Geoff Lambert breaks down value plays for Friday’s slate of FanDuel NBA contests.
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Welcome again to the Friday edition of my FanDuel values column. Every Friday here at FantasyPros.com I will give my tops plays under $5,500. Let’s get started…
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Point Guard
Shelvin Mack (ORL) $5,000 vs. CHI
With D.J. Augustin already ruled out for Friday and Elfrid Payton (hamstring) questionable, Shelvin Mack could be in line for as many minutes as he can handle. He gets a plus matchup with the Bulls, the sixth worst team defending the point guard in the league.
Derrick Rose (CLE) $5,000 @ WAS
Rose is coming off his best game as a Cavalier with 23.3 FanDuel points, and tonight gets a matchup with John Wall and the Wizards. Wall is a good defender, but Rose had 36.4 FanDuel points against Wall when he was a member of the Knicks last season — their only head to head from last season.
Shooting Guard
Donovan Mitchell (UTA) $4,400 vs. TOR
Mitchell is very inconsistent, which is to be expected for a rookie, but his upside at $4,400 is undeniable. Two of his last three games he has scored 32 or more FanDuel points, and while Toronto is a tough matchup for him, the Jazz are at home where Mitchell has played much better so far in his young career.
Jordan Clarkson (LAL) $3,900 vs. BKN
Clarkson is one of my favorite value plays whenever the Lakers are on the slate. He doesn’t have the upside as some of the players in this price range, but he is very consistent from game to game. He isn’t a player you would use in any large tournaments when you need the upside, but he is a good cheap option for your cash games.
Small Forward
Jonathon Simmons (ORL) vs. $5,200 CHI
Simmons came back down to earth a little in his last outing after putting up two back to back big games, but he gets a great matchup tonight with the Bulls. He averages about 25 minutes and 23 Fanduel points per game, and he has 30-plus FanDuel point upside.
Trevor Ariza (HOU) $5,100 @ ATL
Ariza has played the last three games in his return from an injury and has logged at least 35 minutes in all three. Anytime you can get a player logging 35 minutes on a fast-paced, high scoring team at $5,100, it is hard to pass it up. Ariza has shown some aggressiveness over the last three games and had his best game of the season last time out in a game against the Knicks scoring 16 points and grabbing eight rebounds.
Power Forward
Dirk Nowitzki (DAL) $5,200 vs. NOP
Nowitzki is almost automatic for 22-to-26 Fanduel points. He only has two games all season in which he did not have at least 22, and one of those he only played 17 minutes in the second game of a back-to-back. He doesn’t have the tournament upside, but he is another good cash game option that will save you some cap space to roster the higher priced guys.
Ryan Anderson (HOU) $4,800 @ ATL
Anderson, like Trevor Ariza, averages a healthy amount of minutes for a sub-$5,500 player. Anderson isn’t quite as consistent as Ariza, but he has a much higher upside. Anderson is definitely a “tournament only” play with his low floor and high ceiling, but he can easily give you 35-plus on any given night.
Center
Brook Lopez (LAL) $5,200 vs. BKN
There isn’t a ton of value options at center tonight, but if I’m forced to pick one, I’ll take the “revenge” angle of Brook Lopez against his former team the Nets. I’m reaching a little bit with him as he hasn’t eclipsed more than 23 minutes in five straight games, but he has 30-plus Fanduel point upside.
