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FanDuel.com Value Plays for the Week
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For the purposes of this article I'm going to discuss players who I think are good values. This means that their short term play should see them earn more fantasy points than their current price is listed at. Keep in mind that a player who is priced at $8,000 can be just as good of a value as a player at the bare minimum of $3,500. I'll try to mention at least one player each week at every position (PG, SG, SF, PF and C) and will sometimes mention multiple players at a single position.
Point Guard
Damian Lillard, $7,300 – His price has been north of $8,000 for most of the season, but a recent string of sub-par games has depressed his price. At the beginning of the month, he had five straight games of 20 points or less, which affected his price. He's now heated up, including a crucial three-pointer Friday night late in the game, and appears to be his old self. The absence of LaMarcus Aldridge only helps Lillard's value as he was taking 25-30 shots per game when Aldridge missed games earlier this season. Look for Lillard to eclipse the 20-points mark consistently while Aldridge is out.
Shooting Guard
Kevin Martin, $5,700 – Missing most of February with a broken thumb dropped his price by anywhere from $500-$1,000 depending on which day you were using him. He's back playing his usual 30-plus minutes per game and looks to be past his injury. Martin has scored at least 19 points in six of his last seven games, providing a nice floor that justifies his price when fitting him into your lineups. I'd like him a lot better if he found his way into scoring more fantasy points outside of his shooting, but Martin is good for a couple of assists and rebounds just being on the floor for as many minutes as he is.
Klay Thompson, $5,600 – Thompson is a similar player to Martin in that they're both great and consistent scorers. Thompson missed last Friday's game to attend the funeral of his grandfather but returned for Sunday's game against the Cavaliers. The advantage Thompson has over Martin is that he's a better defender and can fill up other fantasy categories better than Martin. Both play in great offenses and get open looks, so don't hesitate to use both of them when they're playing the same night.
Small Forward
Paul Pierce, $5,500 – While Pierce is well past his prime, he's pretty much a lock for 20-plus fantasy points every time he plays. He turned back the clock last week against Miami with a 29-point performance, showing there's still something left. Pierce can rebound effectively, and like most small forwards, he can fill up the stat sheet. He's also been scoring efficiently from downtown as of late, going 10-for-15 over his last three games.
Nicolas Batum, $7,800 – This is probably the highest price tag he's had the whole season, but it coincides with the most fantasy production he's had as well. Batum has been on a tear since the LaMarcus Aldridge injury, scoring 45 points with 32 rebounds, 10 assists, and four steals over his last two games. He's played 43 and 45 minutes in those games and should still be a value as long as Aldridge is sidelined.
Maurice Harkless, $4,700 – Very quietly, Harkless has become a nice fantasy option for both the Magic and his owners. The injury to Arron Afflalo gave Harkless an opportunity to play, and he's shown, even at 20 years old, he can be a force. Harkless has recorded over 20 fantasy points in eight of his last nine games, and even with Afflalo back, he's playing over 30 minutes per game.
Power Forward
Amir Johnson, $5,900 – Johnson has benefitted from Patrick Patterson's injury and has been playing over 30 minutes consistently. He's been very productive with those minutes and probably has Raptors fans wondering why he wasn't given more work before this. Johnson has averaged 16.6 points, 5.2 rebounds, 2.0 assists, and over two blocks/steals over his last five games. Plug him in while Patterson is on the mend.
Derrick Favors, $6,200 – Favors is finally getting an uptick in minutes, and not surprisingly, he has seen his production rise across the board. He had a season-high 28 points Sunday and has scored at least 14 points in each of his last five games. In four out of those five games, he had at least nine rebounds, and he's usually good for a couple blocks.
Center
Pero Antic, $4,200 – Antic is a nice punt play as he's been pretty consistent since cracking the Hawks' starting lineup. He's scored at least 16 fantasy points and played at least 24 minutes in each of the last four games. For a big man, Antic can shoot the three, hitting almost 38 percent of his attempts this season. On a night where you load up your roster at the other positions, and need a cheap center, Antic is your man.
