NBA DFS Bargains: Tuesday
Every NBA DFS lineup needs to draw from the bottom of the player well to balance those stars who spend through the DraftKings or FanDuel salary cap with such ease. Bargain players are ideally those with low salaries, but plenty of upside. Opportunity is often the key to success for our low-cost lineup fillers. Depending on the size of your DRAFT league, you may not need to dig into the Bargain Bin, but we’ll also highlight a couple guys whose projections seem lower than they should be—potential game changers that your opponents may overlook.
This Tuesday features four games, with each one carrying a point total over 220. There’s only one big blowout risk on the slate (Charlotte over Atlanta, also a 233.5 point total), with the other three games having a spread of minus-1 or under. The bargain players tonight come from great matchups facing opponents with poor defensive ratings.
DRAFT bargains
Bradley Beal – G – Washington (DRAFT Projection: 35.3)
Beal has scored at least 20 points in all but one game this year, and is putting up what feels like more peripheral stats with John Wallon the court than he did at times last year without Wall. He’s averaging 4.4 rebounds and 3.7 assists per game, but is also coming off a four-block game (!) and has a couple other multi-block or steal games this season as well. Vegas expects a very high scoring and close game between two teams that have been defensively challenged, shall we say (Washington ranks 25th and Dallas 27th in defensive efficiency). Beal gets the league’s fourth-best SG matchup for fantasy, giving him a good chance to exceed expectations tonight.
DeAndre Jordan – C – Dallas (DRAFT Projection: 36.7)
You must do whatever you can to take Giannis Antetokounmpotonight, because F is downright UGLY on DRAFT today, but if you do that, you’re probably missing out on one of the two top centers (Deandre Aytonand Jusef Nurkic). Jordan is the most expensive C on FanDuel, but just the third highest projected C on DRAFT. Washington is a top 8 matchup for centers, and Jordan is currently third in the league in rebounds per game (14.3 RPG). He doesn’t always put up points, but he’s a lock for those rebounds in any matchup and the Wizards happen to rank dead last in rebounding rate this season. I think it’s a big double-double for Jordan today.
FanDuel/DraftKings bargains
Michael Kidd-Gilchrist – G/F – Charlotte (FD: $4100, DK: $4400)
Kidd-Gilchrist isn’t Kemba Walker, whom I view as a must-play guard tonight, but he is cheap, at home, and facing an Atlanta team that is fantasy-friendly up and down the court, allowing above-average number of fantasy points to opposing wings. MKG has put up significantly better scoring and rebounding numbers at home so far this season, and should be at least a solid lineup filler tonight.
DeAndre’ Bembry – F – Atlanta (FD: $4900, DK: $4300)
With Taurean Prince set to miss another game tonight, Bembry retains some appeal. In the last 10 days, he’s averaged about 24 MPG and 20 fantasy points per game. He’s taking 6-8 shots and offering pretty solid peripheral production for the price. His turnovers are a concern, but not so much to avoid him. Kevin Huerteris a tournament play alternative, at a bit lower price point, but a lot more volatility in his game logs (he played an encouraging 29 minutes last Saturday).
Dwight Powell – PF – Dallas (FD: $3700, DK: $3500)
The Wizards rank 30th in rebounding rate. Therefore, even though Powell isn’t playing a ton of minutes, nor taking a ton of shots, he still has a chance to reach and exceed value tonight. His salary is low enough that it really does open up Antetokounmpo with some decent surrounding players and Powell’s floor shouldn’t kill your lineup.
Jarrett Allen – C – Brooklyn (DK: $5200)
There are three centers I’d rather have than Allen, but on a night with fewer forward options, you might choose to go with two centers on DK. Allen is extra-affordable there, gets the league-best center matchup with Phoenix, and is coming off a nice double-double vs. Philadelphia, his first since the first two games of the season. I like his chances to keep it going tonight.
Spencer Dinwiddie – PG – Brooklyn (FD: $5300, DK: $4800)
Guards tend to do very well against the Suns, even though their pace this year is a bit off the expected. Phoenix is turning the ball over at a very high rate (third-highest in the league), and ranks 28th in defensive efficiency. Brooklyn is slowly pulling themselves out of those discussions of who’s worst on both sides of the ball, ranking closer to the middle of the league in both offensive and defensive efficiency. If you can’t get to D’Angleo Russell (who btw has two games worse than Dinwiddie in the last four), Dinwiddie isn’t a bad secondary G play tonight.
