3 NBA DraftKings Value Plays to Target on 1/4/21
A major key to success in daily fantasy basketball is uncovering potential value plays. If you're looking to roster a stud or two, you need to consider squeezing 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 on DraftKings tonight.
JaVale McGee, C, Cleveland Cavaliers
DraftKings Price: $4,500
After winning a championship as a member of the Los Angeles Lakers last year, JaVale McGee has taken on a bench role with his new squad, the Cleveland Cavaliers. But the thing is, he hasn't stopped being an efficient contributor. In his 17.5 minutes per game, the big man is averaging 10.5 points, 7.7 rebounds, and 1.7 blocks-plus-steals -- all for a total of 24.6 DraftKings points per game. At his salary, that's enough to provide five-times value alone.
We could see even more of McGee going forward, too. Last time out he out-played Andre Drummond, garnering 25 minutes (to Drummond's 20) while notching 14 points, 9 rebounds and a total of 36.25 DK points against the Atlanta Hawks. The Orlando Magic were very respectable against centers last year, however, they rate worse than the Hawks over at FantasyPros, allowing 49.8 DK points per game to the position.
McGee's hyper-efficiency makes him an option for salary relief on a slate favoring a more balanced roster construction. This could be a key way of differentiating yourself, particularly in tournaments and large-field GPPs.
Danuel House, SF/PF, Houston Rockets
DraftKings Price: $4,200
In terms of the type of value play, Danuel House Jr. is the polar opposite to McGee. While he averages a very likable 32.4 minutes a game, that playing time has amounted to only 17.8 DK points per game on 7.5 points and 37% shooting. He's been the opposite of efficient for the Houston Rockets.
Still, House is a valuable body for an offensive team built around the likes of James Harden and John Wall. And when you consider his production last year it's hard to forget about him on a slate with very little in the way of obvious value. In 63 games, he averaged 10.5 points on 43% shooting on his way to 21.5 DK points over 30.4 minutes of work. He had six games of 20 or more points on the court, a well as a dozen games with three or more threes. Those bonus points for triples are exactly what you're looking for if you're relying on House to reach value for his lower price point.
The game environment isn't the greatest, but if Harden is unable to return from injury there will be shots to go around against the visiting Dallas Mavericks, who will be tired on the back end of back-to-back. You could do a lot worse than a guy playing 30-plus minutes on a nightly basis.
Jalen Brunson, PG, Dallas Mavericks
DraftKings Price: $3,300
After sitting out last night's game against the Chicago Bulls, Luka Doncic can be considered questionable for Monday as a result of his bruised left quad. That would allow Jalen Brunson to make a second straight start in his stead, following a big night on Sunday.
Starting at the point, Brunson went for 31 points and 49.25 DK points in 37 minutes. But his production is nothing new. A season ago he was able to make 16 starts, averaging 12.1 points, 5.1 assists and 24.3 DK points in 26.3 minutes. He posted a 19.4% usage rate and 29.1% assist rate over that 16-game sample.
And again, the game environment bodes well for Brunson and the Mavs. Houston is allowing 116.2 points per game while playing at a pace of 102.3 possessions per 48 minutes -- an boost of 2.4 possessions to Dallas' 24th-ranked pace to this point in the early going. Brunson is in the running for the top point-per-dollar play of the night.
Brett Oswalt is not a FanDuel employee. In addition to providing DFS gameplay advice, Brett Oswalt also participates in DFS contests on FanDuel using his personal account, username BRO14THEKID. While the strategies and player selections recommended in his articles are his/her 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.
