Cheap minutes are the whole game
Salaries are set before the news. On Nov 4, Deandre Ayton at $3,300 projected 21.8 (6.6x value), Nolan Traore at $4,700 projected 27.2 (5.8x) and Kyshawn George at $5,500 projected 30.5 (5.5x). Those are the players who pay for the studs.
Value is a starting point, not a verdict. The range tells you how safe the value is, and ownership tells you how many others found it too: Traore was the slate's most popular projected play at about 30%.
Questions
How is NBA DFS value calculated?
Projected fantasy points divided by salary in thousands. A $5,000 player projected for 30 points is 6.0x value.
What's a good value in NBA DFS?
It depends on the slate. About 5 points per $1K is an old rule of thumb; on big slates the cheap players that make a lineup fit are often projected well above it.
Are value plays risky?
Often. Cheap players can have wide ranges and depend on minutes from news. Check the p10–p90 range before you lock one in.