3 NBA FanDuel Value Plays to Target on 1/22/21
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.
Jalen Brunson, PG, Dallas Mavericks ($3,900)
The Dallas Mavericks still have a ton of players missing, opening up value on the rest of their roster.
Dorian Finney-Smith, Josh Richardson, Maxi Kleber, and Dwight Powell are all out for the Mavericks, which moves Jalen Brunson into the starting lineup. Brunson has played 27 and 33 minutes in his first two games back, which is great to see for a player who is still under $4,000. By our model, Brunson is projected for 30.28 minutes and 24.4 FanDuel points, which puts him as the third-best point-per-dollar value option on the entire slate.
Tonight's matchup against the San Antonio Spurs is a solid one, with a 222.0 total and a close 2.0-point spread. That should keep the fantasy potential high on both sides and allow Brunson to push past his salary-based expectations.
Elfrid Payton, PG, New York Knicks ($5,300)
The New York Knicks have one of the softest matchups on the entire slate and are worth considering tonight.
At only $5,300, point guard Elfrid Payton is a very appealing option against the Sacramento Kings for a few reasons. First off, the Knicks are dead last in the league when it comes to offensive pace, while the Kings are 13th, and a pace-up spot is always worth targeting. Next, the Kings are allowing 55.73 FanDuel points per game to opposing point guards, which is the most in the league.
Payton is holding a 22.7% usage rate this season among the Knicks' starters, while posting 0.79 FanDuel points per minute. While the per-minute production isn't amazing, the favorable matchup should allow him to exceed his normal rate of production.
Eric Gordon, SF, Houston Rockets ($5,200)
With several players still out for the Houston Rockets, you can target them for value tonight.
The Rockets have five players ruled out, and that should put Eric Gordon in a spot for big minutes, something we've seen in the past two games. Gordon comes in with 33 and 34 minutes over his last two, and that is the volume of minutes we should expect from him against Detroit, making him a clear value option at small forward.
With the current set of injuries for the Rockets, Gordon is seeing a 30.1% usage rate and producing 1.00 FanDuel points per minute. Most of his production comes from pure scoring, and that will always provide him with a bit of a ceiling, especially when he has seen 17 and 20 field goal attempts in his last two games.
