3 NBA FanDuel Value Plays to Target on 1/9/18

Evan Turner, SF, Portland Trail Blazers

FanDuel Price: $4,000
Projected FanDuel Points: 20.8
Projected FanDuel Value: 5.20

At first glance, Evan Turner doesn't make for a great option on Tuesday's slate. Oklahoma City ranks fourth in the league in defensive rating and, in terms of defense-versus-position, Paul George comes in second on the team in defensive win shares (2.2) and third in defensive rating (103).

In addition to the shaky matchup, Turner's averaging only 23.6 minutes and 14.0 FanDuel points over the Blazers' last two games. In the first, Damian Lillard was active, so Turner's role was diminished. In the second, Maurice Harkless caught fire and commanded more minutes than usual. That leaves Turner in search of a bounce-back night.

If we look beyond the last two, Turner was a big-time fantasy value in the two games prior. He played at least 32 minutes in each and turned in at least 31.0 FanDuel points both nights for an average value of 9.3 fantasy points per $1,000.

Lillard's absence has helped Turner produce at that level. With Lillard playing, Turner owns a usage rate of 14.7% and is generating 0.65 FanDuel points per minute. Sans Lillard, Turner has a usage rate of 19.8% and is scoring 0.67 FanDuel points per minute. It's not a giant jump, but if Turner gets 30-plus minutes, he should easily pay off his low price tag.

Brett Oswalt is not a FanDuel employee. In addition to providing DFS gameplay advice, Brett also participates in DFS contests on FanDuel using his personal account, username BRO14THEKID. While the strategies and player selections recommended in his articles are his/her personal views, he may deploy different strategies and player selections when entering contests with his personal account. The views expressed in his articles are the author's alone and do not necessarily reflect the views of FanDuel.