Fantasy Basketball Value Picks: Top DraftKings NBA DFS Bargain Plays for February 12

After another busy week, the NBA has a fabulous Friday slate with 11 games to tip off the long weekend with plenty of great fantasy hoops action available. Of the 22 teams in action, the Boston Celtics, Detroit Pistons, Orlando Magic and Portland Trail Blazers are the only four squads running it back for a second straight day. There are also three teams on the front half of their back-to-back with the Atlanta Hawks, New York Knicks and Utah Jazz are scheduled to play again as part of Saturday’s five-game schedule.

With those teams involved in back-to-back games and so many significant injury situations, make sure to pay close attention to @dklive on Twitter throughout the day and download the DK Live app to stay up-to-the-minute with all the latest news and fantasy impact leading up to tipoff. As you pick out the right stars to pay up for, you’ll also be looking for some bargains to help keep your lineup stay under the salary cap. Check out my favorite bargains for your DraftKings lineup listed below.

Set your DraftKings fantasy basketball lineups here: NBA $500K Micro Millions Finale [100K to 1st, 150 Entry Max]

PG Payton Pritchard, Boston Celtics vs. Detroit Pistons, $3,800

Pritchard has been excellent for the Celtics throughout his rookie season and is one of three rookies under $4K who I like a lot on this slate. The No. 26 overall pick seems to be fully recovered from a knee sprain that sidelined him at the end of January. Since returning four games ago, he has helped fill in for Marcus Smart (calf) and could be in for even more work on Friday if the Celtics give Kemba Walker ($6,300) the second game of the back-to-back off as they have been doing all season. Pritchard could step into the starting lineup if that’s the case, or just remain very involved off the bench.

Thursday against the Raptors, Pritchard knocked in a career-high six three-pointers on his way to 20 points and 29.75 DKFP. He has made multiple threes in three of his four games back and finished with over 20 DKFP in two of his past three. In each of his past 10 games in which he has logged 20 minutes he has at least 18 DKFP, so even if he doesn’t keep his hot shooting stroke against the Pistons, the rookie is a great play at this salary.

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SG/SF Dwayne Bacon, Orlando Magic at Sacramento Kings, $4,400

The Magic may have a problem, and Bacon could make everything better (as usual). Orlando will finish their California-style back-to-back with a game in Sacramento but could be extremely short-handed. On Thursday against the Warriors, the Magic were without Aaron Gordon (ankle), Markelle Fultz (knee) Evan Fournier ($5,900; back), Cole Anthony ($5,200; shoulder) and Michael Carter-Williams ($4,100; foot). On top of all that, they lost Frank Mason III ($4,600; groin) to an injury just four minutes into the game leaving them without a healthy PG on their roster.

While some of those players may be available in this contest, there should still be a ton of work for Bacon, who stepped into a larger role in San Francisco on Thursday and played 37 minutes. He finished with 20 points and 32.25 DKFP with four made three-pointers, three steals, three rebounds and an assist. It was actually Bacon’s third straight start, and he has over 30 minutes and over 20 DKFP in each of those contests. He has reached that 20-DKFP threshold in eight of his past nine games and should be able to put up at least that many once again since there will be so much work available with Orlando so short-handed.

C Isaiah Stewart, Detroit Pistons at Boston Celtics, $3,100

Another team ended up without a key player on Thursday night when the Pistons ruled Mason Plumlee ($6,300; elbow) just before their game against the Pacers. Detroit went with 19-year-old Isaiah Stewart ($3,100) in the lineup instead, and the No. 16 overall pick in last year’s draft stepped up with 17 points on 8-of-9 shooting on his way to 33.25 DKFP with seven rebounds, two steals, a block and an assist.

In his most recent game before that spot start with over 20 minutes, Stewart had a double-double and 30.5 DKFP against the Suns. Throughout the season, he has put together solid performances when given an expanded role. If Plumlee is sidelined again, Stewart should be a great option at barely over the minimum salary. Even if Plumlee is available, Stewart has been showing enough to be worth keeping a close eye on.

PG/SG R.J. Hampton, Denver Nuggets vs. Oklahoma City Thunder, $3,200

Eight picks after Stewart was taken by the Blazers and traded to the Pistons, the Bucks took Hampton, who was sent to the Nuggets as part of the three-way trade with the Pelicans. Hampton was viewed as more of a long-range developmental prospect, but he has been stepping into a larger workload lately and been productive in his expanded role.

Hampton had not played more than eight minutes in any of the Nuggets’ first 21 games of the season, but he has logged more than twice that many in each of his three games since then. He played a career-high 27 minutes against the Kings three games ago and had seven points, 10 rebounds and 24.5 DKFP. He had 15.25 DKFP against the Bucks in his next contest and then matched his 24.5 DKFP in 19 minutes against the Cavaliers in his most recent contest. While many players will be targeting the value on the other side of this matchup for the extremely short-handed Thunder, many of those options have been priced up in accordance with their expected workload. Hampton still remains ultra-cheap and should keep getting plenty of run with Gary Harris (thigh) and PJ Dozier (hamstring) sidelined.

Set your DraftKings fantasy basketball lineups here: NBA $500K Micro Millions Finale [100K to 1st, 150 Entry Max]

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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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