NBA

5 NBA FanDuel Value Plays to Target on 2/21/20

Victor Oladipo's minutes restriction has been lifted, and he has a great price tag tonight. Which other value players can you add to your lineups 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 five players who can help fill in the gaps in your lineup.

Victor Oladipo, SG, Indiana Pacers ($4,600)

Victor Oladipo and the Indiana Pacers are on the road to take on the New York Knicks, where the over/under is set at 212.5 points.

That game total is the lowest on tonight's nine-game slate, but you should still look to target Oladipo in this matchup. It was reported that Oladipo will no longer have a minutes restriction, and this presents him as a bit of a value play tonight. Since returning from his injury, Oladipo has played seven games and has a high of 28 minutes but has produced under one FanDuel point per minute in every single game. There is no question he has been a bit slow to get back into game shape, but after a full week resting over the All-Star break and no cap on his minutes, you want to buy in now.

The Knicks are allowing 41.2 FanDuel points per game to opposing shooting guards this season, right at the league average. There are a few things going on here -- Oladipo's minutes should be on the rise, his involvement in the offense should grow and he is cheap -- but this game has a very low over/under. Consider grabbing some exposure to him now, before his salary gets any higher.

Anfernee Simons, PG, Portland Trail Blazers ($4,800)

With Damian Lillard out, we could see Anfernee Simons in the starting lineup tonight.

Lillard is going to be out for three to four games, per reports, and this opens up the starting point guard spot on the Portland Trail Blazers and plenty of playing time. Speaking of minutes, we have Simons projected for 33 today, and that should only benefit him given the overall game environment. Portland is at home to take on the New Orleans Pelicans, where the over/under is at 239.0 points -- the highest on the slate. We also see both teams sitting in the top 12 in pace, which should give us one of the best environments for fantasy production.

The Pelicans come into this game allowing 50.6 FanDuel points per game to opposing point guards -- the second-most in the league -- putting Simons in a spot to rack up fantasy points in a hurry. This is one of the best games to target tonight, and Simons is a clear value play to zero in on.

Moritz Wagner, C, Washington Wizards ($4,000)

Even after a week off, the Washington Wizards still have injuries to worry about.

Right now, both Ian Mahinmi and Thomas Bryant are listed as questionable for tonight's game, and that means the Wiz need some help at center. Moritz Wagner could be the starting center tonight, and he is only $4K. Our projections have Wagner going for 19 minutes and 21.6 FanDuel points against the Cleveland Cavaliers. Those are modest projections overall, but we still have minutes allocated for Mahinmi and Bryant -- since we don't have final confirmation on their status yet.

This game has a very strong total of 236.0 points, and we see the Cavaliers allowing the 11th most FanDuel points per game -- 53.2 -- to opposing centers this season. Wagner has a strong matchup; it comes down to what role he will have given their injury situation.

Naz Reid, PF, Minnesota Timberwolves ($4,200)

Karl-Anthony Towns is out for the Minnesota Timberwolves tonight, and they need some help in their frontcourt.

KAT was out in the last game prior to the All-Star break, and we saw James Johnson get the start at center, posting 36 FanDuel points in 32 minutes. It was a solid effort from Johnson, but we also saw Naz Reid as the first player off the bench for Minnesota. He was able to produce 25 FanDuel points in 22 minutes, yet another quality performance from their guys seeing time with KAT out.

We should get the same situation tonight -- Johnson in the starting lineup and Reid off the bench -- and that actually makes Reid our third-best value play on the slate, per our models. Our projections have him going for 26 FanDuel points in 22 minutes against the Boston Celtics. He might not be in the starting lineup, but he is very productive once he is on the court.

Marcus Smart, SG, Boston Celtics ($5,400)

Marcus Smart is going to be the starting point guard for the Celtics tonight with Kemba Walker out.

This isn't anything new for the Celtics in the past few seasons -- when a starter is out, Smart is the player to step into the lineup. This is a fantastic matchup for the Celtics since the Timberwolves play at a fast pace -- seventh-fasted in the league -- and don't play defense, allowing 47.6 FanDuel points per game to point guards this season.

Smart should be one of the chalkier players on this slate due to his price tag, starting role, and easy matchup. Our projections agree with all this and have Smart going for 30 FanDuel points in 34 minutes. Under one FanDuel point per minute isn't amazing, but much of the offensive usage will likely go to Jaylen Brown and Jayson Tatum tonight.