Monday's NBA Value Rankings
Here are theScore's value rankings for Monday, April 25:
Point Guard
| Name | Opponent | Value |
|---|---|---|
| Chris Paul (LAC) | at POR | 8 |
| Russell Westbrook (OKC) | vs. DAL | 7 |
| Goran Dragic (MIA) | at CHA | 5 |
| J.J. Barea (DAL) | at OKC | 5 |
| Damian Lillard (POR) | vs. LAC | 5 |
| Kemba Walker (CHA) | vs. MIA | 4 |
| Jeremy Lin (CHA) | vs. MIA | 4 |
Paul is the top cash-game option as his salary falls below that of Westbrook, and he has scored at least 25 points in each game thus far.
Barea will take over the starting point guard position in Dallas, but he is dealing with a groin injury of his own. Use him in tournament play thanks to his mid-tier salary and likelihood of playing around 30 minutes.
Walker and Lillard have both been subdued through three games of action. Though Lillard had an impressive 32 points in Game 3, he only posted 21 and 17 in Games 1 and 2, respectively. Walker failed to top 20 points in Games 1 and 3 himself.
Shooting Guard
| Name | Opponent | Value |
|---|---|---|
| Raymond Felton (DAL) | at OKC | 9 |
| Wesley Matthews (DAL) | at OKC | 7 |
| Dion Waiters (OKC) | vs. DAL | 7 |
| Josh Richardson (MIA) | at CHA | 7 |
| C.J. McCollum (POR) | vs. LAC | 6 |
| Andre Roberson (OKC) | vs. DAL | 6 |
| Nicolas Batum (CHA) | vs. MIA | 6 |
| Jamal Crawford (LAC) | at POR | 5 |
| Dwyane Wade (MIA) | at CHA | 5 |
| Courtney Lee (CHA) | vs. MIA | 4 |
| J.J. Redick (LAC) | at POR | 4 |
| Gerald Henderson (POR) | vs. LAC | 4 |
| Austin Rivers (LAC) | at POR | 3 |
| Allen Crabbe (POR) | vs. LAC | 2 |
Felton is easily the best value play at shooting guard and possibly the entire slate Monday. He has played at least 35 minutes in each game, which has helped him return immense value on every occasion.
Richardson and Waiters are solid tournament plays, thanks to their cheap salaries. Waiters gets a slightly higher edge by virtue of going 11-for-16 from the floor over his past two games. That hot streak should cool going forward, but he is worth rolling the dice on one more time in hopes of another strong game.
Batum may return for Game 4 after noting an improvement in the condition of his left ankle. However, his volatile production and injury issue is a risky combination.
Small Forward
| Name | Opponent | Value |
|---|---|---|
| Luol Deng (MIA) | at CHA | 6 |
| Kevin Durant (OKC) | vs. DAL | 5 |
| Justin Anderson (DAL) | at OKC | 5 |
| Al-Farouq Aminu (POR) | vs. LAC | 5 |
| Maurice Harkless (POR) | vs. LAC | 5 |
| Justise Winslow (MIA) | at CHA | 4 |
| Jeff Green (LAC) | at POR | 5 |
| Joe Johnson (MIA) | at CHA | 3 |
| Wesley Johnson (LAC) | at POR | 2 |
Small forward is a dreary bunch which DFS players will unfortunately have to choose from. None of the options have preformed spectacularly well and there aren't too many reserves getting big minutes. DFS players should spend up on Deng or Durant.
Deng is a suitable cash-game option, thanks to his consistent scoring and rebounding abilities. He's averaging 22 points and seven rebounds through the first three games.
Durant's poor shooting has been well documented up until now, but a player of his quality will break out to some degree. His salary demands around 30 points and 10 rebounds to truly return value.
Power Forward
| Name | Opponent | Value |
|---|---|---|
| Dirk Nowitzki (DAL) | at OKC | 7 |
| Serge Ibaka (OKC) | vs. DAL | 6 |
| Marvin Williams (CHA) | vs. MIA | 6 |
| Ed Davis (POR) | vs. LAC | 5 |
| Blake Griffin (LAC) | at POR | 5 |
| David Lee (DAL) | at OKC | 4 |
| Luc Richard Mbah a Moute (LAC) | at POR | 3 |
It is slim pickings once again at power forward. The most reliable options are Nowitzki and Ibaka, while Williams and Davis represent volatile plays who have shown flashes of upside.
For cash-game formats, there are really only two options worth considering: Nowitzki and Ibaka. Both have been solid through three games with Dirk posting 27 points and eight rebounds in Game 3.
Williams posted one of his occasional double-doubles Saturday with 12 points and 14 assists. It was his first of the postseason while he had 10 double-doubles in the regular season. A repeat performance may be tough to ask for, but it is worth consideration in tournament formats.
Center
| Name | Opponent | Value |
|---|---|---|
| Mason Plumlee (POR) | vs. LAC | 8 |
| Frank Kaminsky (CHA) | vs. MIA | 7 |
| Enes Kanter (OKC) | vs. DAL | 7 |
| DeAndre Jordan (LAC) | at POR | 6 |
| Hassan Whiteside (MIA) | at CHA | 6 |
| Al Jefferson (CHA) | vs. MIA | 6 |
| Cole Aldrich (LAC) | at POR | 6 |
| Steven Adams (OKC) | vs. DAL | 6 |
| Cody Zeller (CHA) | vs. MIA | 5 |
| Zaza Pachulia (DAL) | at OKC | 4 |
Plumlee played over 30 minutes once again in Game 3, grabbing a massive 21 rebounds, dishing out nine assists, and scoring six points. Expect the big man to receive another heavy dosage of minutes after back-to-back strong games. Lock him into cash and tournament games.
If Kaminsky starts once again he should be rolled in tournament lineups. He posted 15 points and six rebounds in 35 minutes of action in Game 3.
Aldrich has been extremely strong in his limited action. He has averaged 7.5 rebounds and 5.5 points in 15 minutes for the past two games. Though the totals aren't mind-boggling, they return a nice amount of value on his cheap salary.