3 NBA FanDuel Value Plays to Target on 1/20/21
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.
[Editor's note: The Portland Trail Blazers and Memphis Grizzlies game has been postponed.]
Xavier Tillman, PF, Memphis Grizzlies ($4,600)
With Jonas Valanciunas out for the Memphis Grizzlies, Xavier Tillman should be the starting center.
Tillman got the start in the Grizzles' most recent game, but prior to that, he had played 17 minutes or more in seven straight games. His role in the rotation was pretty solid to begin with, but now as the starter, we should be looking to him very confidently tonight. He is on the road to take on the Portland Trail Blazers, where the over/under is set at 223 points. This is also a pace-up spot for Memphis, who are currently 18th in the league, while the Trail Blazers are 9th.
Although Tillman is listed as a power forward, he will be starting at center for Memphis and this is certainly a spot you want to attack. Portland is allowing 56.03 FanDuel points per game to opposing centers, which is the sixth-worst in the league. This has Tillman projected for 27.39 minutes and 24.9 FanDuel points.
Carmelo Anthony, SF, Portland Trail Blazers ($4,100)
With C.J. McCollum and Jusuf Nurkic out for the Portland Trail Blazers, plenty of offensive usage opens up.
The Trail Blazers are going to be without two of their starters for several weeks and that means they need role players to step up their production. Carmelo Anthony is already playing good minutes for Portland but is seeing an expanded role when those two players are off the court this season. When they are off the court, Melo has a 24.8% usage rate, which is 4.6% higher than his normal rate. The extra usage should benefit Anthony, as he has always been known as a player who can get hot from the field.
Tonight, Melo is in a great spot to exceed value versus the Memphis Grizzlies, where the over/under is set at 223 points. On top of that, Memphis comes into this game allowing 48.05 FanDuel points per game to opposing small forwards, which is second-worst in the league. Between the extra usage and the soft matchup, Melo should have no issues putting up fantasy points tonight.
Ben McLemore, SG, Houston Rockets ($4,500)
The Houston Rockets have a number of players out and that opens up some minutes for other players.
John Wall, Danuel House Jr., Chris Clemons, and Dante Exum are all out tonight and that puts Ben McLemore in a spot for plenty of minutes. In fact, he is projected for 28.90 minutes and is set to produce 23.3 FanDuel points in those minutes. That puts McLemore as the fifth-best value option among shooting guards. While that is under 1.00 FanDuel points per minute, it has him exceeding 5x value (or 5.0 fantasy points for every $1,000 in salary).
McLemore is normally the first player off the bench for the Rockets and that should have him playing a decent amount of minutes when Victor Oladipo and Christian Wood are off the court. Of course, this can be beneficial as he isn't competing for offensive usage.
