There is one certainty when it comes to winning money with FanDuel Basketball and that is you must have a lineup comprised of as much top-tier talent as you can afford. Of course by buying high on many of the game’s best players it leaves little cash left to fill out a balanced lineup. To this end, one must find value plays that are coming into underpriced on the night and who are poised to outperform their assigned price tag. There is little doubt that the shooting guard spot is where most folks are happiest to spend their salary cap dollars. There are many superstar names here that all come with huge price tags and massive name recognition. Finding value at this position is a must as this position is a very deep one in terms of talent around the league.
In advance of any set pricing coming out from FanDuel on the upcoming NBA season, we will take a look at players from each position and from each conference who are poised to contribute nicely in those secondary roles. While none of these guys are going to carry your lineup night in and night out, they will give you that value play that could just make the difference between winning and losing money.
Top 5 Fantasy Value Plays for Shooting Guards - Eastern Conference
Evan Turner Boston Celtics
Turner was a can’t miss prospect who flamed out in Philadelphia only to land on his feet in Boston where he has proved to be a versatile option for the Celtics. Turner will once again be challenged for minutes on this squad; however, his ability to rebound and set up teammates will set him apart from the competition. Last season I shied away from buying Turner as his price was just too inflated and his points per minute just didn’t stack up well with others in that second-tier of pricing. This season, Turner figures to start off low until his play drives the price up again. best time to buy on Turner is to start the season as he is an experienced player for the Celtics backcourt and one whom coach Brad Stevens is accustomed to playing.
Kentavious Caldwell-Pope Detroit Pistons
The backcourt situation in Detroit is an interesting one as they have huge salary cap dollars tied up in two point guards. It remains to be seen how Reggie Jackson and Brandon Jennings co-exist moving forward here. Depending on the rotations though it would appear as though KCP will be out there as the starting two guard, which should give plenty of opportunity for the young player to prove himself. The ball movement in Detroit should be vastly improved with the departure of Greg Monroe and that floor spacing will benefit shooters like Caldwell-Pope.
Arron Afflalo New York Knicks
Afflalo is poised for big things this season as he and the rest of the made-over New York Knicks will need to all take a serious step forward to mediocrity. After a disappointing season that saw him split time between Denver and Portland en route to posting his lowest scoring average in six seasons; Afflalo’s price couldn’t be any lower. Even with a ball hawking Carmelo Anthony and a triangle offense that can’t grasp floor spacing and ball movement; Afflalo will definitely improve upon last season.
Tony Wroten Philadelphia 76ers
Wroten was on his way to having a spectacular season for Philly when he unfortunately suffered that season ending ACL injury in January. In the 30 games that he did play, Wroten was averaging 16.9 ppg, 5.2 apg and 2.9 rpg which represents excellent numbers for a second-tier shooting guard. Look for Wroten to come back healthy and ready to go for the 76ers this season. With all the size and interiour presence in Philadelphia teams will have to collapse their defenses to help in the paint, meaning shooters like Wroten will get that much extra space to knock down jumpers.
Khris Middleton Milwaukee Bucks
Middleton had a very solid season that saw him average 13.4 ppg, 2.3 apg and 4.4 rpg for the Bucks. This was quite fortuitous timing for Middleton as he parlayed that success into a five year $70 million deal with Milwaukee. The Bucks obviously see the potential here and they obviously want Middleton to be a major contributor moving forward. Look for Middleton to be assertive early in the season as he works to justify that big new contract. I wouldn’t be surprised to see Middleton be well over 16 ppg this season as Milwaukee has many more weapons for opposing defenses to worry about this season.