This article is part of our FantasyAces NBA series.
The NBA is back and better than ever on Fantasy Aces, with larger contests, more prizes and many offerings to choose from this season.
RotoWire aims to help you win on Fantasy Aces, as we will break down a few value plays for the coming days that can help you build your lineups.
There is value to be had, and identifying that value will allow you to spend on top-tier players to round out your lineup.
Without further ado, here are some value plays for this weekend on Fantasy Aces:
Guard: Russell Westbrook, vs. PHI (Fri.), vs. BOS (Sun.) ($7,600): Westbrook is the second-most expensive player on Fantasy Aces. He is not a cheap play, but he is a value play in the next few games. With news that Kevin Durant (hamstring) is likely to miss the next week, Westbrook immediately becomes a top tier play despite his price. He is a value play, due to his production without Durant. Last season without Durant, Westbrook averaged over 53 fantasy points per game. He also had an absurd usage rate of 40.4 without Durant in the lineup. At just $7,600, he is a bargain.
Guard: Marcus Thornton, vs. DEN (Fri.), vs. DAL (Sat.) ($4,300): With the return of Terrence Jones to the lineup, it was believed that Thornton would sit and would be an afterthought in DFS. That proved to be untrue, as the Houston guard racked up 45.25 fantasy points against the Nets in 34 minutes Wednesday. Dwight Howard (rest) is expected to sit one of the two games of the back-to-back, so expect Thornton to be heavily involved in the offense again. Thornton has been extremely consistent this season, scoring at least 23.25 fantasy points in each game.
Guard: Dion Waiters, vs. PHI (Fri.), vs. BOS (Sun.) ($4,000): Waiters is one of the key beneficiaries of Durant's absence, as his usage and production both increase dramatically. He averaged 19.6 fantasy points per game without Durant last season, and had a usage rate of 21.6. For Friday's matchup with the Sixers, it brings back flashbacks of Waiters' 20-point, 10-rebound game against Philadelphia last season without Durant.
Guard: Jeremy Lamb, vs. CHI (Fri.), vs. POR (Sun.) ($3,500): Lamb has been a force off the bench for the Hornets so far this season, scoring at least 18 fantasy points in all but one game. Lamb has averaged over 20 fantasy points per game this season, which is over his expected return at just $3,500. Lamb's minutes have been consistently in the low 20s, but considering he is averaging more than a fantasy point per minute, he makes for a solid value play at a price barely over the minimum.
Forward: Kyle Singler, vs. PHI (Fri.), vs. BOS (Sun.) ($3,700): Singler is the likely candidate to replace Durant in the starting lineup for the next few games, making him a solid value play. He only averaged around a dozen fantasy points per game as a starter last season when Durant was out, playing roughly 24 minutes per game and shooting just 37 percent. He has two good matchups this weekend against the Sixers and the Celtics, so be sure to take advantage if he is announced as the starting small forward.
Forward: Nemanja Bjelica, vs. IND (Fri.), vs. MEM (Sun.) ($3,800): Bjelica has been a value machine so far this season, notching at least six times his salary in four of his last five games. With Kevin Garnett's inability to play big minutes, Bjelica has a large role for the Timberwolves off the bench. On Friday, he has an excellent matchup against the Pacers, and Garnett has been known to sit in back-to-backs, so be sure to keep an eye on the Wolves' lineup. Bjelica is averaging over 30 minutes per game of late, so be sure to consider him for your lineups as a top value option.
Forward: Luis Scola, vs. NOP (Fri.), vs. SAC (Sun.) ($3,850): Scola has been very good this season off the bench, as he has had some massively productive games. At his price of $3,850, anything over 19 fantasy points is considered solid value. Scola has reached or exceeded that level in six of eight games. His real value is his upside, as he has scored 31.75 and 39.5 in two separate games. If you can find his huge game, he will propel you up the leaderboards. In the Raptors' next two games, he could face two of the better power forwards in the NBA in Anthony Davis (hip) and DeMarcus Cousins, respectively. That being said, Scola faces the second unit, and both the Pelicans and Kings have a secondary unit that struggles. At just $3,850, consider him in tournaments.
