Saturday features a 10-game main slate starting at 7 p.m. ET.
Let’s dive into some of the top plays 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
Dejounte Murray has put together an incredible fantasy season. He’s averaged 19.8 points, 8.4 rebounds, and 9.3 assists per game, and he was rewarded with the first All-Star berth of his career.
He has a chance to post even stronger numbers moving forward. The Spurs traded away Derrick White before the All-Star break, and Murray has averaged 56.08 DraftKings points in six games without White this season. He went off for 80.0 DraftKings points without White in his last outing.
Murray also gets a solid matchup vs. the Pelicans, who rank 19th in defensive efficiency. The total on this game sits at 229.0 points, which is the second-highest mark on the slate.
Value
The Nuggets were without Monte Morris on Friday, and his status for Saturday’s matchup vs. the Raptors is yet to be determined. If he’s ruled out once again, it will be very tough to avoid Facundo Campazzo at the absolute minimum. He played 29.5 minutes on Friday and responded with 28.0 DraftKings points, and he’s averaged 0.84 DraftKings points per minute for the year.
Fast Break
Nah’Shon Hyland is another potential option for the Nuggets. He drew the first start of his career in their last game, but he finished with a disappointing 13.0 DraftKings points over 18 minutes. Still, Hyland has averaged 1.06 DraftKings points per minute over the past month, so he can rack up fantasy points quickly. He’s also currently projected for 24 minutes in our NBA Models, so he’s expected to see a bit more playing time vs. the Raptors.
Kyle Lowry continues to stand out as massively underpriced on FanDuel. His $5,900 price tag comes with a Bargain Rating of 95%, and Lowry exploded for 52.7 FanDuel points in his last game. Overall, Lowry has historically averaged a Plus/Minus of +7.57 with a comparable price tag (per the Trends tool).
Shooting Guard
Stud
The Hornets have been playing extremely shorthanded of late, and they could be thin once again Saturday vs. the Grizzlies. The starters have been logging heavy minutes given the absences of Gordon Hayward, Jalen McDaniels, and Cody Martin, and Terry Rozier should be looking at another sizable workload in this contest. He’s coming off a monster performance in his last outing, racking up 66.5 DraftKings points over 36.6 minutes, and he’s averaged 1.05 DraftKings points per minute over the past month.
This also stands out as the clear top game on the slate from a fantasy perspective. The total currently sits at 239.0 points, which is the top mark of the day by 10 points. Rozier has massive potential for his salary if he sees another expanded workload in this game environment.
Value
Devin Vassell is another potential option for the Spurs. He’s been a quality fantasy producer in his second season, and he’s averaged 0.94 DraftKings points per minute over the past month. He also moved into the starting lineup in the Spurs’ last game, giving him more playing time potential than usual. He ultimately finished with 28.1 minutes in a blowout win – which he turned into 33.75 DraftKings points – but he has the upside for even more playing time on Saturday. He’s massively underpriced at just $4,000.
Fast Break
Klay Thompson’s minute restriction has been raised to 30 recently, which gives him plenty of upside at $6,600 on DraftKings. He’s scored at least 34.0 DraftKings points in each of his past three games – one of which was in just 23.8 minutes – and he’s averaged 1.19 DraftKings points per minute this season.
Jalen Brunson has posted a positive Plus/Minus in seven of his past nine games on FanDuel, and he remains underpriced at $6,100. It results in a Bargain Rating of 91%, and Brunson is currently projected for 32 minutes in our NBA Models. He’s averaged 0.94 FanDuel points per minute this season, so he’s a good bet to return value once again.
Small Forward
Stud
Small forward doesn’t stand out as a great position to pay up for on Saturday, but Kyle Kuzma is worth some consideration. He’s played some excellent basketball this season, and he’s going to be asked to carry the scoring load for the Wizards vs. the Kings. Not only is Bradley Beal out for the year, but the team traded Spencer Dinwiddie to the Mavericks before the trade deadline. He’s averaged 1.19 DraftKings points per minute over the past month, and it would not be surprising to see him improve on that number moving forward.
The Kings also represent a fantastic matchup. They rank 29th in defensive efficiency, and they’ve played at the eighth-fastest pace this season.
Value
Cameron Johnson is priced at just $3,900 on DraftKings, which is simply too cheap. He’s coming off 34.0 DraftKings points over 26.1 minutes in his last contest, and he’s expected to see a similar workload Saturday vs. the Magic. He’s averaged 0.86 DraftKings points per minute this season, so he doesn’t need much playing time to pay off his current salary.
Fast Break
Miles Bridges’ 12 Pro Trends are tied for the most at the position on FanDuel, where his $7,400 salary comes with a Bargain Rating of 91%. He’s another member of the Hornets playing huge minutes at the moment, and he’s posted a positive Plus/Minus in five straight games. He should be a building block of FanDuel cash game lineups.
Franz Wagner is the other SF with 12 Pro Trends on FanDuel. He’s had an impressive rookie season, and he’s shown the ability to contribute in every category for fantasy purposes. He finished with just nine points in his last outing, but that didn’t stop him from scoring 27.3 FanDuel points.
Power Forward
Stud
Domantas Sabonis had no problem fitting in with his new teammates in Sacramento. He racked up 32.4 minutes, 22 points, 14 rebounds, and five assists in his first game with the Kings, who scored 132 points in a win vs. the Timberwolves. The Kings have played significantly faster than the Pacers this season, so the change of teams has the potential to be great for Sabonis from a fantasy perspective.
Value
Nemanja Bjelica is priced at the absolute minimum on DraftKings, and he’s expected to see just under 20 minutes vs. the Lakers. Bjelica has averaged 1.03 DraftKings points per minute this season, so that should be enough for him to return value. The Lakers have been an excellent matchup this season, ranking fourth in pace and 17th in defensive efficiency, and the Warriors’ implied team total of 115.5 ranks sixth on the slate.
Fast Break
A trade to the Hornets has given Montrezl Harrell a new lease on life. He was stuck in a three-man timeshare with the Wizards, so he has a much clearer path to playing time with his new squad. He racked up 22.1 minutes in his first game with the Hornets, and he responded with 26.7 FanDuel points. He’s historically been an excellent per-minute producer, so he’s underpriced at $4,800.
Speaking of the Wizards, it seems like Deni Avdija is going to get a chance to play more down the stretch. He’s been effective recently, posting a positive Plus/Minus in nine of his past 10 games on DraftKings, and he’s coming off 31.6 minutes in his last outing. Avdija isn’t elite on a per-minute basis, but he’s averaged a respectable 0.81 DraftKings points per minute this season. That makes him underpriced if he’s going to continue to log 30+ minutes.
Center
Stud
We’ve reached a point where Nikola Jokic is now not the most expensive center on DraftKings. Joel Embiid has earned that designation on Saturday, and it’s hard not to prefer Jokic at a slightly cheaper price tag. Jokic has still been better than Embiid over the past month on a per-minute basis – 1.88 DraftKings points per minute vs. 1.86 – but his playing time has been capped recently thanks to a string of blowouts. He’s played more than 30.4 minutes in just two of his past seven games, and he’s scored at least 58.5 DraftKings in the two games where he’s seen full minutes. As soon as his minutes return to normal, he should return to being the most dominant player in fantasy.
Value
Andre Drummond was buried behind Embiid on the 76ers’ depth chart, but he should have a chance to play much more for the Nets. They are lacking quality big men, and Drummond has averaged 1.30 DraftKings points per minute this season. He can conceivably get to 20 minutes or so if he’s active on Saturday, which would make him an excellent option at just $4,500.
Fast Break
Jonas Valanciunas has dipped to just $6,900 on FanDuel, resulting in a Bargain Rating of 91%. He has major upside at that price tag. He’s currently projected for 31 minutes in our NBA Models, and Valanciunas has historically averaged a Plus/Minus of +5.26 with a comparable salary and minute projection. That includes an average Plus/Minus of +6.61 this season.
Embiid is slightly cheaper than Jokic on FanDuel, and he will have to carry a larger workload than usual for the 76ers. James Harden will not make his team debut, and the team is now without Drummond and Seth Curry. Embiid has increased his usage rate by a team-high +4.1% with Curry off the floor this season, resulting in an average of 1.74 FanDuel points per minute.
