This article is part of our FanDuel NBA series.
There are five games on the slate Saturday, and with the trade deadline and a coaching change shaking up player values, there are some interesting players to target Saturday.
Saturday Value Plays
Point Guard
Goran Dragic, MIA, $6,000: Dragic was being restrained in Phoenix, boxed in by two other point guards in Eric Bledsoe and Isaiah Thomas, but now that he's stepping into the starting point guard role for the Heat, there should be a lot more possessions coming Dragic's way. While the circumstances are unfortunate, Dragic's value will also see an increase due to the absence of Chris Bosh from lineup, as Bosh will miss the remainder of the season with blood clots in his lungs. Both Mario Chalmers and Shabazz Napier had great games Friday, so it's possible Dragic could be eased in slowly to the Heat's rotation in order to properly reward Napier and Chalmers for their strong play Friday. Regardless of the situation, if he's in the lineup Saturday, Dragic is a great value at $6,000.
Shooting Guard
Ben McLemore, SAC, $4,300: McLemore has been so underwhelming through the first year and a half of his career that it's hard to trust the kid, but the fact that he is so young at just 22, getting a new coach could help him find his game. With George Karl taking over the team Friday, McLemore was told to play more aggressively on offense, and he seemed to try to do just that against the Celtics. McLemore played 41 minutes and put up 10 points on 3-of-13 shooting from the field. While it'd be nice to see his shot attempts go up, the fact that Karl played McLemore 41 minutes, in his first game as the coach, shows that Karl might have high expectations for McLemore.
Small Forward
Rudy Gay, SAC, $7,200: It was plain to see that the Kings had more bounce in their step under Karl on Friday. The addition of Andre Miller as a calming influence for the bench appears it will be a successful addition as well. Gay played 38 minutes, scoring 28 points while collecting five rebounds, four assists, and three blocks to bank 45 FD points Friday. Matching up against a Clippers squad without Blake Griffin could make Gay's job a little easier than usual. With Kevin Durant (foot) out Saturday, the only other exciting option at small forward is Luol Deng, to see how he plays with Chris Bosh out of the lineup. Gay is safe bet to hit his salary value and has upside.
Power Forward
Markieff Morris, PHX, $6,200: When Phoenix GM Ryan McDonough was asked about trading the team's best plays, Goran Dragic, at the trade deadline, he responded by saying that they still had Bledsoe and Morris, which I thought was hilarious at first, but it made me think. Does McDonough really, I mean, really believe that Morris is an All-Star-caliber player, or is he just trying to build the perception around what Morris is in the league? Well, regardless of my opinion of Morris as a player, he took full advantage of the extra possessions available in Friday's game with Dragic and Thomas no longer on the team. Morris put up a team-high 31 points to go with four rebounds, two assists, one steal, two blocks, and one three-pointer in 37 minutes. He took 21 shots and went to the free-throw line seven times. If the team wants Morris to try and be their Goodwill version of Carmelo Anthony, it appears he's willing to play bigger minutes and take more shots.
Center
Alex Len, PHX, $4,400: With Miles Plumlee traded to the Bucks and Dragic and Thomas out of town as well, there are more minutes available to Len, and it appears team might be willing to let him play as many as he can stay on the floor for. In Friday's return to action against the Timberwolves, Len put up 11 points, 10 rebounds, and six blocks in 35 minutes to post 35 FD points. He'll be matching up against a more formidable frontcourt Saturday versus the Bulls, but Len's upside at his salary is something I have to get into at least a couple lineups.
