We
are all looking for the sneaky-cheap plays in NBA daily fantasy leagues. The best part about cheap plays is the
very low risk involved… and the potential for very high reward. If players don’t perform well, then “no
big deal” because you invested very little. Below are my top 10 under-10K plays of which many will give
you 3.0 their value (values are from draftstreet.com).
1.
Patrick Patterson (F, 6.9K, Rockets):
Who is this guy? He saw 31 minutes
of action Monday night off the bench as he put up 36 fantasy points. In 7 of his last 8 games, he has put up
3.0 his value or better. All he
has to do is put up 14 fantasy points to give you 2.0 his value, and after his
recent play, he is sure to continue seeing a huge workload off the bench.
2.
Brandon Rush (G, 8.8K, Warriors):
Golden State is having huge issues this year with injuries, and guess who is
starting to really benefit from these injuries: Brandon Rush.
His fantasy points for the last 4 games are 34, 18, 22, and 28. On March 25th he played 40
minutes and recorded a double-double.
Rush guarantees you almost 3.0 his value; a huge bargain for a guy who
sees this much action coming as a non-starter.
3.
Greg Stiemsma (C, 7.7K, Celtics):
Coming off the bench, Stiemsma is a force on defense. He will not score in the double digits, but he racks up
rebounds and blocks in his limited playing time off the bench to give Brandon
Bass a breather. It is hard to
find cheap productive centers, but Stiemsma is a great option. In his past 5 games he has scored 19,
19, 7, 36, and 20 fantasy points.
There is zero risk at playing Stiemsma.
4.
Wesley Matthews (G, 9.9K, Blazers):
Matthews is scorching the nets right now; we have been waiting for this all
year. In his past 6 games he has
put up at least 2.0 his value: 22, 25, 38, 35, 23, and 20. Twice during this hot streak he has
almost hit 4.0 his value. Even if
he has a cold day shooting, he has racked up the boards and steals of late
making him a must play in fantasy.
5.
Avery Bradley (G, 4.4K, Celtics):
Bradley is enjoying his new starting role since Pietrus and Allen have been out
with injuries. And you are
probably thinking, “Is he really valued at 4.4K?” The answer is yes; what a steal Bradley is right now. Playing in 40 minutes on Sunday night,
Bradley put up 28 fantasy points, and yesterday he put up 16 fantasy
points. 16 is not that much, but
he is valued so low giving him a 3.0 value from last night! If Allen and Pietrus keep missing time,
Bradley is a no brainer play.
6.
Klay Thompson (G, 9.8K, Warriors): We
have all heard about Klay Thompson.
The rookie is filling in nicely for the banged up Warriors. In his last 9 games, he is averaging
24.9 fantasy points. If I do the
easy math, that is 2.5 his value.
The only downside to Thompson is he can be a streaky shooter. He can put up 31 points one night, and
then next night put of 10 points.
Either way, keep on riding the Klay Thompson train now that Monta Ellis
is gone.
7.
Charles Jenkins (G, 6.3K, Warriors):
Nate Robinson is out with an injured hamstring, and Jenkins filled in quite
well Sunday night putting up 27 points and 29 fantasy points. At this time, Robinson is not expected
back for the next couple games giving you the opportunity to pick up Jenkins at
his ridiculously low cost. Expect
3.0 - 4.0 his value until Robinson returns.
8.
DeJuan Blair (C, 9.9K, Spurs): He’s
heating up! The young player out
of University of Pittsburgh is beginning to finally gain some confidence. In back to back nights, he has put up
38 and 30 fantasy points respectively.
At just under 10K, he is worth a look at.
9.
Brandan Wright (F, 8.4K, Mavericks):
This Saturday he came out of nowhere for Dallas, and in 34 minutes, he put up
45 fantasy points which included 7 blocked shots. He is seeing big minutes with Haywood out, and the Mavs like
this kid a lot more than Mahinmi.
Play him while he’s hot at the okay price of 8.4K.
10.
Tristan Thompson (F, 8.5K, Cavs): The rookie center for the Cavs is a
very cheap play especially since he is a starter. Here is the problem though; he lacks consistency. He has put up 11, 34, 16, 48, and 12
fantasy points in his last 5 games.
If you follow the pattern, looks like he is primed for a big night
tonight.
Honorable
Mentions:
1.
Jamal Crawford (G, 7.4K, Blazers): There is no argument
here; Crawford is the streakiest shooter in the NBA. He can shoot Portland out of games, and he can shoot
Portland to victory. You never know
what you will get from him, but at the 7.4K price, he might be worth the gamble
if you feel a little risky. And
with Felton expected to miss tonight because of family matters, look for
Crawford to get extended playing time and put up at least 3.0 for value.
2.
Byron Mullens (C, 7.3K, Bobcats): What an up and down season
Mullens has had. He has come off
the bench and has been in the starting line-up as well. At one point this season, he was seeing
big minutes as a starter, and putting up 25+ fantasy points every night. Now he is back on the bench, but he is
making the most of his playing time.
In the last two outings, he has put up 30 and 28 fantasy points
respectively. Maybe he is
beginning to find his stride again.
At 7.3K, he seems to be worth the risk.
