FanDuel NBA: Saturday Value Plays

FanDuel NBA: Saturday Value Plays

This article is part of our FanDuel NBA series.

Today's nine-game NBA slate features a trio of NBA games with a total of 207 or higher. These are the types of matchups that we'll be looking to exploit throughout the season in order to win your matchups consistently on FanDuel. Here's a look at today's value plays:

Point Guard

Stephen Curry at SAC ($10,900): There really isn't much that needs to be said here. You should be starting each lineup you build with Curry right now. He's firmly entrenched in "can't fade" territory. The Warriors are destroying teams at a record-breaking clip right now, and Curry is in the eye of it all. Through the first six games of the season, the floor for Curry has been a 43.10 FanDuel points. That's the ceiling for most players in the league. Today's game against Sacramento does have a spread that suggests blowout potential, but that just means Curry may get some rest after getting you 50 fantasy points. This is the easiest play of the day.

T.J. McConnell vs. ORL ($4,200): We're willing to forgive McConnell's quiet performance Friday against the reigning Eastern Conference champs, and focus on the fact that he has displayed the ability to be an elite distributor for a team that does not feature a wealth of scoring talent. McConnell posted back-to-back games of 12 assists this week, providing almost 10 times the return on his bare-minimum salary. Look for McConnell to get back on track against a struggling Orlando squad that has allowed the fourth most fantasy points to opposing point guards early on this season.

Shooting Guard

Jimmy Butler vs. MIN ($8,100): Butler has managed to quietly fly under the radar as perhaps the best player in the Eastern Conference through the first six games of the season, averaging just above 21 points with five rebounds and four assists per game. There are a lot of mouths to feed out in Chicago, but Butler has shown that he doesn't need to lead the team in scoring to meet value at his salary. Tayshaun Prince, who will try to keep up with Butler on Saturday, is a player who honestly shouldn't be starting for any team in the NBA right now. Look for Butler to take advantage.

Evan Fournier at PHI ($5,500): Fournier was a surprise early-season starter for the Magic, and he's more than earned his place. In most cases, you'll be hard-pressed to find a starter on FanDuel that is priced under $6K and is still worth rostering. Fournier has put his improved range on display and will look to keep the ball rolling against a Sixers team that has one of the weakest defenders at the two in Nik Stauskas. Fournier is a strong play for cash games and GPPs Saturday.

Small Forward

Kawhi Leonard vs. CHA ($8,200): If we're being honest here, then we have to acknowledge that the small forward position is just ugly overall Saturday. You can really only make a strong case for playing Leonard and Rudy Gay in cash games, and Gay has to deal with trying not to lose by 40 against the red-hot Warriors. Leonard has the second highest point projection among small forwards for the day, and is one of the players at the three that has legit 50-fantasy-point upside on any given day, regardless of the matchup. Today is the day that you'll definitely want to pay up for Leonard on FanDuel.

Power Forward

LaMarcus Aldridge vs. CHA ($8,400): Aldridge was a player that many remember as one of most expensive power forward options throughout last season. Most DFS players have been forced to fade him early on this season following his slow start as he tries to fit into the San Antonio offense. Aldridge has a great opportunity to bounce back against the Hornets, who are ranked in the bottom 10 in FD points allowed to opposing power forwards. Take the discount on Aldridge while you can, because it likely won't last for long.

Center

Rudy Gobert vs. MEM ($7,900): With the hype surrounding Gobert following his breakout campaign in the second half of last season, it seems that DFS players have had a bit of unrealistic expectations. He just simply is not a scorer. He doesn't look for his shot, and almost seems to prefer playing off the ball in most offensive sets. Gobert has yet to score in double digits through the first five games of the season, and I'm fine with that. He is your solid cash game option. You don't need to try to do anything else with him. Sure, he's destined to have a breakout game and perhaps score 20 points somewhere down the line, but that's not what he does best. Until Gobert starts flashing a significant level of upgraded skill in the scoring department, you should keep him reserved for cash lineups and look elsewhere for GPP upside.

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. Joshua Hayes plays in daily fantasy contests using the following accounts: FanDuel: fsinsiders, DraftKings: fsinsiders, Fantasy Aces: fsinsiders.
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ABOUT THE AUTHOR
Joshua Hayes
Josh Hayes hosts the RotoWire DFS Podcast, is a contributing host on the RotoWire Fantasy Basketball Podcast, and writes multiple FanDuel-oriented articles. Josh also appears frequently on 120 Sports, dispensing fantasy advice for NFL, NBA and MLB games.
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