This article is part of our FanDuel NBA series.
We have a second night of play-in action on tap for Wednesday, with the first tip-off occurring at 7:00 p.m. ET. The need for late swap will be almost non-existent as our slate doesn't have relevant injuries, so you can lock your best plays in early in the day.
SLATE OVERVIEW
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I always recommend firing cash games over tournament lineups when the slate is small because the potential for tie scores in GPPs will dilute their value. While it's tempting to take shots at the end of a long season, you're ultimately better off with head-to-heads, 50/50s and double-ups. If you go multi-entry in the bigger prize pools, you'll have to get pretty unique in a pool offering few pivot opportunities.
INJURIES
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The lack of injuries further limits our ability to cash in tournaments.
ELITE PLAYERS
Both players in the five-figure range are excellent plays, although I would slightly favor Shai Gilgeous-Alexander ($10,800) over Brandon Ingram ($10,300) from both a production and positional scarcity perspective. There are several ways to go with Ingram's eligible spots, while the point guard position for tonight's teams is a little thin. You can definitely find a way to play CJ McCollum ($8,600), and like SGA, he has positional eligibility in four spots.
As one might expect, we don't have many centers available. I'd place importance on spending up here if possible. Nikola Vucevic ($8,500), who finished third in the NBA with 51 double-doubles, should have the best total at the position. When considering elites, Vucevic would be my first priority.
Also consider: Zach LaVine, CHI ($8,200) @ TOR
EXPECTED CHALK AND VALUE PLAYS
Josh Giddey, OKC ($7,900) @ NOR
Giddey comes in at a very reasonable salary. He has a decent history against the Pelicans and can deliver upside. His top performance was 54 FDFPs this season, and one of his showings against New Orleans was a massive 20/10/6 line worth 43 FDFPs. At $7,900, he'll be a popular pick.
OG Anunoby, TOR ($6,800) vs. CHI
Anunoby is usually a great way to capitalize on a favorable Chicago matchup. Even though I like Scottie Barnes' ($7,600) positional eligibility and potential production more, Anunoby's potential to beat value is higher at this salary, which is just a little over $100 above the median. It took a few games for Anunoby to get going after a nine-game absence, but he was rounding into form in the final weeks. The Bulls also rank 23rd in the league against his position. Although I still like Barnes, he could have a tough time against Chicago overall.
Herbert Jones ($6,000) and Trey Murphy ($6,500), NOR vs. OKC
Jones is available at four spots compared to Murphy's single eligibility at PF, but both players have value for the Pelicans. I wouldn't stack the duo, although I predict both will serve you well in this scenario. I slightly prefer Murphy due to his success against the Thunder, but Jones recently posted a career-high 35 points against Memphis and could emerge as the hot hand.
Luguentz Dort, OKC ($5,500) @ NOR
Dort is great for cash lineups because he delivers a steady floor. He hasn't exceeded 40 FDFPs this season, but he doesn't really have to at $5,500. There's still potential for 6x value, especially if his secondary numbers come through. Like any player in this range, there's some risk and the possibility for the occasional poor game, but we have to look at cheaper players to make room for high-value targets.
Coby White ($4,700), CHI @ TOR
White is a good example of the kind of value we need to balance our lineups. White isn't without risk, but he has the potential to lead the Bulls in assists and his dual eligibility makes him a decent stack candidate alongside Vucevic.
Also consider: Jonas Valanciunas, NOR ($7,500) vs. OKC, Patrick Williams, CHI ($5,300) @ TOR
