We’re only four days into the 2024-25 NBA regular season, so we don’t have quite the lengthy injury report for a 10-game slate that we’ll certainly have in January. Still, that doesn’t mean there isn’t value available, it’s just a little harder to find.
That’s where I come in. Let’s find some undervalued assets on Friday night.
Set your DraftKings fantasy basketball lineups here: NBA $400K Friday 8’s [$100K to 1st]
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PG Jamal Shead, Toronto Raptors vs. Philadelphia 76ers, $4,000
The Raptors have played one game and already they’re running out of players. Coming into tonight’s tilt with the equally banged up 76ers, Toronto is surely without Bruce Brown (knee) and first-round pick Ja’Kobe Walter (shoulder). The Raptors are also likely without both Immanuel Quickley ($7,400; pelvis) and RJ Barrett ($6,900; shoulder), who are listed as doubtful. Considering how thin this roster is even at full-strength, it’s an unenviable position for Darko Rajakovic to be in. So what happens next? Well, Davion Mitchell ($5,300) will likely draw a start in Quickley’s place, yet with a salary bump above $5K, he’s not the most appealing option. Same goes for a suddenly expensive Gradey Dick ($5,000), though he should have all the shot volume he can handle. To me, it’s Shead that makes the most sense as a value play in this spot. The rookie is still very cheap and he was one of the lone bright spots for Toronto in their blowout loss to Cleveland, scoring 10 points and dishing out four assists for 20.75 FPTS. Shead was already locked into the rotation. Now he might be in the closing five.
PF Chris Boucher, Toronto Raptors vs. Philadelphia 76ers, $3,900
You didn’t think I forgot about Boucher, did you? Never. It’s just that the veteran deserves his own paragraph. Boucher has long been a tantalizing fantasy asset, with eye-popping length and even more eye-popping per 36 numbers. Heck, even in a down campaign in 2023-24, with a rotation spot never secure, Boucher managed 0.99 FPTS per minute played. It’s just what he does. The issue has simply been consistent opportunity. On Friday, the Raptors don’t have an alternative. Boucher won’t start, but he’s definitively the sixth man. He earned it with his performance on Wednesday, leading the squad with 18 points and 27.50 DKFP. The forward won’t shoot 80% from three-point range every contest, yet his 25.8% usage rate appears repeatable given his current surroundings. It’s also interesting to note his salary. While seemingly every other Toronto “value” player saw their price tag go up in the last 48 hours (see above), Boucher’s $100 cheaper than he was against the Cavaliers. Make it make sense.
SG Tre Mann, Charlotte Hornets at Atlanta Hawks, $4,300
One of the big pieces of injury news we do have on tonight’s slate is Brandon Miller (glute). The former lottery pick will miss at least a week with an injury suffered in the first-half on Wednesday’s victory over the Rockets. That should open the door for Mann to re-enter Charlotte’s starting lineup. Mann played the best basketball of his career after a mid-season trade to the Hornets in 2023-24, averaging 11.9 points, 5.2 assists and 4.5 rebounds in the 28 starts he made for the team. That success carried over to the start of this season, as Mann was a key element in the somewhat surprising win, scoring 24 points with six rebounds. It would be unwise to expect another 35-plus FPTS performance, yet it’s definitely in the range of outcomes. Worst case, Mann seems like a guarantee for 5x value. His salary should have gone up by way more than $500.
Set your DraftKings fantasy basketball lineups here: NBA $400K Friday 8’s [$100K to 1st]
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All views expressed are my own. I am an employee of DraftKings and am ineligible to play in public DFS or DKSB contests.
