Bargain Plays - The Easter Babbitt Came Early

Here are the best sleeper plays for Thursday, March 24:

SF/PF Luke Babbitt, Pelicans (at Pacers)

With Anthony Davis shut down for the season, Babbitt is now (comically) the Pelicans' starting PF. Since he was a minimum-priced player in DFS last week, even a recent string of stronger appearances hasn't lifted his salary to an untenable level quite yet.

In his last three starts, Babbitt has averaged 17.7 points and seven rebounds in 34 minutes per game. Considering his three highest minute totals on the season have come in the last six games, it's a safe bet that Babbitt will continue to see enough floor time to stumble into a bunch production.

Even with a price that is steadily rising, and against a Pacers defense that is better than average, Babbitt is a perfect fit for cash games and could flirt with tournament-level value.

PG Shane Larkin, Nets (vs. Cavaliers)

Larkin's price is starting to get blisters from scraping the salary floor. But just when you think his season outlook has bottomed out, he turns in a stat line that would've played well in tournament formats: seven points, five assists, three rebounds, and one steal against Charlotte on Tuesday.

If next year's Nets team bears any close resemblance to this year's middling squad, that would have to be considered a loss for the franchise. With that in mind, it's unclear why the team has decided to inject Larkin back into the starting lineup against the Cavaliers on Thursday.

While Larkin's time in Brooklyn might not be long for this world, there is no sweeter music than hearing that a minimum-priced player will see such a drastic change in role overnight. Any boxscore approaching 10 points, five assists and a handful of peripheral stats would mean instant tournament appeal.

C Steven Adams, Thunder (vs. Jazz)

Adams has recorded three tournament-level stat lines and one cash-game stat line in his last nine outings, but his price still took a major hit on Thursday ahead of a tough matchup with Utah.

The falling salary will give Adams a better chance of returning cash-game value, as he did the last time he took on the Jazz. If the New Zealander is able to replicate statistical production similar to his past five starts, he will be worth every penny.

Center is an awkward position to fill, as most formats only allow one per lineup (or two, if a utility slot is used). The higher-end options like DeAndre Jordan, Pau Gasol and the Lopez brothers will be trendy picks, but are not locks to return value. Adams just needs to score 10 or more points and grab five or more rebounds and he'll be found money to his DFS backers.