Friday features a 12-game 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
Just one day after a one-game slate, the NBA is offering up 12 games on Friday. I’m not sure who is in charge of making the schedule, but I don’t like them.
We’re going to have an abundance of options to choose from at each position, and point guard is no exception. There are plenty of strong options to highlight at the top, but Darius Garland stands out as my favorite at $8,500 on DraftKings. Garland has been asked to do everything for the Cavaliers this season, and for the most part, he’s delivered. He’s increased his production to 1.28 DraftKings points per minute over the past month, and he’s played at least 37.2 minutes in four of his past five games. His price has also decreased by -$500 following his last outing, so this is an excellent buy-low opportunity.
Value
The Jazz are going to be one of the most popular sources of value on Friday. Donovan Mitchell and Bojan Bogdanovic are both out of the lineup, which opens up a ton of usage for the rest of the roster.
Mike Conley stands out as one potential option. He’s had a down year by his standards, but he has averaged 0.98 DraftKings points per minute with Mitchell and Bogdanovic off the court. He’s scored at least 30.75 DraftKings points in three straight games, and he should be able to crack that threshold again vs. the Clippers.
Fast Break
It has been a massively disappointing year for Russell Westbrook and the Lakers, but he’s impossible to ignore at $6,800 on FanDuel. That’s basically as cheap as he’s been all season, and it results in a Bargain Rating of 98%. Even though Westbrook clearly isn’t the same player he used to be, he’s still capable of paying off that price tag.
The game between the Pacers and Rockets stands out as the best of the day from a fantasy perspective. The total currently sits at 241.5 points, and the Pacers are just four-point home favorites. That suggests a high-scoring contest with plenty of value on both sides.
Kevin Porter Jr. is coming off 47.0 DraftKings points in his last outing, and he owns an elite Opponent Plus/Minus. He’s a great way to get exposure to this game at a reasonable salary.
Shooting Guard
Stud
Fred VanVleet has struggled recently, posting a negative Plus/Minus in four straight games. That’s caused his salary to dip to just $7,600 on DraftKings in an outstanding matchup vs. the Lakers. They rank seventh in pace and 27th in defensive efficiency over their past 10 games, so the Raptors have significant scoring upside. VanVleet routinely carries one of the largest workloads in basketball and is currently projected for 37 minutes in our NBA Models.
Value
The Jazz have two potential shooting guard options worth consideration. Jordan Clarkson is the usual suspect. He’s always in consideration when the Jazz are shorthanded, and he’s seen a +3.5% usage bump with Mitchell and Bogdanovic off the floor this season. He’s averaged 1.02 DraftKings points per minute in that situation, and he’s averaged 31.73 DraftKings points in 10 games without Mitchell.
Nickeil Alexander-Walker is the more under-the-radar option. He was acquired by the Jazz before the trade deadline, and he’s averaged 0.95 DraftKings points per minute in limited playing time. He should see a spike in playing time on Friday, and he doesn’t need much playing time to pay off his $3,100 salary. Overall, he has the potential to be one of the best pure values on the slate.
Fast Break
Don’t forget about Devin Booker on Friday. He should continue to benefit from the absence of Chris Paul, and he’s averaged 1.47 DraftKings points per minute over the past month. He’s posted an average Plus/Minus of +5.01 over his past 10 games on DraftKings, and he’s scored at least 50.0 DraftKings points in five of his past six games.
Luka Doncic has SG eligibility on FanDuel, where he’s a more viable option. His $10,600 salary comes with a Bargain Rating of 91%, and he leads the position with 11 Pro Trends. Doncic also has one of the highest ceilings on the slate and is coming off 66.3 FanDuel points in his last outing.
Small Forward
Stud
R.J. Barrett has officially entered stud territory for the shorthanded Knicks. He’s increased his production to 1.10 DraftKings points per minute over the past month, and he’s carrying one of the largest playing time workloads in basketball. He’s played at least 39.7 minutes in three straight games, and he has a solid matchup Friday vs. the Wizards. They rank just 28th in defensive efficiency over their past 10 games.
Value
On the other side of that matchup, Deni Avdija stands out as a nice value for the Wizards. He’s dirt cheap at $3,300 on DraftKings, resulting in a Bargain Rating of 86%, and he’s seen more playing time of late. He’s logged at least 28.2 minutes in back-to-back games, and he’s scored at least 24.5 DraftKings points in both contests. Avdija is probably due for some regression – he’s averaged just 0.82 DraftKings points per minute this season – but he can survive some regression at just $3,300.
Fast Break
The Celtics have a strong matchup vs. the Kings, who rank 28th in defensive efficiency for the year. That makes Jaylen Brown an interesting buy-low option. He’s down to $7,500 on FanDuel, and Brown has historically averaged a Plus/Minus of +1.43 with a comparable salary (per the Trends tool).
Will Barton is another strong buy-low option on FanDuel. He’s struggled of late, but he continues to see plenty of playing time for the Nuggets. He’s projected for 32 minutes in our NBA Models, and he’s averaged 0.89 FanDuel points per minute this season.
Power Forward
Stud
Friday’s slate is loaded with studs, but Kevin Durant might be the top option on the slate. He’s carrying a massive workload for the Nets at the moment, and he’s going to benefit from the absence of Kyrie Irving. Durant has seen a +4.8% usage bump with Irving and James Harden off the floor this season, resulting in an average of 1.51 DraftKings points per minute.
Durant also benefits from an elite matchup vs. the Blazers. They’ve been a disaster defensively this season, and the Nets’ implied team total of 121.25 is tied for the second-highest mark on the slate. There is some blowout concern – the Nets are listed as 14.5-point favorites – but Durant has ridiculous upside if this game stays competitive.
Value
The top implied team total of the day belongs to the Pacers, who have the potential to be thin in the frontcourt. Isaiah Jackson has already been ruled out, while Goga Bitadze is questionable after missing the past two games.
That makes Jalen Smith an excellent option. He’s seen plenty of minutes of late, and he’s averaged 1.09 DraftKings points per minute this season. If Bitadze is ruled out, Smith could see more than 30 minutes in a dream matchup vs. the Rockets.
Fast Break
The Hawks are another important team to monitor on Friday. Trae Young is currently questionable, and if he’s out, it’s going to open up a ton of shot attempts in a massive pace-up spot vs. the Grizzlies. John Collins also remains out of the lineup, and Danilo Gallinari has averaged 0.99 DraftKings points per minute with both players off the court. That would make Gallo underpriced across the industry.
Domantas Sabonis is down to just $8,100 on FanDuel, which is a crazy-low price tag for him. It results in a Bargain Rating of 91%, and Sabonis has averaged a Plus/Minus of +4.72 with a comparable salary since the start of the 2019-20 season. He also leads the position with 13 Pro Trends and should attract minimal ownership.
Center
Stud
Nikola Jokic has gotten so good at basketball that he’s borderline unfair. He was breathtaking in his last outing, racking up 29 points, 13 rebounds, eight assists, two steals, and one block in just 26.3 minutes. The result was 64.25 DraftKings points, good for an average of 2.44 DraftKings points per minute.
Jokic hasn’t shown us a true ceiling game in a while, but he’s dealt with a combination of blowouts and tough matchups. He’ll face another tough matchup Friday vs. the Cavaliers, but Jokic is as matchup-proof as it gets.
Value
Bitadze stands out as one of the best values of the day on DraftKings if he’s able to suit up. He’s been priced down to just $3,400, resulting in a Bargain Rating of 99%. Bitadze has also averaged a stout 1.40 DraftKings points per minute over the past month, so he can pay off his current salary with his eyes closed. Add in the matchup vs. the Rockets and it’s hard to avoid him if he returns to action.
Fast Break
Robert Williams has seen a price decrease of -$1,300 over the past month on FanDuel, but he’s actually seen a slight bump in his per-minute productivity over that time frame. He’s coming off just 23.6 minutes in his last outing, but he’s projected for 34 minutes in our NBA Models. He’s an elite bounce-back target.
If Bitadze is out, Nicolas Claxton becomes the preferred value option at the position. He’s priced identically at $3,400, and he’s racked up at least 22.25 DraftKings points in four straight games. He’s played at least 21.4 minutes in each of those contests, and he should see a similar workload vs. the Blazers.
