FanDuel Economics: NBA Saturday, April 2nd Picks

Welcome to FanDuel Economics! This is the NBA Saturday, April 2nd Picks edition. FanDuel Economics is a daily fantasy column focused on FanDuel player salaries and FanDuel points-per-game (PPG) trends. The purpose of this column is to evaluate player salary and PPG averages over a seven day period to provide daily fantasy sports players with a vital tool in their lineup tool belt. Finding the best value options often leads to a big pay day!

Compared to the rest of the week, this Saturday is a slow day on the NBA schedule. We only have five games to choose lineups from, but the Bulls v. Pistons game is an intriguing one to watch. We continue to see expensive but valuable players taken out of our lineups option list for resting. So, continue to monitor lineups as we approach tip-off. However, there is a growing list of low-salary / high-value players revealing themselves each day. Also, the key players on playoff teams are starting to pile on points. Let’s take a look at some of our best options for tonight:

Point Guard (PG)

Darren Collison is averaging 29.6 PPG over the last week. On a salary of $5,800 tonight he’s once again a bargain. Collison has been benefitting from increased laying time over the last month and that has continued with our without Rondo in the lineup. Tonight, however, Rajon Rondo is out so Collison is more attractive than his salary appears. Put Collison in your lineups!

I went into detail on Ish Smith on Tuesday. I won’t reiterate everything but he’s once again an attractive option at home tonight agains the Pacers.

Shooting Guard (SG)

If Dwayne Wade plays tonight, he’s by far the best value option at SG. Wade is averaging around 38 PPG and is still only $7,700, which is a steal! However if Wade sits again today, you have two other solid options.

C.J. McCollum continues to be hot. McCollum is averaging 34.6 PPG over the last seven days but his salary only climbed by $100 to $7,000. I’ve used C.J. multiple times and he’s helped me get over 30 points without spending too much. If Wade plays and you can pair him with McCollum, you’ve got tremendous value at SG!

It’s no secret DeMar DeRozan has been on fire. Since coming back on March 17th, DeRozan has only had 2 games below 30 points, and they one of those fell just below 30 points at 28.9. DeMar DeRozan is averaging 37.1 PPG over the last week, 5th among all SG’s and 2nd behind Wade tonight. He’s a more expensive $8,000, but he’s another solid option for SG tonight at that value.

Small Forward (SF)

Marcus Morris is really emerging after getting traded away from his brother and the Suns. Over the last week, Morris is averaging 39.8 PPG and is only $5,700. He is one of those ‘no brainer’ options for tonight. You should have him in at least one lineup. You’re getting around 40 points on a $5,700 salary leaving you enough money to find another 40+ point options. Play Marcus tonight!

I talked about Al-Farouq Aminu on Thursday and he backed me up in a big way by dropping 47.3 points. Keep riding Aminu while he’s hot! Aminu is averaging 36.2 PPG over the last week and is another incredibly cheap option at $5,400. In fact, if you play Morris and Aminu, you have the potential to get 70-80 points on only $11,100 total salary. Marcus and Al-Farouq are a great pairing option tonight!

Power Forward (PF)

Tobias Harris is your best top 10 PPG option at PF. Harris is averaging 31.1 PPG over the last week and his salary is $6,300. That’s not a tremendous bargain but it’s still a decent value. The Pistons have also been hot lately so it’s probably worth playing Harris in a lineup or two tonight.

Carl Landry has been quietly good for the past two weeks. Landry is averaging 24.7 PPG over the last seven days and you only have to spend $4,800 on Carl tonight. A Harris Landry combo is a good overall value, getting 50-60 points on $11,100. Its not as good of a pairing as the SF options, but this is your best bet at PF tonight, where value is lacking.

On more consideration is once again Ed Davis.

Center (C)

There are a ton of great options at Center tonight, so I hope you saved your money elsewhere. However, there are also some good value options. My favorite value pick is Ian Mahinmi. Mahinmi is averaging 31 PPG over the last week and you’re only spending $5,200 tonight. Oh, and did I mention Mahinmi is playing the dreadful 76ers? The Sixers have been incredibly terrible defending the C position this year, although most of that was when Okafor was in the lineup. But they’re still not great. If you spent more money on other positions and need a high-value Center, Ian is your man tonight!

If you’re looking for some other pick options or to pivot from some of my value options, take a look at my good friend Brian Tulloch‘s column NBA Picks and Pivots – FanDuel Picks April 2 or follow him at @2lockSports.

I wish you all well tonight FanDuelers! Spend smartly and enjoy the return on your savings!