NBA

5 NBA FanDuel Value Plays to Target on 1/31/20

Norman Powell is playing a key role for the shorthanded Raptors, and he draws a nice matchup against the Pistons. Which other low-cost players should you lock in?

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.

Jalen Brunson, PG, Dallas Mavericks ($3,600)

One of the more popular players on the slate is going to be Jalen Brunson. It's time to eat some chalk.

With Luka Doncic ruled out for tonight's game against the Houston Rockets, we should see Brunson as the starting point guard. This is a rather safe assumption since the last time Luka missed games -- in late December -- Brunson was the Dallas Mavericks' starting point guard. We have him projected for 29 minutes tonight, set to produce 28.2 FanDuel points -- making him the best point-per-dollar value on the slate.

Tonight's game against the Rockets has an over/under sitting at 235.0 points -- the second-highest on the slate -- making this a clear game to target for fantasy production. We will also see the Mavericks playing up in pace, since they are 24th in the league, while the Rockets are the second-fastest team in the league.

Brandon Clarke, PF, Memphis Grizzlies ($5,200)

With Jaren Jackson Jr. out due to a suspension, we should see Brandon Clarke in the starting lineup as long as he plays after missing shootaround this morning.

The Memphis Grizzlies are on the road to take on the New Orleans Pelicans in what is the fantasy game of the night -- with a total sitting at 241.0 points. A massive over/under will draw plenty of ownership, and a cheaper player in the starting lineup will certainly be one of the most chalky plays.

We have Clarke projected for 33 minutes and 38.0 Fanduel points, making him the second-best value player tonight by our numbers. This shouldn't come as a surprise since both teams are in the top-six for offensive pace, and the Pelicans are allowing 45.2 FanDuel points per game to power forwards this season -- the ninth-most in the league.

Trevor Ariza, SF, Portland Trail Blazers ($4,300)

Trevor Ariza is in line for plenty of minutes tonight, but how productive will he be?

Ariza has played three games with the Portland Trail Blazers since being traded last week, and his production has been all over the place. In the three outings, he has played 35, 31, and 38 minutes, posting 37.4, 10.3, and 33.3 FanDuel points. The minutes being above 30 each night is awesome; the production bouncing up and down is not. We know that minutes equals money in NBA DFS, which is why a player like Ariza is worth considering. He is just above $4K in price and is playing consistently over 30 minutes.

Ariza's time on the court isn't always productive, but the game environment against the Los Angeles Lakers tonight should prove to be valuable. The over/under is sitting at a very solid 229.5 points while both teams are in the top-12 in offensive pace.

Michael Porter Jr., PF, Denver Nuggets ($4,800)

The Denver Nuggets are on the second night of a back-to-back, and they have some value options.

With a few injuries still going around for the Nuggets, they have been using a lot of their depth in recent games. This has brought former first-round draft pick Michael Porter Jr. to center stage, and he is crushing it right now. He posted 12 points and 12 rebounds last night against the Utah Jazz in what is becoming normal production for him off the bench. Over his last eight games, he has scored in double-digit real-world points seven times while finishing with at least eight rebounds seven times.

On the season, he is producing 1.13 FanDuel points per minute and is still under $5K. With Porter putting up 25 or more FanDuel points in seven of his last eight games, you can look to him confidently when you need a bit of salary relief.

Norman Powell, SG, Toronto Raptors ($4,800)

Norman Powell posted 24 FanDuel points in 25 minutes last night, and he can do that again today.

With Marc Gasol out for the Toronto Raptors, their starting lineup is changed along with their rotation. Powell was the first player off the bench for Toronto last night and is playing when Fred VanVleet is not on the court. Last night we saw Powell put up 12 field goal attempts, seven of which were three-point tries. Double-digit shot attempts off the bench are always valuable, and he doesn't need to compete as much for offensive usage in the second unit.

Powell and the Raptors are up against the Detroit Pistons, who come in allowing 42.0 FanDuel points per game to opposing shooting guards -- the 12th most in the league.