This article is part of our FanDuel NBA series.
20 teams in action in the NBA this Saturday and we're back to filter through the studs and duds as we break down top options at each position on FanDuel. Here's a look at today's value plays.
Point Guard
Damian Lillard, POR at MIN ($9,500): Lillard has been as consistent and productive as any player at the point, particularly in the last two weeks when he has scored at least 40 FanDuel points in six of the past seven contests. He's got another prime matchup against the Timberwolves, who have activated Ricky Rubio from an ankle injury just in time to get torched by Lillard.The Blazers also get the benefit of having the third highest point total on the slate today at 203, against a T-Wolves squad that has struggled to win games at home.
Cory Joseph, TOR vs. GSW ($4,500): Over the past four games, the Raptors increased Joseph's playing time to over 30 minutes per game. He has scored in double digits in three out of four of those, which is basically all you need to pay off a $4,500 price tag. Using him Saturday with the increased minutes in a game with the second highest Vegas total on the board (206.5) is a great way to get cheap exposure to a game with a lot of scoring, allowing you the salary cap flexibility to afford some of the top option available.
Shooting Guard
James Harden, OKC vs. SAC ($10,800): Here is your designated chalk option today. For my money, there are four or five highly-priced players that you can consider, but Harden is first on my list among the top tier. The Kings are still a team that you can expose at shooting guard, with playing time being spread out amongst Ben McLemore, Marco Belinelli, and Darren Collison. None of them are great defensive players at the two. Sacramento has allowed the third-most fantasy points to opposing shooting guards this season, and they play with more pace than every team in the league aside from Golden State. Harden has scored at least 49 points on FanDuel in eight straight contests and gets the benefit of having the highest Vegas total on the slate by far at 219 points.
Will Barton, DEN at PHI ($5,600): Barton has seen his minutes creep into the 30-minute range over the past few games with Gary Harris out of the lineup due to a concussion. He's coming off one of his better performances of the season, scoring 22 points with four rebounds and four assists in a one-point loss to Toronto on Thursday. Harris has also found his stroke from beyond the arc, hitting 10 treys in the past four games.
Small Forward
Robert Covington, PHI vs. DEN ($6,800): Those who think the Robert Covington train may finally be coming to a halt may need to think twice considering the matchup with Denver. With Jahlil Okafor suspended for this home contest, those shots are more likely to move towards Covington, who is currently their second-best scorer. Denver also happens to be in the bottom-10 in team turnovers per game this season, which fits Covington perfectly, as he leads the NBA in steals per game (3.0).
Power Forward
Joffrey Lauvergne, DEN at PHI ($4,100): King Joffrey has once again been returned to his throne as the starting center, and he has rewarded his DFS owners by producing 24.4 and 29.5 FanDuel points, good for 6.5 and 7.9 times his price tag in the last two games, respectively. Lauvergne will also get the benefit of a Sixers frontcourt minus Jahlil Okafor, which should make his job easier on both ends of the court. If Denver continues to give him starter's minutes, Lauvergne is a strong bet to provide value at near minimum salary.
Center
Joakim Noah, CHI vs. CHA ($4,400): Playing Noah on Saturday is dependent on Nikola Mirotic remaining on the sideline dues to a concussion he suffered Wednesday. Noah is another example of a player who doesn't need to do much to get you a return on your investment at his price point. For reference, his nine points, 11 rebounds, one assist and four blocks Wednesday were good for 28 fantasy points and almost seven times his price tag.
