This article is part of our FanDuel NBA series.
We have a really bad slate of six games scheduled for Saturday that is going to be tough to navigate. There are two eight point spreads, one 11 point spread, one 14 point spread, one 20 point spread, and one game at only three. There are going to be a lot of starters resting or playing limited minutes which should result in a lot of bench players becoming value plays. Here are some of the guys I have my eye on.
Saturday Value Plays
Point Guard
Beno Udrih ($3,500) vs. Los Angeles Clippers: If you have trouble finding him in the player pool, just keep going down, he is literally the second to last guy on the list. With Mike Conley out again and the Grizzlies still fighting for their division and a better spot in the playoff hierarchy, Udrih is going to have to play a lot of minutes. He doesn't have a good matchup against Chris Paul, but Udrih is dirt cheap. He should see another 30+ minutes in this one, and he only needs about 20 fantasy points to make value.
Shooting Guard
Evan Fournier ($3,900) vs. New York Knicks: He returned to action Wednesday and played over 20 minutes in his first two games back. Fournier had 25 fantasy points Friday, which is over six points per $1,000 of his salary. He should see his minutes continue to stay in the 22-28 range, and he should be able to exceed the 20 fantasy points he needs to make value. The Knicks don't defend the rim well, so Fournier could do some damage with his attacking style. He also contributes across the board, so it's easy for him to get a good amount of fantasy points in short bursts when subbed in off the bench.
Small Forward
Rodney Hood ($4,700) vs. Portland Trailblazers: Hood has averaged 33 minutes per game over his last four games. He is also averaging 31 fantasy points during this stretch. Gordon Hayward is playing less minutes to rest his tired body, so that has been a direct benefit for Hood. He needs about 23 points to return value Saturday, and he has basically done that in each of the last four games. In fact, he had a few games where he went way over, so there's a lot of upside to this play.
Power Forward
Tyler Hansbrough ($3,800) vs. Miami Heat:Amir Johnson (ankle) is out, and Hansbrough has been the guy picking up the slack for the Toronto Raptors. He has played 36 or more minutes in three straight games and scored over 30 points per game with those minutes. He is a rebounding machine and will get some points on put backs and finishes around the rim. Hansbrough should be in line for another nice performance above the 19 points he needs to return value.
Center
Nikola Vucevic ($8,600) vs. New York Knicks: You might be wondering why I am listing a value play that cost $8,600, but when looking at the position Saturday, he presents the best value in my eyes. There are reasons to doubt all the cheaper options, so it makes sense to go up and get a sure thing. The Knicks are absolutely dreadful at both rebounding and defending the post. Those just happen to be the two things that Vucevic's game will allow him to take advantage of. Neither team has anything left to play for, so the Magic would be smart to feed Vucevic early and often in this one as the Knicks have no answer for his size and skill on their roster. There's enough value in the other four guys mentioned to be able to fit him in, and I wouldn't be surprised if he is the top overall scorer on the night at any position.
