This article is part of our FanDuel NBA series.
Saturday brings an interesting slate, as all 30 teams were in action on Friday. That means we have a ton of back-to-back situations, which also means checking updates throughout the day. Some of the biggest back-to-back question marks are in the Spurs/Wizards matchup. The reason for that is Gregg Popovich's propensity to rest players and the Wizards' decision to sit John Wall in some back-to-back situations. That makes this game pretty much off-limits, so we're going to focus more on the other four matchups. It's a Russell Westbrook day, so it's imperative to get him in your lineup to get those guaranteed 50 fantasy points, with no other player priced above $10,000 on this slate.
Nicolas Batum, CHA vs NYK ($6,700): Batum is not priced like a premium player, but he has that sort of potential. He is priced as the highest shooting guard Saturday, though, and that may limit his exposure with many people opting to save money at this position. I really don't like the shooting guard options for this slate, overall, as the other four players above $5,100 have serious question marks, unlike Batum. That's what makes him such a good option, as he's easily the safest bet to reach 30 fantasy points. Batum tallied 19 points, nine rebounds and nine assists in Friday's matchup against the Knicks and he gets to face them again Saturday.
Ish Smith, DET at OKC ($5,200): Smith has been inconsistent as the Pistons' interim starting point guard, but he's been better than this price shows. He is currently averaging 24 fantasy points a game, which is just shy of 5X value at his price. But what I really like about him is his workload, as he is getting the majority of the minutes at point guard for Detroit in the absence of Reggie Jackson. With a guaranteed 30 minutes against this defense, Smith should have no problem exceeding 5X value yet again. In fact, the Thunder have allowed the fourth-most fantasy points to point guards this season and just allowed Jameer Nelson to register more than 43 fantasy points.
Andrew Harrison, MEM at MIA ($3,800): Harrison has quietly been playing monster minutes for the Grizzlies recently and the DFS sites have been slow to react to that development. Not only has Harrison played at least 24 minutes in six-straight games, he's averaged more than 38 minutes across his last two games. It's clear that the Grizzlies want to use Harrison a lot because of his defense, and he should be able to provide value just through sheer minutes volume. Harrison has actually averaged 25 fantasy points per game over his last five games, which would be 7X value on this criminally low price tag.
Kawhi Leonard, SAN at WSH ($8,600): With limited options on this slate, Leonard becomes a great option at a shallow position. Andrew Wiggins, Carmelo Anthony and Kevin Durant are the only other usable small forward options and Leonard is the best pick of those four at this price. He is currently averaging more than 41 fantasy points per game, ranking second among the four aforementioned players. The Wizards have struggled on both ends of the court this season and have sunk to 22nd in the league in defensive rating, making this an appealing matchup for Leonard.
Gorgui Dieng, MIN at GS ($5,900): Dieng is the only power forward priced between $5,400 and $7,000 and he seems to be the only low-end option with the capability to go off. That's why I like him, as he's earned the trust of coach Tom Thibideau this season. Dieng is averaging over 31 minutes per game and posting the best numbers of his career. With their small-ball style, the Warriors have allowed the most rebounds in the NBA to power forwards, and that only makes Dieng more enticing
Tobias Harris, DET at OKC ($5,200): There aren't many cheap forwards worth pivoting toward Saturday, but Harris looks like a nice value in a good matchup. Harris currently leads the Pistons in scoring and is playing more than 32 minutes per game. He's currently averaging over 25 fantasy points per game, and he'll have a great chance to exceed that Saturday in a strong matchup. The Thunder rank 24th in fantasy points allowed to power forwards this season and that makes Harris' price look even more affordable.
Andre Drummond, DET at OKC ($8,400): With three elite centers on the schedule, we're going to go with the cheapest of the three. The other two are Hassan Whiteside and Karl-Anthony Towns, who both have tough matchups. Whiteside faces a Memphis defense that has been among the best in the league in recent weeks, and Towns squares off with a Warriors team that could render him useless with blowout potential. That leaves us Drummond, who draws the Thunder, which have far from a scary matchup this season. While they are an elite rebounding team, the Thunder play at the fifth-fastest pace, which ultimately benefits a player like Drummond, as he'll accrue more stats with more possessions -- at least in theory. Drummond has been as reliable as any center in the league of late, averaging over 41 fantasy points across his last five games.
Joakim Noah, NYK at CHA ($4,600): Noah has quietly been stuffing the stat sheet for the Knicks this season, and he's one of few players that has 8X value at such an affordable price. The reason his price has remained so low is the fact that he's been in and out of the lineup with injuries and illnesses. Now that he's back and fully healthy, he should be ready to provide big minutes yet again. Noah has actually scored 29 fantasy points or more in three of his last six games, which is excellent value at his reduced price.
