NBA

5 Daily Fantasy Basketball Value Plays for 12/30/16

Jay Kim  —  @ThirtyDimes Dec 30th, 2016
With Sergio Rodriguez out, T.J. McConnell will contribute to the process as he steps into a bigger role. Which other low-cost options are in a good spot?

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 need to consider squeezing in one of these lower-priced options into your lineup.

Let's take a look at five players who can help fill in the gaps in your lineup.

T.J. McConnell, PG, Philadelphia 76ers

FanDuel Price: $3,800
Projected FanDuel Points: 26.7
Projected FanDuel Value: 7.02

With Sergio Rodriguez not being 100% after suffering an ankle sprain, T.J. McConnell could see big-time production in a starring role. McConnell is averaging per-36 stats of 7.7 points, 4.2 rebounds, 8.5 assists, and 2.5 steals.

The Philadelphia 76ers visit the Denver Nuggets, who offer the best matchup to opposing point guards among teams playing on Friday night.

Jamal Crawford, SG, Los Angeles Clippers

FanDuel Price: $4,500
Projected FanDuel Points: 21.0
Projected FanDuel Value: 4.66

Chris Paul has been ruled out, so Jamal Crawford will be tasked to create more offense. Crawford has been trigger-happy as of late, with an average of 17.8 shot attempts in his last four games. In that span, Crawford is posting 19.8 points and 4.5 assists in 31.4 minutes.

The Los Angeles Clippers run with the Houston Rockets, a game with the highest over/under of the night at 220.5, so expect there to be a lot of scoring opportunities for Crawford.

Tony Snell, SF, Milwaukee Bucks

FanDuel Price: $3,800
Projected FanDuel Points: 16.9
Projected FanDuel Value: 4.43

Tony Snell has quietly been logging a career-high 29.3 minutes, which has led to career-best marks across the board. Though Snell is not known to light up the scoreboard, he has drained 9 three-pointers in his last two games and has averaged 14 points over his last three contests.

The Milwaukee Bucks play the Minnesota Timberwolves, who have the third-worst defensive efficiency among teams playing tonight. Even with the return of Michael Beasley, Snell should continue to see time on the floor due to his defensive prowess.

Al-Farouq Aminu, PF, Portland Trail Blazers

FanDuel Price: $4,100
Projected FanDuel Points: 22.7
Projected FanDuel Value: 5.54

In four games since his most recent return, Al-Farouq Aminu has logged a healthy 30.6 minutes per game, averaging 6.8 points, 5.8 rebounds, and 2.3 assists in that span. Aminu still needs to find his shot, however, as he's only shooting 39% from the field.

Aminu boasts the highest projected value among all power forwards on Friday's slate and should return value, per our projections.

Joakim Noah, C, New York Knicks

FanDuel Price: $4,600
Projected FanDuel Points: 22.4
Projected FanDuel Value: 4.76

Joakim Noah is showing signs of being a force once again as he's coming off a monster game in which he posted 14 points and 16 rebounds in a season-high 38.4 minutes of play. Over his last four games, Noah is averaging 9.8 points, 11.5 rebounds, and 2 assists in 29.5 minutes.

The New York Knicks visit the New Orleans Pelicans, who allow the fifth-most FanDuel points among teams on tonight's slate, and the Knicks have a healthy implied total of 106 points.