FanDuel NBA: Sunday Value Plays

FanDuel NBA: Sunday Value Plays

This article is part of our FanDuel NBA series.

We have a modest four-game slate on tap Sunday night, narrowing our value options. However, there are some appealing individual matchups for several modestly priced players, giving us a few ways to go when trying to save some cash. Without further ado, let's break down multiple options at each position for your Sunday evening cash games and GPPs:

POINT GUARD

Mike Conley MEM at PHO ($7,800): Conley has proven that the heel injury that cost him 70 games last season is no longer an issue, as he's scored 31.5 to 45.4 fantasy points in each game subsequent to the season opener. He's been excelling across the stat sheet and will be primed for more of the same Sunday, as the Suns come in allowing the third-most fantasy points (49.4) to point guards, while also ranking in the bottom 10 in points (23.4), assists (5.8) and steals (2.3) per game allowed to the position. Conley sports a team-high 29.5 percent usage rate, furthering his case as a nice cost-savings pivot off more expensive options Damian Lillard ($9,700) and Kyle Lowry ($8,900).

D.J. Augustin, ORL at SA ($4,100): With only four games on the slate, there simply aren't a lot of viable options at true bargain prices at the point guard position. Augustin therefore stands out as a starter that's priced just $600 away from minimum. Expectations should be tempered when rostering the veteran, but he's priced fairly for a player that's scored over 20 fantasy points on three occasions thus far and no fewer than 16.7 in seven of his eight contests. The Spurs are ranked in the top half of the league in terms of fantasy points allowed per game to point guards (42.9), but Augustin doesn't have to do too much to justify his highly affordable price.

SHOOTING GUARD

Danny Green, TOR at LAL ($5,300): Green is enjoying a nice resurgence in his new Toronto digs after seeing his involvement on offense reduced over his last couple of campaigns in San Antonio. The veteran two-guard is posting his best scoring average (10.3 points per game) since the 2014-15 season and currently boasts a career-best 46.2 percent success rate from distance on an average of 5.8 three-point attempts per game. Those numbers bode particularly well for his chances of success against the Lakers, which have allowed the most fantasy points per game to shooting guards (50.7), along with the most points (30.3), most assists (6.2) and sixth-most made threes (3.2). Moreover, they're tied with the Hawks for fastest pace in the league (110.4 possessions per game), which could certainly work in Green's favor.

Garrett Temple, MEM at PHO ($4,400): Another defensive-minded veteran wing who nevertheless has some offensive upside to his game is Temple, who's been a pleasant surprise for the Grizzlies in the early going. The 32-year-old is averaging a career-best 14.0 points on a career-high 45.6 percent, and an even better (and career high as well) 48.6 percent from three-point range. Temple is encouragingly taking a solid 9.7 shot attempts per contest and has eclipsed 20 fantasy points in three straight, while the Suns come in allowing 42.9 fantasy points per game to shooting guards and the second-highest shooting percentage (50.0) to the position.

SMALL FORWARD

Evan Turner, POR vs. MIN ($5,200): Turner has been a solid, across-the-stat-sheet fantasy asset off the bench in the early going, scoring over 20 fantasy points in six games and eclipsing 35 just two games ago versus the Pelicans. He's posted no fewer than 16.1 in any game, and he'll face a Timberwolves team that's yielded the third-most fantasy points per game to small forwards (47.9), along with the most points (26.3), third-most rebounds (9.8) and most made threes (3.7) per contest. They're also yielding the third-highest shooting percentage (52.2) to the position, while Turner is currently shooting a career-high 51.4 percent.

Trevor Ariza, PHO vs. MEM ($5,000): Ariza's shooting admittedly remains spotty, but the veteran wing typically makes up for it with solid contributions across the rest of the stat sheet. Accordingly, Ariza has scored 20.4 to 32.9 fantasy points in three of his last five games, and he also exploded for 44.1 in the opener versus the Mavericks. The Grizzlies are stingy against small forwards, but Ariza has proven capable of providing 4x-5x return on his current price on multiple occasions.

POWER FORWARD

Jaren Jackson, Jr., MEM at PHO ($5,500): Jackson has been one of the most impressive rookies of this year's class in the early going, already averaging 11.7 points, 4.6 rebounds, 1.3 assists and 1.1 steals. The first-year big is prone to some foul trouble, so he's not without risk. However, on a night with only four games, he presents as an intriguing tournament play, considering he's scored over 20 fantasy points twice, over 30 in another, and over 40 in a fourth contest. It's also worth noting the Suns have allowed the second-most points in the paint per game (57.5), an area of the floor where Jackson is scoring 68.3 percent of his points in.

Al-Farouq Aminu, POR vs. MIN ($5,100): Aminu is now averaging 23.5 fantasy points per game after having eclipsed the 30-mark in each of the last two contests. As customary, he's offering excellent work on the boards, and most recently, he's posted double-digit rebounds in three of his last four contests. He'll be in a prime position for success Sunday, considering the T-Wolves are allowing the second-most fantasy points (56.0) per game to power forwards, along with the sixth-most points (23.7), and particularly relevant when considering Aminu, the most rebounds (14.7) to the position. They're also ranked in the bottom three in assists (5.3) and blocks (2.2) yielded to fours, giving Aminu plenty of paths to fantasy success at his cost-effective salary.

CENTER

Jonas Valanciunas, TOR at LAL ($6,100): Valanciunas has alternated between the first and second units thus far this season, but he's typically thrived in either spot. The veteran big man has scored over 20 fantasy points on three occasions and eclipsed 30 in three others, while also racking up a season-high 44 versus the Hornets on Oct. 22. The Lakers could be willing facilitators to more of the same, considering they're allowing the third-most fantasy points per game to centers (64.0), along with the second-most points (32.5) and third-most rebounds (18.4) to the position. The Lakers' league-high pace of play (110.4 possessions per game) should also benefit Valanciunas in terms of extra opportunities, while the league-high 57.8 points in the paint per game they're surrendering dovetails well with the fact that 62.4 percent of Valanciunas' points come in that area of the floor.

The author(s) of this article may play in daily fantasy contests including – but not limited to – games that they have provided recommendations or advice on in this article. In the course of playing in these games using their personal accounts, it's possible that they will use players in their lineups or other strategies that differ from the recommendations they have provided above. The recommendations in this article do not necessarily reflect the views of RotoWire. Juan Carlos Blanco plays in daily fantasy contests using the following accounts: DraftKings: jcblanco22, FanDuel: jc_blanco22, DraftPot: jc_blanco22, FantasyDraft: jc_blanco22, OwnThePlay: jcblanco22.
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ABOUT THE AUTHOR
Juan Carlos Blanco
Winner of the FSWA 2016 Newcomer of the Year Award, Juan Carlos Blanco has been playing fantasy sports for over 20 years and covers NBA, MLB, NFL, CFL and Arena Football for Rotowire.com, including serving as the beat writer for teams in multiple sports. He has previously written for KFFL.com and remains an avid season-long and daily fantasy player in multiple sports as well.
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