This article is part of our FanDuel NBA series.
FanDuel.com Value Plays for the Week
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POINT GUARD
Russell Westbrook, PG, OKC ($7,400): He's back and still a bargain! Finally healthy, Westbrook currently costs a mere $7,400- versus the roughly $10,000+ salary he should eventually garner again this season. After a couple of games shaking off the rust, Westbrook has been great his last three games with averages of 23.7 points, 6.7 assists, 2.3 rebounds and 1.67 steals. Yes he has also averaged 3.0 turnovers during that span, but the rest of the numbers are great. As long as he can stay healthy, Westbrook should continue to excel and probably even improve upon his current FDPPG (FanDuel Points Per Game) of 37.6.
Going Forward: In the next calendar week, the Thunder have four matchups: on Tuesday versus at the Sixers, Thursday at the Suns, Sunday at the Lakers, and next Tuesday versus the Rockets. Westbrook is good enough to play well against any team and should be in your lineup every night the following week at his current bargain price.
SHOOTING GUARD
Kent Bazemore, SG, LAL ($4,400): Kent Who? If you don't know him already you better grab Bazemore whenever you can. He was part of the return back from the Warriors for Steve Blake. Due to injuries and the fact that they are in young player evaluation mode, the Lakers have given Bazemore a lot of run and he has responded with shockingly good numbers. In six games as a Laker, he has averaged 15.8 points, 3.7 rebounds, 2.5 assists, 1.7 steals and 0.3 blocks in 32 minutes a game. Those numbers add up to a much higher FDPPG than the 6.8 he is currently averaging on the season and there Bazemore is a steal as a second SG for $4,400.
Going Forward: Fellow guards Kobe Bryant, Nick Young, and Steve Nash are either out for the season or not coming back soon, so Bazemore should continue to start and get some nice run as long as he keeps up the great play. The Lakers have four games in the upcoming calendar week: this Tuesday versus the Pelicans, Thursday versus the Clippers, Friday at the Nuggets, and Sunday versus the Thunder. The Thunder game could be tough sledding for Bazemore (though he's probably still worth a play), but the rest of the matchups look solid.
SMALL FORWARD
Wesley Johnson, SF, LAL ($4,900): Our second Laker this week, Johnson's $4900 salary given his 19.8 FDPPG on the surface does not appear to be an earth-shattering deal, but he's has been terrific over his last four games with averages of 15.0 points, 7.3 rebounds, 2.5 blocks, 2.3 assists, 1.0 steals and only 1.0 turnover in just under 34 minutes a game. While Johnson is not the most consistent fellow, he does play well when Nick Young does not, and right now Young isn't. And of course, no Kobe Bryant for the foreseeable future will mean Johnson remains the starter.
Going Forward: The Lakers have four games in the upcoming calendar week: Tuesday versus the Pelicans, Thursday versus the Clippers, Friday at the Nuggets, and Sunday versus the Thunder. The Thunder game could be tough sledding Johnson since he'll be asked to guard Kevin Durant, but the rest of the matchups look solid.
POWER FORWARD
Ersan Ilyasova, PF, MIL, ($5,200): 21.1 FDPPG for $5,200 may not seem like a great deal, but Ilyasova is up to his old tricks of putting up huge post-All-Star Break numbers after a mediocre first half again. In seven games since the break, Ilyasova has really stepped up his production to 15.1 points, 7.4 rebounds, 1.3 assists, 0.6 steals and 0.3 blocks with only 0.9 turnovers per game in only around 27 minutes a game. Ilyasova has a history of playing much better late in the season so this is not a fluke, he won't be $5,200 for long so use him now people.
Going Forward: The Bucks play five games in the next calendar week: Wednesday versus the Kings, Friday at the Pelicans, Saturday versus the Wizards, Monday versus the Magic and Tuesday at the Timberwolves. All of these matchups should provide Ilyasova with opportunities to put up good fantasy numbers with possible exception of the Pelicans, where Anthony Davis could give Ilyasova fits on both ends of the court.
CENTER
Roy Hibbert, C, IND, ($5,300): For some reason FanDuel continues to undervalue Hibbert this season, which means you should over-value him at center. Hibbert averages a respectable 26.3 FDPPG on only a salary of $5,300. By comparison, Oft-injured Andrew Bogut's 26.4 FDPPG come at a cost of $6,400. Oft-injured Tyson Chandler's 26 FDPPG cost $6,800. So if you're not looking to break the bank at center on a given night, grab yourself some undervalued, never hurt Roy Hibbert and laugh all the way to the FanDuel bank.
Going Forward: The Pacers play five games in the next calendar week: this Tuesday versus the Warriors, Wednesday at the Bobcats, Friday at the Rockets, Sunday at the Mavericks and next Tuesday home to the Celtics. The only unfavorable matchup here for Hibbert is Friday against Dwight Howard and the Rockets, but the rest of the games should give Hibbert a chance to meet or exceed his typical production at his relative bargain cost.
