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
PG | 4x Value | 5x Value | 6x Value |
1 | Malcolm Brogdon (0.83) | Malcolm Brogdon (0.63) | Aaron Holiday (0.36) |
2 | Chris Paul (0.77) | Terry Rozier (0.52) | Malcolm Brogdon (0.31) |
3 | Spencer Dinwiddie (0.73) | Kendrick Nunn (0.52) | Terry Rozier (0.3) |
4 | Goran Dragic (0.72) | Lonzo Ball (0.51) | Lonzo Ball (0.3) |
5 | Kyrie Irving (0.7) | Spencer Dinwiddie (0.5) | Ricky Rubio (0.3) |
6 | Terry Rozier (0.7) | Ricky Rubio (0.49) | Kyrie Irving (0.3) |
7 | Kendrick Nunn (0.7) | Chris Paul (0.48) | T.J. McConnell (0.29) |
8 | Lonzo Ball (0.68) | Aaron Holiday (0.48) | Goran Dragic (0.26) |
Shooting Guard
SG | 4x Value | 5x Value | 6x Value |
1 | Jimmy Butler (0.85) | Tyler Herro (0.64) | Tyler Herro (0.45) |
2 | D'Angelo Russell (0.78) | D'Angelo Russell (0.56) | Josh Hart (0.39) |
3 | Dennis Schroder (0.78) | Shai Gilgeous-Alexander (0.54) | JJ Redick (0.37) |
4 | Shai Gilgeous-Alexander (0.77) | Jeremy Lamb (0.54) | Malik Monk (0.36) |
5 | Jrue Holiday (0.75) | Duncan Robinson (0.54) | Jeremy Lamb (0.35) |
6 | Garrett Temple (0.75) | Devonte' Graham (0.53) | Malik Beasley (0.35) |
7 | Jeremy Lamb (0.74) | Devin Booker (0.52) | Duncan Robinson (0.34) |
8 | Devin Booker (0.73) | JJ Redick (0.52) | D'Angelo Russell (0.31) |
Small Forward
SF | 4x Value | 5x Value | 6x Value |
1 | Danilo Gallinari (0.79) | Danilo Gallinari (0.54) | Mikal Bridges (0.38) |
2 | Brandon Ingram (0.76) | Joe Harris (0.54) | Derrick Jones (0.37) |
3 | T.J. Warren (0.75) | Miles Bridges (0.53) | Joe Harris (0.33) |
4 | Taurean Prince (0.75) | Brandon Ingram (0.52) | Jae Crowder (0.33) |
5 | Kelly Oubre (0.73) | Jae Crowder (0.52) | Kelly Oubre (0.32) |
6 | Joe Harris (0.73) | Derrick Jones (0.51) | Taurean Prince (0.3) |
7 | Jae Crowder (0.69) | Taurean Prince (0.5) | Jarrett Culver (0.3) |
8 | Miles Bridges (0.68) | Kelly Oubre (0.48) | Miles Bridges (0.29) |
Power Forward
PF | 4x Value | 5x Value | 6x Value |
1 | Zion Williamson (0.86) | Bam Adebayo (0.55) | James Johnson (0.5) |
2 | Bam Adebayo (0.8) | P.J. Washington (0.54) | Frank Kaminsky (0.38) |
3 | Domantas Sabonis (0.76) | Naz Reid (0.53) | Naz Reid (0.37) |
4 | P.J. Washington (0.75) | Nerlens Noel (0.53) | Nerlens Noel (0.36) |
5 | Naz Reid (0.7) | Jarrett Allen (0.53) | Dario Saric (0.34) |
6 | Nerlens Noel (0.69) | Zion Williamson (0.52) | Jarrett Allen (0.31) |
7 | Dario Saric (0.66) | James Johnson (0.5) | Nicolo Melli (0.3) |
8 | Jarrett Allen (0.64) | Josh Okogie (0.49) | P.J. Washington (0.27) |
Center
C | 4x Value | 5x Value | 6x Value |
1 | DeAndre Jordan (0.75) | Steven Adams (0.54) | Bismack Biyombo (0.38) |
2 | Karl-Anthony Towns (0.74) | Cody Zeller (0.52) | Aron Baynes (0.36) |
3 | Cody Zeller (0.74) | DeAndre Jordan (0.5) | Steven Adams (0.34) |
4 | Steven Adams (0.71) | Aron Baynes (0.48) | Kelly Olynyk (0.34) |
5 | Deandre Ayton (0.7) | Derrick Favors (0.46) | Cody Zeller (0.33) |
6 | Derrick Favors (0.7) | Kelly Olynyk (0.46) | Derrick Favors (0.33) |
7 | Myles Turner (0.69) | Myles Turner (0.45) | Myles Turner (0.31) |
8 | Jaxson Hayes (0.63) | Bismack Biyombo (0.42) | DeAndre Jordan (0.29) |
Main Slate
Point Guard
PG | 4x Value | 5x Value | 6x Value |
1 | De'Aaron Fox (0.85) | Mike Conley (0.62) | Reggie Jackson (0.43) |
2 | Collin Sexton (0.77) | De'Anthony Melton (0.6) | Mike Conley (0.4) |
3 | Jamal Murray (0.76) | De'Aaron Fox (0.54) | De'Anthony Melton (0.4) |
4 | Derrick White (0.72) | Derrick White (0.54) | Derrick White (0.38) |
5 | Luka Doncic (0.71) | Luka Doncic (0.52) | Ja Morant (0.37) |
6 | Patrick Beverley (0.71) | Ja Morant (0.52) | Seth Curry (0.37) |
7 | De'Anthony Melton (0.71) | Seth Curry (0.51) | Jamal Murray (0.35) |
8 | Russell Westbrook (0.69) | Dejounte Murray (0.5) | Rajon Rondo (0.33) |
Shooting Guard
SG | 4x Value | 5x Value | 6x Value |
1 | James Harden (0.79) | Buddy Hield (0.59) | Gary Harris (0.39) |
2 | DeMar DeRozan (0.77) | Damion Lee (0.57) | Dillon Brooks (0.38) |
3 | Donovan Mitchell (0.75) | Dillon Brooks (0.55) | Jordan Clarkson (0.35) |
4 | Buddy Hield (0.75) | DeMar DeRozan (0.54) | Delon Wright (0.32) |
5 | Lou Williams (0.73) | James Harden (0.52) | Bogdan Bogdanovic (0.31) |
6 | Gary Harris (0.73) | Delon Wright (0.52) | Danny Green (0.31) |
7 | CJ McCollum (0.71) | Donovan Mitchell (0.51) | Damion Lee (0.29) |
8 | Damion Lee (0.71) | Lou Williams (0.5) | Avery Bradley (0.29) |
Small Forward
SF | 4x Value | 5x Value | 6x Value |
1 | LeBron James (0.84) | Rodney Hood (0.62) | Josh Jackson (0.44) |
2 | Will Barton (0.76) | Harrison Barnes (0.58) | Joe Ingles (0.39) |
3 | Tim Hardaway (0.76) | Cedi Osman (0.57) | Cedi Osman (0.38) |
4 | Harrison Barnes (0.75) | Josh Jackson (0.56) | Rudy Gay (0.38) |
5 | Bojan Bogdanovic (0.72) | Tim Hardaway (0.54) | Harrison Barnes (0.37) |
6 | Dorian Finney-Smith (0.72) | Will Barton (0.53) | Kent Bazemore (0.36) |
7 | Eric Gordon (0.71) | Joe Ingles (0.53) | Danuel House (0.36) |
8 | Cedi Osman (0.71) | Rudy Gay (0.53) | Trevor Ariza (0.36) |
Power Forward
PF | 4x Value | 5x Value | 6x Value |
1 | Kawhi Leonard (0.87) | Kevin Love (0.61) | Paul Millsap (0.41) |
2 | LaMarcus Aldridge (0.81) | Brandon Clarke (0.57) | Nemanja Bjelica (0.38) |
3 | Robert Covington (0.76) | Jaren Jackson (0.56) | Eric Paschall (0.36) |
4 | Jaren Jackson (0.76) | Richaun Holmes (0.53) | Jerami Grant (0.36) |
5 | Kevin Love (0.75) | Paul Millsap (0.52) | Jabari Parker (0.36) |
6 | Brandon Clarke (0.75) | LaMarcus Aldridge (0.51) | Kyle Kuzma (0.35) |
7 | Maxi Kleber (0.74) | Kyle Kuzma (0.5) | Richaun Holmes (0.33) |
8 | Draymond Green (0.72) | Draymond Green (0.49) | Michael Porter (0.33) |
Center
C | 4x Value | 5x Value | 6x Value |
1 | Andre Drummond (0.75) | Willie Cauley-Stein (0.61) | P.J. Tucker (0.41) |
2 | Rudy Gobert (0.75) | Marquese Chriss (0.53) | Jakob Poeltl (0.4) |
3 | Ivica Zubac (0.75) | Jakob Poeltl (0.53) | Dwight Powell (0.38) |
4 | Hassan Whiteside (0.7) | Montrezl Harrell (0.51) | Ivica Zubac (0.36) |
5 | Montrezl Harrell (0.68) | Alex Len (0.51) | Gorgui Dieng (0.36) |
6 | Willie Cauley-Stein (0.67) | Ivica Zubac (0.5) | Marquese Chriss (0.34) |
7 | Jonas Valanciunas (0.66) | JaVale McGee (0.49) | Alex Len (0.33) |
8 | Mason Plumlee (0.66) | Rudy Gobert (0.48) | Willie Cauley-Stein (0.31) |