During this downtime in the sports calendar, FanDuel has been innovating a lot of different ways to get some daily fantasy sports action.
One of those includes NBA Sim Sports, a format that looks pretty much identical to the usual FanDuel offering. The only twist is that the games won't be played live. Players will instead be assigned a random game from their 2019-20 season.
Matchups don't come into play, and late-scratches and other games missed by players won't come into effect. Scores roll out throughout the slate for a bit of a sweat.
It's free to enter (both the early and late slates), and here are some potential standout picks.
Finding Value
A rule of thumb in NBA DFS is finding certain value thresholds. For example, seeking players who can score 5.0 FanDuel points per $1,000 in salary. This is known as "five-times value" or "5x." The reason for that is if you max out your $60,000 budget and every player in your lineup scores exactly 5.0 points per $1,000, you'll total 300.0 FanDuel points. That's a good starting point.
Of course, for bigger totals, you'll want to shoot for 6x or higher, and for safety, 4x is a fine mark to uncover. What you will typically find is that the more expensive players hit 4x value often (because their roles are secure but their prices are high enough that they really need a huge game to pay off big price tags) and cheaper players hit 6x more frequently (because their bigger games are less about 50-point triple-doubles and more about a simple double-double at a cheaper price).
Value Leaders
These tables include the top-eight performers at each position based on how many times this season they had games that hit our three different value thresholds when compared to their current price for today's contest.
In parenthesis, you can see how often a player hit the given threshold. For example, Shai Gilgeous-Alexander returned 4x value in 80% of his games and 5x value in 55% of his games.
Early Slate
Point Guard
PG | 4x Value | 5x Value | 6x Value |
1 | Collin Sexton (0.77) | Kris Dunn (0.57) | Reggie Jackson (0.43) |
2 | Spencer Dinwiddie (0.73) | Spencer Dinwiddie (0.55) | Kris Dunn (0.41) |
3 | Goran Dragic (0.72) | Elfrid Payton (0.53) | Tomas Satoransky (0.34) |
4 | Tomas Satoransky (0.71) | Terry Rozier (0.52) | Ricky Rubio (0.32) |
5 | Patrick Beverley (0.71) | Kendrick Nunn (0.52) | Elfrid Payton (0.31) |
6 | Kris Dunn (0.71) | Tomas Satoransky (0.51) | Darius Garland (0.31) |
7 | Kyrie Irving (0.7) | Ricky Rubio (0.49) | Terry Rozier (0.3) |
8 | Ricky Rubio (0.7) | Darius Garland (0.49) | Kyrie Irving (0.3) |
Shooting Guard
SG | 4x Value | 5x Value | 6x Value |
1 | Jimmy Butler (0.8) | Tyler Herro (0.62) | Tyler Herro (0.36) |
2 | Zach LaVine (0.77) | Devin Booker (0.59) | Malik Monk (0.36) |
3 | Garrett Temple (0.75) | Duncan Robinson (0.54) | RJ Barrett (0.35) |
4 | Devin Booker (0.73) | Devonte' Graham (0.53) | Duncan Robinson (0.34) |
5 | Devonte' Graham (0.73) | RJ Barrett (0.53) | Caris LeVert (0.33) |
6 | Lou Williams (0.73) | Lou Williams (0.5) | Cody Martin (0.33) |
7 | Tyler Herro (0.7) | Zach LaVine (0.48) | Garrett Temple (0.31) |
8 | Duncan Robinson (0.68) | Garrett Temple (0.47) | Devin Booker (0.3) |
Small Forward
SF | 4x Value | 5x Value | 6x Value |
1 | Taurean Prince (0.75) | Cedi Osman (0.57) | Cedi Osman (0.38) |
2 | Kelly Oubre (0.73) | Joe Harris (0.54) | Mikal Bridges (0.38) |
3 | Joe Harris (0.73) | Miles Bridges (0.53) | Derrick Jones (0.37) |
4 | Cedi Osman (0.71) | Jae Crowder (0.52) | Joe Harris (0.33) |
5 | Paul George (0.69) | Derrick Jones (0.51) | Jae Crowder (0.33) |
6 | Marcus Morris (0.69) | Taurean Prince (0.5) | Kelly Oubre (0.32) |
7 | Jae Crowder (0.69) | Paul George (0.5) | Taurean Prince (0.3) |
8 | Miles Bridges (0.68) | Marcus Morris (0.49) | Miles Bridges (0.29) |
Power Forward
PF | 4x Value | 5x Value | 6x Value |
1 | Kawhi Leonard (0.87) | Kevin Love (0.61) | Frank Kaminsky (0.38) |
2 | Bam Adebayo (0.8) | Bam Adebayo (0.55) | Dario Saric (0.34) |
3 | Julius Randle (0.75) | Jarrett Allen (0.53) | Larry Nance (0.32) |
4 | Kevin Love (0.75) | P.J. Washington (0.51) | Jarrett Allen (0.31) |
5 | Thaddeus Young (0.72) | Julius Randle (0.5) | Thaddeus Young (0.3) |
6 | P.J. Washington (0.71) | Larry Nance (0.48) | P.J. Washington (0.27) |
7 | Lauri Markkanen (0.68) | Thaddeus Young (0.47) | Kevin Love (0.25) |
8 | Larry Nance (0.66) | Dario Saric (0.47) | Julius Randle (0.25) |
Center
C | 4x Value | 5x Value | 6x Value |
1 | Wendell Carter (0.77) | Tristan Thompson (0.54) | Kelly Olynyk (0.39) |
2 | DeAndre Jordan (0.75) | Cody Zeller (0.52) | Bismack Biyombo (0.38) |
3 | Ivica Zubac (0.75) | Mitchell Robinson (0.51) | Ivica Zubac (0.36) |
4 | Cody Zeller (0.74) | Montrezl Harrell (0.51) | Aron Baynes (0.36) |
5 | Deandre Ayton (0.73) | DeAndre Jordan (0.5) | Cody Zeller (0.33) |
6 | Andre Drummond (0.72) | Ivica Zubac (0.5) | Mitchell Robinson (0.3) |
7 | Tristan Thompson (0.72) | Kelly Olynyk (0.49) | Bobby Portis (0.3) |
8 | Mitchell Robinson (0.72) | Aron Baynes (0.48) | Montrezl Harrell (0.29) |
Main Slate
Point Guard
PG | 4x Value | 5x Value | 6x Value |
1 | Derrick Rose (0.8) | Mike Conley (0.62) | Mike Conley (0.4) |
2 | Chris Paul (0.78) | Chris Paul (0.6) | Ish Smith (0.38) |
3 | Markelle Fultz (0.75) | Ish Smith (0.55) | Seth Curry (0.37) |
4 | Ish Smith (0.72) | Lonzo Ball (0.54) | Shabazz Napier (0.37) |
5 | Luka Doncic (0.71) | Eric Bledsoe (0.54) | D.J. Augustin (0.35) |
6 | Trae Young (0.71) | Derrick Rose (0.52) | Rajon Rondo (0.33) |
7 | Jeff Teague (0.71) | Luka Doncic (0.52) | Lonzo Ball (0.32) |
8 | Lonzo Ball (0.7) | D.J. Augustin (0.51) | Jeff Teague (0.32) |
Shooting Guard
SG | 4x Value | 5x Value | 6x Value |
1 | Shai Gilgeous-Alexander (0.8) | Donte DiVincenzo (0.61) | Terrence Ross (0.4) |
2 | Donte DiVincenzo (0.8) | Terrence Ross (0.57) | Josh Hart (0.39) |
3 | James Harden (0.79) | Damion Lee (0.57) | JJ Redick (0.37) |
4 | Dennis Schroder (0.78) | Shai Gilgeous-Alexander (0.55) | Jordan McRae (0.35) |
5 | Donovan Mitchell (0.77) | Donovan Mitchell (0.55) | Jordan Clarkson (0.35) |
6 | Khris Middleton (0.77) | Jordan McRae (0.54) | Delon Wright (0.32) |
7 | Jrue Holiday (0.75) | James Harden (0.52) | Donte DiVincenzo (0.31) |
8 | Evan Fournier (0.75) | Bruce Brown (0.52) | Bruce Brown (0.31) |
Small Forward
SF | 4x Value | 5x Value | 6x Value |
1 | LeBron James (0.84) | De'Andre Hunter (0.57) | De'Andre Hunter (0.43) |
2 | Giannis Antetokounmpo (0.83) | Brandon Ingram (0.55) | Joe Ingles (0.39) |
3 | Brandon Ingram (0.79) | Danilo Gallinari (0.54) | Danuel House (0.36) |
4 | Danilo Gallinari (0.79) | Tim Hardaway (0.54) | Luke Kennard (0.36) |
5 | Tim Hardaway (0.76) | Joe Ingles (0.53) | Dorian Finney-Smith (0.34) |
6 | Luke Kennard (0.75) | Troy Brown (0.52) | Cam Reddish (0.34) |
7 | Bojan Bogdanovic (0.72) | Giannis Antetokounmpo (0.5) | Tim Hardaway (0.32) |
8 | Dorian Finney-Smith (0.72) | Bojan Bogdanovic (0.5) | Eric Gordon (0.32) |
Power Forward
PF | 4x Value | 5x Value | 6x Value |
1 | Zion Williamson (0.86) | Blake Griffin (0.61) | Christian Wood (0.4) |
2 | John Collins (0.78) | Zion Williamson (0.57) | Nerlens Noel (0.36) |
3 | Blake Griffin (0.78) | Davis Bertans (0.56) | Eric Paschall (0.36) |
4 | Aaron Gordon (0.76) | Nerlens Noel (0.53) | Kyle Kuzma (0.35) |
5 | Robert Covington (0.76) | Aaron Gordon (0.52) | Blake Griffin (0.33) |
6 | Davis Bertans (0.76) | Rui Hachimura (0.52) | Royce O'Neale (0.31) |
7 | Maxi Kleber (0.74) | Kyle Kuzma (0.5) | Kristaps Porzingis (0.31) |
8 | Draymond Green (0.72) | Draymond Green (0.49) | Draymond Green (0.3) |
Center
C | 4x Value | 5x Value | 6x Value |
1 | Nikola Vucevic (0.78) | Willie Cauley-Stein (0.61) | P.J. Tucker (0.41) |
2 | Rudy Gobert (0.75) | Marquese Chriss (0.53) | Dwight Powell (0.38) |
3 | Thomas Bryant (0.74) | Clint Capela (0.51) | Ian Mahinmi (0.37) |
4 | Clint Capela (0.72) | Steven Adams (0.51) | Dwight Howard (0.35) |
5 | Derrick Favors (0.7) | JaVale McGee (0.51) | Marquese Chriss (0.34) |
6 | Steven Adams (0.68) | Rudy Gobert (0.48) | Derrick Favors (0.33) |
7 | Willie Cauley-Stein (0.67) | Dwight Powell (0.48) | Thomas Bryant (0.32) |
8 | Dwight Powell (0.65) | Dwight Howard (0.47) | Willie Cauley-Stein (0.31) |