NBA

3 NBA FanDuel Value Plays to Target on 4/5/21

Thomas Vecchio  —  @Tom_Vecchio1 Apr 5th, 2021
Isaiah Stewart is expected to start tonight and has a soft matchup versus the Thunder. What other value options should you consider?

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.

Malachi Flynn, PG, Toronto Raptors ($3,500)

Anytime a player could see big minutes and is the minimum salary, we have to consider them as a value option.

The Toronto Raptors have Kyle Lowry ruled out for tonight's game along with having Fred VanVleet listed as questionable. This is on top of Jalen Harris, Rodney Hood, Patrick McCaw, and Paul Watson all out for various reasons. This leaves the Raptors' rotation rather thin and pushes Malachi Flynn into a spot for plenty of minutes. He has been coming off the bench recently, playing between 12-19 minutes in most games. Flynn played a total of 30 minutes in their most recent game, but that was a massive 130-77 blowout victory over the Golden State Warriors on Friday night.

So, what does this all mean? It's clear that Flynn is a regular part of the Raptors rotation, but could be set for a higher volume of minutes if VanVleet is ruled out. This could put him in the starting lineup, which could make him one of the chalkiest players on the slate. The matchup he has tonight is an awesome one since he is up against the Washington Wizards, who are allowing the fifth-most (50.03) FanDuel points per game to opposing point guards this season.

This is a pace-up spot for the Raptors (14th) since the Wizards are the fastest-paced team in the league. This game also features a very solid 228.5-point over/under, putting Flynn in a very solid position to produce fantasy points.

Jordan McLaughlin, PG, Minnesota Timberwolves ($4,600)

Jordan McLaughlin is a classic case of not overthinking things in NBA DFS.

The Minnesota Timberwolves have D'Angelo Russell, Ricky Rubio, Malik Beasley, and Jaylen Nowell listed as doubtful for tonight's game against the Sacramento Kings. This should put McLaughlin in a spot to be the starting point guard and thus, a phenomenal value option. The Kings are allowing the sixth-most (49.90) FanDuel points per game to opposing point guards. Great matchup? Check. Both teams are also in the top-12 of the league for the fastest-paced offensive teams. Good offensive pace? Check. We also see a slate-high 234-point over/under and a close 4.0-point spread. Solid fantasy environment? Check.

All of this gives McLaughlin a projection of 31.2 FanDuel points in 37.13 minutes of action, making him the second-best projected value on tonight's slate. Don't overthink things with McLaughlin, just roster him tonight.

Isaiah Stewart, PF, Detroit Pistons ($3,700)

Isaiah Stewart is expected to be the Detroit Pistons' starting center tonight.

With Mason Plumlee out tonight due to rest, Stewart is expected to jump into the starting lineup, which should lead to him being one of the most popular players on the slate. Despite being listed as a power forward, he will be starting at center and in a very favorable matchup versus the Oklahoma City Thunder. This season, the Thunder are allowing 55.51 FanDuel points per game to opposing centers, which is the eighth-most in the league.

When Plumlee is off the court this year, Stewart is producing 0.91 FanDuel points per minute, on a very modest 15.2% usage rate. This gives him a projection of 29.4 FanDuel points in 30 minutes, making him the best-projected value option on the entire slate. Between Stewart and McLaughlin, the point-per-dollar value they offer cannot be matched tonight.