NBA

NBA FanDuel Value Plays to Target on Thursday 12/30/21

Thomas Vecchio  —  @Tom_Vecchio1 Dec 30th, 2021

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-salaried options into your lineup.

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

Tim Frazier, PG, Orlando Magic ($3,700)

When it rains, it pours.

That's what can be said about the Orlando Magic and their current injury situation. They have 12 players listed as out for tonight's game against the Milwaukee Bucks. This means we should see Tim Frazier in the starting lineup or in a spot for plenty of minutes off the bench. This is why we see him projected for 28.07 minutes and 25.2 FanDuel points, making him the top overall value option on the slate.

Frazier has only been with the Magic for a little over a week and his sample size of minutes is rather small to draw from but his best ability right now is availability.

The matchup against the Bucks has a solid 216.5-point over/under, and a 12.5-point spread but the latter shouldn't impact Frazier. The Magic will need bodies out on the court. It's a stronger matchup than some may realize since the Bucks are around the league average in FanDuel points per game allowed to point guards (46.42).

Kevin Pangos, SG, Cleveland Cavaliers ($3,900)

Unfortunately, the Cleveland Cavaliers continue to deal with injury situations this season.

After seeing Darius Garland enter the league's COVID protocol, the Cavaliers lost Ricky Rubio to an ACL injury on Tuesday.

This puts their guard rotation at a loss, and it means we could see Kevin Pangos as their new starting point guard. Pangos hasn't played more than 16 minutes in any game this season but is now projected for 27.90 minutes and 25.4 FanDuel points. That projection puts Pangos as the second-best value option on the entire slate and allows you to prioritize spending up for the elite forwards or big men on the slate.

The Cavaliers are taking on the Washington Wizards with a 212.5-point over/under and a 3.0-point spread. Hopefully, the game can stay close. That will allow Pangos plenty of possessions to rack up fantasy points and exceed his salary-based expectation.