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 1/16/17.
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FanDuel Value Risers - Week 13
Elfrid Payton (PG, ORL) - If rumors prove true, Payton's days as the starting point guard in Orlando could be numbered. The Magic are said to be interested in the Heat's Goran Dragic, which may or may not result in any movement. Even so, Orlando has been disappointed in the lack of progress Payton has shown in his third season. Oddly enough, this may give him a short window to DFS value if he responds to the criticism as he did on Saturday against Utah. Payton posted his best game of the year with 28 points, nine assists, nine rebounds and two steals. His salary is as depressed as it has ever been, making him a potentially excellent value this week if he stays hot.
Draymond Green (SF/PF, GS) - Green's lack of consistent scoring makes his production a bit harder to predict, but he's averaging career highs in assists and steals this year. His 8.7 rebound per game average is just a tick under last year's 9.5, but he hasn't grabbed less than seven in a game over the last three weeks. It doesn't hurt that the Warriors have two games on their upcoming schedule that promise to be high-scoring as well, against Houston and OKC. He has become increasingly affordable at the forward spot, so this might be a good week to plug him in.
Gorgui Dieng (PF/C, MIN) - Was Sunday's game against the Mavs an aberration or a sign of things to come? The big man had his highest scoring output of the season with 21 points, along with eight boards. Coming off a four-point, three-rebound game two days earlier, it was certainly a surprise. Dieng hasn't shown much progress from last season, but there is still potential for the occasional big game at a bargain $5K price. A word of caution: the Wolves have two tough games coming up on the road versus the Spurs and Clippers. Wait until January 22 when his price may be even lower to play him against the softer frontcourts they will face next week, such as Denver and Phoenix.
Dwight Howard (C, ATL) - It's hard to account for the sudden price drop for one of the most consistent rebounders out there. Howard was a terrific value play in his last game, considering his $7250 price tag. He did miss three games late in December, but bounced back strong with 20 and 12 his first game back, backed up by 22 boards on December 28. In the last six games, he is averaging 13.5 points and 13.6 rebounds. Howard was rested on Monday against the Knicks, but should be back in the lineup on Wednesday.
FanDuel Value Fallers - Week 13
Ricky Rubio (PG, MIN) - Rubio has been solid as of late, but the pendulum may soon swing the other way on his value. After posting four straight games of double-digit points (a rarity for him), including a whopping 46 assists in a three-game span, Rubio slipped against the Mavs with eight points and 10 dimes. As you can imagine, his price has already jumped up by $1000 in the past week alone. Consistency has never been one of Rubio's hallmarks, so if you missed out on him last week, don't try to make up for it this week when regression comes.
C.J. McCollum (SG, POR) - The sharp shooter is performing even better than last season, with increased percentages across the board. There haven't been many lulls this season, so this pick is purely based on an escalating price point. McCollum's salary has jumped $1500 the past two weeks on FanDuel, up to $8600 on Monday night. He is no more an improving player. He's quickly joining the ranks of chalk plays at the guard position, so you may be able to find better value elsewhere on nights with deeper lineup pools.
Eric Gordon (SG, HOU) - By all accounts, Gordon has been overvalued for a while in daily leagues. If you own him in rotisserie, you are probably dominating all three-point categories and can take the trade-off in lack of assists, rebounds or steals. In DFS, a bad shooting night makes him a massive bust. Don't forget that few players have been more injury prone throughout their careers, as evidenced by the two games he recently missed with a toe injury. Gordon should be back to his usual form this week, but his perceived value still exceeds his actual value in FanDuel.
LaMarcus Aldridge (PF/C, SA) - Aldridge probably should have been on this list last week, but we can't catch them all in time... The man they call L.A. in S.A. is having another solid season, even if his overall stats are down a bit from last year. He will never reach the same value he had in Portland, but Aldridge is still capable of big games. Unfortunately, he hasn't produced many of those since the new year began. The last time Aldridge scored over 20 points came on January 5. Unbelievably, he's only collected double-digit rebounds seven times all season. His hot stretch in late December has now faded into memory. Give it another week or two to let his salary adjust before employing him in daily leagues.