One of the keys to finding success in daily fantasy basketball is uncovering potential value plays.
If you're looking to roster a stud player or two, you need to consider squeezing one of these lower-salaried options into your lineup.
Let's take a look at some players who can help fill in the gaps in your lineup on FanDuel tonight, using numberFire's daily fantasy basketball projections as a guide.
Herbert Jones, SG/SF, New Orleans Pelicans
FanDuel Salary: $5,100
Despite just two games on the board, we have a few key injuries. Two notable ones come from the New Orleans Pelicans.
Both Zion Williamson and Brandon Ingram are out for tonight's game against the San Antonio Spurs.
That's helping to make Herbert Jones a standout value play. Jones is projected for 34.3 minutes and 28.3 FanDuel points, good for a value rating (i.e. FanDuel points per $1,000) of 5.55. That's the best of the night.
Jones has averaged 0.80 FanDuel points per minute on the season overall. Against the Spurs, who are 30th in defensive rating this season, that rate should rise.
In two prior meetings with them, Jones averaged 0.84 FanDuel points per minute and is now freed up for more work without Zion and Ingram.
Naji Marshall, SF, New Orleans Pelicans
FanDuel Salary: $4,600
In two games this season during which both Williamson and Ingram missed, Naji Marshall drew a start. In those matchups, Marshall averaged 34.2 minutes and 26.9 FanDuel points thanks to a line of 18.0 points, 4.5 rebounds, and 3.0 assists per game.
Marshall, in his four starts in total, has played 36.4 minutes per game with solid production in the FanDuel point column (17.1, 36.7, 34.2, and 29.5).
Without Williamson and Ingram on the floor this season, Marshall sees a 3.6-point increase in his usage rate and a 0.11-point boost to his per-minute fantasy production.
Those numbers without Williamson and Ingram are a 19.5% usage rate and 0.89 FanDuel points per minute.
Zach Collins, PF/C San Antonio Spurs
FanDuel Salary: $5,300
Even with Jakob Poeltl working his way back (he has played 20.8 and 22.5 minutes in his two games since returning), Zach Collins is a viable value option on a two-game slate.
In those past two games, Collins has played 22.7 and 24.3 minutes for an average of 23.5. That's down from his recent run without Poeltl (25.3) but not drastically so.
Collins is projected for 23.0 minutes tonight, which is very reasonable given the recent allotment, and in those minutes, he's expected to get to 26.2 FanDuel points.
Collins will have an easier time in the frontcourt with the Pelicans' injuries, and against mid-tier defenses (which New Orleans is after adjustments), he is averaging 1.20 FanDuel points per minute.