This article is part of our FanDuel NBA series.
It's the first Saturday of DFS action in the new year and the NBA has loaded up the slate with 22 teams in action. We'll help you pinpoint the best players and matchups to help maximize value within your rosters. Here's a look at today's value plays.
Point Guard
Rajon Rondo, SAC vs PHX ($7,800): If you take a look at the game logs for Rondo in the past few games, they won't impress you, but that's a good thing. Whenever we attack GPPs, under-ownership is important to make sure the players you choose have a high ceiling and will likely not be popular picks. The recent downtick in production has also led to an $800 discount on his price. Both Sacramento and Phoenix are in the top-5 in the NBA in pace, and both are terrible defensive teams. The situation in Phoenix is exasperated by the loss of their best on-ball defender in Eric Bledsoe, and the pouting of Markieff Morris. The Suns have allowed the third-most fantasy points to opposing point guards this season. Expect this to be one the highest scoring games on the night.
Russell Westbrook, OKC at CHA ($11,000): Lost in all the Golden State and San Antonio hype is the fact that Oklahoma City went 12-3 in December and won six of their past seven. The Thunder are averaging 108 points per game this season, but have been better of late, scoring 113 points per game in the past month. Westbrook has scored at least 52 fantasy points in four straight games, and hit the 60-point mark in his last game Friday against Phoenix, his sixth time scoring at least 60 this season. The matchup on the defensive end is also a juicy one, facing an undersized Kemba Walker, that has primarily contributed to the sixth-worst point defensive ranking in the NBA for the Hornets.
Shooting Guard
Will Barton, DEN at GSW ($7,200): Speaking of hot streaks, the meteoric rise of Barton continues, as he's paid off an average of 5.8x his price in the past seven games. Barton is shooting guard eligible on FanDuel but has actually been playing the three more for Denver with Wilson Chandler out for the season. This works well for his fantasy value, as the best position to attack the Warriors at is the small forward position, currently occupied by Brandon Rush. Golden State allows the ninth-most fantasy points to opposing small forwards this season, and Golden State's league-leading pace dictates that there should be a large volume of scoring opportunities on both ends.
Small Forward
Omri Casspi, SAC vs. PHX ($5,700): Another opportunity to get exposure to this game at a value price tag comes with Casspi, who has seen his cost rise $1,400 in the past month. He's earned the increased cost by his ability to produce four double-doubles in the past six games. Phoenix has seen its defensive stats falter at the small forward spot over the past week, as they are 20th in fantasy points allowed to the position for the season but have been the fourth-worst over the past week. If Rudy Gay (achilles) is unable to start, Casspi should be in line for an even bigger offensive role behind DeMarcus Cousins.
Jeff Green, MEM at UTA ($5,000): Green has become somewhat of an overlooked commodity in Memphis, but that should change after his most recent stretch. At his current price point, you're simply looking for about 25 fantasy points for him to generate value on his price. He's done that and more, scoring 29.4, 28.8 and 46.4 points in three of his past four games. Green also gets the benefit of a plus matchup against the Jazz, who have been absolutely crushed by injuries. The Jazz are currently without three regular starters, including their two biggest rim protectors in Derrick Favors and Rudy Gobert.
Power Forward
Cody Zeller, CHA vs. OKC ($4,700): Count Zeller in as an under-the-radar DFS option, similar to Green, who has proved to be more and more valuable lately. Zeller has earned no less than 6.3x value on his bargain price in three of his past four contests, and he has produced no less than 5.2x value in seven straight games. Setting a high floor with upside to return 7x value on his current price makes him an ideal candidate for a spot in your lineup at power forward in cash games, and carries enough GPP upside to be a tournament play as well. Oklahoma City generally fares well in defending the four, but their recent pace has placed them in the bottom nine in fantasy points allowed to power forwards over the past week. Zeller does his damage primarily as a glass cleaner who isn't utilized as a primary scoring option.
Center
DeAndre Jordan, LAC vs. PHI ($7,800): If Jordan's primary wish this past offseason was to be granted a larger role on offense, he has that exact opportunity now. Jordan has a chance to display his offensive repertoire with Blake Griffin facing an extended absence due to a torn quad tendon. Head coach Doc Rivers has refused to play Josh Smith at either forward spot, making that much more important for Jordan to be a factor on offense. He'll face one of the worst front lines in the NBA at home against the 76ers, who still haven't moved Jahlil Okafor back into the starting lineup, giving Jordan a great chance to extend his current double-double streak to five games. Jordan has also racked up eight blocks in the past four games.
