Over the last three games , Jae Crowder has produced 18 points and 7.6 rebounds while seeing his usage rate climb to 20.3%
See below for a breakdown of value plays for tonight’s slate of games on Fan Duel by FantasyPros.
Jae Crowder (PF – PHO): $5,800
Believe it or not, Crowder has been one of the biggest beneficiaries of Devin Booker’s missed time. Over his last three games in which Booker missed, Crowder has produced 18 points and 7.6 rebounds while seeing his usage rate climb to 20.3%. Things should be more of the same with Booker already ruled out of Saturday’s tilt against the Mavericks. Dallas is also playing on the second night of a back-to-back set, which indicates that their middle-of-the-pack defense could be lacking. Remarkably, Crowder remains under $6,000 after averaging 34.2 FanDuel points over his last three games, so he appears to be a lock for 6x value once again on Saturday.
Keldon Johnson (SF – SA): $5,700
Johnson has scored greater than 32.5 FanDuel points in three of his last four games and gets a juicy matchup against a Grizzlies team that hasn’t played in nearly two weeks. On top of that, they are surrendering the second-most FanDuel points to opposing small forwards so far this season, presenting Johnson with plenty of upside on Saturday. Surprisingly, he’s played the most minutes (560) out of every Spurs player this season and sees just over 31 minutes per game, so he should have no problem hitting 6x value in this one.
Lonzo Ball (PG – NO): $5,400
Amid rumors that he is actively being shopped, Ball made his presence felt with a 27-point, eight-assist outing in Friday’s win over the Bucks. He now gets a Rockets team who just allowed the combination of Damian Lillard, Gary Trent Jr., and Anfernee Simons to combine for 67 points, 10 assists, and 16 threes earlier this week. He does have Nickeil Alexander-Walker breathing down his neck for more playing time, but Ball’s showing on Friday will certainly earn him a big role against the Rockets on Saturday. This game also has the fourth-highest over/under at 223.5, so there should be plenty of points on the board.
Steven Adams (C – NO): $5,400
Adams has been unreal as of late, ripping down 14.2 rebounds over his last four games and posting at least 30 FanDuel points in three of his last four. He now gets the Rockets on Saturday, who have given up the eighth-most rebounds and the third-most offensive rebounds per game to opposing teams this season. For whatever reason, his price is over $500 less than his season average, so he’s worth playing on a night when the center position doesn’t have a ton of elite options.
Gary Trent Jr. (POR): $5,000
Trent is coming off of a 23-point game in which he drilled seven threes in 37 minutes of action and is averaging 39 minutes over his last two games. He’s knocked down 14 threes over his last three games and is heading into a matchup against the Bulls, which has the highest over/under on Saturday’s slate. There will be tons of points scored in this one, and Trent is feeling it at the moment. It’s also worth noting that his usage rate over the last four games without CJ McCollum in the lineup is now up to 19%.
Tyrese Haliburton (SG – SAC): $4,900
Haliburton might be the best value on Saturday’s slate as it’s hard to find a guy averaging 32.8 FanDuel points over his last three games priced below $5,000. Miami has surrendered the most FanDuel points to opposing guards this season and could be without one or both of Tyler Herro and Goran Dragic due to various injuries. The rookie has averaged 11 points, 4.3 rebounds and 6.6 assists over his last three games and just fell four rebounds shy of notching his first-career triple-double on Friday. He’s a lock for 6x value and has the upside to produce even more. Get him in your lineups.
Xavier Tillman (PF – MEM): $4,600
The rookie power forward was seemingly finding his stride before Memphis was forced to postpone five games due to Health and Safety Protocols. They are set to return to action Saturday against the Spurs, and Tillman should once again see a large role with Jonas Valanciunas ruled out while remaining under protocols. He’s averaged just under 30 FanDuel points and 1.2 FanDuel points per minute over his last three games, while San Antonio is surrendering the second-most FanDuel points to opposing power forwards this season.
Thaddeus Young (PF – CHI): $4,200
Many people flocked to Daniel Gafford after Wendell Carter Jr.’s injury, and rightfully so. Surprisingly, Young has been the biggest beneficiary of Carter’s absence thus far, and he gets a juicy matchup on Saturday. He’s averaged over 31 FanDuel points across his last five games and fell just one assist and one rebound shy of recording a triple-double in Monday’s loss to the Celtics. In addition to his strong play, Portland has given up the eighth-most FanDuel points to opposing power forwards this season, and as previously mentioned, Saturday’s game has the highest projected over/under on the slate at 232.
Abdel Nader (SF – PHO): $3,800
Nader is quietly averaging 22.5 minutes of playing time over his last four games and seeing a 20.8% usage rate with Devin Booker off the court this season. If you are looking for a cheap flier who will likely see less than 5% ownership, Nader is your guy. With Dallas dropping each of their last four games and playing on the second night of a back-to-back set, the hope would be that Phoenix can put the game away early and allow Nader to rack up the points in garbage time.
Anfernee Simons (POR): $3,600
Simons is seeing a 24% usage rate in 167 total minutes without CJ McCollum on the floor and is averaging just under 27 minutes over his last three games. As mentioned above, I want to attack this matchup as it has the highest over/under on the slate, and Simons’ cheap $3,600 price tag allows me to go after some studs in this one as well. It’s nearly unheard of for a guy seeing as much usage as Simons is to be priced under $4,000. As if you needed any more convincing, Chicago is surrendering the sixth-most FanDuel points to opposing guards this season.
