDuel's $300K NBA Super Slam: $300,000 in prizes including $30,000 to 1st in tonight's NBA Super Slam ($25 entry).

SG - Wesley Matthews, Portland Trail Blazers (at PHO), $5,700: Matthews' minutes won't directly benefit from the injury to LaMarcus Aldridge, but his usage rate and shot attempts will. With Aldridge playing only 14 minutes before his injury on Monday, Matthews took a season-high 20 shot attempts including 12 three-point attempts. Dollar for dollar, Matthews is my favorite play among SGs tonight.

SG - Eric Gordon, New Orleans Pelicans (vs. LAL), $5,100: If Jrue Holiday (ankle) misses another game, that would benefit Gordon. Since returning from his own injury on Jan. 5th, Gordon has played 33-plus minutes in seven of eight games. In his past seven games, Gordon has scored a minimum of 22.5 fantasy points and he's averaged 27.57 per game over that span. Gordon has a solid floor, but his relatively low ceiling makes him a better play in cash games than tournaments.

SF - Nicolas Batum, Portland Trail Blazers (at PHO), $5,300: Things haven't gone so well for Batum (and his fantasy/DFS owners), but that has led to a more modest price tag. Although he has failed to reach 20 fantasy points in four consecutive games, Batum could shoulder a little more of the load with Aldridge out. In addition, the Suns play at the third-fastest pace and rank fifth in most turnovers per game (15.3) and Batum is less of a scorer and more of a player that contributes across multiple stat categories. And like Williams, Batum has a slightly lower salary on FanDuel than DraftKings, which makes him an even more appealing option on FanDuel.

SF - Jeff Green, Memphis Grizzlies (vs. TOR), $5,600: Excluding his debut with the Grizzlies, Green has scored 26.5-30 fantasy points with at least 30 minutes in his other three games with his new team. During that three-game span, he has at least 14 shot attempts each night and has posted an average of 16.3 points, 6.0 rebounds and a steal per game. The Raptors have allowed the eighth-most fantasy points to opposing small forwards this season.

PF - Nerlens Noel, Philadelphia 76ers (vs. NYK), $5,800: While he may lack some consistency, Noel has been getting consistent playing time with 30-plus minutes in six of his past seven games. Over his past four games, Noel has averaged 11.75 points, 8.25 rebounds, 2.5 steals and 2.25 blocks per game. Noel has scored at least 31.1 fantasy points in three of his past four games.

[Update: Noel (sick) has been ruled out for tonight's game.]

PF - Donatas Motiejunas, Houston Rockets (at GS), $5,600: In a game with a 218.0 over/under, there should be plenty of fantasy points tonight. Motiejunas has now scored double-digit (real) points in 12 consecutive games and has now scored at least 23 fantasy points in seven consecutive games. Against the Warriors on Jan. 17th, Motiejunas scored 28.4 fantasy points in less than 22 minutes, a 12-game low in minutes. Over the past 12 games, he has averaged nearly 30 minutes per game.

PF - Channing Frye, Orlando Magic (at DET), $4,300: This play is contingent upon the status of Tobias Harris, who is considered a game-time decision for tonight's game. If Harris can't go, Frye should continue to benefit. In the five-game stretch that Harris has missed, Frye has averaged nearly 36 minutes and 25.44 fantasy points per game. Frye's shooting percentage (15-of-51, 29.4 percent) during that stretch has been awful, but he still has a minimum of 20.1 fantasy points in those games despite poor shooting. In addition, Frye's price on FanDuel is $700 than his DraftKings price.

[Update: Harris will play, but he may come off the bench.]

C - Alex Len, Phoenix Suns (vs. POR), $5,200: With injuries to Robin Lopez and LMA, Len gets a favorable matchup against a Blazers' front court that lacks depth. Len is coming off his worst performance (20.2 fantasy points in 19 minutes) over his past seven games, but he had an average of 28.68 in his previous six games.

C - Chris Kaman, Portland Trail Blazers (at PHO), $4,400: Kaman had just 12 fantasy points in 19 minutes on MLK Jr. Day and only 18 points on the 16th against the Spurs. With the injuries in the Blazers' front court, however, Kaman should see close to 30 minutes tonight and he has averaged close to one FanDuel point per minute this season.

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Fantasy NBA DraftKings DFS Values (Jan. 21st)

In order to fit studs like DeMarcus Cousins ($11,100), Kevin Durant ($10,700) or LeBron James ($10,700) into our DraftKings lineups tonight, finding values at other roster spots is imperative.

Like most Wednesdays, it's another large slate (12 games) today, which increases the odds of finding value at other spots.

For this post, I will focus on players with a salary of $6,500 or less to highlight the mid- and low-priced players that I like for tonight's games.

View image | gettyimages.com

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

PG - Jarrett Jack, Brooklyn Nets (at SAC), $6,300: With Deron Williams out, Jack remains a strong option among the mid-priced point guards. In his past eight games, Jack is averaging 32.19 fantasy points per game with 38.5 or more in half of those games including back-to-back games against the Wizards. During that eight-game span, Jack has averaged 15.63 points, 7.38 assists, 3.5 rebounds and 3.13 three-pointers in nearly 37 minutes per game. Meanwhile, the Kings have allowed the seventh-most fantasy points to opposing point guards this season.

PG - Mo Williams, Minnesota Timberwolves (vs. DAL), $6,200: Williams is coming off a disappointing performance (18 fantasy points in 29 minutes), but he had at least 25 fantasy points in the previous seven games with 42-plus points in three of them. Assuming that Ricky Rubio misses at least one more game, Williams has plenty of upside in what should be a fast-paced game. Both teams rank in the top-third of the league in terms of pace. (That said, I'll like Williams a little less if Kevin Martin (GTD) suits up tonight although he may be on a minutes restriction if he does.)

PG - Trey Burke, Utah Jazz (at CLE), $5,600: Burke has scored at least 22.75 fantasy points in 11 consecutive games and has averaged 30.68 points over that span. Burke is averaging 16.9 points, 5.1 assists and a steal per game during that span and gets a great matchup against Kyrie Irving and the Cavs, who have surrendered the sixth-most fantasy points to opposing point guards this season.

PG - Elfrid Payton, Orlando Magic (at DET), $5,400: Payton has now scored 40-plus fantasy points in back-to-back games and 30-plus fantasy points in four consecutive games. Arguably the best defender in last year's draft class, Payton has multiple steals in all four of those games, but he has surprisingly stepped up offensively with 22 and 19 points in his past two games, respectively. Over his past four games, he is averaging 16.5 points, 7.8 assists, 4.5 rebounds and 2.3 steals per game.

PG - Langston Galloway, New York Knicks (at PHI), $3,600: With three opportunities to start a point guard on DraftKings (PG, G and UTIL spots), that's typically a strategy that I use most nights and will do so again tonight in many of my lineups. There are plenty of great mid-priced options, as mentioned above, but Galloway is a much cheaper option that is likely to draw another start and no team allows more fantasy points to opposing point guards than the 76ers. Galloway has averaged 21.75 fantasy points in his five games with the Knicks including a pair of 30-point fantasy outings.

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SG - Wesley Matthews, Portland Trail Blazers (at PHO), $5,700: Matthews' minutes won't directly benefit from the injury to LaMarcus Aldridge, but his usage rate and shot attempts will. With Aldridge playing only 14 minutes before his injury on Monday, Matthews took a season-high 20 shot attempts including 12 three-point attempts. He now has 26 three-point attempts in his past two games. Dollar for dollar, Matthews may be my favorite play among SGs tonight. SG - Eric Gordon, New Orleans Pelicans (vs. LAL), $5,400: If Jrue Holiday (ankle) misses another game, that would benefit Gordon. Since returning from his own injury on Jan. 5th, Gordon has played 33-plus minutes in seven of eight games. In his past seven games, Gordon has scored a minimum of 22.5 fantasy points and he's averaged 27.57 per game over that span.

SG - J.R. Smith, Cleveland Cavaliers (vs. UTA), $4,900: Smith has averaged over 35 minutes per game in his past six outings with 17.0 points, 3.3 treys and 1.8 steals per game during that span. With at least 22.5 fantasy points in five of those six games, he has averaged 28.58 fantasy points over that stretch. Meanwhile, Utah has allowed the 10th-most fantasy points to opposing shooting guards this season.

SF - Nicolas Batum, Portland Trail Blazers (at PHO), $5,400: Things haven't gone so well for Batum (and his fantasy/DFS owners), but that has led to a more modest price tag. Although he has failed to reach 20 fantasy points in four consecutive games, Batum could shoulder a little more of the load with Aldridge out. In addition, the Suns play at the third-fastest pace and rank fifth in most turnovers per game (15.3) and Batum is less of a scorer and more of a player that contributes across multiple stat categories.

SF - Jeff Green, Memphis Grizzlies (vs. TOR), $5,000: Excluding his debut with the Grizzlies, Green has scored 28.25-31.25 fantasy points with at least 30 minutes in his other three games with his new team. During that three-game span, he has at least 14 shot attempts each night and has posted an average of 16.3 points, 6.0 rebounds and a steal per game. The Raptors have allowed the fifth-most fantasy points to opposing small forwards this season.

PF - Donatas Motiejunas, Houston Rockets (at GS), $5,500: In a game with a 218.0 over/under, there should be plenty of fantasy points tonight. Motiejunas has now scored double-digit (real) points in 12 consecutive games and has now scored at least 24.75 fantasy points in seven consecutive games. Against the Warriors on Jan. 17th, Motiejunas scored 29.75 fantasy points in less than 22 minutes, a 12-game low in minutes. Over the past 12 games, he has averaged nearly 30 minutes per game.

PF - Nerlens Noel, Philadelphia 76ers (vs. NYK), $5,300: While he may lack some consistency, Noel has been getting consistent playing time with 30-plus minutes in six of his past seven games. Over his past four games, Noel has averaged 11.75 points, 8.25 rebounds, 2.5 steals and 2.25 blocks per game. Noel needs 31.8 fantasy points to reach six times his salary and he has scored 31.5 or more fantasy points in three of his past four games.

[Update: Noel (sick) has been ruled out for tonight's game.] 

PF - Channing Frye, Orlando Magic (at DET), $5,000: This play is contingent upon the status of Tobias Harris, who is considered a game-time decision for tonight's game. If Harris can't go, Frye should continue to benefit. In the five-game stretch that Harris has missed, Frye has averaged nearly 36 minutes and 27.95 fantasy points per game. Frye's shooting percentage (15-of-51, 29.4 percent) during that stretch has been awful, but 41 of his 51 attempts have been from behind the arc and he still has a minimum of 21.5 fantasy points in those games despite poor shooting.

[Update: Harris will play, but he may come off the bench.]

C - Tyson Chandler, Dallas Mavericks (at MIN), $6,300: Typically Chandler isn't someone that finds his way into my lineups, but he now has three consecutive double-doubles with at least 35 fantasy points. Meanwhile, the T'Wolves have allowed the second-most fantasy points to opposing centers this season so Chandler has an excellent shot at reaching value once again.

C - Alex Len, Phoenix Suns (vs. POR), $4,800: With injuries to Robin Lopez and LMA, Len gets a favorable matchup against a Blazers' front court that lacks depth. Len is coming off his worst performance (21 fantasy points in 19 minutes) over his past seven games, but he had a minimum of 26 fantasy points with an average of 30.54 in his previous six games.

C - Chris Kaman, Portland Trail Blazers (at PHO), $4,400: Kaman had just 12 fantasy points in 19 minutes on MLK Jr. Day, but he averaged 28 minutes and 26.31 fantasy points in his previous four games. With the injuries in the Blazers' front court, Kaman should see close to 30 minutes tonight and he has averaged 1.05 DK points per minute this season.

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