Player values are constantly moving targets in daily leagues. A high profile player can put together a couple of big games and see his price tag skyrocket. Likewise, a couple of bad games can lead a player's stock to plummet. The correlation isn't always immediate, leading to some discrepancies in value. Savvy DFS players can take advantage of falling values and avoid inflated prices to find the best value on a given night in the hopes of increased success. In this article, I will identify players whose anticipated value relative to their current price is on the rise, making them desirable targets. I will also name players whose value is dipping below their cost, making them players to fade.
Note: I will only be selecting players who are owned in at least 75% of Yahoo! leagues. Graphs are taken from SportingCharts.com's NBA Daily Fantasy Value Tracker and are indicative of values on 1/2/17.
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FanDuel Value Risers - Week 11
Emmanuel Mudiay (PG, DEN) - Mudiay's ownership isn't quite at three-fourths across public leagues, but he is gaining traction and has become an increasingly popular waiver wire addition. He's getting more run with the starters and is hovering near 30 MPG over the last couple of weeks. He produced a solid overall game last Friday, posting 22 points, five assists and four rebounds against the 76ers. Mudiay will continue to experience highs and lows, but he is currently a good value play. The schedule is brutal for Denver next week with games against the Spurs and Thunder following Monday's matchup with the Warriors. This could serve to lower his salary even more if you wait until January 12th to deploy him against the Pacers.
Paul George (SF, IND) - Fear of recurring injuries may have lowered the market on George, but he is starting to produce like his old self lately. After three straight losses in which George failed to break 20 points, he broke out with 34 points against Washington and then 32 versus Chicago. His salary is yet to adjust, making him one of the most undervalued superstars currently out there.
Derrick Favors (PF, UTA) - This one requires a slight leap of faith, considering Favors has been a bust this season. The fantasy point totals haven't jumped up too much, but his minutes are trending the right way, up to the mid-20s this past week. Unless you're feeling lucky, wait for signs of a breakout game and then pounce before his salary gets up to respectable levels.
Anthony Davis (PF, NO) - You shouldn't worry too much about putting Davis in your center slot on any given night. Still, his $12K+ salary a couple weeks back was almost a lineup-buster if he didn't have a monster game. Davis has been an elite performer all season. It's just now that his price has re-adjusted to a level more in line with his value.
Andre Drummond (C, DET) - A couple of weeks ago, Drummond was on the Fallers list because of a sudden dip in production. It's almost unfathomable to think that Drummond could collect only four boards in a game, after all. His 25-18 line against Miami on New Year's Day prove that everything is just fine. At a mere $7,400 on FanDuel, Drummond is an absolute steal right now.
FanDuel Value Fallers - Week 11
Jabari Parker (PF, MIL) - Parker has been a beast lately, scoring at least 20 points in each of the last four games while playing 40 minutes in three of the last five. As is prone to happen, his value will start to fall as his salary rises. You could still take advantage of Parker's hot hand for the next couple of games, but be aware that his price tag has been climbing since mid-December and won't stop soon.
Bradley Beal (SG, WAS) - Beal's ankle has contributed to a lull in production. It won't be long before he's back at full capacity, but it's best to wait before putting him back in your daily lineups. The Wiz have a light schedule coming up, so it shouldn't be more than a couple of days before he is worth re-inserting for DFS purposes.
Gordon Hayward (SF, UTA) - Hayward has been rolling lately, averaging 38.9 fantasy points per game in the last five. He scored 30 Monday night and filled up the scoresheet with four boards, three dimes and two steals. Sounds like he should be on the Risers chart, but again this is all about relative value. It's amazing how Hayward's price has barely budged since his return from injury, so don't expect much difference there. With a five-game road trip starting Tuesday for the Jazz, Hayward owners could see slightly diminishing returns compared to this past week, making him less of a value play.
J.J. Redick (SG, LAC) - To be fair, Redick is battling a calf issue that held him out after Christmas. Since then, he hasn't been the same, shooting a combined 5-for-18 in the last two games. To make things worse, he has a total of two rebounds, one assist and one steal in those contests, to accompany his 13 points. The Clippers as a whole have hit a rough stretch with injuries, so it's best to wait until Redick and his teammates are back at full capacity before deploying in daily leagues.
Nicolas Batum (SG, CHA) - This is getting nitpicky, since Batum has performed up to fantasy expectations all year long. He hasn't failed to score in double-digits since December 17 and is averaging eight rebounds and seven assists over the last six games. His salary is starting to catch up, however, which puts Batum closer to the chalk category these days than anything.