NBA
5 NBA FanDuel Value Plays to Target on 2/5/20
Caris Levert is seeing his role expand with Kyrie Irving out. Is he a value play we can trust 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.

Jarrett Culver, SF, Minnesota Timberwolves ($4,000)

Last night, there was a massive 12-player trade with four teams, and there is plenty to break down.

Three of the four teams involved in the trade -- the Atlanta Hawks, the Minnesota Timberwolves, and the Denver Nuggets -- are in action tonight. More importantly, the Timberwolves traded two of their starters -- Shabazz Napier and Robert Covington -- away, so this will change their lineup in a big way. This means we should see Jarrett Culver enter the starting lineup tonight -- and moving forward -- a spot he has been throughout the season due to various injuries on Minnesota.

We should see Culver in the lineup as the starting point guard, putting him in a good spot. Tonight's game against the Hawks has an over/under sitting at 236 points -- the highest on the slate -- along with featuring both teams in the top seven for fastest pace. But it gets even better, since the Hawks are allowing 47.1 FanDuel points per game to point guards, the 11th most in the league. Culver is only $4K tonight and should only be seeing his role increasing due to the recent trade. Buy-in now.

Reggie Jackson, PG, Detroit Pistons ($5,000)

With Derrick Rose ruled OUT for this game, Reggie Jackson should be the starting point guard.

Since returning from his injury, Jackson has been a bit up and down, but we know that his minutes should be secure tonight against the Phoenix Suns. This matchup will see the Detroit Pistons playing up in pace -- they are 21st in the league, the Suns are 9th -- allowing extra opportunities to pile up FanDuel points. Speaking of FanDuel points, Jackson is producing 0.97 FanDuel points per minute on a 25.7% usage rate this season -- when accounting for the current injuries on the Pistons.

We have Jackson projected to produce 24.9 FanDuel points in 24.34 minutes tonight, putting him right on par with his production this season. The Suns are allowing 47.2 FanDuel points per game to opposing point guards this season -- the 10th most in the league -- adding to an already good situation for Jackson.

Marquese Chriss, C, Golden State Warriors ($5,000)

At only $5K tonight, Marquese Chriss is one of my favorite value players on the slate.

The Golden State Warriors are on the road to take on the Brooklyn Nets, where the over/under is sitting at a solid 222 points, putting us in a spot for plenty of production. Chriss comes into this game having played 20 or more minutes in six of his last seven games, producing at or over one FanDuel point per minute in six of these seven games. He currently holds the third-highest usage rate among the Warriors' starting five -- sitting at 17.6% -- and is posting 1.27 FanDuel points per minute.

That production should be able to sustain tonight, considering the Nets are allowing a staggering 55.8 FanDuel points per game to opposing centers this season, which is good for the third-most in the league. He doesn't play a super-high volume of minutes, but he is very productive when he is on the court and now has a very soft defensive matchup.

Tim Hardaway, SF, Dallas Mavericks ($4,900)

Tim Hardaway Jr. has been starting at shooting guard for the Dallas Mavericks and in a great spot tonight.

With a few injuries for the Mavericks, they have seen their starting lineup change a number of times in the past few weeks. Hardaway is now starting at shooting guard -- playing nearly 30 minutes every game -- but is seeing his production fluctuate in recent games. Over his last five games, Hardaway has produce everywhere from 9.7 FanDuel points, all the way up to 35.3 FanDuel points in his most recent game. You don't want that level of inconsistency anywhere near a cash game lineup, but that is something to embrace in tournaments.

Tonight, he is up against the Memphis Grizzlies -- with a 228-point over/under -- putting him in a great spot since they are allowing 43.8 FanDuel points per game to shooting guards. Hardaway just needs to get hot from the field, and he will be able to pay off his salary in a hurry tonight.

Caris LeVert, SG, Brooklyn Nets ($4,500)

With Kyrie Irving out of the lineup, Caris LeVert enters as the starting shooting guard.

Levert is coming off a 44.1 FanDuel point performance against the Phoenix Suns -- and his priced only increased $400. A very modest increase for a player who should continue to play nearly 30 minutes a game -- we have him projected for 29 minutes tonight -- and will be in a very soft defensive matchup. LeVert and the Nets are at home to host the Warriors, who are allowing the sixth-most -- 43.4 -- FanDuel points per game to shooting guards this season.

Golden State sits at 13th in pace this season, the Nets are 10th, and with an over/under set at 222 points, there should be plenty of scoring. With the new starting lineup for the Nets, LeVert has a 29.4% usage rate, producing 1.28 FanDuel points per minute, making him way too cheap for that level of production.

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