NBA

5 NBA FanDuel Value Plays to Target on 12/3/19

Rudy Gay is going to be one of the more popular value plays on tonight's slate. Who else should you be considering?

One of the keys to finding success in daily fantasy basketball is uncovering potential value plays. If you're looking to roster a stud player or two, you need to consider squeezing in one of these lower-priced options into your lineup.

Let's take a look at three players who can help fill in the gaps in your lineup.

Kendrick Nunn, PG, Miami Heat ($4,800)

With Goran Dragic out for the Miami Heat, there should be extra run to go around at point guard tonight in Miami.

Dragic is essentially splitting time at point guard with Kendrick Nunn, which limits the upside for both players. With Dragic out of the picture, Nunn should be in a spot for extra minutes -- something which should help him reach value. He is up against the Toronto Raptors, where the over/under is only 212 points -- the second-lowest on the slate. If DFS players want to avoid this spot due to the lower over/under, you should feel confident going to a player who has a 30.3% usage rate.

Yes, with the Heat's current starting lineup, Nunn has a team-high 30% usage rate -- even higher than Jimmy Butler. Nunn is posting 1.01 FanDuel points per minute, which should benefit him if he is going to be seeing extra minutes in this one.

Maxi Kleber, PF, Dallas Mavericks ($3,900)

With a 232-point over/under the Dallas Mavericks-New Orleans Pelicans game brings plenty of fantasy value.

The Mavericks are 17th in the league when it comes to pace, while the Pelicans are the fifth-fastest, making this a pace-up spot for Dallas. Extra possessions means more chances to rack up fantasy points, which Maxi Kleber shouldn't have an issue with since the Pelicans are allowing 46.9 FanDuel points per game to power forwards -- the eighth-most in the league. Kleber is a clear bench player for the Mavericks, but he has still played 22 minutes or more in three of his last four games, which is right where we have him projected tonight -- 22.97 minutes.

Kleber is our fourth-best value option among forwards and should be used in tournaments only.

Ivica Zubac, C, Los Angeles Clippers ($4,000)

At only $4K for a starter, Ivica Zubac goes vastly overlooked sometimes.

Zubac is generally the listed starter for the Clippers but also doesn't play more than 20 minutes per game, which is an issue for some DFS players. I get totally get that as we all know that minutes equal money in NBA DFS, and when a player isn't on the court for super long, his upside is limited.

If you are willing to take a bit of a risk in tournaments, Zubac is in a spot to be very productive, even if he sees only 20 minutes. He is facing off against the Portland Trail Blazers, who are allowing the seventh-most FanDuel points per game to centers this season, at 54.8.

We also have both teams in the top-10 for offensive pace, which is why we have an over/under at 230 points. Higher pace, weak defensive matchup, and a chance at lower ownership is what Zubac brings tonight.

Rudy Gay, SF, San Antonio Spurs ($5,300)

With LaMarcus Aldridge being listed as questionable for tonight's game, Rudy Gay should be a popular value option.

At $5.3K, Gay is right near the cutoff for what I consider value. Generally, $5K is where I draw the line, but Gay should be very popular tonight if Aldridge is out. He is up against the Houston Rockets, where the over/under is a slate-high 233.5 points, making this one of the fantasy games of the night. Everyone will be looking here for production, as this is a pace-up spot for the San Antonio Spurs, and extra minutes should be going toward Gay if Aldridge is out.

When Aldridge is off the court this season, Gay sees a 3.9 percentage point increase in usage and produces 0.19 more FanDuel points per minute, both of which are the second-highest increases on the team. He could also be in the starting lineup tonight, which would make things even better, since the Rockets are allowing 43.3 FanDuel points per game to small forwards -- the second-most in the league.

Terrence Ross, SG, Orlando Magic ($4,700)

The Orlando Magic are dead last in the league for pace. The Washington Wizards are the third-fastest team in the league for pace. This doesn't have to be hard.

We are targeting the Magic tonight since this is a massive pace-up spot for them, and the over/under is set at 226 points. There should be plenty of fantasy production from all sides in this game, and Terrence Ross is a player who shouldn't be overlooked. He comes off the bench but still manages a 21.4% usage rate along with posting 0.84 FanDuel points per minute. Despite coming off the bench, he has taken double-digit field goal attempts in eight of his last nine games, and he's put up five or more three-point attempts in each of those nine games.

He doesn't always contribute a ton in the other stat categories, but when he gets the scoring going, he can reach value in a hurry due to his shot volume. The Wizards are allowing 46.6 FanDuel points per game to shooting guards this season -- dead last in the league -- making this a juicy matchup for Ross.