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.
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The target for each player to reach value is 2.5x their salary. If a player costs $10,000, expected value is 25 fantasy points.
Aaron Gordon ($11,700)
Gordon played even better Monday after scoring exactly 33.75 fantasy points in each of his first two games after the All-Star break, giving him six straight performances with at least 31.5 fantasy points. There's nobody blocking Gordon's access to playing time with Tobias Harris now in Detroit, so this level of production should be treated as his norm for the rest of the season. As long as his valuation remains below $12,000, Gordon is a good bet to outperform his price every time out.
Nerlens Noel ($11,600)
Noel has topped 31.0 fantasy points in eight of his last 10 games, including six of his last seven. The 21-year-old power forward is still improving his offensive game, meaning his ceiling is far from defined. It's in Philadelphia's best interests to find out just how effective Noel can be on that end in the second half, so expect him to keep getting looks inside to complement his already stellar defensive contributions.
Chris Paul ($17,300)
Owners often write off big performances from star players as expected, but Paul has gone above and beyond with an average of 52.50 fantasy points per game over his last five appearances. That number blows his anticipated output of 43.25 out of the water, making CP3 just as much of a bargain at his price as any of the over-performing lower-tier players. As long as nagging injuries don't force him to miss time and Blake Griffin remains sidelined, Paul should continue to be an absolute fantasy stud.
E'Twaun Moore ($9,800)
Moore has come alive with 65.25 combined fantasy points in 75 minutes over his last two games in place of the injured Jimmy Butler. His 24 points against the Lakers on Sunday showed head coach Fred Hoiberg that the fill-in is capable of exploding offensively, which should earn Moore some extra looks for an injury-riddled Bulls team desperately in need of scoring. Look for Moore to be especially effective if Pau Gasol's illness keeps him sidelined, as modern day Derrick Rose is hardly capable of putting a team on his back offensively and will need to share the scoring burden.
Notable Injuries
Marc Gasol (foot), Out For Season
Gasol will miss the rest of the season after undergoing foot surgery Monday. The Grizzlies have been starting JaMychal Green while working Brandan Wright back into the mix during Gasol's absence, but neither has been particularly effective filling in for Memphis' anchor. With the trade deadline in the rearview mirror, don't expect Memphis to find an adequate replacement for Gasol's defense and rebounding.
Kelly Olynyk (shoulder), Out 3-to-4 Weeks
In what Cleveland fans will surely call an act of karma, the man responsible for Kevin Love's postseason-ending injury in 2015 will now have to miss time with a shoulder ailment of his own. Head coach Brad Stevens likes to mix and match his lineups, but expect Jared Sullinger to see some extra minutes at center in the coming days with his primary backup sidelined.
Pau Gasol (illness), Day-to-Day
Gasol's fate isn't nearly as bleak as his brother's; Pau is merely questionable Wednesday with an illness. Expect Taj Gibson and Bobby Portis to see increased minutes if Gasol is out, with Derrick Rose forced into an even larger offensive role for the injury-mired Bulls.
Tony Allen (knee), Day-to-Day
Allen isn't expected to be ready for Wednesday's tilt with the Lakers. While it sounds like he's not too far from a return, the veteran's perimeter defense will be sorely missed with Memphis already lacking Marc Gasol's interior presence on that end. P.J. Hairston will be the favorite to draw another start in Allen's place after doing so Sunday.
Nikola Pekovic (Achilles), Out Indefinitely
Pekovic has been ruled out indefinitely, meaning Gorgui Dieng should be free to roam the frontcourt alongside rookie Karl-Anthony Towns for the foreseeable future. With little hope of making the playoffs, the Timberwolves have no reason to rush Pekovic back until he's fully healthy.
Tyson Chandler (shoulder), Day-to-Day
Chandler missed Monday's game with a shoulder injury, putting his status for upcoming games in jeopardy. His absence gives the Suns a chance to further develop young center Alex Len, which is all the organization could ask for with a playoff berth well out of their grasp.
