Welcome to a nine-game Friday slate before the weekend. With there being nine-games, there is always value that comes up throughout the day. Remember to keep an eye out for injuries but specifically for tonight, keep an eye out for teams playing the second leg of a back-to-back. Some of the players on those teams might be sitting out, opening up clear value for others. At first glance, I am eyeing the Hornets vs. Warriors game, along with the Lakers and Pistons players.
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Most Value Per Dollar
Below is a list of the top-10 players of the day expected to generate the most value relative to their salary.
Jaylen Brown (SF – BOS) $8400
While Jaylen Brown is relatively expensive, the small forward position is quite dry, so I would pay up more here. With that being said, I still see Brown as a solid value play, and he should be in GPP and cash lineups tonight. I see Brown reaching around 50 points with the potential to post 65. His usage hovers around 30%, so he is one of the safer players on the slate.
Shai Gilgeous-Alexander (SG – OKC) $8000
FanDuel has consistently underpriced SGA, and tonight is no different. Gilgeous-Alexander went off last game, scoring 42 real-life points against Sacramento. He is the life and blood of this OKC team, and the Hawks’ poor defense offers solid potential for SGA to go off in a high-paced environment.
Enes Kanter (C – POR) $6300
Kanter has been consistent of late, falling just shy of 40 FanDuel points in two of his last three games. The Lakers stingy defense won’t be as strong without Anthony Davis, so Kanter is a solid GPP and cash option. His minutes have seen a slight uptick recently, and I expect Kanter to return the best value at the center position tonight.
Marvin Bagley (PF – SAC) $6000
Monitor Bagley on the back-to-back, but if he plays, he should return solid value. Across just 22 minutes last night, he still scored 19 points and posted 26 FanDuel points. Detroit is a much better matchup than the Knicks, so he has a chance to improve. Whiteside and Parker are still out of the lineup, so if Bagley plays, he should see an increase in minutes in a presumably closer game vs. the Pistons.
Josh Jackson (SG – DET) $5700
Josh Jackson has posted 30+ FanDuel points in each of his last three games, and Sacramento offers the best matchup on the slate. There is a solid amount of valuable shooting guards tonight, so I don’t expect Jackson to garner much ownership. I see him reaching 5X value as a floor, so he is solid for cash and has a potential ceiling of 50 points.
Saben Lee (PG – DET) $5400
Lee has been Mr. Valuable in his last three games, and I’m going right back to him tonight. With the Kings’ high pace of play and bad defense, Lee should garner more opportunities to produce. The point guard should be only a contrarian GPP play, as there are more consistent spend-up options that I would recommend at the position.
Goran Dragic (PG – MIA) $4600
In just 20 minutes vs. Toronto, Dragic had a 40% usage rate and returned 18.9 fantasy points. His minutes should slightly rise as he fully recovers, so $4600 is still a nice price. This is a buy-low spot because Dragic’s tag will only go up over the next two weeks. Utah isn’t an amazing matchup, and there are some solid pay-up options at the position, so Dragic is a great contrarian play tonight.
Talen Horton-Tucker (SG – LAL) $3900
THL hasn’t been the most consistent fantasy producer, but his $3900 price tag offers great GPP value. Horton-Tucker’s 30 minutes vs. Utah last game is quite promising, and the Trail Blazers offer a great matchup. I would avoid him in cash lineups because he has a chance of missing out on 20 fantasy points but can reach a nice ceiling.
Justise Winslow (SF – MEM) $3900
If you want a spend-down spot at small forward, Justise Winslow is your best option. Since he’s been back, he’s been playing upwards of 20 minutes and can reach more than 20 fantasy points. Proceed with caution, but Winslow is a solid contrarian option as I imagine most of the ownership will go to LeBron James and Jaylen Brown.
Markieff Morris (PF – LAL) $3700
Keep track of injury and lineup news, but Morris may offer the best value of the slate. His minutes have been consistently rising over his past three games, and at $3700, I can see him reaching 6X value against a favorable Portland matchup. He was a rebound away from a double-double last time out, so he seriously could break the slate tonight if he runs-it-back.
Check out our NBA Prop Bet Cheat Sheet for the top bets of the day
Studs Worth Their Salary
- LeBron James (LAL) $10,500: With the scarcity of the small forward position, LeBron might be a bit too high owned for my liking in GPP’s, but he is almost a cash lock. James can easily be the highest fantasy scorer with his matchup vs. a bad defense in Portland. His floor is essentially 50 points, and he still can reach a ceiling of 70 FanDuel points.
- Damian Lillard (POR) $10,300: After a hot-streak, Dame cooled off a bit in his last couple of games, but I am going right back to him tonight. At $10,300, Lillard can still return 5X-6X value. I see Dame and Stephen Curry ($10,000) as the best spend-up options at point guard tonight.
- Domantas Sabonis (IND): $9,900: While some see Sabonis as an All-Star snub, he is my favorite power forward tonight. Sabonis has been a double-double machine of late, and he can easily see the floor for 40 minutes. His ceiling lies around 60, so I see him more as a cash option rather than GPP.
Notable Players to Fade
- Jonas Valanciunas (MEM) $7,500: For someone who isn’t consistently reaching 30 minutes, $7500 is too high of a price tag for me. Especially against a Clippers team that has been solid vs. centers and plays at a slower pace. I’m going elsewhere at the center spot tonight.
- Thaddeus Young (CHI) $6,800: Thaddeus Young’s price tag has continued to rise, but his inconsistent minutes still make me hesitant to go to him. The Suns are one of the NBA’s slowest teams, so Young won’t have as many opportunities.
- Danilo Gallinari (ATL) $5900: If you are feeling really GPP risky, I would accept Gallinari in your lineups. Otherwise, I would completely avoid him. He essentially has no floor, so he can torch your lineups, which is why I would find other options at small forward.
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Ryan Coleman is a featured writer at FantasyPros. For more from Ryan, check out his archive and follow him @ryancoleman_98.