The NBA world has seemingly hit a halt following one of the most shocking trades in NBA history late last night. As the league tries to make sense of the blockbuster deal between the Dallas Mavericks and Los Angeles Lakers centered around Luka Doncic and Anthony Davis- the games will continue to be played on the court.
Dallas will have to pick themselves up after the shocking change and will be taking on the Cleveland Cavaliers today. There will be just five games taking place today with the action starting at 3:00 p.m ET. In addition to the Mavericks vs Cavaliers game, the Chicago Bulls are facing off against the Detroit Pistons and the Clippers will play the Raptors in the afternoon window. At 6:00 p.m. ET, the Philadelphia 76ers will face the Boston Celtics. The final game of the night will tip off at 8:30 p.m. ET between the Milwaukee Bucks and Memphis Grizzlies.
With a small slate taking place here are my three favorite DraftKings DFS value plays for players who are in line to outperform their cost.
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Guard Jaden Hardy, Dallas Mavericks vs Cleveland Cavaliers ($3,300)
All eyes are set to be on the Dallas Mavericks as they make their first return to the floor after shaking up the landscape of the NBA. In addition to the massive trade that led to the roster shakeup, Dereck Lively II and Dwight Powell remain out while Kyrie Irving, P.J. Washington, and Daniel Gafford are all listed as questionable. You need to bring your best effort to face the Cleveland Cavaliers as, while they have shown some signs of weakness of late, they still sit at the top of the Eastern Conference with a 39-9 record this season.
Look towards Jaden Hardy as the player who will need to step up and could be in line for increased opportunity tonight and moving forward. The former 37th overall pick has been a bit buried in the depth chart, averaging just 15.3 minutes per game on the season. Hardy has been held to less than seven minutes of game action over the past two games but also logged 20+ minutes in eight of the past 14 games that he has played.
On the season overall, Hardy is averaging just 8.0 points, 1.6 rebounds, 1.4 assists, and 13.3 fantasy points per game on DraftKings scoring. However, looking at his per 36-minute averages he is producing 18.9 points, 3.6 rebounds, and 3.2 assists.
Dallas will have a shorthanded roster and this game has a great chance of slipping into blowout territory. Whether Jaden Hardy receives increased opportunity to do the game being out of reach or a bump in minutes due to the roster shakeup expect him to make his impact felt in this game. The talent has always been there for Hardy but he is still putting things together from a shot selection and efficiency standpoint. Look for him to provide some life to a team that may desperately need it and have a productive fantasy output above his $3,300 price point.
PF/C Guerschon Yabusele, Philadelphia 76ers. vs Boston Celtics ($5,800)
The $5,800 price point is a bit steep for a value play, but Guerschon Yabusele still has a clear pathway to outperform this. The French forward has been among the biggest bright spots on the Philadelphia 76ers’ team that has been the NBA’s biggest disappointments all season. Yabusele was one of the final touches put on their roster and has proven to be their most consistent player. He has seen his role expand throughout the season and most recently has operated as the primary big man for the Sixers.
Looking at the injury report today, Joel Embiid, Paul George, K.J. Martin, and Jared McCain will remain out for the Sixers. Andre Drummond has been upgraded to questionable with a toe injury after missing 12 of the previous 14 games with his toe injury. Caleb Martin has also been upgraded to questionable after missing the previous 11 games with a hip injury.
While in theory, Yabusele could see his minutes eaten into if Drummond returns, the Frenchman is still a much cleaner matchup against this Celtics team and has the positional versatility to log significant minutes at the power forward position. Across the past 19 games, Yabusele is averaging 30.5 minutes per game and averaging 13.0 points, 5.9 rebounds, and 2.4 assists. He is averaging 23.4 fantasy points on the season and is coming off a career-high 28-point performance against the Denver Nuggets on Friday night which resulted in 47.3 fantasy points.
The Sixers continue to search for their direction on the season but Yabusele has plenty to play for as a hot name on the trade market and searching for a long-term contract this summer. There will be plenty of opportunity for him within the Sixers offense and he has seen his on-ball opportunities and shot volume as the season has progressed. Yabusele started his career with the Celtics so will have some added motivation. He finished with 12 points, four rebounds, and an assist in just 20:18 of game time in the first matchup with his former team. Yabusele’s role and importance to the Sixers have expanded since this point and look for him to build off his career-high performance on Friday by continuing to be in attack mode tonight. Don’t be shocked if he sneakily is among the top statistical performers of the entire night.
Guard Scottie Pippin Jr, Memphis Grizzlies vs Milwaukee Bucks ($4,200)
The final game of today’s NBA slate will be between the Memphis Grizzlies and Milwaukee Bucks. Grzzlies’ guards Vince Williams, Marcus Smart, and Cam Spencer are set to remain out while Ja Morant has been downgraded to doubtful with a shoulder injury as of Sunday morning. Injuries have impacted Morant in a major way this year with the star guard suiting up for just 28 of the 48 games this season. Assuming he cannot play tonight, the Grizzlies will need to make up for the 20.3 points, 7.5 assists, and 4.2 rebounds per game he is averaging.
Enter Scottie Pippen Jr. who has quietly been an effective rotational piece all season and flashed an ability to scale up his offensive role when given the chance. On the season overall he is averaging 9.6 points, 4.5 assists, 3.4 rebounds, and 1.2 steals across his 21.3 minutes per game. Pippen Jr has started in 16 of the 48 games this year and is averaging 13.9 points, 5.4 assists, and 4.1 rebounds per game when he is a part of the starting lineup.
While the Milwaukee Bucks have done a solid job turning things around, perimeter defense remains at the top of the list of concerns within the team. They rank 12th in the NBA in opponents points allowed but 27th in three-point attempts allowed. Memphis will need someone to take on the additional shots in the offense and look for Pippen Jr to make the most of his opportunity.
On the season he is averaging 23.4 fantasy points per game based on DraftKings scoring. Pippen finished with 16 points and three rebounds in the first matchup against the Bucks while coming off the bench and with Morant playing. With additional minutes likely to be put on his plate expect an even better performance and for the 24-year-old to vastly outperform his $4,200 pricepoint.
