5 NBA FanDuel Value Plays to Target on 3/7/18

Jonathon Simmons, SF, Orlando Magic

FanDuel Price: $4,200
Projected FanDuel Points: 22.1
Projected FanDuel Value: 5.26

Since the returns of Nikola Vucevic and Aaron Gordon, Jonathon Simmons' fantasy value has taken a substantial hit. In the seven games since the break, he is averaging 20.9 FanDuel points, but that comes with three straight games of 17.7 FanDuel points or fewer. Accordingly, his price has followed.

Now is the time to target Simmons. He was at $5,100 just four games ago, and he's flashed 40-FanDuel-point upside as recent as five games ago, when he put up 40 versus the Oklahoma City Thunder. Overall this season, he's averaging 0.82 FanDuel points per minute without Gordon and Vucevic on the floor -- compared to 0.66 with them on the floor. The sample isn't all that encouraging, so he's nowhere near a cash-game lock despite an advantageous matchup.

As the Orlando Magic take to the road against the Los Angeles Lakers, Simmons draws the most favorable defense-versus-position matchup he could get. The Lakers are 30th versus small forwards, and when you factor in the absences of Josh Hart and Brandon Ingram, they could be even worse. Tonight's probable starter, Kyle Kuzma, has a defensive box plus-minus of -1.1, a far cry from the marks of Hart (0.3) and Ingram (0.3).