Friday features a 10-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
Friday’s slate is going to be absolutely wild. We have a ton of value options already, and things could get even crazier near lock. That means this is going to be a stars-and-scrubs slate.
At point guard, Luka Doncic is certainly a viable stud option. He’s coming off back-to-back games with at least 73.75 DKFP, and he’s increased his production to 1.65 DKFP per minute over the past month. He also draws a nice matchup vs. the Wizards, who rank just 25th in defensive efficiency this season.
Value
The Grizzlies are going to be a massive source of value on Friday. Ja Morant remains out of the lineup, while Jaren Jackson Jr., Tyus Jones, Desmond Bane, and Steven Adams are all doubtful. That leaves them without virtually their entire starting unit.
De’Anthony Melton will likely take over as the starting point guard, and he has elite upside in that role. He’s averaged a stout 1.15 DraftKings points per minute over the past month, and he’s currently projected for 32 minutes in our NBA Models. It’s hard to beat that combination at just $5,200, and Melton has historically averaged a Plus/Minus of +6.29 with a comparable minute projection (per the Trends tool).
Fast Break
The Thunder are another elite source of value on Friday. They’re only expected to have eight active players, one of which is Theo Maledon. He’s been fantastic recently, scoring at least 32.0 DraftKings points in four straight games. He’s averaged 1.00 DraftKings points per minute over the past month, so there’s no reason to avoid him in a strong matchup vs. the Pistons.
The Spurs lead Friday’s slate with an implied team total of 123.0 points, and they’re suddenly in contention for the play-in tournament. They should be able to dispatch the Blazers pretty easily, and Dejounte Murray has outstanding upside in that matchup. His 10 Pro Trends are tied for the most at the position on FanDuel, where he owns a 91% Bargain Rating.
Shooting Guard
Stud
Friday’s game between the Timberwolves and Nuggets owns the top total on the slate at 242.5 points, and it’s hard to ignore D’Angelo Russell at just $5,400 on FanDuel. His production has been a bit down recently, but he’s still averaged 1.07 FanDuel points per minute for the year. He’s projected for 32 minutes in our NBA Models, so he’s an outstanding buy-low option.
Value
Jarrett Culver is another potential option for the Grizzlies. He’s priced at the absolute minimum on DraftKings, but he should see a solid handful of minutes vs. the Suns. He’s averaged 0.91 DraftKings points per minute this season, so he doesn’t need a ton of playing time to potentially pay off his salary.
Fast Break
Vit Krejci has been overshadowed a bit by Maledon, but he’s been an outstanding value in his own right. He’s posted a Plus/Minus of at least +6.91 in five of his past six games on DraftKings, and he’s coming off a season-high 35.1 minutes in his last outing. He remains very affordable across the industry, so he’s another nice source of value.
The Bucks are another team that will be shorthanded on Friday, with Giannis Antetokounmpo, Khris Middleton, Jrue Holiday, and Brook Lopez all getting the night off. That’s going to open up a ton of usage for the rest of the roster. Grayson Allen is someone who should see a significant boost in value, and he’s priced at just over the minimum at $3,600 on FanDuel.
Small Forward
Stud
LeBron James is “hopeful” to return Friday vs. the Pelicans, and the Lakers need him to suit up in the worst way. They’re now outside of the play-in tournament, and they have a brutal remaining schedule. They need to get a win at home in the worst way, so don’t expect LeBron to be eased into action. He’s currently projected for 37 minutes in our NBA Models, and I would probably take the over on that number.
LeBron is also a bit cheaper than usual at $10,900 on DraftKings. He was priced closer to $12,000 at his peak, and he’s increased his production to 1.55 DraftKings points per minute over the past month. This matchup between the Lakers and Pelicans is also expected to be high-scoring, owning the fourth-highest total on the slate.
Value
The Pistons are expected to be without Marvin Bagley on Friday, which opens the door for Isaiah Livers to see a few additional minutes. Livers hasn’t been the best per-minute producer this season, but he’s hard to ignore at the absolute minimum. He’s currently projected for 25 minutes in our NBA Models, and min-priced players have historically averaged a Plus/Minus of +3.50 with a comparable minute projection.
Fast Break
Jordan Nwora is another min-priced option on DraftKings, and he could move into the starting lineup on Friday. He’s struggled to crack the rotation this season, but he’s thrived when given the opportunity to play. He’s logged at least 25 minutes in 19 career games, and he’s averaged 30.13 DraftKings points in those contests.
As if there wasn’t enough value already, the Clippers are another team with plenty of shots and minutes available. Paul George, Reggie Jackson, Marcus Morris, and Nicolas Batum have all been ruled out, opening up plenty of value on the wing. Luke Kennard is someone who has already seen plenty of minutes recently, and he should play even more on Friday. He’s also seen a team-high +4.9% usage bump with all of the unavailable Clippers off the court, resulting in an average of 1.01 DraftKings points per minute.
Power Forward
Stud
Power forward becomes a lot less appealing as a pay-up spot with Giannis out of the lineup. As crazy as it sounds, Aleksej Pokusevski might be the best remaining option. Poku has been fantastic for the Thunder recently, averaging 1.04 DraftKings points per minute over the past month, and he’s scored at least 29.0 DraftKings points in seven straight games. There’s no reason he can’t pay off his $7,000 price tag once again in a juicy matchup vs. the Pistons.
Value
On the other side of that matchup, it’s going to be very tough to avoid Kelly Olynyk if Bagley is ruled out. Olynyk has seen limited minutes for most of the year, but he remains extremely effective on a per-minute basis. He’s averaged 1.13 DraftKings points per minute this season, and his playing time should go way up with Bagley joining Jerami Grant on the sidelines. He’s currently projected for 29 minutes in our NBA Models, and he should crush his $3,700 price tag with that many minutes.
Fast Break
The Grizzlies’ frontcourt is another extremely fertile source of fantasy value on Friday. Brandon Clarke and Kyle Anderson should both see a boost in playing time with Jackson and Adams not expected to play, and both players are excellent per-minute producers. Clarke gets the slight edge in our projections, but both players are viable.
Alperen Sengun is questionable on Friday, and it would not be shocking if he sits for the second straight game. The Rockets have nothing to play for except lottery position. However, he has plenty of appeal if he is in the lineup. He’s been a fantastic per-minute producer this season, and he could approach 30 minutes with Christian Wood out of the lineup.
Center
Stud
With Giannis now out of the picture, paying up for Nikola Jokic becomes even more appealing than usual. Jokic has been on fire recently, scoring at least 70.0 DraftKings points in three straight games. Overall, he’s averaged an absurd 1.88 DraftKings points per minute over the past month, and he should be able to put together another massive performance vs. the Timberwolves. They’ve played at the fastest pace in the league this season, and they rank merely 20th in defensive efficiency over their past 10 games.
Value
Bobby Portis has not been ruled out for the Bucks on Friday – at least not yet – so he figures to be one of the biggest beneficiaries of their current roster situation. Portis should see a few additional minutes with Lopez out of the lineup, and he should benefit from a usage perspective with Giannis, Middleton, and Holiday sidelined. He’s increased his usage rate by +5.7% with all four players off the floor this season, resulting in an average of 1.10 DraftKings points per minute.
Fast Break
Xavier Tillman is another potential option for the Grizzlies. He’s the cheapest option in their frontcourt at just $3,100 on DraftKings, resulting in a Bargain Rating of 95%. He’s also increased his production to 1.07 DraftKings points per minute over the past month, and he has the potential to see upwards of 30 minutes vs. the Suns.
Anthony Davis is also expected to return to the lineup on Friday, and like LeBron, the Lakers have no choice but to throw him straight into the fire. He likely won’t see as many minutes as James, but he’s still projected for 30 minutes in our NBA Models. That’s enough to make him a viable target at $7,600 on FanDuel.
