Saturday features a seven-game slate starting at 7 p.m. ET.
Let’s dive into some of the top plays on the slate using the FantasyLabs Tools and metrics.
Also, don’t forget that for large-field tournaments, you can utilize our Lineup Optimizer to effortlessly create up to 150 lineups, or use our Lineup Builder if you like to hand-build your lineups.
Note: Projections and Leverages Scores/Ratings may change throughout the day after this article is posted. The NBA DFS landscape changes quickly. Consult the Player Models directly for any updates as we get closer to lock.
Point Guard
Stud
It only took Lonzo Ball two games to log his first triple-double with the Bulls. He racked up 17 points, 10 rebounds, and 10 assists last night vs. the Pelicans, resulting in 56.0 FanDuel points. Despite the strong performance, his price tag has still decreased by -$800 since the start of the year on FanDuel. He’s priced at just $6,200 for Saturday’s matchup vs. the Pistons, resulting in a Bargain Rating of 91%. He also leads the position with 10 Pro Trends on FanDuel, so there’s plenty to like with Ball in this spot.
Value
De’Anthony Melton started the Grizzlies’ first game of the year and racked up nearly 30.7 minutes. If that’s going to continue, he’s poised for a monster year. He’s always been an elite contributor on a per-minute basis, and he’s currently projected 28.4 minutes in our NBA Models. Historically, Melton has averaged a Plus/Minus of +6.19 with a comparable salary and minute projection on DraftKings (per the Trends tool). He’s one of the best values on the slate.
Fast Break
Jrue Holiday missed the Bucks’ last game with a heel contusion, but he’s probable to suit up Saturday vs. the Spurs. As long as he’s active, he’s an excellent target at $6,500 on DraftKings given his Bargain Rating of 95%. Holiday has averaged a Plus/Minus of +5.32 in 19 previous games with a comparable salary as a member of the Bucks.
Kyle Lowry is arguably the best pure value at the position on FanDuel. He’s questionable with an ankle injury, but his $6,800 price tag comes with a Bargain Rating of 95%. He also owns a favorable matchup vs. the Pacers, who have played minimal defense to start the year.
Shooting Guard
Stud
The Timberwolves own the top implied team total on the slate at 117.75 points, which makes them a preferred team to target vs. the Pelicans. D’Angelo Russell stands out as one of their top options, particularly on FanDuel given his Bargain Rating of $7,600. He was extremely involved in their first game of the year, posting a usage rate of 36.9% and finishing with 22 points and seven assists over 24.7 minutes. He ultimately racked up 39.1 FanDuel points, and he could have had an even bigger performance if the game didn’t turn into a blowout. Russell should see more minutes on Saturday if this game is more competitive.
Value
Chris Duarte has been fantastic to start his NBA career. He’s finished with at least 30.0 DraftKings points in back-to-back games, and he’s displayed some elite 3-point shooting. He was priced at $6,000 on yesterday’s slate, but his price has plummeted to just $3,900 for Saturday’s matchup vs. the Wizards. I’m not sure why his price has been so volatile to start the year, but I am sure that $3,900 is not an accurate reflection of his skill set or his current role on the Pacers.
Fast Break
Alex Caruso is another possible value option at shooting guard. He’s played at least 27.1 minutes in each of his first two games, and Caruso has historically averaged a Plus/Minus of +2.69 with a comparable salary and minute projection on DraftKings.
The Pelicans have not been competitive to start the season, which isn’t all that surprising with Zion Williamson out of the lineup. However, Nickeil Alexander-Walker has been a bright spot. He’s finished with at least 35.5 FanDuel points in each of their first two games, and he’s logged at least 32.3 minutes in both contests. NAW averaged 0.98 FanDuel points per minute last year, so he should continue to produce with that much playing time.
Small Forward
Stud
Sticking with the Pelicans, Brandon Ingram should serve as their offensive focal point for as long as Williamson is sidelined. He averaged 1.25 DraftKings points per minute with Zion off the court last year, and he’s scored at least 43.25 DraftKings points in each of his first two games this season. He’s also posted a usage rate of 33.0% through his first two games, which would shatter his previous career-high of 28.1%. That will likely regress when Williamson is healthy, but it goes to show the type of upside he provides at the moment. He’s an excellent option at his current price tag across the industry.
Value
The Bucks got their doors blown off by the Heat in their last matchup, but that shouldn’t happen Saturday vs. the Spurs. They’re currently listed as seven-point road favorites, and they own the third-highest implied team total on the slate.
They have a pair of interesting value options at small forward in Grayson Allen and Jordan Nwora. Allen is the better bet for minutes – he’s currently projected for around 34 in our NBA Models – but Nwora is the better per-minute contributor. He averaged 1.13 DraftKings points per minute as a rookie, and he’s scored at least 20.75 DraftKings points in each of his first two games.
Fast Break
Desmond Bane is another potential source of value on DraftKings. He’s priced at just $3,300, resulting in a Bargain Rating of 98%, and he was a massive factor in the Grizzlies’ rotation on opening night. He racked up 29.7 minutes, and more surprisingly, and posted a usage rate of 29.2%. If Bane is going to carry that kind of usage moving forward, he has monster upside at his current salary.
Tyler Herro dominated as a 19-year-old during the 2019 NBA playoffs, but he took a step back last season. However, he put together a monster preseason, and he followed that up with an impressive regular-season debut vs. the Bucks. He racked up 39.7 FanDuel points over 24.2 minutes, and he posted a usage rate of 35.8%. He’s underpriced on FanDuel, especially if Lowry is ruled out.
Power Forward
Stud
The Bucks pulled the plug early on Giannis Antetokounmpo in their last game, so he should be ready to roll vs. the Spurs. Giannis has been as impressive as ever to start the year, averaging a stout 1.92 DraftKings points per minute through the first two games. He owns an Opponent Plus/Minus of +2.49 vs. the Spurs, and he leads all players in median and ceiling projection on Saturday’s slate. He’s the top stud in basketball at the moment, so paying up for him is almost never a bad idea.
Value
Keldon Johnson is going to be one of the offensive focal points for the rebuilding Spurs this season, and he put his talent on display in their last outing. He finished with 40.5 DraftKings points over 37.4 minutes, and he shot 12-18 from the field. He’s likely due for some shooting regression vs. the Bucks, but he can afford it at just $4,900 on DraftKings.
Fast Break
There wasn’t much to like about the Mavericks’ offense in their first game. They relied heavily on midrange jumpers, and needless to say, things didn’t go well:
The Mavs’ “more midrange!” strategy didn’t quite pay dividends in Jason Kidd’s opener as head coach. pic.twitter.com/X8Yj2VumTI
— Tim MacMahon (@espn_macmahon) October 22, 2021
Still, it’s hard not to like Kristaps Porzingis at just $6,800 on FanDuel. He looked healthy during the preseason, and the team tried to get him involved in their first game of the year. He posted a usage rate of 26.2%, but he shot just 4-13 from the field. He’s a nice buy-low option on Saturday.
Center is one of the strongest positions on today’s slate, so the fact that you can play Bam Adebayo at power forward on FanDuel is very appealing. He owns a fantastic matchup vs. the Pacers, resulting in an Opponent Plus/Minus of +4.08, and he racked up 37.1 FanDuel points in just 23.2 minutes in his first game of the year.
Center
Stud
Nikola Vucevic let down a lot of people yesterday, but I’m not ready to give up on him. He’s been plagued by some poor shooting numbers to start the year, making just 11 of 32 shots from the field, so he’s due for some improvement in that department moving forward. He owns an Opponent Plus/Minus of +3.28 vs. the Pistons, so perhaps that will start on Saturday’s slate. He leads the position with 12 Pro Trends on FanDuel and eight Pro Trends on DraftKings.
Value
Jakob Poeltl has been priced down to just $4,900 on DraftKings, resulting in a Bargain Rating of 98%. That’s a very appealing price tag for the Spurs’ big man. He’s historically played in 20 games with a comparable salary and minute projection, and he’s posted an average Plus/Minus of +4.36 in those contests.
Fast Break
Jonas Valanciunas has posted a positive Plus/Minus in each of his first two games on FanDuel, but he has the potential for so much more moving forward. He couldn’t hit water if he fell out of a boat in his first game, making just three of 19 shots from the field. His efficiency was much better in his second outing, but his volume plummeted. If he can put those two together, he has a ceiling of 50+ fantasy points. That’s extremely appealing at just $6,300 on FanDuel.
Karl-Anthony Towns is back. Last year was a lost season for Towns, but he’s one of the best fantasy producers in the league when healthy. He racked up 55.0 DraftKings points in less than 29.5 minutes in his first game this season, and he’s in a nice spot on Saturday vs. the Pelicans. His ownership will likely be minimal, so he’s an excellent GPP pivot off some of the chalkier options at the position.
