Fantasy NBA DraftKings DFS Values (Jan. 28th)

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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


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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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Fantasy NBA FanDuel DFS Values (Jan. 27)

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

While both sites create their salaries independently of each other, there will always be plenty of overlap as recent and expected production and matchups drive the majority of my recommendations.

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

PG - Derrick Rose, Chicago Bulls (at GS), $7,000: On a night with six games, there are seven point guards with a higher price than D-Rose. Rose has scored less than 30 fantasy points in three of his past four games, but he has averaged slightly more than 35 FanDuel points (35.08) over his past eight games. Over that eight-game span, Rose is averaging 22.63 points, 5.75 assists and steal in nearly 33 minutes per game.

PG - D.J. Augustin, Detroit Pistons (vs. CLE), $6,000: In his first start since Brandon Jennings (Achilles) was lost for the season, Augustin scored 35 points with eight assists and finished with 49.8 fantasy points. Duplicating Sunday's numbers is unrealistic, but Augustin gets a decent matchup against Kyrie Irving and should be able to score 30 fantasy points to reach 5x value.

PG - Beno Udrih, Memphis Grizzlies (at DAL), $3,900: Depending on the status of Mike Conley, who is questionable with a wrist injury, Udrih could see expanded minutes. Against the Magic last night, Udrih scored 31.9 fantasy points with 15 points, five assists and four steals. Since this game doesn't tip off until 8:30 PM, it's possible that we won't have a definitive answer on Conley's status before the 7 PM lineup lock.

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SG - Bradley Beal, Washington Wizards (at LAL), $6,000: More of a tournament play based on his inconsistency, Beal has 40-point upside in a plus matchup against the Lakers. Even with Kobe Bryant, the Lakers are one of the worst teams in the league, but the Wizards are only eight-point favorites tonight as one of the potential concerns with Beal is that this game turns into a blowout and he sits the fourth quarter.

SG - Jordan Clarkson, Los Angeles Lakers (vs. WAS), $3,500: Clarkson has actually started at point guard in each of the past two games and the combo guard should continue to get the start at the point. Clarkson has played 29 and 27 minutes in those starts, respectively. While the production has left a lot to be desired in those two starts, punting at shooting guard with a minimum-salary player starting at point guard isn't necessarily a bad idea.

SF - Paul Pierce, Washington Wizards (at LAL), $5,100: Pierce has played at least 30 minutes and scored a minimum of 27.1 fantasy points in each of his past three games. While he lacks upside, Pierce should be able to reach value in a favorable matchup against the Lakers.

SF - James Ennis, Miami Heat (vs. MIL), $3,600: Luol Deng would have been one of my favorite plays at small forward, but he missed shoutaround and is doubtful with a sore calf. In the last game that Deng missed (Jan. 21st), Ennis (28 minutes, 20.4 FanDuel points) played more minutes and was more productive than Danny Granger (20 minutes, 8.2 FD points) and is a solid value play.

PF - Nene Hilario, Washington Wizards (at LAL), $5,700: Over his past five games, he has averaged 28.8 fantasy points per game, which would put him above 5x salary for tonight. Nene has averaged a robust 1.04 fantasy points per minute during that stretch. In addition, the Lakers rank in the bottom 10 in the league in rebounding differential.

C - Hassan Whiteside, Miami Heat (vs. MIL), $6,000: Playing 25 minutes off the bench on Sunday, Whiteside did maximum damage with his allotment of minutes by posting the rare triple-double with blocked shots. In his past eight games, Whiteside has played at least 24 minutes in four games and he has a double-double (or a triple-double) in all four of those games.

C - Timofey Mozgov, Cleveland Cavaliers (at DET), $5,100: Before Sunday's modest performance (two points, six rebounds), Mozgov had three consecutive double-doubles with at least 27 fantasy points in each game. Meanwhile, the Pistons have allowed the most fantasy points to opposing centers over the past three weeks based on stats from Rotogrinders.

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Fantasy NBA DraftKings DFS Values (Jan. 27th)

In order to afford high-priced players like LeBron James ($10,600) and Stephen Curry ($10,000), you'll need to find some low(er)-priced values to stay within the $50,000 salary cap ($6,250 per player).

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

PG - D.J. Augustin, Milwaukee Bucks (vs. CLE), $5,800: In his first start since Brandon Jennings was lost for the season with a torn Achilles, Augustin scored 35 (real) points with eight assists and finished with 53.5 fantasy points. Duplicating Sunday's numbers tonight would be unrealistic expectations, but Augustin gets a decent matchup against Kyrie Irving and needs just 29 points to reach 5x value.

PG - Jordan Clarkson, Los Angeles Lakers (vs. WAS), $3,700: Getting the start at point guard, Clarkson's production has been modest (20.25 and 10.5 fantasy points, respectively) in his two starts. Getting close to 30 minutes in each outing, however, Clarkson is at least worth a look as a punt option.

PG - Beno Udrih, Memphis Grizzlies (at DAL), $3,500: Depending on the status of Mike Conley, who is questionable with a wrist injury, Udrih could see expanded minutes. Against the Magic last night, Udrih scored 33 fantasy points with 15 points, five assists and four steals in 26 minutes. The Mavs have allowed the second-most fantasy points to opposing point guards this season.

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SG - J.R. Smith, Cleveland Cavaliers (at DET), $5,000: Even with Iman Shumpert making his Cavs debut, he has only played 23 minutes in his first two games with the Cavs. Meanwhile, Smith has scored 30.46 fantasy points per game over his past seven games with 17.29 points, 4.29 three-pointers and 1.71 steals per game during that stretch. In addition, the Pistons have allowed the second-most fantasy points to opposing two guards.

SG - O.J. Mayo, Milwaukee Bucks (at MIA), $4,300: Although Mayo hasn't started since Christmas, he has been productive off the bench. In his past eight games, Mayo has averaged 25.97 fantasy points per game (6.03 times tonight's salary) with a minimum of 21.5 (5.0 times tonight's salary). During that span, he has averaged 14.38 points, 2.25 three's and 3.5 assists per game.

SG - Wayne Ellington, Los Angeles Lakers (vs. WAS), $3,900: With Kobe Bryant out of the season, Ellington has now scored at least 20 fantasy points in three consecutive games. His ceiling is relatively low, especially considering the Wizards allow the fewest fantasy points to opposing shooting guards, but Ellington has a good chance to reach value (5x his salary). In addition, there is a good chance that Nick Young (sprained ankle) sits this one out. If he does play, however, here's Swaggy P's thoughts on what the Lakers should do:

Nick Young on what Lakers need to do w/o Kobe: "Pretty much just give me the ball and get out of the way." He laughed as he walked away
— janis carr (@janiscarr) January 26, 2015

SF - Khris Middleton, Milwaukee Bucks (at MIA), $4,900: Luol Deng was one of my favorite value plays tonight, but he's considered doubtful with a sore calf so I'm going with another SF from this game. It's difficult to fully trust Middleton, or any Bucks players with Jason Kidd at the helm, but Middleton has scored 33.25 and 37.25 fantasy points in his past two games, respectively. And before that, Middleton scored at least 21 fantasy points in nine of 10 games.

SF - Paul Pierce, Washington Wizards (at LAL), $4,700: Pierce has played at least 30 minutes and scored a minimum of 28.75 fantasy points in each of his past three games. Meanwhile, the Lakers have allowed the ninth-most fantasy points to small forwards this season. Pierce needs just 23.5 fantasy points to reach 5x value and should easily be able to do so.

PF - Dirk Nowitzki, Dallas Mavericks (vs. MEM), $6,400: Playing fewer minutes than he had for the majority of his career, Nowitzki lacks the upside against one of the best team defenses in the league. That said, Nowitzki has been remarkably consistent with at least 26 fantasy points in 16 consecutive games and an average of 31.77 over that stretch.

PF - Nene Hilario, Washington Wizards (at LAL), $5,400: Nene has an exploitable matchup as the Lakers have allowed eighth-most fantasy points to opposing power forwards this season. Over his past five games, he has averaged more than 30 fantasy points (30.15) per game.

C - Jonas Valanciunas, Toronto Raptors (at IND), $5,900: More of a tournament play due to his inconsistency, Valanciunas (easy for Barkley to say) now has three double-doubles in his past four games including 20/11 against the Pistons on Sunday. (Too bad he can't play Detroit every day as he had a 31/12 double-double against them on Jan. 12th as well.) That said, the Pacers have allowed the 10th-most fantasy points to opposing centers this season.

C - Hassan Whiteside, Miami Heat (vs. MIL), $5,800: Playing 25 minutes off the bench on Sunday, Whiteside did maximum damage with his allotment of minutes by posting the rare triple-double with blocked shots. In his past eight games, Whiteside has played at least 24 minutes in four games and he has a double-double (or a triple-double) in all four of those games. The only drawback with him tonight will be his extremely high ownership levels.

C - Andrew Bogut, Golden State Warriors (vs. CHI), $4,700: Bogut now has at least 34 fantasy points in two of his past three games and he gets a nice matchup against the Bulls, who have allowed the second-most fantasy points to opposing centers this season. Even though Bogut gets much of his fantasy points from rebounds and blocks, the Warriors are projected to score the most points in tonight's six-game slate.

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Daily Fantasy Basketball: FanDuel Values for March 28th

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 Friday's games, Thunder SF Kevin Durant ($11,900) 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 Friday (March 28th) FanDuel leagues:

PG - Reggie Jackson, Oklahoma City Thunder (vs. SAC), $6,000: Since tonight's game is not part of a back-to-back, Russell Westbrook should start at point guard tonight. That said, an early big lead against the Kings, who are 21 games under .500, could lead to plenty of rest for Westbrook. In his past three games, Jackson is averaging 17.33 points, 6.67 rebounds, 7.33 assists and 1.33 steals per game.

PG - Shaun Livingston, Brooklyn Nets (vs. CLE), $4,700: Only the Sixers and Lakers have allowed more fantasy points to opposing point guards this season. In his past 10 games, Livingston has only one game with 30-plus fantasy points. That said, he is a perfect 10-for-10 during that stretch when it comes to scoring at least 20 fantasy points.

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SG - Dion Waiters, Cleveland Cavaliers (at BKN), $6,400: Not only is Waiters assured of big-time minutes, but he has scored at least 30 fantasy points in five of his past six games. (The exception was a 29.0-point performance.) Brooklyn is an excellent defensive team, but their worst position to defend from a fantasy perspective is shooting guard. They have allowed the eighth-most fantasy points to opposing off guards this season.

SG - Terrence Ross, Toronto Raptors (vs. BOS), $4,100: Ross lit up the Celtics for 24 points (and 32.8 fantasy points) while adding four rebounds, two assists and a steal on Wednesday and he gets another opportunity tonight.

SG - Chris Douglas-Roberts, Charlotte Bobcats (at ORL), $4,000: CDR has scored at least 22 fantasy points in three of his past four games and played at least 22 minutes in all of those contests. The Magic have allowed the sixth-most fantasy points to opposing shooting guards this season.

SG - Ben McLemore, Sacramento Kings (at OKC), $3,600: Even though he is only a rookie, McLemore has been a bit of a disappointment in fantasy this season. In his past two games, however, McLemore has been more productive by averaging 15.5 (real) points and scoring at least 20.7 fantasy points in the two games. The Thunder have allowed the 10th-most fantasy points to opposing shooting guards this season.

SF - Paul Pierce, Brooklyn Nets (vs. CLE), $5,400: Even though Pierce starts as a four for the Nets, he has played 31-plus minutes in each of his past three games and he's averaging 26.3 fantasy points per game during that stretch.

SF - Corey Brewer, Minnesota Timberwolves (vs. LAL), $4,600: It's never a bad idea to start small forwards facing the Lakers as only the Sixers allow more fantasy points to the the position. Brewer has scored 22.4 and 29.1 fantasy points in his past two games, respectively, and could be in for a big night with such a favorable matchup.

SF - Caron Butler, Oklahoma City Thunder (vs. SAC), $4,600: While Butler may not have tremendous upside playing with Durant, Westbrook, and others, he has been consistent with four consecutive games of 21-plus fantasy points. In addition, the Kings have allowed the eighth-most fantasy points to opposing small forwards this season.

SF - Al-Farouq Aminu, New Orleans Pelicans (vs. UTA), $4,100: Depending on the health of some other Pelicans, Aminu could be in line for 30-something minutes once again. In two of his previous three games, Aminu has scored at least 25 fantasy points including 32.0 against the Clippers on Wednesday.

PF - Amar'e Stoudemire, New York Knicks (at PHO), $5,300: Facing his former team in his former home arena, Stoudemire could be in for a big night after a couple of mediocre outings. In his past three games, Stoudemire has scored 19.4-20.7 fantasy points, but he had 30-plus fantasy points in three of his previous five games before that.

PF - Jordan Hill, Los Angeles Lakers (at MIN), $4,900: More than likely, the majority of my FanDuel leagues will feature a PF duo from this game with Kevin Love and Hill. With the exception of Monday's dud (nine points, five boards in 14 minutes), Hill has averaged 41.87 fantasy points in his other three games since returning from injury. Over his past four games, Hill has averaged 18.5 points and 12.0 rebounds per game.

C - Enes Kanter, Utah Jazz (at NOP), $5,700: Now that he is getting the playing time he deserves, Kanter has delivered for fantasy owners recently. Kanter has three double-doubles in his past four games and six double-doubles in his previous 10. The Pelicans have allowed the 11th-most fantasy points to opposing centers this season.

C - Gorgui Dieng, Minnesota Timberwolves (vs. LAL), $5,300: Regardless of whether or not Nikola Pekovic returns on Friday, it's hard to sit Dieng. Posting a double-double in five of his past six gmaes, Dieng has averaged 12.67 points, 14.0 rebounds, 1.17 blocks and 1.17 steals (and 35.8 fantasy points) per outing in his past six. Furthermore (as if you needed more), the Lakers have allowed the second-most fantasy points to opposing centers this season.

C - Timofey Mozgov, Denver Nuggets (vs. SAS), $4,400: With J.J. Hickson (torn ACL) out for the season, Mozgov has played 30-plus minutes in consecutive games. Not only do the Spurs allow the 10th-most fantasy points to opposing centers, but Mozgov had a double-double (14 points and 11 rebounds) and two blocks vs. the Spurs on Wednesday.

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Consensus NBA Power Rankings, Week 21

At the end of the 2013 (calendar) year, the Eastern Conference Finals seemed destined to be a rematch of last year's matchup between the Miami Heat and Indiana Pacers.

Two and a half months later, the Heat (5/6) and Pacers (13/10) are clearly the favorites to represent the conference in the NBA Finals (based on odds from Sportsbook.com).

Two teams have the potential to make it more interesting than it appeared in December.

The Bulls and Joakim Noah, Mr. Triple-Double lately, have a ton of heart and could play spoiler in the second round of the playoffs. Based on standings through Sunday's games, the Bulls would be the No. 4 seed in the Eastern Conference.

While the Bulls have the fourth-best odds (25/1) to win the Eastern Conference, the team with the third-lowest odds (20/1) currently occupies the No. 6 seed, the Brooklyn Nets.

They have certainly come a long way since this moment:



Even though they are 3.5 games behind the Raptors, the Nets have been extremely good since the calendar turned to 2014. After a 10-21 start in 2013, the Nets have won 23 of 33 games since the start of 2014 without Jason Kidd spilling any more drinks on the court.

Here is this week's roundtable question for our experts: Fill in the blank: The Brooklyn Nets have a ____ percent chance of reaching the Eastern Conference Finals.

Kevin Hanson: 15 percent

First off, I expect a Pacers-versus-Heat matchup just like the majority of the planet, but the Nets (and Bulls) have made it more interesting with a month to go in the regular season. Although they have turned their season around without him, the loss of Brook Lopez for the season hurts. Granted, Deron Williams is one of the better point guards in the league and Shaun Livingston has been an excellent story this season. But it's hard to get excited about guys like Joe Johnson, Paul Pierce and Kevin Garnett helping this team make a deep playoff run. In fact, I think the Bulls have a greater chance of getting to the Conference Finals than the Nets.

John Trifone: 10 percent

The Nets have a 10-percent chance of reaching the Conference Finals. They are looking like they will be either the fifth or sixth seed in the East, so where they ultimately finish could play a role in their chances. If they finish as the fifth seed, they'll play at Chicago, which could be a one-and-done for them. I don't like their chances of winning two series if the first one starts in Chicago. If they finish sixth, I think they will get by Toronto, but I still only give them a puncher's chance of knocking off one of the two Titans in the East. They certainly are playing much better in the second half of the season, but there is still a pretty big gap between the top two and the rest of the East.

Sean Beazley: 0.00001 percent

Brooklyn's roster is filled with NBA veterans, but it's a three-team race in the East with the Pacers, Heat, and Bulls as the elite teams. I think the Nets will struggle to make it out of the 1st round.

Dan Yanotchko: 0 percent

The Brooklyn Nets have a zero-percent chance of reaching the Eastern Conference Finals this year. This year, it will be Miami vs. Indiana for the third straight time, as there is no one even close to those two teams in the East. The Nets started horribly this year, and have managed to right the ship at 33-31, so they are two games over .500. The problem is that the Nets are challenged offensively, as they only average 97.4 points per game, and they are ranked 29th overall in rebounds per game. The Nets will just be a warm-up for either Miami or Indiana depending on their seed.

Moving up only slightly from last week (16th), the Nets are currently the 14th team in our Week 21 NBA consensus power rankings.

- See our full 2013-14 NBA Power Rankings

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Daily Fantasy Basketball (Feb. 26th): 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 Wednesday's games, Thunder SF Kevin Durant ($12,000) 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 Wednesday (Feb. 26th) FanDuel leagues:

PG - Jeff Teague, Atlanta Hawks (at BOS), $5,800: Since missing the Pistons game on the 21st, Teague has scored at least 26 points with six-plus assists in back-to-back games. With the injuries on the Hawks, Teague should continue to be aggressive on the offensive end once again on Wednesday.

PG - Trey Burke, Utah Jazz (vs. PHO), $5,900: Burke had an off night on Monday (21.5 fantasy points), but he had a minimum of 31.6 fantasy points in each of his previous three games. Look for him to bounce back here.

SG - Vince Carter, Dallas Mavericks (vs. NO), $5,200: Carter has now scored 33-plus fantasy points in back-to-back nights. Against the Knicks on Monday, Carter had 23 points, three rebounds, three assists and a block.

SG - Kent Bazemore, Los Angeles Lakers (at MEM), $3,600: Against the Pacers last night, Bazemore led the Lakers in minutes (39) and points (23) and has now scored 15-plus points in all three of his games with the Lakers. In addition, Bazemore has a total of seven steals in his three games with the Lakers.

SF - Paul Pierce, Brooklyn Nets (at POR), $5,800: With at least 33 minutes in each of his past two games, Pierce scored 25 points with seven boards and four dimes on Sunday for 35.4 fantasy points. On Wednesday, the Nets will face the Blazers, who have allowed the fourth-most points per game this season.

SF - Kyle Singler, Detroit Pistons (at SAS), $4,200: Although the matchup is far from ideal, Singler has scored at least 20 fantasy points in five of his past six games including 30.6 on Monday against the Warriors.

PF - Tobias Harris, Orlando Magic (at PHI), $6,700: After three consecutive games with 35 or more fantasy points, Harris had an off night Tuesday: 11 points, four rebounds and one assist. That said, nothing helps a player bounce back like facing the Sixers.

PF - Brandon Bass, Boston Celtics (vs. ATL), $4,500: It's unclear whether Jared Sullinger (concussion) will miss another game, but Bass has played 30-plus minutes in four consecutive games. Averaging a little more than 25 fantasy points per game during that stretch, Bass has averaged 14.5 points, 6.75 rebounds, 1.0 steal and 1.0 block per game.

C - Nikola Vucevic, Orlando Magic (at PHI), $7,000: Averaging a double-double on the season, Vucevic had 19 points and 14 boards against a depleted Wizards frontcourt on Tuesday. Vucevic has now scored more than 30 fantasy points in six of seven games and he faces a fantasy-friendly Sixers team on Wednesday night.

C - Alexis Ajinca, New Orleans Pelicans (at DAL), $3,600: With 27 minutes in each of the past two games, Ajinca followed up a solid performance (nine points, nine rebounds) with a double-double (19 points, 12 rebounds) on Monday.

C - Kelly Olynyk, Boston Celtics (vs. ATL), $3,700: If Sullinger misses another game, it could mean additional minutes for Olynyk once again. On Monday, Olynyk had 21 points, eight rebounds, four assists and a steal.

[Update: Both Olynyk and Sullinger are out tonight.]

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 or my waiver-wire post from Sunday.

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

2013-14 NBA Power Rankings, Week 6

Going into the season, it seemed that the teams in the Central Division would pose the biggest threat to LeBron James' and the Heat's hopes of three-peating.

With one of the league's most underrated superstars in Paul George, the Pacers are off to a league-best 17-1 start this season.  Before losing the Central Division's other superstar, Derrick Rose, for the season, the Bulls were expected to be a legitimate contender to get to the Eastern Conference Finals.

Now the Eastern Conference is clearly the Heat, Pacers and everybody else.  In fact, the Heat (14-3) and Pacers (16-1) are the only teams in the Eastern Conference with a winning record through Sunday's games.

Things are especially bad in the Atlantic Division as the Raptors (6-10, .375) have a half-game lead over the Celtics (7-12, .368) in the division.

Fueled by the great start of rookie Michael Carter-Williams, the Sixers were a surprise 3-0 to begin the season, but they have since lost 12 of their past 15 games.  That said, they are middle of the pack in the division.

The biggest surprises are the Nets (5-12) and Knicks (3-13).

With a Coke-spilling first-year head coach in Jason Kidd and veteran additions like Paul Pierce and Kevin Garnett, it's understandable if it takes longer for them to gel.  In addition, Deron Williams has played in only nine games this season and now the Nets will be without Pierce (hand) for a few weeks.

The Knicks have lost nine consecutive games, which includes a franchise-worst seven straight games at home.  Interestingly enough, it will be the Nets that host Carmelo Anthony and the Knicks on Thursday for a chance to extend their losing streak to 10 games.  Glass-half-full view: One of these two teams has to win the game.

The Nets and Knicks are the 23rd-ranked and 27th-ranked teams, respectively, in our updated power rankings.

- See full power rankings here

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Rajon Rondo out for season with torn ACL

The Boston Celtics won a thriller in double overtime over the Miami Heat as Paul Pierce finished the game with a triple-double: 17 points, 13 rebounds and 10 assists.

Despite winning the game, it was more bad news than good news for the Celtics.

After hyperextending his right knee in last night's loss to the Hawks, Rondo was a late scratch and will miss the rest of the season with a torn ACL.

Not only will Rondo miss the remainder of this season, but there is a good chance that he won't be ready for the start of the 2013-14 season in nine months.

Before the injury, Rondo was leading the NBA in assists (11.1 per game) and averaging 13.7 points, 5.6 rebounds and 1.9 steals per game.

After today's win, the Celtics are 21-23 and currently eighth in the Eastern Conference.

Paul Pierce to have MRI on Monday

Boston's Paul Pierce, who is battling a hand and ankle injury, scored only one point after he missed all ten of his field-goal attempts in Sunday's win over the Miami Heat.

Aside from an 0-for-11 game in 1999, it was the worst shooting performance of Pierce's career.

Tomorrow Pierce will get an MRI on his foot.

"I sprained my hand in practice [Saturday] and I hit it today," said Pierce, per Chris Forsberg of ESPN Boston. "I just got to get my foot checked out [Monday], I'm going to get an MRI on it and go from there."

Pierce hasn't missed any games this season and the Celtics face the Nets on Wednesday.