We’ve got ourselves a tasty nine-game slate on Wednesday, chalked full of star players and big-name talents. However, we all know the real money in DFS is made in the margins. It’s all about finding volume and finding value, and that’s what this article sets out to do.
Here’s an early look at my favorite bargain assets for tonight’s contests.
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PF/C Brandon Clarke, Memphis Grizzlies at New York Knicks, $4,200
It’s difficult to get a clear sense of whether or not Steven Adams ($5,400; ankle) will be able to play through his questionable tag on Wednesday, but I don’t think it would be insane for the Grizzlies to play it safe with the veteran big man. I mean, it’s not just that he suffered the injury on Monday, it’s that he did so while logging a season-high 37.9 minutes. Give the man a breather, right?
If that does end up the case, Clarke immediately tops my list of value forwards. The former first-round pick has seen his minutes diminish in his third professional season, yet he’s still been able to take advantage of the opportunities he’s been given. Through 38 games, Clarke has registered a career-best 67.6% true shooting rate, while putting up 19.3 points and 9.8 rebounds per 36. Clarke also averaged 1.36 DKFP per minute during a four-game stretch in early January where Adams was unavailable. That included 48.25 DKFP versus the Clippers on Jan. 8. There’s some serious upside here.
SG/SF Cedi Osman, Cleveland Cavaliers at Houston Rockets, $4,600
Sometimes you just have to eat the chalk. Osman isn’t a sneaky play by any means. In fact, I’d be a little shocked if he wasn’t one of the more popular assets on Wednesday night. Yet, at the same time, his current role within the Cavaliers’ offense validates the attention. Collin Sexton (knee) is out. Ricky Rubio (knee) is out. Darius Garland (back) is out. Rajon Rondo ($3,200) is playing like a 35-year-old guard who was deservedly not getting minutes with a struggling Lakers team earlier this season. There’s no one left to run the team aside from Osman.
At least, that’s what we saw in Monday’s narrow win over the Pelicans. Osman was playing point-forward for Cleveland, dishing out 12 assists — and a team-high 16 potential assists — in 38.0 minutes of action. The former second-round pick was only able to translate that into a modest 27.0 DKFP, but that’s more the result of a poor shooting performance. If anything, all Osman’s misses were impressive, as the fact he took a team-leading 16 field goal attempts is the far bigger storyline going forward. Brandon Goodwin ($3,000) is also viable in an amazing matchup with Houston, yet Osman is target No. 1 on this roster.
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PG/SG Jared Butler ($3,100) and PF/C Eric Paschall ($3,000), Utah Jazz vs. Denver Nuggets
Maybe I’m overthinking this. Maybe the answer for the Jazz will be to move Rudy Gay ($4,500) into the starting lineup in place of Joe Ingles (knee). Maybe Quin Snyder will simply just give Jordan Clarkson ($6,400) more minutes than he’s already getting. But at a certain point, you sort of just run out of warm bodies, especially if Hassan Whiteside ($6,600; back) is unable to play through a questionable tag on Wednesday.
Regardless of how the starting five eventually shakes out, I just think both Butler and Paschall could be looking at upwards of 25 minutes versus the Nuggets with a price tag essentially at the minimum. Heck, Pascall is at the minimum, and he could have even more volume in the scenario where Whiteside is sidelined, as he’d basically be the last “big” on Utah’s roster. Again, there’s risk here. However, the Jazz could be an integral part of a “stars and scrubs” type lineup build. Just keep an eye on what’s going on in this one.
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