Welcome back to the Fantasy Alarm NBA DFS Value Vault! We have a medium five-gamer on tap for tonight in the Association, so let’s see what the best value plays are to help build our lineups!
DRAFTKINGS:
1.) Luguentz Dort SG/SF, OKC ($4,300) –
Dort continued right where he left off last season before the Thunder ended their season. Except this season, Dort doesn’t have Chris Paul or Danilo Gallinari , or even Steven Adams to contend with for the ball this season. Dort played 35 huge minutes in the Thunder’s opening game against the Hornets in route to 15 points, five rebounds, two assists, one steal, and a block, while carrying a modest 16.3% usage rate. Dort isn’t going to lead the team in usage rate, but he contributes in a lot of categories, including three-point shots. We get a small discount on the price for Dort here on DraftKings at $4.3K compared to $4.7K on FanDuel.
2.) Josh Jackson SF, DET ($4,200) –
Jackson will not have to deal with the high-usage Derrick Rose tonight, as he will sit on this back-to-back set for the Pistons, and this should bode particularly well for Jackson on the second unit, who is also a decently high-usage player, as he sits with a 21.5% usage rate compared to Rose’s 26.4%. That’s quite a bit of usage to be had, and I think Jackson soaks up most of that usage here as he will be the main source of multiple stats, including scoring now for the 2nd unit. Jackson has played 19 and 29 minutes in the first two games for the Pistons, while putting up 20 and 32 fantasy points respectively, and what better way to get him moving faster than a date with the fast-paced Hawks?
3.) Taurean Prince SF/PF, BKN ($3,100) –
If you have been watching the news today, you know that Kevin Durant has already been ruled OUT for rest as the Nets set to hit the second-leg of a back-to-back here tonight at home against the Grizzlies. With Durant out, this means that Taurean Prince could likely get a bump in minutes as he is the direct back-up to Durant currently as a reserve. His really only other causes for competition at the PF spot are likely Jeff Green (who is questionable, but expected to play), and rookie Reggie Perry. Either way, Prince has seen 12, 12, and 16 minutes so far in the Net’s first three games and should see a little bump in minutes here and is basically min-prince on DraftKings. This is ideally just a GPP play.
FANDUEL:
1.) Darius Bazley PF, OKC ($5,800) –
Bazley is going to play lots and lots of minutes for the Thunder this season as he was already a major part of this rebuilding core. Bazley played 32 minutes in the opener against the Hornets in route to 15 points, 10 rebounds, one assist, two blocks, and one steal. The defensive skills are a major fantasy asset here for Bazley, and a big reason why I would be looking to play him here tonight on FanDuel at his price. Most on FanDuel are going to be jamming Anthony Davis (if he plays) and Christian Wood at the PF spots, so this could also give you a slight bit of leverage against the field in playing Bazley. The minutes are there, and so is the production. He is going to be a fantasy stud this season, so jump on now while the price is still cheap.
2.) Jae’Sean Tate SF, HOU ($4,200) –
If you are looking for a smidge of value at the SF spot on FanDuel, you can likely look at Tate here for the Rockets, who are still without basically half their team. Tate played 37 minutes off the bench in the Rocket’s opener against the Blazers and recorded 13 points, four boards, two assists, and a steal. He took nine shot attempts, which was the most of all the bench players, and just one shy of two starters in Nwaba and Tucker, and one more than starter Danuel House Jr. When opportunity presents itself for guys like Tate, he has to go out there and get what he can and I think he will play heavy minutes once again here tonight.
3.) Dillon Brooks SG, MEM ($3,700) –
FanDuel really dropped the ball once again with Brooks’ price here tonight against the fast-paced Nets. Brooks is second on the team in usage rate at 25.8% over the first two games for the Grizzlies and has put up 28.4 and 33.8 FanDuel fantasy points in those two as well, while playing 30 and 33 minutes. He has averaged 2.0 steals per game, which padded his value here on FD, but he really didn’t need much padding for the price he is given here tonight in very up-tempo match against the Nets. This is just an easy plug-and-play for tonight on FanDuel and you shouldn’t think too hard about it. Just do it.