NBA

3 Daily Fantasy Basketball Value Plays for 4/29/16

As teams near the end of their season, daily fantasy rolls on. Which players can you target to save money on?

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.

Jamal Crawford, SG, Los Angeles Clippers

FanDuel Price: $5,200

His price increased from last game but not enough to deter us from playing Jamal Crawford. Crawford is filling in for the injured Chris Paul and has been spectacular in these situations.

Here's an excerpt from my Wednesday article, where I raved about him -- "In the last six games that Paul sat out, Crawford has averaged 37 minutes, 26 points, 3 rebounds, 5 assists, and 19 field goal attempts. His monster numbers helped him average 39 fantasy points per game."

Crawford didn't disappoint in Game 5, as he put together 29.6 fantasy points which was good enough for a value of 6.2 (points per $1,000 in salary). Crawford also shot just 6 of 23 from the field.

It doesn't look like anything is changing in Los Angeles, and Crawford should be the man again tonight. A $5,200 price tag is getting there, but it's not high enough. Take advantage again while he is still safe and the Clippers are still in the playoffs.

Jeff Green, PF, Los Angeles Clippers

FanDuel Price: $4,900

Let's stay with Los Angeles where Jeff Green is another guy who has seen a large increase in his role with the injuries to Paul and Blake Griffin. In Game 5, Green played 36 minutes on his way to a 32.2 fantasy points. His price jumped a lot more than Crawford's, as he went from just $3,800 to now $4,900.

Even with the huge price increase, there is still value to be found here. Green should play 35-plus minutes in a crucial win-or-go-home game.

The nice part about Green is that he is involved in the offense so much now that Paul and Griffin are sidelined. In the last two games -- when his role increased -- he is averaging 33 minutes, 17 points, and 5.5 rebounds.

Joe Johnson, SF, Miami Heat

FanDuel Price: $4,800

Joe Johnson has now put together two very solid performances in a row. In Game 4, he tallied 27.4 fantasy points and then followed that up with a 26.5-fantasy-point performance in Game 5.

The Heat are also in a win-or-go-home Game 6. Johnson has played a consistent 35 minutes per game this series. There are no signs of that changing anytime soon, which is comforting to daily fantasy owners.

There aren't many good options at small forward on FanDuel, which makes Johnson even more valuable. Saving with him allows you to pair Paul George as your other small forward.

Over his last two games, Johnson is averaging 14.5 points on 12 shots per game to go with 6 rebounds and 2.5 assists.