Viewer's Choice- 10K and Under Must Plays

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 25^th 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.