NBA

4 Daily Fantasy Basketball Value Plays for 4/5/16

Jacob Gibbs  —  @jagibbs_23 Apr 5th, 2016
Jerami Grant should be able to take advantage of Philadelphia's shorthanded roster. Who else should you target?

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'll need to find one of these lower-priced options to squeeze everyone into your lineup.

Let's take a look at three guys who can help fill the gaps in your lineup tonight. Of course, remember to check our projections closer to tip because so much can change in the NBA throughout the day.

Jerami Grant, PF, Philadelphia 76ers

FanDuel Price: $5,100

Before going down with knee and quad injuries, Jerami Grant was enjoying an expanded role with several 76ers sidelined. In the five games prior to getting injured, he averaged 25.6 FanDuel points per game. He picked up right where he left off upon his return from injury, averaging 30.6 in two games.

With Nerlens Noel unlikely to suit up tonight and Hollis Thompson questionable, Grant should continue to see as many minutes as he can handle. In a matchup against New Orleans, that should lead to fantasy goodness.

The Pelicans rank 25th in the league in Defensive Efficiency, and as a result, Vegas has Philadelphia projected to outscore their season average by 6.3 points tonight. Grant should be in line for a slight bump in scoring, while also picking up more peripheral stats in this sloppy matchup. He's a safe bet to hit value tonight.

Tim Frazier, PG, New Orleans Pelicans

FanDuel Price: $5,000

Tim Frazier has stepped into an expanded role for the injury-plagued Pelicans at the end of the season, averaging 27.3 FanDuel points and 27.4 minutes over his past 10 games. He's been especially effective recently, averaging 15.7 points, 9.3 assists, and 35.3 FanDuel points over his past three games.

Frazier draws a matchup against the 76ers, who rank 26th in Defensive Efficiency and have allowed the third-most fantasy points to opposing point guards this season.

Frazier will likely be one of the most popular plays of the day -- and for good reason. He is a worthwhile target in both cash formats and GPPs.

Maurice Harkless, SF, Portland Trail Blazers

FanDuel Price: $4,400

Maurice Harkless stepped into the starting lineup for Portland six games ago and hasn't looked back since. Over his past six games, he has averaged 25.2 FanDuel points and 27.6 minutes per game.

Harkless is at his best in transition, where he has the highest points per possession among Portland players and an insane 71.2 percent field goal percentage. Harkless' effectiveness in uptempo games is reflected in his recent game log, with 30.1 FanDuel points against Philadelphia, 29 against Golden State, and 25.5 against Boston.

Sacramento plays at the fastest Pace in the league and are one of the worst teams at defending in transition. Harkless should continue to be productive in this uptempo matchup.

Alexis Ajinca, C, New Orleans Pelicans

FanDuel Price: $4,300

Alexis Ajinca is another Pelican who has been thrust into a larger role due to the litany of injuries they have sustained. He has been crushing value in his new role, averaging 25.6 FanDuel points over his past six.

Ajinca hasn't started the past two games, but he should see extended run tonight regardless and should take advantage of the depleted Philadelphia frontcourt.

In addition to ranking 26th in Defensive Efficiency, Philly ranks dead last in Rebounding Rate and has allowed the most fantasy points to opposing centers.

The only thing that keeps some centers from posting ridiculous totals against them is that most of their games end in blowouts. That shouldn't be the case tonight, as Vegas has Philadelphia favored by 2.5 points.

Ajinca is a great option tonight and is a vital part of any Philly-New Orleans game stack, if you choose to employ that strategy in tournaments.