NBA

5 Daily Fantasy Basketball Value Plays for 2/10/16

Looking for value plays for tonight's slate of games? We've selected five players who will help propel your lineup to success.

One of the keys to finding success in daily fantasy basketball is uncovering potential value plays. If you're looking to roster a stud player or two, you'll need to find one of these lower-priced options to squeeze everyone into your lineup.

Let's take a look at five guys -- prices according to FanDuel -- who can help fill the gaps in your lineup tonight. Of course, remember to check our projections closer to tip because so much can change in the NBA throughout the day.

Norris Cole, PG, New Orleans Pelicans

FanDuel Price: $5,100

While Jrue Holiday is drawing most of the attention as he posts massive fantasy days without Tyreke Evans in the lineup, Norris Cole continues to post solid numbers. Cole is averaging 27.1 FanDuel points and 31.2 minutes per game over his past seven. With Evans now likely out for the season, Cole's role should continue to solidify.

The matchup isn't ideal -- Utah allows the sixth-fewest FanDuel points to opposing point guards and plays at the slowest pace in the league -- but the Jazz are coming off of an intense overtime game last night and could be set up for a bit of a letdown. With the spread sitting at only 2.5 points, this game is a good candidate to stay close throughout, allowing Cole to see his full complement of minutes.

Marco Belinelli, SG, Sacramento Kings

FanDuel Price: $3,900

Ben McLemore is doubtful for tonight's contest, which should result in heavy minutes for Marco Belinelli. In a matchup featuring two of the fastest paced teams in the league -- Sacramento plays at the fastest rate and Philadelphia the fourth-fastest -- fantasy production should be plentiful. With an over/under of 216.5 and a spread of only 4.5 points, this game projects to be high scoring and close throughout. So obviously we want exposure to it, right? And Belinelli offers us a cheap route to that exposure.

While Devin Booker is still in play after a slight price drop, Belinelli offers extreme savings in a game that has far less blowout potential. Coming off of a dud in his last game, many players are likely to have a bit of hesitancy before locking Belinelli into a lineup. But note, in the four games prior to that dud, he had averaged 24.68 FanDuel points per contest. Comparable production tonight would be a great return on his minimal investment.

Stanley Johnson, SF, Detroit Pistons

FanDuel Price: $4,900

This one's tough. Stanley Johnson was disappointing on Monday, going two of nine from the field in what should have been a "plus" matchup. Sitting just a few hundred dollars higher, Jeff Green should be poised for a huge usage bump with Marc Gasol out -- Green's Usage Rate with Gasol on the court is 19.1% and 24.1% without him. Johnson gets the nod for his savings and matchup tonight, but we wouldn't take issue with someone preferring Green over him.

Johnson will take on a Nuggets team that is top-10 in fantasy production allowed to the shooting guard position -- where Johnson will start -- in a matchup with a healthy over/under of 209. His production last game out is tough to stomach, but the minutes were still there. We have to expect bumps in the road with a rookie and as long as coach Stan Van Gundy is willing to allow him to play through those bumps, Johnson is worth running out there at his sub-$5k price.

Myles Turner, PF, Indiana Pacers

FanDuel Price: $5,700

The ceiling appears to be capped with the frontcourt healthy again, but Myles Turner has continued producing at a decent rate, especially considering his price tag. Averaging 27 FanDuel points and just over 30 minutes across his previous five games, Turner makes for a relatively safe cash game play at $5,700. The Hornets are in the top-third of the league in terms of fantasy production allowed to the power forward position, and while they haven't allowed any GPP-winning performances of late, they have allowed the majority of opposing power forwards to return solid value over the past month.

Gorgui Dieng, C, Minnesota Timberwolves

FanDuel Price: $6,300

Gorgui Dieng is priced higher than we try to shoot for in this column, but there really isn't a reason to go lower than him if Kevin Garnett is confirmed out. Dieng is averaging over 35 FanDuel points over his past seven games without Garnett in the lineup. Not only has he been a consistent source of production -- he has only two games below 30 FanDuel points over this stretch -- but he has also flashed an elite ceiling, posting a monster 51.1 FanDuel point game this past week.

The matchup isn't great -- Toronto defends both frontcourt positions adequately -- but they are only a few days removed from allowing Markieff Morris to break out against them.

There are elite plays at the top end of the pricing spectrum tonight, but Dieng offers an adequate pivot if you aren't opting to pay up.