NBA

3 NBA FanDuel Value Plays to Target on 1/7/20

Thomas Vecchio  —  @Tom_Vecchio1 Jan 7th, 2020
OG Anunoby is a modest price tonight and is in for a larger role with Fred VanVleet out. Which other value plays should we be looking at tonight?

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.

John Henson, PF, Cleveland Cavaliers ($3,500)

The Cleveland Cavaliers have a series of injuries and their rotation is looking thin.

Tristan Thompson is questionable for tonight's game, while both Larry Nance Jr. and Kevin Porter Jr. have already been ruled out. They also waived Alfonzo McKinnie and Tyler Cook yesterday, presenting plenty of opportunity for John Henson. He was the starting center for the Cavaliers over the weekend when Thompson was out. In that game, Henson played 23 minutes against the Minnesota Timberwolves and was able to post 26.7 FanDuel points.

The over/under is set at 217 points in this game -- the second-lowest on the slate -- but Henson is up against the Detroit Pistons, who are allowing 52.1 FanDuel points per game to centers this season. Both teams are sitting in the bottom-10 when it comes to offensive pace, which isn't great for overall production, but Henson only needs 17.5 FanDuel points to reach 5x value tonight.

OG Anunoby, SF, Toronto Raptors ($4,800)

With Fred VanVleet ruled out tonight against the Portland Trail Blazers, there is some offensive usage to be grabbed by other players.

We know that Kyle Lowry sees a large increase in usage when VanVleet is off the court, but we also see OG Anunoby producing 0.93 FanDuel points per minute on a 16.5% usage rate. We have Anunboy projected to play his normal 30 minutes per game and set to produce 25.6 FanDuel points tonight. That is on pace with the Trail Blazers allowing 41.1 FanDuel points per game to small forwards this season.

He could reach past that if the game stays close -- it has a 2.5-point spread -- along with a good projected pace. The Trail Blazers and Raptors are sitting at 12th and 13th, respectively, when it comes to offensive pace this season.

Nemanja Bjelica, PG, Sacramento Kings ($4,700)

The Sacramento Kings' injury situation is a mess right now.. There is no other way to put it.

Currently, Marvin Bagley III is out, Bogdan Bogdanovic is out, and Richaun Holmes left last night's game early and didn't return. They also have Dewayne Dedmon, who isn't playing due to a trade request, leaving their big men lacking. Nemanja Bjelica has been a starter for nearly the entire season, and he should be ready to produce in that role tonight.

First off, this is a massive pace-up spot for the Kings. They are sitting at 27th in the league this season, while the Phoenix Suns are the ninth-fastest team in the league. Extra possessions are always valuable in NBA DFS, and Bjelica should be able to make them count since the Suns are allowing 43.1 FanDuel points per game to power forwards this season -- right at the league average. With a 226-point over/under -- the second-highest on the slate -- Bjelica and his 0.89 FanDuel points per minute are in a great spot.