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NBA Value Pick: Start Isaiah Joe in DFS with Jalen Williams out

NBA Value Pick: Start Isaiah Joe in DFS with Jalen Williams out

DraftKings Fantasy Advice DFS DraftKings Network

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By: Zach Thompson

On Saturday, the Thunder will host the Kings in what should be an up-tempo, entertaining game from two Western Conference playoff hopefuls. The Thunder will be short-handed, though, after ruling out Jalen Williams due to a right wrist sprain. Williams was named an All-Star earlier this week, and his absence will leave lots of opportunity for other players to step up alongside Shai Gilgeous-Alexander ($10,800). With Alex Caruso (ankle) out as well, it’s a great spot for Isaiah Joe ($3,900), Aaron Wiggins ($3,800) and Cason Wallace ($4,100) to step up. Of the three, I like Joe as one of the top value plays on Saturday night’s DFS fantasy basketball slate.

Set your DraftKings fantasy basketball lineups here: NBA $200K Fadeaway [$50K to 1st].

SG/SF Isaiah Joe, Oklahoma City Thunder vs. Sacramento Kings, $3,900

Joe missed two games last week due to illness but has been very productive since returning. He logged 16 points with 24 fantasy points against Portland and 17 points with 23 fantasy points against Golden State. Dating back to before his absence, Joe has at least 10 points in six of his last eight games. That string of strong showings dates back to his 31-point explosion against the Knicks at Madison Square Garden on January 10 in which he posted 38.75 fantasy points in just 30 minutes.

With Williams off the floor this season, Joe’s usage rate increases by over two percentage points, and he has averaged 0.82 fantasy points per minute in that scenario. Williams has been very durable this season, missing just one game all year, and in that game, Joe had 30.75 fantasy points in 22 minutes against the Nets. Joe started that game and has been in and out of the lineup multiple times this season.

On the year, Joe is averaging a personal-best 20.9 minutes per game and producing 17.4 fantasy points per contest. With extra work available against the Kings, he brings a high ceiling, as he showed against the Knicks. He also brings a reliable floor based on his recent involvement and success, which could be boosted even more with extra usage available.

Joe is very affordable under $4,000 and can fit in multiple spots in your roster, bringing both forward and guard eligibility. With Williams ruled out, Joe is in position to be one of the best bargain options on Saturday’s slate.

Zach Thompson
Zach has been part of the DraftKings team since 2017 and covers baseball, basketball, golf, football and any other sport that offers DFS fun. He has been playing fantasy sports since box scores were only available in the newspaper the following day. Even though he grew up almost 8,000 miles away in Guam, he is a diehard Boston sports fan but will take a fantasy value play wherever he can get it, even if it’s from the Yankees.
Disclaimer

I am a promoter at DraftKings and am also an avid fan and user (my username is z.thompson) and may sometimes play on my personal account in the games that I offer advice on. Although I have expressed my personal view on the games and strategies above, they do not necessarily reflect the view(s) of DraftKings and do not constitute a representation that any particular strategy will guarantee success. All customers should use their own skills and judgment in building lineups. I may also deploy different players and strategies than what I recommend above. I am not an employee of DraftKings and do not have access to any non-public information.