NBA

5 NBA FanDuel Value Plays to Target on 12/26/19

Thomas Vecchio  —  @DFS_Tom Dec 26th, 2019
Gary Payton is only $4,000 and is coming off a huge season debut. Can we look to him again tonight with a new role on the Wizards?

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.

Gary Payton, SG, Washington Wizards ($4,000)

The Washington Wizards are dealing with a ton of injuries right now, and they even had to sign some free agents.

One such player the Wizards signed on Monday is Gary Payton II, who went for 46.7 FanDuel points in 34 minutes against the New York Knicks. The minutes are great, and that type of run is what we should expect moving forward since the Wiz are dealing with so many injuries. The production is great, too, since it's over one fantasy point per minute, but it was against the Knicks, so let's take it with a grain of salt.

We have Payton projected for 34 minutes tonight against the Detroit Pistons a game in which the over/under is set at 230.0 points. The Pistons are currently allowing 41.8 FanDuel points per game to opposing shooting guards -- 12th most in the league -- and with the high over/under, Payton should be in a good spot to be productive. He likely won't go for nearly 50 FanDuel points again, but with his modest $4K price tag, he needs only 20 FanDuel points in order to reach 5x value.

Gorgui Dieng, C, Minnesota Timberwolves ($4,900)

We have the same injury situation for the Minnesota Timberwolves as we've had for a few games now.

Minnesota has been without Karl-Anthony Towns for the past four games, and in that time, we have seen Gorgui Dieng get the start each game and post 24 FanDuel points or more in each outing. I've said this before in regards to this injury situation, and it remains true -- If KAT is out, Dieng is a clear value play. If KAT is in, Dieng has no value.

The Timberwolves are taking on the Sacramento Kings, and the over/under is set at 221 points with a spread of only 5.0 points. This is set to be a close and high-scoring game, which should allow Dieng to reach value if he starts.

The Kings are allowing 49.3 FanDuel points per game to centers this season -- the seventh most in the league -- which is not the ideal matchup for Dieng. But with a high over/under and Dieng producing 1.10 FanDuel points per minute, he should be able to reach value.

Jordan Clarkson, SG, Utah Jazz ($4,600)

Jordan Clarkson was traded to the Utah Jazz on Monday and could be in for a new role.

While his status/role is unclear for tonight, Clarkson should provide a solid boost to the Utah offense -- which can be lacking at times. Clarkson shoots over 40% from the field in his career, but he hasn't been able to play a consistent amount of minutes for any significant stretch this season. With Mike Conley out for the Jazz, Donovan Mitchell is the starting point guard, and that could leave a space for Clarkson to start at shooting guard.

The more minutes Clarkson can get tonight the better, since this is a pace-up spot against the Portland Trail Blazers combined with the fact the over/under is set at 219 points. Portland is right around the league average -- 41.5 FanDuel points -- against shooting guards this season, allowing 40.6 FanDuel points to the position, making this a middle-of-the-road matchup for Clarkson.

Kevin Knox, SF, New York Knicks ($4,000)

With Marcus Morris listed as questionable tonight, Kevin Knox could be getting the start.

Morris missed Monday's game, and Knox got the start but posted a modest 14.1 FanDuel points in 26 minutes. Still, he's a player we might need to consider rostering tonight given the fact he is only $4K and could be playing more 20 minutes again. Minutes equals money in NBA DFS, and with the current projected starting lineup for the Knicks, Knox is producing 0.91 FanDuel points per minute. That is not overwhelming by any means, but the Knicks are in a significant pace-up spot against the Brooklyn Nets tonight.

The Knicks come in 26th in pace this season while the Nets are 7th. Extra touches for a player who is only $4K should only benefit Knox, making him a strong value option tonight.

Delon Wright, SG, Dallas Mavericks ($4,100)

As a bench player, Delon Wright offers some nice value given the matchup against the San Antonio Spurs.

Wright has played 17 minutes or more in four straight games, and while he's scored double-digit points only once in that time, he has managed to total 21 FanDuel points or more in three of those four games. He isn't relying on pure scoring in order to reach value as he fills up the stat sheet in limited minutes off the bench. This is one of the ideal players when it comes to value, since he doesn't need to have a high usage rate -- currently 17.2% -- and is still producing 1.13 FanDuel points per minute.

Up against the Spurs, the matchup should give us a strong environment for fantasy points -- over/under is set at 226.5 -- as the Spurs are allowing 42.8 FanDuel points per game to shooting guards. A pace-up spot for the Mavericks, a consistent role off the bench, and a fantasy-friendly environment should make Wright a strong value play.