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FanDuel NBA DFS Strategy Advice: Saturday (2/6)

FanDuel NBA DFS Strategy Advice: Saturday (2/6)

It’s officially Super Bowl weekend, and while most of the attention will be focused on Sunday’s big matchup, the NBA will dominate Saturday with 11 total games. There’s a lot to unpack here, so let’s dive into the best values, studs, and fades for the day’s DFS festivities. Let’s dive right in!

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Most Value Per Dollar 

With nine games counting towards the main slate, there are many quality options among every position to choose from. Point guard stands out as the deepest position, as you can find guys like Tyus Jones ($5,000) or Dennis Schroder ($5,400) priced well below their season average. It’s also worth noting that 10 of the 18 teams tipping off on Saturday will be playing on the second night of a back-to-back set, so it’s possible teams could opt to give some key players the night off.

The BKN/PHI matchup comes in with the highest over/under at 238.5, but it’s possible that number drops a bit with Kevin Durant ruled out due to health and safety protocols. Either way, the average over/under for Saturday’s slate is 225.6, so there should be plenty of points on the board.

For a full list of odds and point spreads, visit BettingPros.

Below is a list of the top-10 players of the day expected to generate the most value relative to their salary. These are ranked in order.

DeMarcus Cousins (HOU) $5,900:
We all know the drill by now, Cousins is a must-start option when Christian Wood is out of the lineup. In the three games Wood missed back in January, Boogie put up 17.3 points and 14.3 rebounds in 32 minutes of playing time. He gets the Spurs, who will most likely be without LaMarcus Aldridge for at least a few more games, so Cousins should have plenty of opportunities to produce. He’s played 318 total minutes without Wood on the floor this season and has averaged 1.33 FanDuel points per minute during that span, so the big man could easily for 7x value on Saturday.

Hamidou Diallo (OKC) $5,900:
Injuries and COVID protocols have begun mounting up for the Thunder in recent days, and it’s benefited Diallo’s fantasy value tremendously. The 22-year-old guard has gone for 34.5 minutes over his last two games and has posted at least 31.3 FanDuel points as a result. He just dropped his second double-double of the season against the Timberwolves on Friday, and things should be more of the same in Saturday’s rematch.

Jakob Poeltl (SA) $5,700:
As previously mentioned, LaMarcus Aldridge is likely to miss a few more games for the Spurs, and Poeltl has been filling in quite admirably in his place. The 26-year-old big man just went for 44.1 FanDuel points in Wednesday’s win over the Timberwolves and gets a Rockets team surrendering the seventh-most FanDuel points to opposing big men this season. He’s putting up just under 1.0 FanDuel point per minute with Aldridge off the floor this season and is a lock for 30+ minutes in this one.

Coby White (CHI) $5,600:
White’s salary is remarkably lower than his average price of $6,800, and it’s hard not to take advantage of this considering the Bulls will be without Lauri Markkanen in this one. Despite the up and down production, White has seen 30+ minutes in 17 of the last 21 games and should see increased usage on Saturday. He’s averaged just under 1.0 FanDuel point per minute in 365 minutes without Markkanen on the floor and has seen his usage rate bump up to 22.8%.

Juan Toscano-Anderson (GS) $5,400:
JTA has been rewarded some extra playing time over the last two games, and he’s answered the call. The 27-year-old forward has seen 32.5 minutes across his two previous games and has posted 61 total FanDuel points. Vegas has Saturday’s game against the Mavericks pegged for a shootout, as it’s boasting the second-highest over/under on the slate at 231. It’s also worth noting that JTA just posted 14 points, eight rebounds, five assists, and two blocks in 39 minutes during Thursday’s win over the Mavericks, in which there were 263 total points scored.

Cole Anthony (ORL) $5,000:
Anthony is seeing a 24.8% usage rate with Aaron Gordon out of the lineup and has reached 30 or minutes in each of his last eight games. He just went for 37.3 FanDuel points in Friday’s win over the Bulls and gets a rematch with a team giving up the fourth-most FanDuel points to opposing point guards this season.

Chris Boucher (TOR) $4,700:
Boucher has been one of the most frustrating fantasy players this season, but it’s becoming clear that he’s entirely matchup dependent. He won’t get too much run against skilled bigs who can stretch the floor and shoot the ball. Fortunately for him, Clint Capela is mostly a lob threat on offense, and the Hawks won’t typically run the offense through him. Boucher just posted 17 points, nine rebounds, and two blocks in 27 minutes during Friday’s game against the Nets and could be in line for similar production on Saturday.

Bruce Brown (BKN) $4,300:
Brown was thrust into the starting lineup on Friday, with Kevin Durant battling the league’s health and safety protocols. Durant was ultimately ruled out for Saturday’s game against the Sixers, and Brown should once again garner the start. He’s been productive when given the playing time and could easily push for 30+ minutes in this one. Not to mention Saturday’s tilt against the 76ers has the highest over/under on the slate at 238.5. Brown has averaged just under 0.80 FanDuel points per minute in 190 minutes with Durant off the floor this season and just posted 25.2 FanDuel points in his place on Friday.

Kenrich Williams (OKC) $4,000:
Williams has been one of the few Thunder players benefiting from the plethora of injuries currently plaguing the team. He’s seen just under 30 minutes over his last two games and has averaged 24 FanDuel points during that span. It’s hard to pass up on his $4,000 price tag as he’ll likely log more than 30 minutes and see a 25% usage rate on Saturday.

Isaiah Roby (OKC) $3,900:
Roby enjoyed some fantasy relevance earlier this season but was relegated to the bench when Al Horford returned to the team. With all the injuries currently facing the team, Roby was inserted into the starting lineup alongside Horford on Friday. He responded with nearly 37 FanDuel points in 33 minutes of action. We know he can produce when given the minutes, and that should be the case in Saturday’s rematch against the Timberwolves.

Studs Worth Their Salary

  • James Harden (BKN) $10,800: Harden’s one-time legendary fantasy ceiling has subsided now that he’s arrived in Brooklyn, though he has found ways to post elite numbers as a playmaker. Kevin Durant has been ruled out of Saturday’s game against the 76ers due to safety protocols, opening the door for Harden, along with Kyrie Irving, to see a monster workload in a game that has the highest over/under on the slate. It’s tough to play Harden at times due to his price tag landing anywhere between $10,000 – $11,000, but this is the perfect opportunity to make him the centerpiece of your lineup.
  • Joel Embiid (PHI) $10,500: Embiid is questionable due to right knee soreness, but there is absolutely zero reason not to play him in this matchup. As previously mentioned, this game has the highest over/under on the slate, and he’ll be facing off against the worst defense in the league. Despite boasting the most expensive salary among centers on Saturday, Embiid is everything you are looking for when choosing a stud for your lineup.
  • Kyrie Irving (BKN) $9,500: The case for Irving is similar to Embiid’s and Harden’s: This is going to be a bonafide shootout, and I want every piece I can get. With Kevin Durant ruled out, that leaves Irving and Harden left to carry the load offensively, and the former is the cheaper option. Irving is seeing a 33.1% usage rate with Durant out of the lineup and is averaging 1.5 FanDuel points per minute in that time.
  • Zach LaVine (CHI) $8,500: LaVine is seeing his usage rate increase to 31.3% without Lauri Markkanen on the floor, and the former has been ruled out of Saturday’s game with an ankle injury. He just dropped 26 points and eight assists on the Magic on Friday and should be plenty busy in Saturday’s rematch. LaVine has seen his price tag drop considerably over the last few weeks, and it would be wise to take advantage of the discount.

Notable Players to Fade

  • Victor Oladipo (HOU) $8,200: Oladipo has really struggled with his shot over the last two games, scoring only 34 total points on 35% shooting from the field. While he sees more usage as a member of the Rockets, he’ll need to start shooting at a higher clip in order to be worth his $8,200 salary. I’d much rather play guys like DeMar DeRozan ($7,800) or D’Angelo Russell ($7,500).
  • Jonas Valancuinas (MEM) $7,300: The big man hasn’t played since January 16th after being placed in the league’s health and safety protocols and gets a tough matchup against Steven Adams and the Pelicans. The entire Grizzlies team has shown plenty of rust after their long layoff, and the same should be expected for Valancuinas. It’s also entirely possible he’s on some sort of minutes restriction after not suiting up in nearly a month. I’d much rather roll with guys like Andre Drummond ($6,900), Al Horford ($6,100), or DeMarcus Cousins ($5,900).

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Beyond our daily fantasy basketball content, be sure to check out our Daily Fantasy Basketball Tools. From our Lineup Optimizer – which allows you to build winning DFS lineups in seconds for Cash and GPP contests – to our DFS Cheat Sheets – that helps you get a quick read on the day’s players – we’ve got you covered this fantasy basketball season.

Alex Burns a featured writer at FantasyPros. For more from Alex, check out his archive and follow him @aburnshoops.

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