This article is part of our FanDuel NBA series.
James Harden, HOU vs. NYK ($11,300): There's really not a whole lot of explanation needed for Harden, as he's averaging 53 fantasy points per game this season. The reason I chose to recommend him over Westbrook is the fact that he's $700 cheaper. There's no reason to think Harden can't match Westbrook, as he has the far better matchup of the two. Harden faces a Knicks defense that ranks 25th in defensive efficiency, while Westbrook squares off against a seventh-ranked Clippers defense. Harden has put up over 118 fantasy points across his last two games alone.
Nicolas Batum, CHA vs. CLE ($8,000): Batum has just been ridiculous recently, so he's hard to fade in such a small slate. Not only has he scored 40 or more fantasy points in seven of his last eight games, he's been flirting with triple-doubles on a nightly basis. That's what makes him so reliable, as he's extremely consistent with his versatility. In addition, he should play big minutes with the Cavaliers coming to town, as that's always one of the most important games of the season for any team.
Austin Rivers, LAC at OKC ($4,300): If Chris Paul is to miss this game, Rivers becomes the value play of the day. It's his role that's making him so valuable, as Rivers has played 74 minutes prior to his ejection on Friday night. Rivers was about to go off in that game too, as he had nine points and three assists before being ejected early in the second quarter. People may see that underwhelming line and overlook him with just 14 fantasy points, when they should be looking to play a player who would have easily surpassed 7X value if he finished the game.
Gordon Hayward, UTA vs. PHX ($7,900): The blowout potential of this game does concern me, but Hayward has too good of a matchup to pass up. With Phoenix ranking second in pace and 29th in points allowed, Hayward should be able to navigate through this game with ease. He's been playing the best ball of his career of late, he's averaging 36 fantasy points per game and regularly reaching 40-plus. The last time he faced the Suns, Hayward dropped 28 real points on his way to a monster 45-fantasy-point night.
Trevor Ariza, HOU vs. NYK ($5,500): Ariza has been all over the place recently, but this price makes him extremely attractive in this sort of matchup. At just $5,500, Ariza needs just 30 fantasy points to reach value. He's actually scored at least 32 fantasy points in four of his last eight games, so that 30-point threshold is not difficult for someone like Ariza. His minutes are what makes him most valuable and he could be looking at 40-plus minutes here, as Ariza will be asked to cover Carmelo Anthony for most of the night. Not to mention, this Knicks defense ranks bottom-10 in nearly every defensive metric.
Derrick Favors, UTA vs. PHX ($4,800): Favors has seen an increase in his minutes over recent weeks and he's finally starting to become usable for DFS. Favors is currently coming off of a 25-minute outing in his most recent game and he could approach 30 minutes here. That would be incredible value for his price, as Favors is a $7,000 player when receiving a full complement of minutes. The matchup is spectacular, as well, with the Suns ranking 29th in points allowed and 25th in fantasy points allowed to power forwards.
DeAndre Jordan, LAC at OKC ($7,200): Jordan is an absolute monster when Blake Griffin is out of the lineup and he's shown just that in his current hot stretch. In fact, he's averaging 14 rebounds per game over his last 11 games and led the league in that category when Griffin was out last season. Jordan has also added 45 real points and four blocks over his last three games to his elite rebounding numbersm, translating to 38 fantasy points per game over that span. The matchup is scary considering the Thunder regularly shut big men down, but Jordan should still be able to record a double-double with the expected fast pace and the simple fact the Clippers need to lean more heavily on Jordan with all of their injuries.
Montrezl Harrell, HOU vs. NYK ($4,200): Harrell has been playing great in the absence of Clint Capela and it was no more evident than in his 29-point career-night against the Clippers on Friday, which bumped his average up to 26 fantasy points per game over his last five contests. While that's not a huge number overall, at only $4,600, that 26-point average is 6X value, which is all you can ask for on FanDuel.
