NBA

3 NBA FanDuel Value Plays to Target on 1/15/21

Thomas Vecchio  —  @Tom_Vecchio1 Jan 15th, 2021

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

Payton Pritchard, PG, Boston Celtics ($5,200)

The Boston Celtics are playing their first game since January 8th, and they still have a ton of players out.

The past week has not been easy for the Celtics, as they've had three games postponed and seen seven players in the health and safety protocol. With many of those players still out, rookie point guard Payton Pritchard is set for a bigger role tonight. He has been coming off the bench and playing between 20-27 minutes on most nights. That is great to see, as he is fully a part of their rotation and is now set for extra time on the court.

If we account for which players are out tonight, Pritchard is holding a low 11.9% usage rate but is producing 0.90 FanDuel points per minute. That is very solid and should make him chalky in his matchup against the Orlando Magic, who are allowing the fourth-most (53.01) FanDuel points per game to opposing point guards this season.

Willie Cauley-Stein, C, Dallas Mavericks ($5,000)

Another team dealing with several players being out is the Dallas Mavericks.

Willie Cauley-Stein has seen 23 minutes or more in each of the last four games since the Mavericks are without Dwight Powell and Maxi Kleber. This is right where we should see WCS tonight, as he is projected for 29.5 minutes and 29.9 FanDuel points, making him the third-best value on the entire slate. Tonight's matchup versus the Milwaukee Bucks is a great spot for fantasy production with the over/under set at 226.5, which is the second-highest on the slate.

We also see this as a big pace up spot for the Mavericks, as they are currently 23rd in offensive pace, while the Bucks are 10th. WCS should be among the chalkier value options at center tonight and can easily exceed his salary based value in this matchup.

Cedi Osman, SF, Cleveland Cavaliers ($5,100)

Cedi Osman is playing a ton of minutes for the Cleveland Cavaliers and is a clear value play.

The Cavs have been hit by a ton of injuries and that has led to some big minutes for the remaining players. Osman has played 30 minutes or more in each of his last six games, is holding a 23.6% usage rate, and is producing 0.73 FanDuel points per minute.

Osman comes in as the third-best value play among small forwards tonight, projected for 35.98 minutes and 26.6 FanDuel points. While that is under 1.00 FanDuel points per minute, the volume of minutes he is set to see is massive for a player who is only $5,100.