NBA

3 NBA DraftKings Value Plays to Target on 1/18/18

Jacob Gibbs  —  @jagibbs_23 Jan 18th, 2018
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Khem Birch, PF/C, Orlando Magic

DraftKings Salary: $3,300

Khem Birch came out of nowhere to post a ridiculously efficient 34 DraftKings points in 18 minutes for the Orlando Magic on Tuesday. His work ethic and solid play in the G-League earned him a chance to shine with Marreese Speights sidelined, and Coach Vogel said Birch earned another shot to play meaningful minutes in tonight's matchup with the Cleveland Cavaliers.

This was really Birch's first opportunity to play in the NBA, so it is tough to say whether or not it was a fluke. Nearly two DraftKings points per minute will be impossible for him to replicate on a regular basis, but the way he went about it didn't seem fluky. Birch has the length and athleticism to be a disruptive defensive force at the rim, which is evidenced by his four blocks Tuesday and 2.6 blocks per game in the G-League. He looked comfortable finishing at the rim as well, as D.J. Augustin regularly looked for him on dump-offs in penetration and in the pick and roll.

The latter is what is potentially very exciting in this spot, as no team has allowed a higher points per possession to opposing roll-men in the pick and roll than the Cavs this season. If Birch gets things rolling in this game (pun intended), he could exploit Cleveland's weakness.

It may seem a bit point-chasy, but Birch definitely has the potential to crush value at a price tag that requires just 16.5 DraftKings points of him. With Tucker and Mbah a Moute in the same price range and guaranteed more secure minutes than Birch, there isn't really a need for him in cash games. However, the upside is there for another strong game, which makes him a very intriguing punt play in tournament formats.


Jacob Gibbs is not a FanDuel employee. In addition to providing DFS gameplay advice, Jacob Gibbs also participates in DFS contests on FanDuel using his personal account, username Jagibbs23. While the strategies and player selections recommended in his articles are his personal views, he may deploy different strategies and player selections when entering contests with his personal account. The views expressed in his articles are the author's alone and do not necessarily reflect the views of FanDuel.

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