The NBA is about to hit its next gear, and Saturday provides an excellent all-around slate.
DraftKings is offering a contest with the chance to win $20,000. Below, I’ve identified a trio of DFS value plays that will give your lineup a critical edge.
Set your DraftKings fantasy basketball lineups here: NBA $100K Fadeaway [$20K to 1st]
DraftKings Value Picks
PG Scoot Henderson ($6,000)
Until about a week ago, Scoot Henderson was shaping up to be the premier draft bust of the 2020s. Even at just 20 years old, the lack of bright spots throughout his young career was incredibly worrisome. He’s spent the bulk of this season on the bench of a tanking Portland team, buried in Chauncey Billups’ rotation. In the last two games, Henderson has slotted back into the starting lineup, and he’s been spectacular.
On Tuesday, Henderson had his best game as a pro, tallying 39 points on 80% shooting from distance. His jump shot has been a detriment to his development, but that kind of outburst proved the stroke is rapidly improving. He’s a hyper-athletic guard with a lightning first step and can explode into the cup. He’s finally using those abilities to penetrate the paint and find shooters on the perimeter. His fantasy relevance should remain steady if he can continue to create assists.
Houston has ferocious on-ball defenders, but Henderson is a man on a mission. He is starting to find his G-League Ignite form, and the league should be on notice.
PF/C Alex Sarr ($5,600)
This draft class has appropriately drawn little fanfare, but there’s been a handful of rookies starting to find their rhythm. Second-overall pick Alex Sarr has slid under the radar on the woeful Wizards but has shown flashes of a franchise big. Washington is doing their best to allow its young assets to get plenty of run. By so blatantly trying to position the organization to land Cooper Flagg, the recent draft picks have free rein to chase stats.
Sarr is trying to stretch out the floor with little success. His real value comes in the paint, where he can use his size and physicality to bully smaller assignments. Sarr has been shaky on the boards, suffering from a severe case of Hassan Whiteside as he tries to block every shot in a two-mile radius. If he can stay a bit more disciplined and focus on working from the paint, he will be a walking double-double.
Golden State is thin down low and Sarr can do some damage on the glass. If he can continue to produce north of 30 fantasy points a night, the pre-assigned salary will see a swift uptick.
Dark-Horse Play: PF Gui Santos ($3,000)
Ok, hear me out. Even the die-hard League Pass viewers probably don’t recognize this name. He doesn’t even have an official NBA-licensed rookie card. But, it’s about time people remembered the name Gui Santos.
The 22-year-old Brazilian national signed a three-year deal in 2023 but has primarily played for the Santa Cruz Warriors. He impressed enough this preseason to earn a spot at the end of the bench and has now started to get a real opportunity. The forward has played at least 20 minutes in three of his last four outings, with a pair of double-digit scoring outputs.
He’s a natural shooter and hasn’t even tapped into his prowess as an on-ball engine who is comfortable going downhill. Golden State tends to crush inferior opponents, and Santos should see enough burn to continue his impressive stretch.
