Saturdays usually tend to have games spread throughout the day, but we’re fortunate to have all-night games here! That means we have a seven-game schedule making up this ledger which is the perfect amount for a DFS player pool. We have four teams on a back-to-back, though, which needs to be monitored closer to opening tip. Those teams include Golden State, Houston, Philadelphia, and Washington.
If you have any comments or questions, reach me on Twitter @Bartilottajoel
Create FanDuel lineups using our DFS Lineup Optimizer tool 
Most Value Per Dollar
Can I just start by saying something? I hate that we only get to use one center on FanDuel! There are so many great options at that position today that I want to use five! In any case, there’s value all across the board, but the most come at the center position. That’s why we’re going to offer up studs at other spots, so you guys can fill in those studs and get your cheap guy in at center. With that in mind, let’s kick things off with my favorite value of the day!
If you’d like to see more information on how the betting landscape will be for this slate, check out BettingPros.
Saturdays usually tend to have games spread throughout the day, but we’re fortunate to have all-night games here! That means we have a seven-game schedule making up this ledger which is the perfect amount for a DFS player pool. We have four teams on a back-to-back, though, which needs to be monitored closer to opening tip. Those teams include Golden State, Houston, Philadelphia, and Washington.
If you have any comments or questions, reach me on Twitter @Bartilottajoel
Create FanDuel lineups using our DFS Lineup Optimizer tool
Most Value Per Dollar
Can I just start by saying something? I hate that we only get to use one center on FanDuel! There are so many great options at that position today that I want to use five! In any case, there’s value all across the board, but the most come at the center position. That’s why we’re going to offer up studs at other spots, so you guys can fill in those studs and get your cheap guy in at center. With that in mind, let’s kick things off with my favorite value of the day!
If you’d like to see more information on how the betting landscape will be for this slate, check out 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.
Deandre Ayton (PHO) $7,900:
Many people consider Ayton a bust but let’s slow down a bit. This kid is still just 22-years-old and has been showing why he was the top pick in the draft two years ago. He’s scored at least 31 FanDuel points in nine of his last 11 games while generating a 37-point average in that stretch. We love that against a Wizards team that ranks last in points allowed while playing at the fastest pace in the league.
Dennis Schroder (LAL) $7,000:
Dennis the Menace has been given a tough duty to run this Lakers offense, but he’s doing a fine job. Since Anthony Davis and LeBron James went down, Schroder has at least 34 FD points in seven of his last nine games while averaging over 36 fantasy points per game in that span. Brooklyn is not a scary matchup either, sitting 25th in defensive efficiency.
Kentavious Caldwell-Pope (LAL) $5,800:
The Lakers need somebody to step up with all of these guys out, and KCP has been doing all he can. Over his last four games, Caldwell-Pope is averaging 28 FD points per game in 34 minutes a night. That minute total is all you can ask for from such an affordable player, and we certainly don’t mind the matchup we just discussed.
Malachi Flynn (TOR) $6,000:
Toronto has had some injury issues of their own, playing without Kyle Lowry and Fred VanVleet. That leaves Flynn as the primary ball-handler, scoring at least 29 FD points in the four-straight fixtures while providing a 36-point average in that stretch. That shouldn’t be hard to duplicate against a Cleveland team with a bottom-five defense since the opening month.
Dwight Howard (PHI) $4,300:
We’re going to take an educated guess and say that Joel Embiid is rested here. If that’s the case, Howard is an incredible value. In the 18 games that Joel has missed this season, Howard is averaging nearly 30 FD points per game. That’s a stupendous total from such a cheap player, and he certainly shouldn’t have any issues exploiting this G-League Thunder roster, even if he gets limited minutes.
Kenrich Williams (OKC) $6,100:
We just made fun of this OKC roster, but it’s allowed Williams to have a huge role. They’re currently without Shai Gilgeous-Alexander, Al Horford, Darius Bazley, Isaiah Roby, and Luguentz Dort, leaving Kenrich to feast. In the last two games without those guys, he’s combined for 18 points, 16 rebounds, 18 assists, and five steals.
Chris Boucher (TOR) $6,500:
We already mentioned how Toronto is missing their two primary ball-handlers, and it’s done big things for Boucher as well. Not only has it forced him into the starting lineup, but its also allowed him to play more minutes. That’s all we’ve been asking for, with Boucher dropping 67 FD points across 36 minutes on Thursday.
Andre Drummond (LAL) $6,100:
Just like Boucher, Drummond always performs when he’s given the playing time. While he was limited in his first game with the Lakers, Drum played 27 minutes and provided one of his patented double-doubles on Thursday. As long as this dude gets 30 minutes, he can easily accrue a double-double and has legit 20-20 upside with so much talent missing out of this rotation.
James Wiseman (GSW) $4,800:
Wiseman is averaging exactly a fantasy-point-per-minute for the season, and with his playing time on the uptick, we have to keep riding him at this price. The 20-year-old has started nine straight games and is playing nearly 26 minutes a night in that stretch. That means 25-30 fantasy points are definitely in play, especially against a Houston club that surrenders the fifth-most fantasy points to opposing centers.
Isaiah Stewart (DET) $4,900:
Detroit is clearly in full-on rebuild mode, and Stewart is certainly one of the guys they want to build around. He’s actually started for Mason Plumlee twice this week, combining 77 FD points in those two outings. That’s hard to overlook at this price, especially with his elite per-minute production.
Check out our NBA Prop Bet Cheat Sheet for the top bets of the day
Studs Worth Their Salary
- Pascal Siakam (TOR) $8,900: The Raptors haven’t had many wins, but it’s certainly no fault of Siakam’s. He’s completely taken over this offense, and it’s no surprise when you see the injuries from the Flynn write-up. He’s reached at least 37 fantasy points in eight of his last 10 games, averaging 43 FD points per game in that stretch. We obviously love the aforementioned matchup against that bad Cavs defense too.
- John Wall (HOU) $8,700: Wall sat out Friday’s game in the front end of a back-to-back, which means he should be ready to suit up here. We love that with Wall scoring at least 33 FanDuel points in 10-straight games while generating a 43-point average in that span. It looks even better against a 23rd-ranked Warriors defense that happens to play NBA’s second-fastest pace.
- Donovan Mitchell (UTH) $8,500: This guy is on a heater right now! He’s got 103 combined FanDuel points over his last two games, and it looks like he wants some MVP votes. That’s really scary with Sacramento owning the worst defensive rating in the NBA.
Notable Players to Fade
- Joel Embiid (PHI) $10,100: We’ve already mentioned so many cheaper center options, so why would we risk it here? Embiid just returned from an injury earlier in the week, and he may be limited here or sit in this second half of a back-to-back set. Just go cheap at the position and fade this guy!
- Buddy Hield (SAC) $6,000: We’ve talked about this a lot this season. Hield can go off any given night, but he never seems to play well against a tough defense. That’s certainly the case here, with Utah owning a Top-5 defense in nearly every metric. In his three games against the Jazz last season, he averaged fewer than 19 FD points per game.
- Joe Harris (BKN) $5,300: Now that Kevin Durant and Kyrie Irving are back, it will be hard to trust Harris at this price. That’s a ton of shots and usage swallowed up by those two, and it makes it tough to trust Joe unless he’s unconscientious from the field. That could become more difficult here against a Top-5 Lakers defense.
Create FanDuel lineups using our DFS Lineup Optimizer tool
Beyond our daily fantasy basketball content, be sure to check out our Daily Fantasy Basketball Tools. Our Lineup Optimizer 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.
Joel Bartilotta is a featured writer at FantasyPros. For more from Joel, check out his archive and follow him @Bartilottajoel.
