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, I will give my tops plays under $5,500. Let’s take a look at today’s 10-game slate…
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Point Guard
Darren Collison (IND) $5,400 @ CLE
Collinson (personal) will return tonight after a one-game absence, and he gets a great matchup in his return. The Cavs are the second-worst team in FanDuel points allowed to point guards over the last four weeks, giving up slightly over 50 per game. Last season when Isaiah Thomas was playing for the Celtics, Thomas was graded to be the worst defender in the league by multiple defensive metrics. At $5,400, Collison is worth rostering tonight.
Yogi Ferrell (DAL) $4,800 vs POR
Ferrell has quietly strung together about two solid weeks of good fantasy basketball. He has scored 26 of more FanDuel points in six of his last seven games while averaging over 32 minutes per game. His listed position on FanDuel is point guard, but he actually plays more two guard, behind J.J. Barea, than he does point guard. That’s something to take note of because the Trail Blazers are tough on point guards but struggle with shooting guards. They have allowed 44.17 FanDuel points to shooting guards over the last four weeks, good for fourth worst over that span.
Shooting Guard
Zach LaVine (CHI) $5,400 vs LAL
LaVine is slowly working himself into game shape after missing most of the season with an injury. It has been reported that his minutes will go up to 26-to-28 in this game and when you consider how productive he has been in limited minutes already, you can only expect him to be even better with more court time. The Lakers are giving up 43.63 FanDuel points to shooting guards over the last four weeks — the sixth most over that span.
Eric Gordon (HOU) $4,800 @ NOP
I don’t always play the narratives when it comes to “revenge games,” but the numbers in Gordon’s case back it up. In three games against the Pelicans last year, he averaged 18.5 NBA points per game including a 29-point game in their first meeting, and in their only meeting this season he put up a 27-point game. In other words, he likes playing his former team the Pelicans. Ironically, Gordon was part of the trade that sent Chris Paul to the Clippers and brought Gordon to New Orleans in the first place, and now those two are teammates headed into New Orleans to play Anthony Davis and DeMarcus Cousins. Sometimes narratives are a way for us writers to convince you of something that is perceived, but not actually reality. That is not the case here — Gordon loves to stick it to the Pels.
Small Forward
Lance Stephenson (IND) $4,800 @ CLE
Speaking of narratives, none may be better than the history of Lance Stephenson and LeBron James and the now infamous “blowing in the ear” incident from the playoffs a few shorts years ago. If I’m being completely honest with myself, I don’t think that incident, nor any history between James and Stephenson, will play any role whatsoever in this game. The $5,500 and under player pool tonight for small forwards is quite bereft of good plays, and I would recommend paying up at this position tonight. But I might put Stephenson in one GPP lineup just for the fun of it.
Power Forward
Jarell Martin (MEM) $4,600 vs LAC
Martin is currently listed as GTD on FanDuel, but if he were to be cleared to play he makes an excellent value play. JaMychal Green (ankle) and Chandler Parsons (knee) have already been ruled out, likely moving Martin into the starting lineup. The Clippers are bottom nine in defending the power forward position, and Martin should see 30 minutes or more if he were to start. At his price, volume alone will make him a good value play, just be sure he gets cleared first.
Center
Greg Monroe (PHO) $4,700 vs NY
What does this guy have to do to get on the court? He rarely saw the floor in Milwaukee and now as a member of the Suns he plays behind 97-year-old Tyson Chandler. Chandler got into some foul trouble in the last game, opening the door for Monroe, who promptly responded with 16 points, 17 rebounds, and one each in blocks, steals, and assists. Chandler needs two games to get that type of production. I’m going to hope that the Sun’s coaches have finally come to their senses and will give Monroe some court time. If that happens, he has a great matchup with a Knicks team giving up 54.91 FanDuel points to centers over the last four weeks, ranking them in the bottom 10 in the league.
