3 NBA DraftKings Value Plays to Target on 2/22/21
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-salaried 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.
Dorian Finney-Smith, SF/PF, Dallas Mavericks
DraftKings Salary: $4,800
Monday's theme for value plays is quite simple: minutes. While the slate is shorter, at just six games, there are a number of players that if you play them you know what you are getting as far as a workload. That starts with one of the Dallas Mavericks' key do-it-all guys, Dorian Finney-Smith.
Finney-Smith isn't going to pop off for 20-plus points or find his way to a double-double on a regular basis. However, what he is going to do is garner 33-plus minutes and flirt with 20 to 25 DK points by feeding off of Luka Doncic and his playmaking. That's enough to consider him every night let alone in a favorable matchup.
The Memphis Grizzlies are above the bottom 10 in NBA.com's defensive rating, but they have fallen from 19th to 25th for the month of February. And according to FantasyPros, they are also the single worst team against Finney-Smith's small forward position. Stacking him with Doncic is always a good idea, especially in this case.
Royce O'Neale, SF/PF, Utah Jazz
DraftKings Salary: $4,500
Much like DFS, Royce O'Neale's minutes are in the mid- to high-30s on a night-in, night-out basis. As Utah's usual starting small forward, he has averaged 32.4 minutes a game, but in the last 10 days he has seen that climb to 34.4 a night and spike above 37 in a competitive game on Friday evening.
Despite his high minutes total, O'Neale was limited to a mere 12 fantasy points up against the likes of Kawhi Leonard, Paul George and the Los Angeles Clippers' elite defense. However, Monday's matchup is a big upgrade with the Charlotte Hornets in the middle of the pack in defense and versus small forwards for fantasy purposes.
The pace of this game won't be crazy, but it should be enough for O'Neale to his salary-implied total of 22.5 DK points -- something he has accomplished three times in the last four games. You have to feel good locking him into your lineup tonight.
Desmond Bane, SG/SF, Memphis Grizzlies
DraftKings Salary: $3,900
Desmond Bane is another player who can fill out your small forward spot, but he can also slide over to shooting guard if you aren't paying up there. Plus, his minutes are consistently around 25 minutes or so in his role off the bench for the Grizz.
The rookie first-rounder has quickly become a factor for Memphis, as he's averaging 10 points and 17.7 DK points in his 22.6 minutes a game. He has taken the brunt of the minutes at the small forward spot, backing up Kyle Anderson, and though he contends with De'Anthony Melton and others for shots he has been able to get his of late. Prior to his last game, he was able to score in double digits in eight of nine contests, and in all but two of those he was able to exceed the 20-fantasy-point mark.
It's disappointing that Bane wasn't given more of an opportunity than his 24 minutes without Grayson Allen in the lineup on Saturday, but even with Justise Winslow back -- and Dillon Brooks out -- he saw the same role. He's someone to get salary relief from with an underachieving Mavs defense on tap.
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 authors alone and do not necessarily reflect the views of FanDuel.
