NBA

3 NBA FanDuel Value Plays to Target on 1/27/21

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-salaried options into your lineup.

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

Jarred Vanderbilt, PF, Minnesota Timberwolves ($5,400)

The Minnesota Timberwolves are dealing with a few injuries and that has led to some solid production from their role players.

Center Karl-Anthony Towns is still out for Minnesota and with Juan Hernangomez also missing the last five games, we have seen an increase in production from Jarred Vanderbilt. He comes into this game with 21 minutes or more in four of his last five games and has put up 29 FanDuel points or more in each of those four contests. That trend is likely to continue tonight, for a few reasons.

First off, Vanderbilt is up against the Golden State Warriors, where the total is set at 228 points, which is the second-highest on the slate. Next, the Warriors are allowing the third-most (48.96) FanDuel points per game to opposing power forwards, making this one of the softest matchups on the slate. Vanderbilt was able to take advantage of this exact matchup on Tuesday when these two teams played against each other by posting 31 FanDuel points in 24 minutes. Finally, both teams are in the top-six for the fastest-paced offensive teams in the league. This should set up for a very fantasy-friendly environment for all, and, specifically, Vanderbilt.

Steven Adams, C, New Orleans Pelicans ($5,000)

In one of the softest matchups on the slate, Steven Adams is looking like a great value option at center.

The New Orleans Pelicans are taking on the Washington Wizards, which presents Adams with a fantastic matchup. This season, the Wizards are allowing 57.83 FanDuel points per game to opposing centers, which is the fourth-worst in the league. This is also a significant pace-up spot for the Pelicans, as they are 26th in the league, while the Wizards are 1st overall.

Although Adams has a low 14.6% usage rate -- the lowest among the Pelicans' starters -- he has the third-highest (0.98) FanDuel point-per-minute production among the starters. This is actually encouraging to see since Adams can be very productive without having to see the ball a ton. Given how easy the matchup is for Adams, he is projected for 31.17 minutes and 30.8 FanDuel points, making him the fourth-best value option on the slate.

Cameron Johnson, SF, Phoenix Suns ($4,600)

With Devin Booker out for the Phoenix Suns, Cameron Johnson should be in the starting lineup.

Of course, we'd love to get confirmation that Johnson will, in fact, be in the starting lineup against the Oklahoma City Thunder, since this is a great matchup. It's possible that Johson could start at small forward or power forward, but ultimately, it won't matter. The Thunder are allowing the fourth-most (46.63) FanDuel points per game to opposing small forwards and the sixth-most (47.26) to opposing power forwards.

It puts Johnson in a great spot and has him coming in projected for 29.31 minutes and 23.9 FanDuel points. The Suns (27th) are also playing up in pace against the Thunder (13th), which should give them a few extra touches on the ball and more fantasy points along with it.