NBA

5 Daily Fantasy Basketball Value Plays for 1/16/17

Jay Kim  —  @ThirtyDimes Jan 16th, 2017
Kent Bazemore looks to stay hot in a great matchup against the Knicks. Which other low-cost options are in a good spot?

One of the keys to finding success in daily fantasy basketball is uncovering potential value plays. If you're looking to roster a stud player or two, you need to consider squeezing in one of these lower-priced options into your lineup.

Let's take a look at five players who can help fill in the gaps in your lineup.

Austin Rivers, PG, Los Angeles Clippers

FanDuel Price: $4,400
Projected FanDuel Points: 17.6
Projected FanDuel Value: 4.0

Jamal Crawford has been ice-cold shooting the ball recently, but teammate Austin Rivers has been sizzling hot for the Los Angeles Clippers. Over his last four games played, Rivers is averaging 19 points off 13 field goal attempts and 3.5 shots from the free-throw line; he's also added 3.8 rebounds and 4 assists during that same span.

According to our tools, Rivers is trending as the fifth-hottest point guard on Monday's slate. He's playing 53.02% above his season average in terms of fantasy points per night over his last five games. As a bonus, Rivers gets an ideal matchup with the Thunder, who offer the second-best matchup to opposing point guards.

Jodie Meeks, SG, Orlando Magic

FanDuel Price: $3,800
Projected FanDuel Points: 15.0
Projected FanDuel Value: 3.94

Jodie Meeks is coming off a season-high of 38 minutes played while filling in for an injured Evan Fournier, who will remain out with a nagging heel. Meeks has been productive all-around over his past three games, averaging 12.7 points, 3 rebounds, 3 assists, 2.3 steals, and 2.3 three-pointers made in 28.1 minutes.

Combine that with a great matchup for Meeks against the Denver Nuggets, and he's well worth the near-minimum salary.

Kent Bazemore, SF, Atlanta Hawks

FanDuel Price: $4,300
Projected FanDuel Points: 21.8
Projected FanDuel Value: 5.06

Kent Bazemore looks to have found his groove, as he's been on an offensive tear lately. Over his last two games, Bazemore is averaging 18 points, 2.5 rebounds, 3 three-pointers, and 1 steal in 28.6 minutes on the court.

Bazemore owns the highest projected value among all small forwards and could see a lot opportunities against the New York Knicks, who are the sixth-worst team in defensive efficiency.

Derrick Favors, PF, Utah Jazz

FanDuel Price: $4,500
Projected FanDuel Points: 23.4
Projected FanDuel Value: 5.2

He's all warmed up now, so play Derrick Favors while he's hot. Favors is averaging 12.7 points, 6.3 rebounds, and 0.7 blocks in 28.1 minutes over his last three games and is also attempting 10.7 shots over that span. So, he's been aggressive on the offensive end of the court, as well.

Favors is projected to score the 15th-highest FanDuel points at his position on a jam-packed slate, but he's been the third-hottest power forward among today's players. He's played 56.86% above his season average in terms of fantasy points per night over his last five games.

Jusuf Nurkic, C, Denver Nuggets

FanDuel Price: $4,000
Projected FanDuel Points: 22.9
Projected FanDuel Value: 5.74

After a stellar string of performances, Jusuf Nurkic was only played a shade under 8 minutes in his last outing. Nurkic should see more time on the court against a formidable Orlando Magic front line -- he's averaging 12.9 points, 8.6 rebounds, and 1.3 blocks when logging 20-plus minutes this season.

Nurkic will be taking on the Magic, who happen to offer the third-best matchup to centers on Monday's slate.