We’re back for a modest eight-game NBA slate, and as always, we’ll name values, studs, and fades for the day’s DFS festivities. Let’s get right to it!

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Most Value Per Dollar 

As we get closer to the end of the regular season, keep a diligent eye on the injury report and minutes trends. Teams that are headed for the lottery may opt to play younger talent, and injured players open up minutes for role players. There are plenty of values across the board on this slate, but the best ones come at the guard position, allowing you to pay up for studs at the forward and center spots.

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

Zach LaVine (CHI): $7,200 at IND
He hasn’t delivered any monster performances as of late, but this pricing is criminal for LaVine, who’s still averaged 24/4/4 across his last two contests. The All-Star guard is enjoying the best statistical season of his career, and it’s only a matter of time until he erupts. I’ll gladly take him at this depreciated price. 

James Johnson (NO): $5,800 at ATL
With Zion Williamson and Brandon Ingram out of action over the last three games, Johnson has averaged 37.1 FD points while starting all three contests. Both players are questionable tonight, and Johnson looks poised to return plenty of value once again. He’s still underpriced at $5.8K. 

Enes Kanter (POR): $5,800 at LAC
Jusuf Nurkic will miss this one, leaving Kanter to soak up minutes at center. In his last game out, Kanter went off for 12/17/4, and he’ll look to build on that performance tonight. The big man has been highly productive for Portland this season with Nurkic on the shelf for most of the campaign.

Hamidou Diallo (DET): $5,600 at DEN
Across his last four games, Hamidilly has averaged 31.8 FD points, eclipsing the 30-point mark three times. His minutes have hovered in the mid-20s, but his ability to rebound and rack up defensive stats give him a high floor and ceiling. In the three games he went for 30 FD points, Diallo racked up at least seven boards and multiple combined blocks/steals. 

Malachi Flynn (TOR): $5,100 vs. LAL
Fresh off a hot performance Monday night, Flynn is back in action against the Lakers on the second of a back-to-back set. Across his last two games, he’s logged at least 30 minutes in each contest while averaging 40 FD points. Last night, he went for 16/6/4 with three blocks and four steals, and with Kyle Lowry already ruled out and Fred VanVleet questionable, Flynn could see heavy usage again.

Jaxson Hayes (NO): $4,800 at ATL
Hayes has averaged 23.3 FD points across his last three contests (all without Brandon Ingram and Zion Williamson), and he should be in line for plenty of work if the pair are forced to miss tonight’s game. New Orleans plays tomorrow night, so it’s possible Ingram and Zion make their return then rather than playing both nights of a back-to-back.

Grayson Allen (MEM): $4,700 at MIA
Allen provided his second-highest FD point total of the season Sunday against Philly, and he’ll look to keep the momentum going tonight in a friendly matchup with Miami. With De’Anthony Melton ruled out, more minutes should be available for Allen who draws his value primarily from threes and steals. 

Willy Hernangomez (NO): $4,200 at ATL
Hernangomez has averaged 26.4 FD points across 23 minutes in his last two games, and he should be in line for another start if Steven Adams remains out. If you’re looking to pay down at center, there isn’t a better bang for your buck than Hernangomez.

Isaiah Stewart (DET): $3,700 at DEN
With Mason Plumlee out for rest Monday, Steward delivered his best performance of the season with a 33.2 FD point effort. Plumlee should return Tuesday, but as Detroit continues to fall farther out of playoff contention, Stewart should continue to see additional run for the lottery-bound Pistons. I’d be willing to take a chance in tournaments at this bottom-barrel price.

Killian Hayes (DET): $3,500 at DEN
In just his second game back from a lengthy absence, Hayes went off for 38.1 FD points in just 25 minutes Monday. He notably saw his playing time increase from the 19 minutes he got in his return the game prior, and he should continue to see his minutes trend up as the season goes along. Hayes is still priced at the bare minimum, and that’s a salary to exploit. 

Studs Worth Their Salary

• Kawhi Leonard (LAC) $9,500: Playing a weak Portland defense in a game in which both sides should be motivated, Leonard could far exceed his $9.5K price tag.
• Lonzo Ball (NO) $7,500: Coming off one of his best performances of the season, Ball looks poised to blow away his price tag tonight in a favorable matchup. He’ll be particularly valuable if New Orleans is once again without Lonzo Ball and/or Brandon Ingram.

Notable Players to Fade

• OG Anunoby (TOR) $8,000: Anunoby posted a dud Monday, but his price remains inflated at $8K. Even with Kyle Lowry out and Fred VanVleet potentially out as well, I’m not willing to pay this exorbitant price, especially as Toronto has gotten some quality play out of its reserves over the last two contests.
• Caris LeVert (IND) $8,000: In 12 games with Indy, LeVert has eclipsed the 40 FD point threshold only twice, and I don’t want to pay $8K for him tonight with so many values available.

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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.

Zachary Hanshew is a featured writer at FantasyPros. For more from Zachary, check out his archive and follow him @zakthemonster.