3 Daily Fantasy Basketball Value Plays for 5/3/16
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.
Shaun Livingston, PG, Golden State Warriors
FanDuel Price: $4,600
Am I missing something here? Stephen Curry is still out and Shaun Livingston is the guy who is replacing him. Livingston has paid at least five times his cost (points per $1,000 in salary) in every game this postseason.
He is playing a cool 28 minutes per game and is producing 26.1 fantasy points per game. Even including the games that Curry played, Livingston is averaging 6.64 times his salary.
At just $4,600, he offers enough savings to spend up elsewhere while still providing a lot of safety. In just a two-game slate, Livingston is very close to a must-play in all cash games. I don't know what else you need to hear for you to trust him tonight.
Joe Johnson, SF, Miami Heat
FanDuel Price: $4,700
Joe Johnson keeps finding his way onto this list because he is relatively safe. At just $4,700, he doesn't need to do much for you to find value in him.
The matchup in Toronto isn't the best, as both teams have a bottom-five Pace and look to grind out games and win on the defensive end, though the Heat upped the tempo down the stretch of the regular season. The over/under for tonight's game is just 191, which is very low.
With only two games on the slate, though, you are going to need to save money somewhere and feel good about it. Johnson is getting up close to 10 shots a game this postseason and is playing a consistent 34 minutes per game.
According to NBAWowy.com, Johnson averaged 0.69 fantasy points per minute this season. Combine that with his 34 minutes of playing time and you get 23.5 fantasy points, which is exactly five times his salary.
His floor is pretty high and his ceiling is fairly low. You know exactly what you're getting with Johnson.
Harrison Barnes, SF, Golden State Warriors
FanDuel Price: $4,400
Harrison Barnes saw a huge increase with his role in Game 1. Portland stayed within striking distance, so Golden State kept their guys on the floor, and Barnes was a major piece for them. He played a team-high 38 minutes for the defending champs.
If Barnes remains a crucial point in the Warriors' game plan, he will be a nice fantasy asset the entire series. The former Tar Heel racked up 10 points and 12 rebounds on his was to paying 5.9 times his price tag.
If you believe in the minutes for Barnes, he is an easy target for value tonight.
