This article is part of our FanDuel NBA series.
Saturday night's six-game slate affords us just enough value options to potentially afford the likes of Russell Westbrook, Paul George and Anthony Davis. Injuries are particularly clearing the way for some very modestly priced players to take on added minutes, making them intriguing possibilities. Without further ado, let's delve into some viable cost-savings selections to consider:
POINT GUARD
Bryn Forbes, SA at OKC ($4,600): Forbes has steadied his performances in recent games, as he's scored over 20 fantasy points in seven of the last nine contests. That stretch includes one game over 30 and a 26.6 fantasy-point tally in Thursday's double-overtime classic against OKC. The Thunder also come in allowing the seventh-most fantasy points (41.2) to two-guards, and bottom-five or bottom-10 figures in rebounds (6.5), assists (5.4) and steals (1.7) per to the position as well. With the potential for another shootout looming, Forbes' aggressive style could lead to a nice return on his modest price.
D.J. Augustin, ORL vs. BOS ($4,500): Augustin continues to outperform his price by a significant margin on occasion, with a 31.6 fantasy-point effort versus the Jazz on Wednesday the latest example. Augustin also racked up over 40 fantasy points in two other contests over his last eight. Augustin also tallied 26.6 fantasy points in his one prior run-in with the Celtics on Oct. 22 on the strength of a 10-point, 10-assist double-double, and while Boston has been tough against point guards overall, they're just middle of the pack in points (21.1) and shooting percentage (42.6) allowed to the position.
SHOOTING GUARD
Malik Monk, CHA at SAC ($4,200): Monk has been providing some sneaky value as part of the backcourt rotation, most recently scoring 19.6 to 35.6 fantasy points in three of the last six games. While his fluctuating minutes can sometimes wreak havoc with his production, Monk could be lined up for one of his better returns Saturday. The Kings come in allowing the fourth-most fantasy points per game (49.1) to point guards, and bottom-five or bottom-10 figures in rebounds (6.6), assists (8.9), made threes (2.9) and steals (2.1) per game surrendered to ones. Then, they've also surrendered bottom-five or bottom-10 figures in points (23.6) and steals (1.7) per contest to two-guards, along with the most made threes (3.4).
Kyle Korver, UTA vs. CHI ($3,800): The Jazz backcourt is a veritable MASH unit at present, with Ricky Rubio (hamstring), Dante Exum (ankle), Raul Neto (groin), and Grayson Allen (ankle) all sidelined. Korver should, therefore, be in a solid allotment of minutes off the bench Saturday versus a Bulls team that's allowed the second-most made threes (3.2) per game to two-guards. That could spell plenty of trouble against Korver, considering he's draining 41.4 percent of his 4.4 three-point attempts per game. Even a return somewhere in between the 15.4 and 21.4 fantasy points he's posted in the last two contests while playing at least 20 minutes each would certainly justify his modest price.
SMALL FORWARD
Jae Crowder, UTA vs. CHI ($4,800): Crowder has the ability to exploit a vulnerable Bulls frontcourt, having most recently scored 22.5 to 36.2 fantasy points in five of the last six games. Utah continues to be in need of extra offense with the trio of backcourt absences alluded to in Korver's entry, also upping potential scoring opportunities for Crowder. Chicago also makes for a viable target, as it's allowed 47.5 fantasy points per game to power forwards, along with the second-most assists (4.5) and the most blocks (1.7) per contest to the position. With Crowder's minutes currently in the mid-20s or higher on the majority of nights, he makes for one of the better value plays at forward on the slate when also factoring in his sub-$5K price.
Chandler Hutchison, CHI at UTA ($3,500): Hutchison is still getting his feet wet in his starting small forward role following the trade of Justin Holiday, but his minimum price Saturday makes him hard to ignore. The rookie has delivered 17.1 and 15.2 fantasy points over his last two games, respectively, modest totals that nevertheless actually represent acceptable returns on his current cost. Even a slight uptick in his production Saturday would make him an excellent value, and the Jazz have notably allowed the sixth-highest shooting percentage (47.3) to small forwards.
POWER FORWARD
Khem Birch, ORL vs. BOS ($3,500): Birch should once again serve as the primary backup at center to Nikola Vucevic, as Mo Bamba has already been ruled out against the Celtics due to his foot injury. In a similar scenario Wednesday against the Jazz, Birch tallied 20.8 fantasy points over 17 minutes, an excellent return on his current price. The Celtics also come in allowing 52.4 fantasy points per game to centers after being a much stingier unit against the position earlier in the season, furthering Birch's case.
Marvin Bagley, SAC vs. CHA ($5,300): Bagley has played 20 minutes in both of his games since returning from a knee injury, and he posted 23.9 fantasy points in his most recent contest against the Pistons on Thursday. Consequently, he could be in for a bump in his workload Saturday while facing a Hornets team that's allowed the fourth-most fantasy points (49.0) per game to power forward, along with the most rebounds (12.5) and assists (4.6) per game to fours. Bagley also has a chance for some extra success on the defensive glass Saturday, considering Charlotte sports the fourth-lowest shooting percentage (43.8) on the road of any team in the NBA.
CENTER
Mason Plumlee, DEN at PHO ($4,500): Plumlee is coming off a 39.9 fantasy-point tally against the Clippers over just 20 minutes on Thursday night. While those numbers are admittedly an outlier, Plumlee has shown plenty of upside this season while putting together solid contributions in points and rebounds on many occasions. He recently put together a stretch with 22.9 fantasy points or more in 10 of 11 games, and he'll draw a highly enticing matchup Saturday. The Suns have allowed the second-most fantasy points (61.8) per game to centers, along with bottom-five figures in points (26.2) and rebounds (17.4) and the most steals (2.2) per game to fives. Phoenix is also yielding the third-most points in the paint per game (52.4), while Plumlee logs 81.2 percent of his scoring in that area of the floor.
