This article is part of our FanDuel NBA series.
Friday features a slate of 13 games. Old faces are returning from injuries (aka Blake Griffin, Dwight Howard, etc.) and, as always, a plethora of players are under questionable status. Major names on the questionable list: Greg Monroe, Dwyane Wade, Dwight Howard, Gordon Hayward, Eric Bledsoe. Then there are some big names already declared out for Friday night: Hassan Whiteside, Jeff Teague, Kyle Lowry, Alexey Shved, Patrick Beverley. And on top of that, it's getting late in the regular season and some teams will undoubtedly be resting some of their stars with the playoffs creeping ever nearer.All of this culminates in lots of question marks with where playing time ends up in many scenarios, but also offers rewards for those attentive to lineup news all the way to tipoff. It's always safest to go with players without any asterisks, but nobody has ever won the big cash prizes without gambling on a few question marks.
Friday Value Plays
Point Guard
Greivis Vasquez, TOR vs LAL, $3,900
Vasquez will get the start at the point against the Lakers. Throw in his 28.9-FPT performance against the Bulls Wednesday, couple it with his price and you have a knockout.
Jeremy Lin, LAL at TOR, $5,600
Lin is the starting point guard in Los Angeles, he's secured it and will need to falter to lose the spot. Starting in the last three games, he's averaging nearly 30 minutes and over 30 FPTs, and his price has not yet caught up with the production expected to come his way.
Damian Lillard, POR at PHO, $8,800
With little doubt, Lillard should be deployed as the premier point guard Friday night. He'll get all the shots he wants, as this game figures to have considerable pace. It's always wise to take somebody against the Suns, as their style of play is a hotbed for opponents to put up big fantasy numbers. Lillard appears poised for a big night, as his production has been trending upward quickly.
Shooting Guard
Kentavious Caldwell-Pope, DET at ORL, $5,500
Caldwell-Pope has seen a huge uptick in production since Greg Monroe went down. Monroe is considered doubtful to play Friday, but things could certainly change closer to tipoff. The Magic's defense has been poor, is poor and will stay poor. Caldwell-Pope has put up 38.1 and 39.2 FPTs in each of his last two outings, even being forced to miss some of the game against Toronto with a thigh contusion. His thigh shouldn't be a concern, and as long as Monroe remains on the pine, KCP is well positioned for another big night.
Small Forward
Trevor Ariza, HOU vs MIN, $5,800
Expectedly or not, Ariza appears to be the prime beneficiary of Patrick Beverley's absence. He put up a huge 44.3 FPTs last time out against the Pelicans, and the matchup just gets easier against the Timberwolves. The injury concerns run deep in this game, and the more player that miss out, the better Ariza looks.
Kawhi Leonard, SA vs DAL, $8,600
Leonard's production was greatly hampered by the thumping his Spurs put on the Thunder on Wednesday. His per-minute production was still very good, and when these two teams met Tuesday night, Leonard turned in a performance of 44.3 FPTs – good enough to make value even at his price. This is a rivalry game, and San Antonio is the team more likely to step up their overall point production.
Power Forward
Udonis Haslem, MIA at ATL, $3,500
Haslem is poised to start for the injured Hassan Whiteside once again, a role that turned into 38 minutes and 29.9 FTPs Wednesday night. Admittedly, the matchup with the Hawks isn't exactly ideal, but at the minimum price (and being listed at the Power Forward position rather than Center) Haslem still seems very capable of reaching and far exceeding his value.
Anthony Davis, NO vs SAC, $12,400
Not a creative selection, but for relatively creative reasons. There's a trend when former Kentucky Wildcats matchup, they put up higher-than-typical numbers. The opponent Friday is DeMarcus Cousins (no slouch and another fine stud selection), and Davis has both something to prove and a good matchup, as he could be guarded by the deeply undersized Rudy Gay, who has been playing the four lately. Davis should abuse the Kings on a night he is capable of reaching for his extremely high ceiling.
Dirk Nowitzki, DAL at SAN, $6,100
In a battle of experience, getting Nowitzki so much cheaper than Duncan seems inexplicable. These teams just played Tuesday, so you don't have to reach far into the past performance lines to see how they matchup. Nowitzki had a nice 34.1-FPT performance that night, a total that seems likely Friday. He is a good mid-priced option for those looking to spend on a stud outside of the power forward position.
Center
Jonas Valanciunas, TOR vs LAL, $6,000
Valanciunas' status as a young promising center has gone nowhere, but the hope is that promise will steadily translate into real world performance. Three consecutive good outings -- the last two against teams very good at defending the paint in the Bulls and the Pistons -- may point to the fruition of this young talent. The Lakers' frontcourt is certainly ripe to be exploited, as is their entire defense.
Rudy Gobert, UTA at Den, $8,500
Denver has nothing that can really match Gobert. The Nuggets will likely speed up the tempo a bit, and Gobert should see a hefty portion of rebounds and blocks against the extremely undersized lineup. His price and consistency are a reason to raise concern, but his upside is hard to resist.
