This article is part of our FanDuel NBA series.
We only have a four-game slate for our NBA Saturday to discuss, but a lot of potential value plays to touch on. Of the four games, Vegas has two with high totals and two sitting at a low total of only 188. The two teams expected to score the most points are the Warriors and Hawks, followed by their opponents, the Pelicans and Nets, respectively. The Bulls and Bucks game, as well as Memphis and Portland, are expected to be low scoring and tightly contest, so you should see full run for the starters in at least the last two. Let's take a position-by-position look at some of the key value players to look at for Saturday night.
Point Guard
Derrick Rose ($6,100) vs. Milwaukee Bucks – Rose is probably the best bargain available Saturday at any position. If a player can return five points per $1,000, then he is a good start. So far this series, Rose has put up 36, 38 and 55 fantasy points though the first three games. His minutes have risen every game and he still sits at only $6,100. He has the ball in his hands every play and he initiates the offense by being the primary ball handler who starts the pick and roll. He is asked to come hard off the high pick and either get to the rim, or get in the paint and kick it to those who can get an open layup or corner jumper. Whether he looks to score or dish it off, the fantasy points follow.
Shooting Guard
Kyle Korver ($5,300) vs. Brooklyn Nets – Korver is way too cheap. His minutes are now back up over 35 per game in the playoffs and his production in those minutes has been elite. He had 37 and 32 fantasy points in consecutive games, which was good enough for seven and six points per $1,000 based on today's price. His scoring, rebounding and minutes played are all up from his regular season totals. Korver is expected to stretch the defense and hit open shots. The crisp ball movement of the Hawks gets him a lot of those. At only $5,300, he is way too cheap to ignore Saturday. There's no one else that cheap or consistent at his price range and position.
Small Forward
Draymond Green ($7,900) vs. New Orleans Pelicans – He is expensive for a value play, but he is still making value. At $7,900, he needs to return 39 fantasy points, and he has exceeded that in every game this series. Green's defense is needed to check Anthony Davis. Therefore, he will see as many minutes as he can handle. If David Lee remains out, that just opens up more playing time. The matchup does not seem like a good one against a great defender in Davis, but Green can do so many things and score in so many ways that he does not rely on a big real-life scoring number to translate into a solid fantasy score. The other cheap options are all likely to struggle to make value, so pay up and enjoy the safety of his solid floor.
Power Forward
Ryan Anderson ($4,400) vs. Golden State Warriors – Anderson looked like one of the top three players the Pelicans had on the floor in Game 3. For some unknown reason, he was on the bench though late in the game. It appears the oft-injured big man is back into pre-injury form and looking good. He could always shoot and add a few rebounds, blocks and assists with his long frame. When he is shooting well he can provide a huge boost for the Pelicans, who surely need some shooters with the likes of Jrue Holiday and Tyreke Evans banged up. Both of them would benefit from the spacing, as teams need to stay home on a shooter like Anderson.
Center
Al Horford ($7,300) vs. Brooklyn Nets – Horford finally had the breakout game many were expecting. With the playoffs here, he is playing more minutes and his production has gone up. He was an elite per-minute fantasy performer all season, but his playing time was being monitored to keep him fresh. Since the playoffs rolled began, he is averaging 35 minutes per game. Horford is a threat for a triple-double whenever he sees that kind of playing time, plus his defensive presence adds a few blocks and steals. He is expected to see at least this many minutes throughout the playoffs as long as he is healthy. With those minutes, you can expect his scores to remain in the 35-to-45 point range, which returns five to six points per $1000. That kind of production can help win a GPP.
