DraftKings NBA: Trade Deadline Edition

DraftKings NBA: Trade Deadline Edition

This article is part of our DraftKings NBA series.

DraftKings.com Value Plays for the Week

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POINT GUARD

Devin Harris, PG/SG, DAL ($3,500): Harris hasn't had much opportunity to showcase his skills through only 13 appearances this season, as he's averaging only 18 minutes per game, although he's managed to produce nearly one fantasy point per minute in limited action. Harris will face a 76ers team on Friday that is less than one day removed from trading two of their starters in Evan Turner and Spencer Hawes, and had lost by a combined total of 577-441 over their last five contests. Bench players have seen ample court time against Philadelphia in the month of February, and that trend should continue, as the Mavericks are favored by 12 points on the road. Look for Harris to meet value (20 DKPTs) in what should be a route at the Wells Fargo Center.

A Look Ahead: It's difficult to trust Harris right now with his minutes being curtailed by the likes of Monta Ellis and Jose Calderon, yet he's tallied 20-plus DraftKings Points in five of his last 10 games, and warrants some consideration on short slates or in quality matchups like the Sixers.

ON THE RADAR

Tony Wroten, PG, PHI ($4,400): It's yet to be seen how Brett Brown will utilize his talented group of winners going forward (sorry Brett), but Wroten could stand to see a significant uptick in minutes and subsequent production going forward with Evan Turner on his way to Indiana. In 12 starts this season, the second year guard is averaging a respectable 18.3 points, 4.7 rebounds, 5.3 assists and 1.3 steals over nearly 34 minutes of work, so there's reason to believe he could be a viable fantasy contributor with increased playing time. Keep an eye out for the 76ers' starting lineup Friday, as we could see Wroten starting at the two. Regardless, his minutes should fall within the neighborhood of 30 MPG going forward, making him an intriguing value option in the near future.

SHOOTING GUARD

Jarrett Jack, PG/SG, CLE ($4,400): Jack's 2013-14 campaign with the Cavaliers has been anything but memorable thus far, however, he'll be forced to play heavy minutes Friday night with Dion Waiters and C.J. Miles failing to make the trip out to Toronto. On Wednesday, Jack pieced together a solid overall performance, totaling 34.5 DKPTs on 10 points, six rebounds, six assists, two blocks, two steals and one turnover in 34 minutes of work. We can expect similar minutes and opportunity to produce from the ninth year veteran in Friday's meeting with the Raptors, as the Cavs are at thin as it gets at the shooting guard position.

A Look Ahead: Jack will remain in play as long as both Waiters and Miles are sidelined. His fantasy appeal will decline rapidly when either of the two return, however, as he should be considered a volume play who will rarely produce serviceable totals with less than 30 minutes played.

SMALL FORWARD

Dorell Wright, SG/SF, POR ($3,000): Wright posted a serviceable line through 20 minutes in a spot start against the Spurs on Wednesday, with 10 points, five rebounds, two steals and 20.75 DKPTs. In a surprising turn of events, he got the nod over Thomas Robinson at the four in place of the ailing LaMarcus Aldridge, and manage to exceed value (17 DKPTs) on the evening. Wright may see an even larger role Friday night with an illness possibly forcing Nicolas Batum to the sidelines, which would essentially vault him into must play territory at minimum salary on DraftKings. He still possess considerable value if he starts in Friday's tilt with the Jazz, regardless of Batum's status, as his $3,000 price tag should leave ample room to squeeze studs into your lineup.

A Look Ahead: Depending on how the Trail Blazers' rotation shapes up over the next week, Wright should continue to warrant a start in favorable matchups so long as his price tag remains exploitable. However, the inevitable return of LaMarcus Aldridge will ultimately render him useless in fantasy circles.

ON THE RADAR

Danny Granger, SF, PHI (????): Granger won't be available on DraftKings for Friday's slate of games, but he is certainly someone to watch going forward, as his price is low and his role has just increased. He had been less than stellar since returning to the court, especially considering Lance Stephenson's and Paul George's elevated play had siphoned the majority of the minutes from both the shooting guard and small forward positions in Indiana. However, the trade that sent him to Philadelphia (I'm sure he's thrilled) and Evan Turner to Indiana should allow Granger to enjoy an expanded role in the fastest paced offense in Basketball. There's no denying that he's a shell of what he once was, but value potential is oozing here, as the tanking 76ers should allow him to shoot freely on a team that is going nowhere. Monitor Granger going forward, and pounce on the opportunity to roster him in the case that his price tag sits below $4,000.

POWER FORWARD

Jared Sullinger, PF/C, BOS ($6,300): Sullinger's minutes and production have been down over his last two contests, but a matchup with the porous Lakers should remedy those troubles on Friday night. Los Angeles has surrendered more fantasy points (50 FPPG), rebounds (16.3 RPG) and assists (3.2 APG) to opposing big men this season, while also allowing more points in the paint, than any other team, so expect Sullinger to finish with more than favorable fantasy totals. His price has dropped more than $1,500 over the past week on DraftKings due to a couple sub-par outings, which should allow him to meet value with only a mediocre showing on Friday evening.

A Look Ahead: Sullinger's 2013-14 campaign has been nothing short of a rollercoaster ride, as he's either posting 45-50 FPs per game or cutting that production in half with 25 FP stinkers. His next three games following Friday's tilt with the Lakers will come against Sacramento, who may be without their star center in DeMarcus Cousins, Utah, who has struggled to contain centers all season, and Atlanta, who's frontcourt has been in disarray since Al Horford was lost for the season. If Sullinger's salary remains exploitable, he should be in line to find significant fantasy success over the next seven days.

Thomas Robinson, PF, POR ($3,000): Despite his limited minutes this season, Robinson has been productive when he isn't glued to the pine. He finished one rebound shy of a double-double in Wednesday's loss to the Spurs, with 10 points, nine rebounds and 20.25 DraftKings Points in 23 minutes of work. The absence of LaMarcus Aldridge should allow him to see at least 23 minutes of floor time in Friday's meeting with the Jazz, and significantly more minutes if Nicolas Batum is inactive with an illness. Robinson is producing nearly 1 DKPT per minute this season, and proved that he is capable of doing so with an expanded role on Wednesday. He's worthy of consideration at only $3,000 against a Utah team that should stay competitive in their own house.

A Look Ahead: Much like Dorell Wright, Robinson's days as a viable fantasy option will be short lived. Unless LaMarcus Aldridge is sidelined for an extended period of time, expect Robinson to play approximately 10 minutes per game. In the meantime, the Blazers will face the undersized and generous frontcourt of the Denver Nuggets two times over their next five games, so consider plugging Robinson into your lineups as long as Aldridge is on the shelf.

Arnett Moultrie, PF, PHI ($3,000): With Spencer Hawes and Lavoy Allen out of town, Moultrie will likely be the only available option at center on Friday if Byron Mullens is inactive, considering Brandon Davies is out with a dislocated finger. There isn't anything exciting about him, but Moultrie could be in line to see mega-minutes at home against the Mavericks, and will quite possibly view this as an opportunity to prove he can compete with the big boys in the NBA. He played 16-plus minutes in three of his last four games, and although the production was negligible, it shows that Brett Brown has become willing to roll the dice on the second year New York native.

A Look Ahead: Unfortunately for Brown, there is little need for a dice roll at this point in the season. Some may say they gambled and lost, but members of the Sixers' front office are likely to offer a differing opinion. But I digress --- expect Moultrie to see extended run at the five on Friday and possibly for the remainder of the season alongside Mullens and Thaddeus Young.

CENTER

Samuel Dalembert, C, DAL ($4,100): Dalembert, who spent his first eight professional seasons in the City of Brotherly Love, will return to his former city on Friday night to face the putrid 76ers. Rarely would he be a recommended play at $4,100, but Philadelphia has coughed up the most fantasy points (56.6 FPPG) and third most rebounds (17.2 RPG) to opposing centers over the past two weeks. Moreover, Dalembert shined against the Sixers earlier this season, totaling 31 DKPTs on eight points, 14 rebounds and three blocks in 27 minutes of work. Combine the 76ers deplorable interior defense with Dalembert returning to Philadelphia, and a recipe for success is what you'll find. Marreese Speights, who also began his career as a Sixer, dropped an eye popping 32 points (12-15 FG), eight rebounds, three blocks and one assist for 48 DKPTs in only 26 minutes off the bench against Philadelphia less than two weeks ago, so expect Dalembert to meet value (23 DKPTs) with ease on Friday night.

A Look Ahead: Dalembert doesn't generate much excitement at his age, and will almost certainly revert back to posting uninspiring fantasy lines following Friday's tilt with Philadelphia. He should be ignored on DraftKings going forward unless his price slips deeper into the cellar, or his minutes increase significantly as the season wears on --- although the latter is highly unlikely at this point in his career.

ON THE RADAR

Byron Mullens, PF/C, PHI (????): Mullens was buried on the bench as a member of the Clippers this season, as DeAndre Jordan's excellent play had limited him to a mere six minutes per game. However, as his surroundings change, so should his role, as the newest member of the Sixers should see ample playing time now that both Spencer Hawes and Lavoy Allen were traded. It's still unclear what Mullens' role will be in Philadelphia, but he had proven that he is capable of producing when given the minutes, as illustrated by his averages of 10.6 points, 6.4 rebounds, 1.5 assists, .6 blocks, .6 steals and 23 fantasy points through 27 minutes per game in Charlotte last season. He never solidified a defined role as a member of the Bobcats, but maybe he'll be able to do so over the last half of the season in Philadelphia. Mullens isn't in the Sixers' future plans, but he may possess fantasy value at a bottom barrel price tag as he joins them in their tanking efforts to close out their 2013-14 campaign.

The author(s) of this article may play in daily fantasy contests including – but not limited to – games that they have provided recommendations or advice on in this article. In the course of playing in these games using their personal accounts, it's possible that they will use players in their lineups or other strategies that differ from the recommendations they have provided above. The recommendations in this article do not necessarily reflect the views of RotoWire.
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ABOUT THE AUTHOR
Dave Loughran
Dave “Loughy” Loughran is a successful Daily Fantasy Sports player who is also no stranger to the seasonal fantasy world. While educated at Temple University, he always managed to prepare his fantasy content before, during and after class. A stat junkie, Loughy digs deep, unearthing statistical gems to help fantasy enthusiasts thicken their pockets. Dave appears on the Shane Dennis show on KFH FM Radio Wichita every Thursday at 7:25ET to provide his weekly fantasy football analysis. Follow him on Twitter @Loughy_D.
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