3 NBA FanDuel Value Plays to Target on 12/30/20
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-salaried options into your lineup.
Let's take a look at five players who can help fill in the gaps in your lineup.
Tyus Jones, PG, Memphis Grizzlies ($5,800)
With Ja Morant out for the Memphis Grizzlies, Tyus Jones should be the starting point guard.
Morant is going to be out for 3-5 weeks due to an ankle injury and backup guard De'Anthony Melton is out due to COVID protocols. This leaves Jones as the projected starting point guard and likely one of the chalkier players on the slate. In the first two games of the season, Jones only played a few minutes, so we can't draw much from that. But, when Morant went out on Monday night versus the Brooklyn Nets, Jones came in and played a season-high of 34 minutes, while posting 26 FanDuel points.
Those are some very solid minutes and also are where numberFire's projections have Jones sitting at tonight -- he is projected for 33.85 minutes and set to produce 26.6 FanDuel points. The matchup versus the Boston Celtics has an over/under set at 220.5, which is actually the lowest on the slate. That isn't ideal, but the minutes are super secure for Jones, who could push towards 30 FanDuel points if the game stays competitive.
Serge Ibaka, C, Los Angeles Clippers ($5,400)
Serge Ibaka is having a great start to the season and it going a bit overlooked.
As a pure role player for the Los Angeles Clippers, Ibaka has posted 22 FanDuel points or more in all four games this season, and that should continue tonight. Kawhi Leonard didn't play last night and is listed as questionable for tonight's game against the Portland Trail Blazers. In a small sample size this season, Ibaka sees a 2.5% increase in his usage when Kawhi is off the court, boosting him up to 28.6%, which is the second-highest on the team behind Paul George.
On top of that, Ibaka also produces an additional 0.13 FanDuel points per minute in the same situation, putting him up at 1.47 FanDuel points per minute. Considering this game has an over/under set at 226.5 and both teams are ranked 9th and 12th in adjusted pace, respectively, we should have a fantastic game environment to target for fantasy production. That is reflected in numberFire's projections, which have Ibaka going for 25.2 FanDuel points in 23 minutes tonight.
Joe Harris, SF, Brooklyn Nets ($4,300)
While Joe Harris isn't the main offensive option for the Brooklyn Nets, you should consider him a strong value option tonight.
The Nets are taking on the Atlanta Hawks, where the over/under is set at a stagger 239.5 points, which is the highest on the slate. To put it simply, that is super-high and you borderline need to be getting some exposure to this spot with only five other games on the slate. This is the game that stands above the others, and with Harris only $4.3K, he offers a bit of salary relief while grabbing some offensive equity in this game.
To start the season, both the Nets and the Hawks are in the top half of the league for the fastest-paced teams in the league and should continue to climb towards the top as the season goes on. That is always good to see for a role player like Harris, who only has a 15.8% usage rate this season. If he isn't the main option on offense, the extra possessions throughout the game will help him reach or exceed fantasy value. We all know that Harris gets the majority of his fantasy points from three-pointers and has attempted four or more shots from downtown in all four games this season. He is also averaging a solid 4.5 rebounds per game, which will help boost his floor of points. With his scoring potential from deep, the over/under, the pace of this game, and his salary, Harris is a standout value play.
