This article is part of our FanDuel NBA series.
FanDuel.com Value Plays for the Week
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Every week I'll take a look at players who I believe are undervalued and should be in your lineup. These are players who should exceed their value in fantasy points when looking at their cost. These players could be at the minimum or near minimum of $3,500 or could be in the $7-8,000 range.
Point Guard
Ray McCallum, $4,200 – For this price, McCallum is basically a must-start provided that Isaiah Thomas (quad) stays out. McCallum became the first player in the league this season to play an entire game Saturday and finished with 16 points, eights assists and four rebounds. Thomas tweeted out Sunday that he couldn't bend his leg, so it sounds like he'll probably be out for the next week. Even once Thomas comes back, there's a good chance the Kings ease him back into the lineup.
D.J. Augustin, $5,500 – I think Augustin often gets overlooked because he's not a starter. However, you should always pay attention to the minutes over whether or not a player is starting. Augustin scored a season-high 33 points Sunday against the Celtics and has pretty much been a lock for 20-plus fantasy points every game recently. He's scored double-digit points in 14 of his last 15 games and is usually good for at least three or four assists. Look for him to continue to be one of the top scoring options for Chicago's second unit.
Shooting Guard
Lance Stephenson, $6,500 – Stephenson's price has come down a little, and I think it's the perfect time to use him in your lineup. Arguably the best rebounding guard in the league, Stephenson has the ability to fill the stat sheet across the board on any given night. He scores double-digits regularly and has one of the highest floors of anyone in the NBA.
Eric Bledsoe, $7,100 – He's a bit pricey here, but I think there's still some value, and his price tag is only going to go up from here. Bledsoe is so valuable in fantasy due to his ability to both rebound and hand out assists from either the point or two guard spot. He scored 20 or more points in four straight games a couple of weeks ago and has at least four rebounds and four assists in each of his last eight games. Don't let the cost scare you off from using him in your lineup.
Small Forward
Jeff Green, $6,000 – If I'm in a season-long league and own Green, I'm probably a little frustrated at this point. He appears to have the talent to be a star in the NBA but doesn't seem to show any consistency. A perfect example of this was a couple of weeks ago when he scored 39 in New Orleans but only mustered five points the next night in Dallas. It's probably not a coincidence that Rajon Rondo was out of the lineup for that Dallas game, so it's probably a good idea to use Green only when Rondo is in the lineup. Green has more productive nights than not and is below the average cost for a player on FanDuel.
Luol Deng, $6,100 – Owners seem to have forgotten about Deng. He returned last week from a three-game absence due to an ankle injury, and he appears to be over the injury, recording 22 or more fantasy points in four of his last five games. Deng has been one of the more consistent fantasy producers over the last few seasons due to his ability to play big minutes and contribute in most fantasy categories.
Power Forward
Drew Gooden, $3,500 – Gooden has carved out a nice role with the Wizards' second unit and has resurrected his career. The floor here is pretty low since some nights he only plays 18 minutes, but there's also some good upside as well. He's scored 27-plus fantasy points in four of his last eight games, which is outstanding value considering he's at the minimum price.
Center
Jonas Valanciunas, $5,100 – A small bump in playing time has worked out well for Valanciunas who seems to be putting it together. He has 20-plus fantasy points in nine of his last 10 games and is benefiting from playing with the backcourt of DeMar DeRozan and Kyle Lowry. If he continues to see big minutes, look for Valanciunas to be a nightly double-double threat.
Enes Kanter, $5,900 – I've wondered all season why the Jazz – who are a couple of years away from seriously competing – weren't giving the 21-year-old Kanter more minutes considering that they are playing for the future. Kanter is finally starting and getting big minutes, and that has resulted in solid fantasy production. He has seven double-doubles over his last 12 games and narrowly missed one in four of the other five games. Look for Kanter to provide consistent fantasy production the rest of the season.
