NBA

3 NBA FanDuel Value Plays to Target for 8/5/20

Austin Swaim  —  @ASwaim3 Aug 5th, 2020
With Jaren Jackson Jr. out, Brandon Clarke figures to see an uptick in minutes. What other value plays should you target?

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 three players who can help fill in the gaps in your lineup.

Brandon Clarke, PF, Memphis Grizzlies ($4,900)

Hello, chalk! Jaren Jackson Jr. was surprisingly ruled out with a season-ending meniscus tear on Tuesday, which gave no time to adjust for Clarke' salary heading into the Memphis Grizzlies' matchup with the Utah Jazz. That's not a stellar one, as the Jazz give up the 12th-fewest FanDuel points to opposing power forwards, but Clarke should start and see significant time for the Grizz on Wednesday.

Clarke is far from a "sure bet," and his rostership will be astronomical, which may mean turning elsewhere in tournaments. But, on paper, Clarke has been very productive in limited time this year, averaging 1.08 FanDuel points per minute (which is actually higher than Jackson), but playing time has been the issue. Clarke has only averaged 22 minutes per game, and that could be cause for concern. With Memphis in the thick of a playoff race, they may prefer to turn to veteran Gorgui Dieng. I still prefer Clarke, however, as the Jazz's opposing power forward Royce O'Neale is a much better matchup for the more-athletic Brandon Clarke than the cement-footed veteran Dieng, and as long as O'Neale continues to see heavy minutes, so should Clarke.

Josh Richardson, SG, Philadelphia 76ers ($4,700)

The Philadelphia 76ers entire starting five appear to be solid picks on FanDuel against the lowly Washington Wizards defense, but Richardson comes far cheaper than the top three at only $4,700. Richardson's playing time has never been in question -- he's averaging 30.8 minutes this year -- but rather his production leaves a lot to be desired. At a much lower price, the path to points is certainly there for Richardson. Yes, Joel Embiid and Tobias Harris both scored over 25 points and took 17 shots each, but Richardson also had a huge outing against the San Antonio Spurs offensively. Richardson was third on the team with 15 shots and scored 19 points against a much better defense.

Richardson's low FanDuel points-per-minute average (0.82) might mean he is in trouble if this game were to be a blowout. By judging from the 10.5-point spread on FanDuel Sportsbook, it is possible. However, in all three Wizards' games inside the bubble, they covered the first-half spread, and the other team's leading-scorer played at least 36 minutes. Even if this one slips away late, Washington has been playing teams close so far, which would help protect Richardson -- and any other 76ers -- in this one.

Monte Morris, PG, Denver Nuggets ($4,500)

Call this a questionable pricing decision. Some of the chatter around Jamal Murray's injury is that the source is unknown, and the severity is still yet to be determined. Given that he has yet to participate in any organized activity, consider Murray likely doubtful again, with Gary Harris and Will Barton already ruled out.

Michael Porter Jr. saw a huge price increase given his large performance on Monday, all the way from $3,700 to $5,500, but Monte Morris is once again around $4,500 for this contest with the San Antonio Spurs. If Murray were to miss again, Morris will start and be another great option. He's averaging 33 minutes and 25.96 FanDuel points in the two games without Murray inside the bubble and gets his best matchup yet in the Spurs, who have been tormented by opposing floor generals, giving up the fifth-most FanDuel points to opposing point guards, and now missing rim-protector LaMarcus Aldridge.

Consider Morris a welcome relief away from the Brooklyn Nets' value train, especially at point guard, as many of their budget options from yesterday have reduced appeal on Wednesday with Caris LeVert, Jarrett Allen, and Joe Harris all potentially back for the Nets' matchup with the Boston Celtics.

Austin Swaim is not a FanDuel employee. In addition to providing DFS gameplay advice, Austin Swaim also participates in DFS contests on FanDuel using his personal account, username ASwaim3. While the strategies and player selections recommended in his articles are his personal views, he may deploy different strategies and player selections when entering contests with his personal account. The views expressed in his articles are the author's alone and do not necessarily reflect the views of FanDuel.