DFS: Basic NBA Strategy - Finding Value Beyond Points

If you can put together a daily fantasy basketball lineup featuring multiple 20-point scorers, your chances of success are high.

But winning tournaments requires far more than rostering guys who fill the net - and the better you are at identifying alternative point sources, the better your odds of being at the top of the leaderboard at the final horn.

Here’s a breakdown of three star players, along with their 2014-15 regular-season stats:

Klay Thompson (GS): 21.7 PPG, 2.6 3PG, 3.2 RPG, 2.9 APG, 0.8 BPG, 1.1 SPG, 1.9 TPG

Pau Gasol (CHI): 18.5 PPG, 0.1 3PG, 11.8 RPG, 2.7 APG, 1.9 BPG, 0.3 SPG, 2.0 TPG

John Wall (WAS): 17.6 PPG, 0.8 3PG, 4.6 RPG, 10.0 APG, 0.6 BPG, 1.7 SPG, 3.8 TPG

If we use standard scoring from one of the major DFS sites - 1 point for every point scored, an additional .5 for every 3-pointer made, 1.25 points per rebound, 1.5 points per assists, 2 points per steal or block and -1 points per turnover - we determine that Gasol is actually the most valuable player in average scoring, with Wall second and Thompson third:

Gasol: 39.8 PPG

Wall: 39.05 PPG

Thompson: 33.25 PPG

Simply put: if you’re focusing all of your attention on points per game, you’re doing it wrong.

Here’s a look at the other counting stats, along with their relative significance:

3-pointers: The half-point gained for a made 3-pointer on some sites may not seem like much, but it does make a difference in tight contests. And with today’s NBA geared toward long-range shots like never before, it’s critical to avoid choosing too many players who can’t connect from outside.

Rebounds: This is one of the two best ways to gain extra DFS points. Players who record double-digit rebounds on a regular basis are supremely valuable in daily fantasy - particularly in cases where players are awarded bonus points for double-doubles.

Assists: This is the other way to gain major points without relying just on scorers. Assists are worth even more than rebounds, though they’re also harder to find; 10 players averaged 10 or more rebounds in 2014-15, while just two - Wall and Chris Paul - broke the 10-assist mark.

Steals: An extra two points per steal is a nice bonus - but buyer beware. Steals are extremely hard to predict, even among players who lead the league. DFS participants should avoid chasing steals, except when using them as a possible tiebreaker between similar players.

Blocks: Despite being slightly easier to predict than steals, blocks are also a tricky category to accurately project. A handful of players may be good for two blocks or more per game, but those blocks often come in spurts - five or six in one game, followed by a stretch of zeroes.

So how should you go about tracking down secondary DFS scoring? Like this:

1) Chase the rebounds. Regardless of whether you’re building a tournament or a cash lineup, you should be seeking out rebounds at every position on your roster. Look for players who are above-average rebounders at their position, and use whatever utility spots you may have at your disposal on players who rack up the boards. Always lean heavily on rebounders.

2) Assists without turnovers: Of the 13 players who averaged at least 6.6 assists last season, eight of them also averaged more than three turnovers. Unlike rebounding, which is relatively risk free from a statistical perspective, guys who rack up assists also accumulate more turnovers - and those can mean the difference between big paydays and small cashouts.

3) Threes, please: The 3-pointer can make for a very effective tiebreaker when deciding between players at similar salaries. With 40 players hitting at least 120 3-pointers last season, you’ll always have plenty of firepower at your disposal if you decide to pay for it. And if you need to save money, seek out bench players who shoot well from long range.

4) Buyer beware: Chasing steals and blocks is a dangerous tactic, and should almost always be ignored. They’re the most unpredictable of the counting stats, and don’t occur nearly often enough to make a measurable impact on the final result. If you must pursue steals and blocks, favor players who are good at both - and make sure they contribute in other ways, as well.