Injuries and ever-changing rotations are the only guarantee in the NBA, which makes finding value in DFS contests a difficult task. Yet, if you look close enough, there’s plenty of hidden gems available to slot into your lineups. Here are three players from Saturday’s slate that are being slept on.
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SF Jaden McDaniels, Minnesota Timberwolves ($5,500)
The Timberwolves aren’t the same team this season, but Chris Finch’s squad still plays quality defense. Opposing teams have scored 107.4 points per game vs. Minnesota, fourth-fewest in basketball. Much of the credit needs to go towards Jaden McDaniels, one of the NBA’s premier defenders. On the other end of the floor, the wing is averaging 10.5 points, 5.2 rebounds and 1.6 assists (24.1 FPTS).
McDaniels’ fantasy numbers aren’t much, even when factoring in his 1.4 steals per game. That might not matter against the woeful Wizards, who have allowed the most points per game (122.4) to opponents. In addition, Washington has surrendered the third-most fantasy points to small forwards. Against a sloppy, undisciplined opponent, McDaniels could easily surpass his modest price tag on Saturday night.
PG Vasilije Micic, Charlotte Hornets ($5,500)
LaMelo Ball (ankle) is out for the foreseeable future, leaving the Hornets without their leading scorer. That opens up plenty of minutes and touches for the rest of the roster, especially in the back court. To fill the void at guard, Charlotte has turned to Vasilije Micic. The Serbian has played at least 28 minutes in four of his last five appearances. During that time, he’s put up 13.8 points and 4.2 assists while shooting 47.1% from the field (23.1 FPTS).
In the right matchup, the second-year pro has shown he can operate an offense. That could come on Saturday vs. the Nuggets, who have given up the seventh-most points per game (117.5) and the most assists per game (29.8). Micic is by no means a must-start, but fantasy managers could do far worse when filling out their lineups. Going up against a porous Denver defense, Charlotte’s backup point guard is a sneaky value play.
PF/C Nikola Jovic, Miami Heat ($5,200)
Jimmy Butler’s days with the Heat are numbered following the team’s most recent suspension. With the veteran out of the picture, there’s ample opportunity for some of Miami’s younger players to step up. That includes Nikola Jovic, currently enjoying his third season in the NBA. Through 37 games, the forward has averaged 10.5 points, 3.9 rebounds and 2.8 assists.
The Serbian’s production isn’t the most impressive, but most of those numbers came on limited minutes. Over Jovic’s last ten games played without Butler, he’s posted 13.2 points, 5.1 rebounds and 3.8 assists while shooting 43.3% from the field. Saturday’s opponent, the Spurs, aren’t slouches on defense. Still, if given enough minutes, the power forward is more than capable of delivering a big stat line.
