What’s up FANation? For Thursday's slate, we have five games to look at with rosters locking at 8:00 PM EST. As always, this article isn’t for plays ONLY under 5K, but players we feel are undervalued at their specific price on DraftKings and FanDuel. They can ultimately be all actual “value” plays, but they aren’t always. Let’s unlock the vault and get going!
DraftKings
JJ Redick, SG/SF NO → $4,500 - It’s hard to argue with the results over the last couple games with Redick back in the starting lineup. He’s scored 22-plus actual and 31-plus DK points in each of the last time games while averaging 33.5 minutes a night. I prefer him on DraftKings because of the three-point bonus he’ll get us as he’s made 12 threes over the past two games, giving us three free points per contest. The Pelicans have the third highest implied total on the board and are dealing with a LOT of injuries and we should expect Redick to play heavy minutes because of it.
JaMychal Green , SF/PF LAC → $4,000 - I think coach Doc Rivers is starting to realize he needs more productive players on the floor and that’s not Patrick Patterson and we saw Green play 32 minutes on Wednesday and has now played 24-plus minutes in four-of-five. Green has flashed his upside lately notching 10-plus rebounds in three straight games and two double-doubles in a row. With Kawhi Leonard off of the floor this year, Green is averaging .93 FP/min, which is elite considering he’s only 4K. Green is a great value on Thursday.
De'Andre Hunter , SF/PF ATL → $4,000 - The Hawks are dealing with a ton of injuries right now which has led to Hunter playing 39 and 40 minutes over his last two games. He hasn’t had that big game yet but he has had back-to-back 25 FP games. This is a nice pace up spot for Atlanta and although Phoenix has been good defensively, Atlanta has a strong 112.9 implied total. This is a really good price tag and we could see a ceiling game in this spot.
FanDuel
Coby White , PG CHI → $4,800 - If you read the playbook, Sean Mitchell likes Kris Dunn tonight and so do I, but it’s hard to ignore White at this price over on FD. He’s a walking bucket when he’s going right and has an ideal match-up with Milwaukee as it’s a massive pace up spot and they rank 22nd against point-guards. White has played 24-plus minutes in five straight and over his last four games, he’s averaged 26.5 minutes and 25.7 fantasy points. He’s flashed a ceiling of nearly 40 FP this year and if this game blows out, White should see plenty of run anyways.
Kenrich Williams , SF NO → $4,700 - Even with Brandon Ingram healthy, Williams has entered the starting lineup and played 28 minutes on the ninth of this month. Then Ingram sat and Williams saw his minutes spike to 38, so if Ingram sits here expect much of the same again. He has double-double upside as he’s averaged 11.5 points and eight rebounds as a starter. The Pelicans could be without not only Ingram, but Okafor and Hayes as well, giving Williams free reign to ALL of the minutes he can handle. Strong value on this five-gamer.
Dario Saric , PF PHX → $4,700 - It’s not a cash game play, but one we can definitely use in tournaments. Saric has now scored at least 24 FP in back-to-back games and the most concerning thing about his past has been minutes. Considering he’s averaging 28.4 over his last four games and 27.5 on the year, that’s no longer an issue. Atlanta is 17th in DRtg and allow the ninth most fantasy points per game to opposing teams.
Player News
ESPN’s Shams Charania reports the Warriors are expecting Jimmy Butler (pelvis, glute) to play in Game 4 against the Rockets on Monday.
Butler was sidelined for Game 3 after taking a hard fall in Game 2, but Butler is expected to be back with a chance to take a 3-1 lead in this series. Jonathan Kuminga played 17 minutes as the starter in place of Butler on Saturday, while Buddy Hield, Moses Moody and Gary Payton II all played at least 20 minutes off the bench. Kuminga would likely be pushed back out of the rotation if Butler returns.
Tyler Smith (ankle) is doubtful to play against the Pacers in Game 5 on Tuesday.
Smith has been sidelined for this entire series, and that isn’t expected to change on Tuesday. However, he wouldn’t part of the rotation if he was healthy.
Jaylen Brown (knee) is questionable to play against the Magic in Game 5 on Tuesday.
Jrue Holiday (hamstring) has been ruled out for Game 5 against the Magic on Tuesday.
Kelly Olynyk underwent “a minimally invasive surgery on his left heel and ultrasound guided tendon debridement.”
The recovery timetable for this procedure is three-to-four months, so Olynyk should be back before training camp. Olynyk was in and out of the lineup just before the end of the regular season, though that can at least partially be attributed to New Orleans looking to improve its lottery odds. Olynyk is entering the final season of a two-year deal that he initially signed with the Raptors.
Brandon Boston Jr. underwent arthroscopic surgery on his left ankle.