This article is part of our FantasyDraft NBA series.
Each week, RotoWire will provide value plays for your daily fantasy basketball lineups on FantasyDraft. Users have a salary cap of $100,000 to select a lineup comprised of three guards, three forwards/centers and two utility players.
FantasyDraft is running NBA contests each and every day. There are 50/50s, guaranteed tournaments and more available options in the lobby, so be sure to check it out. With contests at every entry fee level, there are a ton of options to choose from.
The target for each player to reach value is 2.5x the player's salary. If a player costs $10,000 against the cap, expected value is 25 fantasy points.
Jrue Holiday ($12,600)
Monday's clunker against Memphis notwithstanding, the finally-healthy Holiday has been playing much better of late. The former 76er had eclipsed 36.5 fantasy points in seven of his previous eight games, consistently outperforming his 31.5-point expected value. With Tyreke Evans still nursing a knee injury, Holiday should continue to handle primary ball-handling duties whenever he's in the game, giving him extra opportunities to rack up valuable assists to complement his scoring.
Pau Gasol ($15,500)
The Bulls have asked Gasol to step up offensively after Nikola Mirotic's Jan. 27 appendectomy, and the Spaniard has responded by averaging 18.3 points per game and scoring 126.5 total fantasy points in the last three. His 42.2 fantasy points per game in that span easily exceed the 38.8 expected value from a player of his salary, even though he faced two top-10 defenses while playing three road games. Expect Gasol to dominate even more now that he gets to spread his wings against some easier competition at the United Center.
Myles Turner ($11,200)
Turner's meteoric rise was supposed to end with the return of Ian Mahinmi, but the rookie managed to maintain his high level of play, then saw his minutes once again spike after the Frenchman suffered another injury. After recording his first career double-double Monday, Turner is now averaging 33.9 fantasy points per game in eight appearances since Jan.17. With a polished offensive game and great raw defensive attributes, the 19-year-old makes for an attractive DFS asset at his current bargain price.
Chandler Parsons ($12,000)
Parsons has topped his expected fantasy returns in eight of the last nine games, finally looking healthy after struggling with a knee injury for the early part of the season. There will only be more opportunities to go around with Deron Williams potentially out for a while due to a hip contusion, meaning Parsons should continue to carry on his strong recent form. His overall stats look pedestrian due to minutes restrictions, but the fully healthy Chandler who has been on display over the past few weeks has proven to be worth well over his current price tag.
Notable Injuries
DeMarcus Cousins (ankle), Day-to-Day
Fantasy owners and Kings fans alike had to be holding their breath after Cousins missed Monday's game with a sprained ankle, but the talented big man's questionable tag Wednesday suggests he won't be out for much longer, if at all. Expect more minutes for Kosta Koufos and a higher usage rate for Rudy Gay should last month's most productive player miss any more time.
Hassan Whiteside (oblique), Day-to-Day
Whiteside hasn't played since Jan.20 with an oblique injury, and doesn't seem particularly close to a return. If the six games he's missed so far are any indication, Amar'e Stoudemire and Josh McRoberts stand to see the biggest boosts in playing time from the center's continued absence.
Deron Williams (hip), Timetable Unknown
Williams left Monday's game against the Hawks after playing just eight minutes because of a hip contusion that head coach Rick Carlisle believes to be potentially serious. It seems likely that the injury will force Williams to miss at least a few games, opening the door for point guards J.J.Barea and Raymond Felton with Devin Harris (toe) also out of commission.
Tyreke Evans (knee), Day-to-Day
Evans is doubtful for Wednesday's game against the Spurs after missing the last three with tendinitis in his right knee. Even though Bryce Dejean-Jones has been starting in Evans' place, Jrue Holiday has benefitted the most from Evans' absence, as he is being tasked with additional ball-handling and scoring duties off the bench.
Tim Duncan (knee), Day-to-Day
Duncan will miss his fifth straight game Wednesday against the Pelicans due to a knee injury. The Spurs are in no hurry to rush the veteran back, so expect David West to keep starting until the Big Fundamental is back to 100 percent.
Nikola Mirotic (appendicitis), Week-to-Week
Mirotic is expected to be out until after the All-Star break after undergoing an appendectomy on Jan. 27. Bobby Portis and Doug McDermott have both seen increased minutes in Chicago's frontcourt since Mirotic went down, though the two have largely canceled out each other's value by splitting time.
