With just two games on tonight’s slate, we’ll need to do some digging for the best value plays. The significantly smaller player pool means you need to find a few ways to differentiate your lineups because scoring is going to be extra tight. Of course, every recommendation below is based on currently available information. As always, make sure to check injury reports before lineups lock so you’re using the most accurate information and avoiding a big fat zero in your lineup.
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Point Guard
Eric Bledsoe (MIL): $8,000 vs DEN
Bledsoe is playing extremely well over his last five games, averaging 20.7 points and snagging at least three rebounds, six assists, one steal and two three-pointers in all five. Getting all the minutes he can handle with fellow point guards Malcolm Brogdon (quad) and Matthew Dellevadova (ankle) injured, Bledsoe can easily hit 5x value at his reasonable price especially given his propensity for defensive statistics. After all, he’s hit 5x value in three of his last five. Denver is allowing the fifth-most FanDuel points to opposing point guards on the season.
With just two games on tonight’s slate, we’ll need to do some digging for the best value plays. The significantly smaller player pool means you need to find a few ways to differentiate your lineups because scoring is going to be extra tight. Of course, every recommendation below is based on currently available information. As always, make sure to check injury reports before lineups lock so you’re using the most accurate information and avoiding a big fat zero in your lineup.
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Point Guard
Eric Bledsoe (MIL): $8,000 vs DEN
Bledsoe is playing extremely well over his last five games, averaging 20.7 points and snagging at least three rebounds, six assists, one steal and two three-pointers in all five. Getting all the minutes he can handle with fellow point guards Malcolm Brogdon (quad) and Matthew Dellevadova (ankle) injured, Bledsoe can easily hit 5x value at his reasonable price especially given his propensity for defensive statistics. After all, he’s hit 5x value in three of his last five. Denver is allowing the fifth-most FanDuel points to opposing point guards on the season.
Jeff Teague (MIN): $6,700 vs LAL
This will be repeated throughout, but the Lakers always make for a good target given their place as the league’s leader in pace. With all five Timberwolves starters averaging at least 33 minutes per game, it’s important to focus on the affordable starters on such a small slate. Teague is coming off 42 FanDuel points, one of his best outings of the season, and he hasn’t had more than three turnovers in a game since Christmas. Los Angeles is allowing the eighth-most FanDuel points to point guards and will now be running out human-sieve Isaiah Thomas for around 30 minutes tonight.
Shooting Guard
Gary Harris (DEN): $6,000 @ MIL
Denver is hot right now and Harris has played at least 34 minutes in eight of the team’s last nine games. Harris’ ability to rack up steals without turning the ball over a lot gives him an added boost at shooting guard and his price has dropped a smidge to xxx. With a solid implied total (212.5), we’re going to have to load up on starters in this game and Harris has as high a ceiling as any Nugget not named Nikola Jokic. Milwaukee has been stingy to shooting guards on the season, but much less so since Joe Prunty took over as interim head coach.
Kentavious Caldwell-Pope (LAL): $5,700 @ MIN
I don’t expect Caldwell-Pope to have high ownership with Isaiah Thomas new in town and Josh Hart playing well lately, but KCP still played 35 minutes in Thomas’ debut and looks like a potential value at this price. He should continue to get heavy minutes against Andrew Wiggins and Jimmy Butler as Los Angeles’ best wing defender, and the Wolves actually rank seventh-last in Defensive Rating on the season. As a bonus, Minnesota is giving up the third-most points to shooting guards over their last ten games. This game has high-scoring potential with a 225.5 implied total.
Small Forward
Jimmy Butler (MIN): $9,500 vs LAL
On such a small slate, it’s it’s important to choose wisely when it comes to paying up for stars. Butler is $2,200 cheaper than Giannis Antetokounmpo but is staring at a much better matchup. The Lakers have been incredibly forgiving to small forwards all season long, and there’s no reason to worry about a potential blowout given Butler still averages 34.5 minutes played when the Wolves win by 10 or more. Given the Lakers speedy pace and high turnover percentage, Butler will have extra opportunities to pile up numbers on both ends. Brandon Ingram, meanwhile, is not a recommended play, as Butler has stifled opposing small forwards on a nightly basis.
Wilson Chandler (DEN): $6,200 @ MIL
Denver has tightened its rotation recently with Mason Plumlee (calf) and his 21 minutes per game currently sidelined. That’s helped Chandler play at least 34 minutes in three of their last six games, putting up 37.1 and 46.1 FanDuel points over his last two. Chandler seems to be finally picking things up after a rough start to the season, and with a somewhat shortened rotation, he offers a cheap way to get exposure to Denver’s starting five. Considering the solid 212.5 implied total and the close 3-point spread, Chandler’s price offers one of the easier ways to get action on this game.
Power Forward
Taj Gibson (MIN): $5,200 vs LAL
Minnesota is a team we want to target because the Lakers continue to lead the league in pace, which leads to extra possessions for both teams and subsequently more opportunities for glorious fantasy points. Similar to the Chandler recommendation above, Gibson provides the cheapest way to get a piece of the Wolves starting lineup. Because Tom Thibodeau is notorious for running his players into the ground, Minnesota has a tight rotation and all the starters typically play 30+ minutes. Taj is having one of the best statistical seasons of his career, averaging career-highs in field goal percentage (57.2%) and minutes per game (33.5), yet his price remains palatable. The Lakers allow the sixth-most FanDuel points per game to power forwards.
Jabari Parker (MIL): $3,900 vs DEN
With both teams ranking in the top-nine in Offensive Rating, there’s certain to be a value play lurking on one team’s bench. So why not Jabari? Slowly ramping up his minutes, Jabari has the offensive explosiveness to deliver 4 or 5x value in just 20 minutes at this price. If he’s able to inch closer to 25 minutes, he can do damage against a Nuggets team allowing 40.2 FanDuel points per game to power forwards over its last ten. His riskiness makes this strictly a tournament play, but he’s worth taking a shot on at this low price.
Center
Tyler Zeller (MIL): $4,200 vs DEN
John Henson (hamstring) has officially been ruled out. Enter Zeller, the Bucks’ trade deadline acquisition whose minutes have risen with each game on his new team. Zeller provided a needed spark on Tuesday night, pouring in 14 points, eight rebounds (five offensive) and two blocks in just 23 minutes. Denver sports the second-highest team rebounding percentage in the league, so it would make sense if the 250 lb. Zeller steals more minutes from the 223 lb. Thon Maker tonight. At just $4,200, it shouldn’t take much to hit 5x value like he did Tuesday night.
Eli Weiner is a FantasyPros Correspondent. You can follow him on Twitter @eweiner_bball.