NBA

5 NBA FanDuel Value Plays to Target on 12/9/19

OG Anunoby is set for another large role with Fred VanVleet listed as questionable. Can we trust him against the Bulls tonight?

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.

Josh Okogie, SF, Minnesota Timberwolves ($3,800)

The Minnesota Timberwolves are on the second night of a back-to-back and offer some value against the Phoenix Suns.

Josh Okogie has played 24 minutes or more in four of his last five games, along with scoring in double-digit real points in three of those games. That is set to continue tonight versus the Suns, who are allowing 41.1 FanDuel points per game to small forwards this season. We also see both teams sitting in the top-nine when it comes to the fastest-paced teams this season, presenting us with a great environment for fantasy scoring. The two fast-paced teams have the over/under coming in at 234 points -- the highest on the slate.

Okogie comes in as our sixth-best value on the slate among small forwards, but the other five players are all more expensive than Okogie. His minutes, his recent stretch of scoring, and a great paced game should lead to Okogie hitting value tonight.

Joe Ingles, SF, Utah Jazz ($4,300)

With Mike Conley still out for the Utah Jazz, their starting lineup has a new look.

Joe Ingles has gotten the start at shooting guard over the past two games for the Jazz, and that is where we should see him tonight versus the Oklahoma City Thunder. With this current starting lineup -- which has a sample size of only 29 minutes -- Ingles is holding a 19.4% usage rate (third-highest) while posting 0.84 FanDuel points per minute (third-highest). Of course, that is a small sample size, but decent production for a player who is coming off a double-double in his most recent game.

Are we expecting a massive ceiling game from Ingles tonight when the over/under is only 211.5 points? No. But that doesn't mean he can't hit 5x value tonight -- which is 21.5 FanDuel points -- as we have him projected for 21.8 FanDuel points in 28 minutes.

OG Anunoby, SF, Toronto Raptors ($5,300)

OG Anunoby is right on the edge of what a value play, but still a viable option.

Last night, the Toronto Raptors saw Fred VanVleet leave the game early with a leg injury and wasn't able to return in the second half. With VanVleet missing the rest of the game and the Raptors on the second night of a back-to-back, there is a big question mark around his status for today. We know that VanVleet is listed as questionable for tonight's game and could very well sit out. If that is the case, we want to look towards Anunoby as a solid option tonight, as he finished with a season-high of 49 FanDuel points.

Anunoby took nine of his 14 field goal attempts after VanVleet left with the leg injury -- an encouraging sign knowing that he is picking up some of the offensive production. The Raptors are up against the Chicago Bulls, who are allowing 39.6 FanDuel points per game to small forwards, right at the league average this season.

Bruce Brown, SG, Detroit Pistons ($3,800)

Bruce Brown Jr. and the Detroit Pistons are shaping up to be very popular tonight.

The Pistons are 27th in the league this season for pace -- aka the fourth-slowest -- and are up against the New Orleans Pelicans, who are the fourth-fastest team in the league. A massive pace-up spot is ideal for NBA DFS value, since the player gets extra touches on the ball, enabling them to produce more fantasy points. Brown is listed as a shooting guard on FanDuel but has actually been their starting point with Reggie Jackson still out. This is an important note, since the Pelicans are allowing 52.7 FanDuel points per game to point guards -- which is dead last in the league.

The Pelicans are bad on defense -- but specifically at point guard -- putting Brown in a soft defensive matchup tonight. At $3.8K, Brown needs 19 FanDuel points to reach 5x value, a level of production that can be obtained easily in this matchup.

Willie Cauley-Stein, C, Golden State Warriors ($4,900)

Kevon Looney is back from his injury, but what does that mean for Willie Cauley-Stein?

Since returning from his injury, Looney has played 14, 12, and 7 minutes, posting 9.4, 12.1, and 2.2 FanDuel points accordingly. Truly terrible production we don't normally take note of, but he is taking some time away from Cauley-Stein. In those same games, WCS has posted 19.8, 24.4, and 23.4 FanDuel points, in 19, 17, and 24 minutes.

It's extremely clear that WCS is more productive at center for the Golden State Warriors, and thus, we want to stick with him regardless of the minutes now being shared in some capacity. Hopefully, that production will continue tonight against the Memphis Grizzlies, who are allowing 54.1 FanDuel points per game to centers -- the 11th most in the league.