5 Daily Fantasy Basketball Players Trending Up for 4/1/16

If you're a frequenter of our site, you've probably noticed our commitment to providing you with as much daily fantasy content as possible, especially when it comes to daily fantasy basketball as of late.

With the latest addition to our DFS coverage, our new daily fantasy basketball tools, we're able to provide you with an ever-widening catalog of content.

Our new trends tab shows you a variety of player stats over the last five or 10 games. Feel free to check it out for yourself. But, if you don't have the time today, I'm here to provide you with five of the hottest players from the last five games -- and ones in good spots going into tonight's slate of games.

J.J. Barea, PG, Dallas Mavericks

FanDuel Price: $5,300

With Deron Williams ruled out yet again, J.J. Barea will likely start in tonight's matchup with the Detroit Pistons. As a result, we get to see if he can continue his hot play in Williams' stead. Over the past five games, Barea has averaged an average return of 7.5 FanDuel points per $1,000. That's even more insane when you take into account that Barea has eclipsed eight times his salary-implied output twice in those five games. His price has risen $1,300 over the past two games, but as his average of nearly 31 fantasy points indicates, Barea can still produce value at his price. 

Shane Larkin, PG, Brooklyn Nets

FanDuel Price: $3,900

Averaging 30.4 minutes per game over his last five, Shane Larkin is finally proving that he can produce when given the opportunity. In his latest five game set, the third-year pro is putting up 12 points and 6.2 assists per game, leading to an average value of 7.1 points per $1,000 at his low price point. Despite his good play, he's not going to put up 40 fantasy points, so I would limit exposure to Larkin in cash games only. He should be able to take advantage of a Knicks team that ranks 14th of tonight's 20 teams against point guards, so at his still-low price, you'll be able to fit in higher-priced players like two of the next three players below.

Marcus Morris, SF, Detroit Pistons

FanDuel Price: $5,700

With how eratic he's been all season (for DFS purposes, at least), it's been hard to consider Marcus Morris for anything other than tournaments in positive matchups. But lately, Morris has been a really solid play at the always slim small forward position. In his last five, Morris has outproduced his expected total of 28.5 FanDuel points three times while tallying an average more than 1.5 points higher. He's scoring in bunches (18.6 points per game) and adding the peripherals (5.4 rebounds and 3.0 assists) necessary to make for a solid mid-tier play at his position. 

Hassan Whiteside, C, Miami Heat

FanDuel Price: $8,700

There's no doubt that Hassan Whiteside has made a great DFS play all year. I didn't know it was possible, but he's been even better recently (as you can see from the nearly nine-point difference above). Where he's added most of his value has been in the scoring column, where the big man is averaging 21.4 points over his last five games -- an increase of 7.3 points on his season average. And while his scoring has improved, Whiteside's elite rebounding has remained constant, with at least 14 boards in three of five games. Even at his elevated price, Whiteside is a great cash play as he's provided value of 5.3 times his salary in the last five.

LeBron James, SF, Cleveland Cavaliers

FanDuel Price: $10,100

Yes, I know he's been resting. Yes, I know his opponent tonight, the Atlanta Hawks, have been playing some great defense. But, above all that, I know that this is still LeBron James we're talking about here. We have seen his price go up $600 from where it was March 21st, but of all the players on this slate -- Stephen Curry included -- Bron is averaging the most FanDuel points per game over the last five. With the presence of Kyrie Irving and Kevin Love, there's not much room for upside, so while James makes a really good cash play, he's not an ideal target in tournaments.