FanDuel NBA: Saturday Value Plays

FanDuel NBA: Saturday Value Plays

This article is part of our FanDuel NBA series.

Saturday night's seven-game slate offers a treasure trove of value -- more than just two players per position. As such, there are multiple paths you can take to affordability, even though some of the best bargains are centered on a couple of games in particular. We have plenty to sort through, so let's dive right in:

POINT GUARD   

Collin Sexton, CLE at DAL ($6,100): It's almost a coin flip between Sexton and the man he could spend some time on Saturday, Jalen Brunson ($6,100). I'll go with Sexton due to his more established body of work, but both players are certainly viable. For his part, Sexton has scored 29 fantasy points or more in four straight, eclipsing the 20-mark in actual points in each of those contests. He's demonstrated considerably improved shooting during that span and now draws a matchup versus a Mavs team that's 39.6 fantasy points per game to point guards for the season.

Frank Jackson, NO vs. PHO ($5,000): Jackson continues to draw starts in place of Jrue Holiday (abdomen) and produce in them, scoring over 20 fantasy points in four of his last five games, including one tally over 30. The Suns could facilitate more of the same, considering they're allowing the fifth-most fantasy points per game shooting guards over the last 10 (59.1), as well as the second-highest shooting percentage (47.0) over that span. Phoenix also yields the highest offensive efficiency rating (25.1) to twos on the season, and Jackson has already shot 57.1 percent in two prior games versus the Suns this season. 

SHOOTING GUARD         

Avery Bradley, MEM at WAS ($6,000): Bradley generated a clunker in a favorable matchup versus the Hawks in his last game, but he'd been on a productive stretch of play prior to that contest. The veteran sharpshooter had scored 26.1 to 46.5 fantasy points in six of the prior seven games, a sample that included two tallies over 40. He now runs into a Wizards squad that will bump up the pace significantly for the normally slow-footed Grizzlies, and that allows 36.9 fantasy points per game to twos, as well as a bottom-10 offensive efficiency rating outside the paint (70.1), where Bradley mostly thrives. Moreover, Washington is yielding the third-highest three-point percentage in the NBA (36.9), and Bradley comes in taking just under four three-point attempts per game and draining them at a 35.2 percent clip.

Tim Hardaway, Jr., DAL vs. CLE ($4,800): Hardaway continues to be up and down with his shooting, but at his current price, he's certainly worth a shot for tournaments. The matchup lines up well for him also, as the Cavs allow a bottom-10 figure in fantasy points (39.8) and actual points (21.4) per game to shooting guards, along with a 37.1 percent success rate from distance to the position. In turn, Hardaway is putting up a career-high 7.3 three-point attempts per contest and has drained multiple treys in four of his last five games.

SMALL FORWARD

Kelly Oubre, Jr., PHO at NO ($6,600): Oubre will be playing his third game in four nights Saturday and is just above the $6,500 threshold I usually stick to for value plays, but the combination of his upside and matchup is enticing. The emerging wing just scored 47.8 fantasy points versus the Rockets on Friday night, and he'd also scored at least 30 in five of the prior seven, including one game over 50. Then, the Pelicans come in allowing a bottom-10 figure in fantasy points per game to small forwards (38.3), including the third most (57.5) over the last five games. New Orleans also allows the second-highest offensive efficiency rating to threes (23.4), furthering the versatile Oubre's case.

Jabari Parker, WAS vs. MEM ($5,900): Parker is another highly productive wing who seems underpriced Saturday relative to production. The 2014 second overall pick is coming off a 17-point, 11-rebound double-double Friday night versus the Hornets that netted 35.2 fantasy points, and he's scored over 30 fantasy points in five of his last seven games overall. What's more, he's scored at least 24 in eight of his last nine contests, giving him a solid floor at his price. The Grizzlies have been stingy against power forwards for the most part while yielding 36.8 fantasy points per game to them on the season, but that figure has bumped up to 43.6 per game over the last 10. It's also worth noting Memphis sports a pedestrian 44.6 shooting percentage on the road, which could give Parker, who's already averaging a career-high 6.5 rebounds, extra chances on the defensive glass.

POWER FORWARD   

Derrick Favors, UTA vs. BKN ($6,500): Favors stands out Saturday for the upside he carries in a matchup against a Nets team he already scored 24 fantasy points against in just 24 minutes this season. Brooklyn also comes in allowing the third-most fantasy points per game to power forwards over the last 10 (53.7), along with the second-most rebounds (15.0). The Nets are also yielding the sixth-highest offensive efficiency rating to fours (26.0) and the seventh highest in the paint (60.4), while Favors is logging 71.4 percent of his scoring in that part of the floor. The fact he's scored 41.9 and 39.2 fantasy points in his last two games, respectively, and that Brooklyn's 44.0 road shooting percentage could give him extra chances on the defensive glass both serve to bolster his already strong case at his current price.

Richaun Holmes, PHO at NO ($3,700): Holmes has scored 26.5 and 24.2 fantasy points in his last two games, respectively. He's also been over the 20-mark on three other occasions over his last nine overall, making him an excellent option for the "free square" spot on FanDuel. The matchup also lines up especially well for him, considering Holmes just scored 24.3 fantasy points over just 19 minutes against this same Pelicans squad on March 1, and that the Pelicans are allowing the eighth-most fantasy points (43.2) per game to centers over the last 10 games, along with the third-highest shooting percentage (64.0). The Pels also yield a bottom-10 offensive efficiency rating to centers (35.9) and in the paint (60.6), while Holmes is scoring 78.0 percent of his points in that part of the floor.

CENTER   

Joakim Noah,MEM at WAS ($5,000): Noah just racked up 35.1 fantasy points against the Hawks in only 23 minutes during his most recent contest. The veteran had also eclipsed 30 fantasy points on six other occasions over the last 10 games, making him one of the night's biggest bargains. He'll face a Wizards team that's allowed the third-most fantasy points per game to power forwards for the season (44.8), including the most over the last 10 games (56.4) They also rank in the bottom half of the league defending centers, the other position Noah could see time in. And, Washington surrenders the highest offensive efficiency rating in the paint (64.4) on the season, while Noah logs 72.1 percent of his scoring in that part 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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