The NBA wraps up a full work week with another solid slate on tap Friday. The nine games include a nice National TV doubleheader featuring the New York Knicks visiting the Milwaukee Bucks, followed by the New Orleans Pelicans taking on the Golden State Warriors. Of the 18 teams in action, only the Detroit Pistons are playing for the second night in a row. As we get closer to tipoff, make sure to keep up with all the latest injury news by following @dklive on Twitter and downloading the DK Live app. You can also find my value picks on Twitter each day of the NBA season @ZT_Sports.
As you put together your roster for what should be a great way to welcome the weekend, let’s take a closer look at some of the best bargain plays to consider. These ultra-affordable plays are in a position to out-produce their salaries based on form, matchup and expected workload.
Set your DraftKings fantasy basketball lineups here: NBA $450K Fadeaway [$100K to 1st, $15K Bonus Blast]
SF/PF Kyle Anderson, Memphis Grizzlies at Washington Wizards, $4,300
With the emergence of some of the younger Grizzlies, Anderson has taken a smaller role so far for Memphis this season. After starting 69 games for Memphis last season and averaging 29.02 DKFP on 27.3 minutes per game, he has come moved to the bench for all eight games this season, playing just 22.3 minutes per game. Even in a smaller role, though, he can deliver enough production to be worth a look at this price point and is a reliable contributor in a variety of categories.
Anderson has produced at least 18 DKFP in seven of his eight games and over 22 DKFP in each of his past four contests. He’s averaging 8.1 field goal attempts per game, but that number has been on the rise lately, with 10 and 11 shot attempts in his two most recent games. He’s coming off a season-high 16 points on Wednesday vs. the Nuggets, and he added in three boards to finish with a solid 22.25 DKFP.
PG Patrick Beverley, Minnesota Timberwolves vs. Los Angeles Clippers, $4,000
Minnesota will be without D’Angelo Russell (ankle) for a second straight game and will need to replace his 28.6% usage rate. When Russell was out Wednesday in the first half of this home-and-home set vs. the Clippers, Beverley started and had his best game of the season. In 31 minutes, he had 10 points, 10 rebounds, eight assists, a block and a very impressive 36.5 DKFP.
Even before getting the extra run with Russell out, Beverley was returning solid enough production for this salary. He has hit at least 20 DKFP in every single one of his five games this season, with well-rounded averages of 8.2 points, 4.8 rebounds, 5.6 assists and 0.8 steals per game. Since he’s in line for another spot start against his former team, he should be set for another multi-faceted stat line.
SG/SF Devin Vassell, San Antonio Spurs at Orlando Magic, $3,900
Vassell is in a great spot to produce good numbers and brings the most upside of the four options highlighted in this post. The only question mark is whether he’ll consistently get the minutes and opportunities since the Spurs’ rotation is sometimes maddening to figure out. As a young contributor, though, he has shown promising two-way potential and should get opportunities while the team goes smaller to compensate for the absence of Jakob Poeltl (health protocols).
On Wednesday in Poeltl’s first game sidelined, Vassell played 30.5 minutes after averaging 25.5 minutes over his first seven games. His usage rate was on par with his 18.9% mark for the season, and he posted a season-best 87.5% effective field goal percentage. He converted that into a season-high 21 points, adding three rebounds and two blocks on his way to 30.75 DKFP. That was his third performance with at least 30 DKFP in eight games this season, and he has at least 19 DKFP in four of his five most recent contests. While there is plenty of deserved attention on the other Spurs values like Thaddeus Young ($5,300) and Drew Eubanks ($4,200), Vassell is potentially a great play with his still-affordable salary.
C Khem Birch, Toronto Raptors vs. Cleveland Cavaliers, $3,700
While he admittedly doesn’t bring the flashy upside of the above options, Birch has been a solid contributor for the Raptors while Pascal Siakam (shoulder) has been sidelined after ramping up following his own late start due to COVID-19 protocols. He has logged at least 20 minutes in five straight games, so even the expected return of Scottie Barnes ($6,800; thumb) shouldn’t drain his fantasy value. In fact, Birch could be in for even more run in this matchup since the Cavs tend to utilize extra size up front with Evan Mobley ($7,200) and Jarrett Allen ($6,600).
Birch has been solid despite low usage rates. Over his past four games, he has averaged 20.7 DKFP with at least 18 DKFP in each contest. Birch’s stability from a fantasy perspective comes mostly from his work on the glass, and he has at least five rebounds in seven of his nine games, including five in a row coming into this matchup. His rebounding rate of 13% has helped him average 6.3 boards to go with seven points per game over his four most recent contests. He has been very efficient and should be a relatively safe play if you decide that center is the position you have to go bargain-shopping for on Friday.
Set your DraftKings fantasy basketball lineups here: NBA $450K Fadeaway [$100K to 1st, $15K Bonus Blast]
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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 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.
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