This article is part of our FanDuel NBA series.
There are nine games on Saturday's NBA slate, providing a solid mix of high-scoring totals and key defensive matchups to target and exploit for DFS lineups. Let's take a look at today's value plays:
Point Guard
Jrue Holiday, NOP at MIL ($8,200): Lost in all the hype from the top tier point guard performances is the fact that Holiday has been playing at a level that puts him in elite territory. New Orleans has been forced to increase his overall usage, now having five different guards out due to injuries, and he had his straight 30+ scoring performance in 30 minutes Friday night versus Memphis. Look for Holiday to exploit the Bucks' backcourt defense, which has injuries issues of its own with Michael Carter-Williams, O.J. Mayo and Greivis Vasquez all out. Holiday has scored at least 47 fantasy points in each of the past three games, and certainly could repeat that level of performance at a discount of over $2K from the bigger options available.
Patrick Beverley, HOU at CHA ($5,200): Beverly has been a regular cash game favorite of mine throughout the season. His price has remained flat and he is consistent as any value option available, producing at least 5x value in eight of the past 10 games. Houston's matchup against Charlotte has one of the top totals on the board at 215.5. Expect Beverley to get a boost from Houston's tendency to push the ball on offense, as evidenced by their top four ranking in pace.
Shooting Guard
Devin Booker, PHO at GSW ($6,300): If you haven't been watching the Suns lately, I don't blame you. What you missed was the Phoenix Phenom catching fire since March 3, scoring at least 34 fantasy points in five of the past six games. Saturday's matchup will certainly be tough on the road at Golden State, but we may see the Warriors feeling a bit of a hangover after putting together a blowout performance at home to exact revenge against the Trail Blazers. The best thing about Booker is that no matter how much the Suns are down in a game, they are committed to developing him and keeping him on the court. Over the past five games, Booker has played at least 39 minutes, and he certainly will be needed Saturday to help the Suns keep pace.
Victor Oladipo, ORL at POR ($7,000): Oladipo is another example of a player who will benefit from an expanded offensive role should Nikola Vucevic miss his fourth straight game with a groin issue. Oladipo has been a road warrior the past three games, scoring at least 35 fantasy points in each. Both teams are playing in back-to-back games, so we can reasonably expect a higher total with less defensive intensity. If Elfrid Payton ends up missing the game as well, this could set up Oladipo, who has 15 assists in the past three games, to assert himself again as a distributor.
Small Forward
Nicolas Batum, POR vs. HOU ($6,900): These two teams project to have one of the top totals on the board, which provides Batum with some great opportunity on the offensive end. The Rockets have allowed more fantasy points per game to small forwards than any other team in the league. If Batum finds himself matched up with James Harden, it remains a plus matchup, as Houston ranks in the bottom five in fantasy points allowed to shooting guards. Batum is as dangerous from outside as he is as a point man, handing out 31 assists in the past five games.
Power Forward
JaMychal Green, MEM at ATL ($6,400): It's official: The JaMychal Green coming out party is in full swing and the bandwagon doesn't have many seats left. Green stepped up for the Grizz, who played against New Orleans down three starters, posting a solid 21 points and 10 rebounds, leading his team to their fifth win in the last seven games. The matchup is expected to be tough on the road versus Atlanta, but Green has done his damage against two of the best defensive teams in the league (Boston and Cleveland) over the past week. It should also help that Paul Millsap has underperformed throughout the second half, attributing to Atlanta falling towards the middle of the pack in power forward defense.
Center
Nikola Jokic, DEN vs. DET ($6,400): If not for Karl-Anthony Towns, we could be talking about Jokic's candidacy for rookie of the year. Simply put, there isn't anything that he can't do. Jokic has three-point range, he blocks shots, is an underrated passer and, for recency purposes, has a double-double in three of the past four games. He is a close to a must-play given his price. The Denver rookie comes in over $2K cheaper than Andre Drummond and Hassan Whiteside with similar upside.
