The NBA is back from the All-Star Break so you can get your DFS fix finally. We’ve got a loaded 12-game slate on tap for Thursday evening with a couple games with very high totals. There’s also some key names to monitor on the injury report, including Cavaliers PG Donovan Mitchell and Lakers PF Anthony Davis. But in this story, we’re going to provide some value options at $5K or under on DraftKings for the slate.
NBA DFS Value Plays for Feb. 22
PG Keyonte George, UTA vs. CHA, $4,700
George should be very chalky, so maybe pivot off of him a bit in tournaments. But for cash games, he’s going to be one of the best options for salary relief. The rookie guard has emerged as a strong starter for the Utah Jazz, who are still within reach of the play-in tournament in the West. Before the break, George dropped 33 points in 41 minutes in a barn-burning 140-137 loss to the Dubs. Take that game away and George is still averaging 12.5 points and 4.5 assists per game in February.
This matchup is what’s intriguing. The Hornets are bad. Charlotte is among the worst defensive teams in the NBA, allowing nearly 120 points per game. The Hornets are also 29th in 3P% allowed to opponents at 39.1 percent. There’s a chance the Jazz run away with this game but that could mean George gets us there by halftime.
PG/SG Caris LeVert, CLE vs. ORL, $4,800
Update — Mitchell is out with that illness so LeVert is a go. There’s enough time before lock for more lineups to get in on him. LeVert is still an OK tournament or cash option.
The Cavaliers could be without Donovan Mitchell, who is questionable to play due to an illness. If Mitchell sits, we should see a lot of lineups pivot over to PG Darius Garland. You can also pivot over to the cheaper option in LeVert, who is under $5K and would be in line for more minutes and usage. The Cavs already run a very tight rotation of eight players. If Mitchell is out, someone off the bench will need to play more.
LeVert already averages a very steady 27.5 minutes off the bench. He’s played in 43 games and has made just one start, so don’t be scared off if the Cavs announced Georges Niang or Isaac Okoro is in the starting 5 with Mitchell out. LeVert is pretty consistent and the only issue to have with this play is the game environment. The Magic are a decent defensive team and slow things down. So the total isn’t high. LeVert isn’t a tournament play really, he makes for a good value in cash.
Herbert Jones, NOP vs. HOU, $4,600
I wanted to work in a forward for these value plays and we land on one of the best games for DFS on Thursday. Rockets–Pelicans doesn’t have the highest total but it has a lot of value and stackability. The Pels are favored by 7 points and the total is set at 229 points, which isn’t too low. What’s great about Jones is we know he’s going to see minutes and can stretch the floor a bit. In six games in February, Jones is averaging just over 30 minutes per game with 11.7 points and 4.7 rebounds while shooting 47.8% from distance. He isn’t going to break the slate but has a decent floor at this price point.