Saturday Night Hoops: Who's Worth Your DFS Bucks?

Another Saturday, another slate of NBA action. We've got seven games on the docket, and if you're sifting through player projections, trying to find those sneaky values, you've come to the right place. Forget the big names for a minute; sometimes the real money is made finding the guys who punch above their weight on a given night.

Take the early window. The San Antonio Spurs host the Phoenix Suns at 8 p.m. ET. Everyone's going to look at Kevin Durant and Devin Booker. They're studs, no doubt. Durant's averaging 28.3 points per game this season, and Booker just dropped 32 points on the Nuggets last Tuesday. But here’s the thing: San Antonio, for all their struggles, is actually a pretty decent rebounding team, pulling down 43.6 boards per contest. That could limit the secondary production for Phoenix’s bigs.

My focus, if I'm building a DFS lineup, is on the Spurs' side. Victor Wembanyama is always a threat for a monster stat line, even against a tough defense. He put up 27 points, 10 boards, and 8 assists against the Blazers on December 19th. But don't sleep on Jeremy Sochan. His usage rate has been creeping up, and he's shown flashes of being a multi-category contributor. He had 16 points, 9 rebounds, and 4 assists against the Thunder just a week ago. With Tre Jones often deferring, Sochan could get more touches and exploit mismatches. He's a cheaper play that could give you 5x value tonight.

The Late-Night Value Hunt

Later in the evening, we’ve got the Los Angeles Clippers visiting the New Orleans Pelicans at 9:30 p.m. ET. This game screams offensive fireworks. Both teams play at a decent pace, and both have star power. Kawhi Leonard has been on a tear, averaging 23.7 points since the All-Star break. Paul George has been right there with him. For the Pelicans, Zion Williamson is always a threat to go off, and CJ McCollum has been steady, hitting 40% of his threes in his last five games.

But the real diamond in this one might be Jonas Valančiūnas. The Clippers, even with Ivica Zubac back, sometimes struggle with true bruising centers. Valančiūnas had 19 points and 13 rebounds against them back in January. If he can stay out of foul trouble against Zubac, he could feast on the offensive glass and be a double-double lock. He's not the flashiest pick, but he gets consistent minutes and has a high floor. You want reliable production in DFS.

And here’s my slightly spicy take for the night: Tyus Jones, playing for the Washington Wizards against the Boston Celtics, is going to outscore Jrue Holiday tonight. Yes, Holiday is on a contender, a defensive menace, and usually a more efficient scorer. But Jones has been quietly putting up solid numbers for the Wizards. He dropped 22 points and 11 assists against the Rockets on March 15th. He’s the primary ball-handler, gets high usage, and against a Celtics team that might be resting some regulars or looking ahead to bigger games, Jones could rack up points and assists in a high-scoring affair. Holiday, meanwhile, is often the fourth or fifth option for Boston. Give me Jones for the pure statistical output.

My bold prediction: Jonas Valančiūnas finishes as a top-three center in fantasy points tonight, outscoring both Nikola Jokic and Joel Embiid.