During this downtime in the sports calendar, FanDuel has been innovating a lot of different ways to get some daily fantasy sports action.
One of those includes NBA Sim Sports, a format that looks pretty much identical to the usual FanDuel offering. The only twist is that the games won't be played live. Players will instead be assigned a random game from their 2019-20 season.
Matchups don't come into play, and late-scratches and other games missed by players won't come into effect. Scores roll out throughout the slate for a bit of a sweat.
It's free to enter (both the early and late slates), and here are some potential standout picks.
Finding Value
A rule of thumb in NBA DFS is finding certain value thresholds. For example, seeking players who can score 5.0 FanDuel points per $1,000 in salary. This is known as "five-times value" or "5x." The reason for that is if you max out your $60,000 budget and every player in your lineup scores exactly 5.0 points per $1,000, you'll total 300.0 FanDuel points. That's a good starting point.
Of course, for bigger totals, you'll want to shoot for 6x or higher, and for safety, 4x is a fine mark to uncover. What you will typically find is that the more expensive players hit 4x value often (because their roles are secure but their prices are high enough that they really need a huge game to pay off big price tags) and cheaper players hit 6x more frequently (because their bigger games are less about 50-point triple-doubles and more about a simple double-double at a cheaper price).
Value Leaders
These tables include the top-eight performers at each position based on how many times this season they had games that hit our three different value thresholds when compared to their current price for today's contests.
In parenthesis, you can see how often a player hit the given threshold. For example, Steven Adams returned 4x value in 71% of his games, 5x value in 54%, and 6x value in 34%.
Early Slate
Point Guard
| PG | 4x Value | 5x Value | 6x Value |
|---|
| 1 | Derrick Rose (0.8) | De'Anthony Melton (0.6) | De'Anthony Melton (0.4) |
| 2 | Kyle Lowry (0.75) | Kyle Lowry (0.55) | Derrick White (0.38) |
| 3 | Derrick White (0.72) | Derrick White (0.54) | Ja Morant (0.37) |
| 4 | De'Anthony Melton (0.71) | Derrick Rose (0.52) | Brandon Knight (0.32) |
| 5 | Russell Westbrook (0.69) | Ja Morant (0.52) | Derrick Rose (0.3) |
| 6 | Lonzo Ball (0.68) | Lonzo Ball (0.51) | Lonzo Ball (0.3) |
| 7 | Ja Morant (0.67) | Dejounte Murray (0.5) | Patty Mills (0.3) |
| 8 | Patty Mills (0.63) | Tyus Jones (0.48) | Tyus Jones (0.29) |
Shooting Guard
| SG | 4x Value | 5x Value | 6x Value |
|---|
| 1 | James Harden (0.79) | D'Angelo Russell (0.56) | Josh Hart (0.39) |
| 2 | D'Angelo Russell (0.78) | Dillon Brooks (0.55) | Dillon Brooks (0.38) |
| 3 | DeMar DeRozan (0.77) | DeMar DeRozan (0.54) | JJ Redick (0.37) |
| 4 | Jrue Holiday (0.75) | Jordan McRae (0.54) | Jordan McRae (0.35) |
| 5 | Fred VanVleet (0.75) | James Harden (0.52) | Malik Beasley (0.35) |
| 6 | Josh Hart (0.72) | Fred VanVleet (0.52) | Norman Powell (0.32) |
| 7 | Bruce Brown (0.72) | Bruce Brown (0.52) | D'Angelo Russell (0.31) |
| 8 | CJ McCollum (0.71) | JJ Redick (0.52) | Bruce Brown (0.31) |
Small Forward
| SF | 4x Value | 5x Value | 6x Value |
|---|
| 1 | Brandon Ingram (0.76) | Rodney Hood (0.62) | Josh Jackson (0.44) |
| 2 | Luke Kennard (0.75) | Josh Jackson (0.56) | Rudy Gay (0.38) |
| 3 | Eric Gordon (0.71) | Rudy Gay (0.53) | OG Anunoby (0.38) |
| 4 | Pascal Siakam (0.69) | Brandon Ingram (0.52) | Danuel House (0.36) |
| 5 | Rudy Gay (0.68) | OG Anunoby (0.51) | Luke Kennard (0.36) |
| 6 | Josh Jackson (0.67) | Eric Gordon (0.5) | Trevor Ariza (0.36) |
| 7 | Rodney Hood (0.67) | Danuel House (0.5) | Eric Gordon (0.32) |
| 8 | Danuel House (0.66) | Luke Kennard (0.46) | Kyle Anderson (0.31) |
Power Forward
| PF | 4x Value | 5x Value | 6x Value |
|---|
| 1 | Zion Williamson (0.86) | Brandon Clarke (0.57) | James Johnson (0.5) |
| 2 | LaMarcus Aldridge (0.81) | Jaren Jackson (0.56) | Christian Wood (0.4) |
| 3 | Robert Covington (0.76) | Naz Reid (0.53) | Naz Reid (0.37) |
| 4 | Jaren Jackson (0.76) | Zion Williamson (0.52) | Blake Griffin (0.33) |
| 5 | Brandon Clarke (0.75) | Serge Ibaka (0.52) | Brandon Clarke (0.31) |
| 6 | Blake Griffin (0.72) | LaMarcus Aldridge (0.51) | Rondae Hollis-Jefferson (0.31) |
| 7 | Rondae Hollis-Jefferson (0.71) | Blake Griffin (0.5) | LaMarcus Aldridge (0.3) |
| 8 | Naz Reid (0.7) | Rondae Hollis-Jefferson (0.5) | Nicolo Melli (0.3) |
Center
| C | 4x Value | 5x Value | 6x Value |
|---|
| 1 | Karl-Anthony Towns (0.74) | Jakob Poeltl (0.53) | P.J. Tucker (0.41) |
| 2 | Marc Gasol (0.72) | Jonas Valanciunas (0.48) | Jakob Poeltl (0.4) |
| 3 | Hassan Whiteside (0.7) | Marc Gasol (0.47) | Marc Gasol (0.36) |
| 4 | Derrick Favors (0.7) | Gorgui Dieng (0.47) | Gorgui Dieng (0.36) |
| 5 | Jonas Valanciunas (0.66) | Derrick Favors (0.46) | Derrick Favors (0.33) |
| 6 | P.J. Tucker (0.64) | P.J. Tucker (0.45) | Jonas Valanciunas (0.31) |
| 7 | Gorgui Dieng (0.64) | Chris Boucher (0.42) | John Henson (0.28) |
| 8 | Jaxson Hayes (0.63) | John Henson (0.4) | Jaxson Hayes (0.27) |
Main Slate
Point Guard
| PG | 4x Value | 5x Value | 6x Value |
|---|
| 1 | De'Aaron Fox (0.85) | Kris Dunn (0.57) | Reggie Jackson (0.43) |
| 2 | Derrick Rose (0.8) | Kyle Lowry (0.55) | Kris Dunn (0.41) |
| 3 | Chris Paul (0.77) | Ish Smith (0.55) | Ish Smith (0.38) |
| 4 | Collin Sexton (0.77) | De'Aaron Fox (0.54) | Shabazz Napier (0.37) |
| 5 | Kyle Lowry (0.75) | Eric Bledsoe (0.54) | Tomas Satoransky (0.34) |
| 6 | Ben Simmons (0.73) | Derrick Rose (0.52) | Rajon Rondo (0.33) |
| 7 | Ish Smith (0.72) | Tomas Satoransky (0.51) | Jeff Teague (0.32) |
| 8 | Trae Young (0.71) | Darius Garland (0.49) | Brandon Knight (0.32) |
Shooting Guard
| SG | 4x Value | 5x Value | 6x Value |
|---|
| 1 | Donte DiVincenzo (0.8) | Josh Richardson (0.63) | Josh Richardson (0.46) |
| 2 | Dennis Schroder (0.78) | Donte DiVincenzo (0.61) | Jordan McRae (0.35) |
| 3 | Khris Middleton (0.77) | Buddy Hield (0.59) | Norman Powell (0.32) |
| 4 | Shai Gilgeous-Alexander (0.77) | Shai Gilgeous-Alexander (0.54) | Donte DiVincenzo (0.31) |
| 5 | Zach LaVine (0.75) | Jordan McRae (0.54) | Bruce Brown (0.31) |
| 6 | Fred VanVleet (0.75) | Fred VanVleet (0.52) | Bogdan Bogdanovic (0.31) |
| 7 | Buddy Hield (0.75) | Bruce Brown (0.52) | Danny Green (0.31) |
| 8 | Lou Williams (0.73) | Dennis Schroder (0.51) | Svi Mykhailiuk (0.3) |
Small Forward
| SF | 4x Value | 5x Value | 6x Value |
|---|
| 1 | LeBron James (0.84) | Harrison Barnes (0.58) | De'Andre Hunter (0.43) |
| 2 | Giannis Antetokounmpo (0.81) | Glenn Robinson (0.58) | Glenn Robinson (0.4) |
| 3 | Tobias Harris (0.8) | Cedi Osman (0.57) | Cedi Osman (0.38) |
| 4 | Danilo Gallinari (0.79) | De'Andre Hunter (0.57) | OG Anunoby (0.38) |
| 5 | Luke Kennard (0.75) | Danilo Gallinari (0.54) | Harrison Barnes (0.37) |
| 6 | Harrison Barnes (0.75) | Tobias Harris (0.52) | Kent Bazemore (0.36) |
| 7 | Cedi Osman (0.71) | Troy Brown (0.52) | Luke Kennard (0.36) |
| 8 | Troy Brown (0.7) | OG Anunoby (0.51) | Cam Reddish (0.34) |
Power Forward
| PF | 4x Value | 5x Value | 6x Value |
|---|
| 1 | Kawhi Leonard (0.87) | Kevin Love (0.61) | Christian Wood (0.4) |
| 2 | John Collins (0.78) | Davis Bertans (0.56) | Nemanja Bjelica (0.38) |
| 3 | Al Horford (0.77) | Al Horford (0.55) | Nerlens Noel (0.36) |
| 4 | Davis Bertans (0.76) | Nerlens Noel (0.53) | Jabari Parker (0.36) |
| 5 | Kevin Love (0.75) | Richaun Holmes (0.53) | Kyle Kuzma (0.35) |
| 6 | Blake Griffin (0.72) | Serge Ibaka (0.52) | Richaun Holmes (0.33) |
| 7 | Thaddeus Young (0.72) | Rui Hachimura (0.52) | Blake Griffin (0.33) |
| 8 | Anthony Davis (0.71) | Blake Griffin (0.5) | Larry Nance (0.32) |
Center
| C | 4x Value | 5x Value | 6x Value |
|---|
| 1 | Wendell Carter (0.79) | Steven Adams (0.54) | Ian Mahinmi (0.37) |
| 2 | Joel Embiid (0.76) | Clint Capela (0.51) | Ivica Zubac (0.36) |
| 3 | Andre Drummond (0.75) | Montrezl Harrell (0.51) | Marc Gasol (0.36) |
| 4 | Ivica Zubac (0.75) | Alex Len (0.51) | Steven Adams (0.34) |
| 5 | Thomas Bryant (0.74) | Ivica Zubac (0.5) | Alex Len (0.33) |
| 6 | Clint Capela (0.72) | Wendell Carter (0.49) | Brook Lopez (0.33) |
| 7 | Marc Gasol (0.72) | JaVale McGee (0.49) | Thomas Bryant (0.32) |
| 8 | Steven Adams (0.71) | Andre Drummond (0.47) | Dewayne Dedmon (0.3) |
