NBA

NBA Sim Sports Picks for 4/3/20 on FanDuel

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 contests.

In parenthesis, you can see how often a player hit the given threshold. For example, LeBron James returned 4x value in 84% of his games but wasn't top-eight at his position in 5x or 6x value frequency due to his elevated salary. That doesn't mean big games aren't possible, of course.

Early Slate
Point Guard

PG4x Value5x Value6x Value
1Malcolm Brogdon (0.83)Malcolm Brogdon (0.63)Aaron Holiday (0.36)
2Chris Paul (0.77)Terry Rozier (0.52)Malcolm Brogdon (0.31)
3Spencer Dinwiddie (0.73)Kendrick Nunn (0.52)Terry Rozier (0.3)
4Goran Dragic (0.72)Lonzo Ball (0.51)Lonzo Ball (0.3)
5Kyrie Irving (0.7)Spencer Dinwiddie (0.5)Ricky Rubio (0.3)
6Terry Rozier (0.7)Ricky Rubio (0.49)Kyrie Irving (0.3)
7Kendrick Nunn (0.7)Chris Paul (0.48)T.J. McConnell (0.29)
8Lonzo Ball (0.68)Aaron Holiday (0.48)Goran Dragic (0.26)

Shooting Guard

SG4x Value5x Value6x Value
1Jimmy Butler (0.85)Tyler Herro (0.64)Tyler Herro (0.45)
2D'Angelo Russell (0.78)D'Angelo Russell (0.56)Josh Hart (0.39)
3Dennis Schroder (0.78)Shai Gilgeous-Alexander (0.54)JJ Redick (0.37)
4Shai Gilgeous-Alexander (0.77)Jeremy Lamb (0.54)Malik Monk (0.36)
5Jrue Holiday (0.75)Duncan Robinson (0.54)Jeremy Lamb (0.35)
6Garrett Temple (0.75)Devonte' Graham (0.53)Malik Beasley (0.35)
7Jeremy Lamb (0.74)Devin Booker (0.52)Duncan Robinson (0.34)
8Devin Booker (0.73)JJ Redick (0.52)D'Angelo Russell (0.31)

Small Forward

SF4x Value5x Value6x Value
1Danilo Gallinari (0.79)Danilo Gallinari (0.54)Mikal Bridges (0.38)
2Brandon Ingram (0.76)Joe Harris (0.54)Derrick Jones (0.37)
3T.J. Warren (0.75)Miles Bridges (0.53)Joe Harris (0.33)
4Taurean Prince (0.75)Brandon Ingram (0.52)Jae Crowder (0.33)
5Kelly Oubre (0.73)Jae Crowder (0.52)Kelly Oubre (0.32)
6Joe Harris (0.73)Derrick Jones (0.51)Taurean Prince (0.3)
7Jae Crowder (0.69)Taurean Prince (0.5)Jarrett Culver (0.3)
8Miles Bridges (0.68)Kelly Oubre (0.48)Miles Bridges (0.29)

Power Forward

PF4x Value5x Value6x Value
1Zion Williamson (0.86)Bam Adebayo (0.55)James Johnson (0.5)
2Bam Adebayo (0.8)P.J. Washington (0.54)Frank Kaminsky (0.38)
3Domantas Sabonis (0.76)Naz Reid (0.53)Naz Reid (0.37)
4P.J. Washington (0.75)Nerlens Noel (0.53)Nerlens Noel (0.36)
5Naz Reid (0.7)Jarrett Allen (0.53)Dario Saric (0.34)
6Nerlens Noel (0.69)Zion Williamson (0.52)Jarrett Allen (0.31)
7Dario Saric (0.66)James Johnson (0.5)Nicolo Melli (0.3)
8Jarrett Allen (0.64)Josh Okogie (0.49)P.J. Washington (0.27)

Center

C4x Value5x Value6x Value
1DeAndre Jordan (0.75)Steven Adams (0.54)Bismack Biyombo (0.38)
2Karl-Anthony Towns (0.74)Cody Zeller (0.52)Aron Baynes (0.36)
3Cody Zeller (0.74)DeAndre Jordan (0.5)Steven Adams (0.34)
4Steven Adams (0.71)Aron Baynes (0.48)Kelly Olynyk (0.34)
5Deandre Ayton (0.7)Derrick Favors (0.46)Cody Zeller (0.33)
6Derrick Favors (0.7)Kelly Olynyk (0.46)Derrick Favors (0.33)
7Myles Turner (0.69)Myles Turner (0.45)Myles Turner (0.31)
8Jaxson Hayes (0.63)Bismack Biyombo (0.42)DeAndre Jordan (0.29)

Main Slate
Point Guard

PG4x Value5x Value6x Value
1De'Aaron Fox (0.85)Mike Conley (0.62)Reggie Jackson (0.43)
2Collin Sexton (0.77)De'Anthony Melton (0.6)Mike Conley (0.4)
3Jamal Murray (0.76)De'Aaron Fox (0.54)De'Anthony Melton (0.4)
4Derrick White (0.72)Derrick White (0.54)Derrick White (0.38)
5Luka Doncic (0.71)Luka Doncic (0.52)Ja Morant (0.37)
6Patrick Beverley (0.71)Ja Morant (0.52)Seth Curry (0.37)
7De'Anthony Melton (0.71)Seth Curry (0.51)Jamal Murray (0.35)
8Russell Westbrook (0.69)Dejounte Murray (0.5)Rajon Rondo (0.33)

Shooting Guard

SG4x Value5x Value6x Value
1James Harden (0.79)Buddy Hield (0.59)Gary Harris (0.39)
2DeMar DeRozan (0.77)Damion Lee (0.57)Dillon Brooks (0.38)
3Donovan Mitchell (0.75)Dillon Brooks (0.55)Jordan Clarkson (0.35)
4Buddy Hield (0.75)DeMar DeRozan (0.54)Delon Wright (0.32)
5Lou Williams (0.73)James Harden (0.52)Bogdan Bogdanovic (0.31)
6Gary Harris (0.73)Delon Wright (0.52)Danny Green (0.31)
7CJ McCollum (0.71)Donovan Mitchell (0.51)Damion Lee (0.29)
8Damion Lee (0.71)Lou Williams (0.5)Avery Bradley (0.29)

Small Forward

SF4x Value5x Value6x Value
1LeBron James (0.84)Rodney Hood (0.62)Josh Jackson (0.44)
2Will Barton (0.76)Harrison Barnes (0.58)Joe Ingles (0.39)
3Tim Hardaway (0.76)Cedi Osman (0.57)Cedi Osman (0.38)
4Harrison Barnes (0.75)Josh Jackson (0.56)Rudy Gay (0.38)
5Bojan Bogdanovic (0.72)Tim Hardaway (0.54)Harrison Barnes (0.37)
6Dorian Finney-Smith (0.72)Will Barton (0.53)Kent Bazemore (0.36)
7Eric Gordon (0.71)Joe Ingles (0.53)Danuel House (0.36)
8Cedi Osman (0.71)Rudy Gay (0.53)Trevor Ariza (0.36)

Power Forward

PF4x Value5x Value6x Value
1Kawhi Leonard (0.87)Kevin Love (0.61)Paul Millsap (0.41)
2LaMarcus Aldridge (0.81)Brandon Clarke (0.57)Nemanja Bjelica (0.38)
3Robert Covington (0.76)Jaren Jackson (0.56)Eric Paschall (0.36)
4Jaren Jackson (0.76)Richaun Holmes (0.53)Jerami Grant (0.36)
5Kevin Love (0.75)Paul Millsap (0.52)Jabari Parker (0.36)
6Brandon Clarke (0.75)LaMarcus Aldridge (0.51)Kyle Kuzma (0.35)
7Maxi Kleber (0.74)Kyle Kuzma (0.5)Richaun Holmes (0.33)
8Draymond Green (0.72)Draymond Green (0.49)Michael Porter (0.33)

Center

C4x Value5x Value6x Value
1Andre Drummond (0.75)Willie Cauley-Stein (0.61)P.J. Tucker (0.41)
2Rudy Gobert (0.75)Marquese Chriss (0.53)Jakob Poeltl (0.4)
3Ivica Zubac (0.75)Jakob Poeltl (0.53)Dwight Powell (0.38)
4Hassan Whiteside (0.7)Montrezl Harrell (0.51)Ivica Zubac (0.36)
5Montrezl Harrell (0.68)Alex Len (0.51)Gorgui Dieng (0.36)
6Willie Cauley-Stein (0.67)Ivica Zubac (0.5)Marquese Chriss (0.34)
7Jonas Valanciunas (0.66)JaVale McGee (0.49)Alex Len (0.33)
8Mason Plumlee (0.66)Rudy Gobert (0.48)Willie Cauley-Stein (0.31)