On tap for Friday is a six-game slate. The NBA Player Models are the base of our NBA product here at FantasyLabs. They house our projections for each player, but that’s just the beginning of what you’ll find inside. You’ll also find our Trends and On/Off tool, Vegas Dashboard, and so much more.
Let’s dive into our models for NBA DFS going position by position, looking at guys with some of the best projections and players standing out as values with our predictive Projected Plus/Minus metric.
Also, don’t forget that for large-field tournaments, you can utilize our Lineup Optimizer to effortlessly create up to 300 lineups, or use our Lineup Builder if you like to hand-build your teams.
Note: Projections, Ownership projections and Leverage Scores/Ratings may change throughout the day as news comes out after this article is posted. Consult the Player Models directly for any updates.
Try Our New SimLabs Tool!
We’re excited to announce the launch of our new NFL DFS simulations tool! Try SimLabs for FREE while it’s still in beta.
Point Guard
Top Ceiling: Kyrie Irving vs. Memphis Grizzlies – $9,100 DraftKings, $8,300 FanDuel
Irving is a must-play with Luka Doncic (personal) missing his first game of the season tonight. At 34.6%, Doncic ranks second only to Joel Embiid in usage this season, so Doncic’s absence obviously creates a massive void for the Mavs. With the superstar off the court this season, Irving is supplying 1.5 DraftKings PPM, which is attributed to a huge 12.2 percentage point boost to his assist rate, via the On/Off Tool. Plus, in the four starts, Irving made sans Doncic last season, Irving led the Mavs with 45.7 DraftKings PPG.
Dallas presents the third-highest implied team total on the slate (117 points) against the depleted Grizzlies, and Irving should effortlessly surpass 5x value as the Mavs’ top option tonight.
Top Value: Derrick Rose at Dallas Mavericks – $4,900 DraftKings, $4,800 FanDuel
The Grizzlies made a surprise change to their starting five Wednesday, with Rose joining the first unit. The former MVP seized the opportunity and finished with 32 DraftKings points in 26.6 minutes – both of which set season highs for Rose – while finishing a team-high +20 in the 14-point win over the Jazz that snapped a five-game losing streak for Memphis. Given these encouraging results, Rose should remain a starter tonight and is in a strong spot, going against the Mavs, who rank 23rd in defensive efficiency.
This game carries the third-highest total on the slate (230 points), and Rose is amassing 1.0 DraftKings PPM this season, behind a 23.4% usage rate and a 29.8% assist percentage. Plus, the veteran is generating 27.3 DraftKings PPG for the three times he has logged at least 20 minutes. Priced under $5K on both DraftKings and FanDuel, Rose is a no-brainer for this slate that lacks appealing value plays.
Shooting Guard
Top Ceiling: Desmond Bane at Dallas Mavericks – $8,700 DraftKings, $8,400 FanDuel
Even with the Grizzlies shaking up their starting five Wednesday, Bane remained the team’s top option and finished with 45.25 DraftKings points in the convincing win over the Jazz. For the season, the guard is leading Memphis with a 29.4% usage rate, lifting Bane to 1.2 DraftKings PPM. The 25-year-old posted 48.5 DraftKings points in the Grizzlies’ first meeting of the season with the Mavs’, and Memphis’ implied team total is set at a healthy 110.5 points tonight, via the FantasyLabs’ Vegas page.
When playing an implied team total of 110 points or more this season, Bane is producing 48.1 DraftKings PPG (nine games), via the Trends Tool.
Top Value: Cole Anthony vs. Washington Wizards – $7,000 DraftKings, $6,900 FanDuel
Facing the Wizards for the second straight game, Anthony is tough to ignore tonight. Washington ranks third in pace and second-to-last in defensive efficiency, and the guard just exposed them for 44.7 DraftKings points in a winning effort Wednesday. The Magic have now won eight in a row, and during this winning streak, Anthony has provided 34.8 DraftKings PPG as the club’s sixth man.
Orlando’s massive 124.75-point implied team total for tonight is not only the highest on the slate but also their highest of the year. This tilt’s total is also the largest on the board (237.5 points). A repeat performance above 40 fantasy points is absolutely possible for Anthony, and he is arguably the best way to attack the Magic.
Be sure to check out all the pick’ems Sleeper has to offer with Sleeper Fantasy promo code LABS1 for a $100 deposit match.
Small Forward
Top Ceiling: Jayson Tatum vs. Philadelphia 76ers – $10,100 DraftKings, $10,100 FanDuel
Paying up for Tatum shouldn’t be a common strategy tonight and the forward is a great contrarian spend against the rivaled 76ers. Tatum has already scored over 50 DraftKings points twice vs. Philadelphia this season and has gone over that number in seven of the past 10 meetings with the division rival, most notably when he broke the Game 7 scoring record with 51 points against the 76ers during last year’s playoffs.
In addition to his long history of dominating Philadelphia, Kristaps Porzingis (calf) will remain out for the Celtics, and with the big man off the floor this season, Tatum’s usage has risen 3.1 percentage points, and he is supplying 1.32 DraftKings PPM, via the On/Off Tool.
Top Value: Grayson Allen vs. Denver Nuggets – $5,100 DraftKings, $5,000 FanDuel
The Suns have been relying on Allen more as of late. The wing has seen 34.5 regulation minutes per game in his last four starts, which has resulted in 24.2 DraftKings PPG for Allen. The ex-Buck is collecting 0.8 DraftKings PPM and tonight’s matchup with the defending champion Nuggets will be at home in Phoenix, where Allen has been 3.3 DraftKings PPG better than when he is on the road.
While not the most exciting option, Allen is one of the top forward values this slate has to offer, and he would see an additional boost to his stock if Devin Booker (questionable, ankle) ends up sitting. For the seven starts Allen has made sans Booker this season, he is averaging 27.7 DraftKings PPG.
Power Forward
Top Ceiling: Zion Williamson vs. San Antonio Spurs – $8,900 DraftKings, $8,800 FanDuel
Williamson has come alive after a relatively quiet start to the season. While shooting an efficient 11-of-12 from the field, the former first-overall pick just posted a season-best 57 DraftKings points vs. the 76ers on Wednesday. Williamson is now amassing 46.7 DraftKings PPG in his last five starts, and his usage rate is up to a team-high 30.5% for the season. Tonight, the forward gets a juicy matchup vs. the Spurs, who are playing their second game in two nights, rank second in pace and 27th in defensive efficiency. Additionally, Victor Wembanyama (hip) is “uncertain” for San Antonio, and the 7’4” rookie’s absence would obviously make the Spurs’ defense even softer.
Nonetheless, Williamson should thrive against the Spurs regardless of Wembanyama and is too cheap for his upside. The Pelicans’ implied team total is the second highest on the slate (124.5 points) – their largest implied team total of the season – and Williamson is contributing 58.7 DraftKings PPG for the last three times he has played behind an implied team total of at least 120 points, via the Trends Tool.
Top Value: Jonathan Isaac vs. Washington Wizards – $4,100 DraftKings, $4,500 FanDuel
Isaac is a name to monitor tonight. The versatile forward has missed the last two with a sprained ankle and is a game-time decision tonight. As a bench player, Isaac hasn’t seen any attention in DFS and if he suits up, he should come with minimal ownership for this matchup with the Wizards that is perfect for him. As mentioned above, Washington ranks third in pace and second-to-last in defensive efficiency, and the Magic boast the highest implied team total on the slate (124.75 points).
Isaac has been capped to around 20 minutes this season, but 15-20 minutes would be plenty of time for him to defeat these salaries against the fast-paced Wizards. The 26-year-old is scoring 1.3 DraftKings PPM this season and has exceeded 20 DraftKings in five of his last 10 games.
Center
Top Ceiling: Nikola Jokic at Phoenix Suns – $12,400 DraftKings, $12,700 FanDuel
Having some shares of Jokic tonight is a necessity. The superstar has tallied at least 74 DraftKings points in four straight starts, and this is an appealing spot for him, with the Suns giving up the eighth most points in the paint. The Nuggets’ implied team total ranks fourth on the slate (114.25 points), and they are only 2.5-point favorites in Phoenix. In spreads under five points this season, Jokic has been unstoppable, collecting 71.5 DraftKings PPG, via the Trends Tool.
Also, Jokic’s already goldy role could grow even further if either Jamal Murray (questionable, ankle) or Aaron Gordon (questionable, heel) are out. For the 10 occasions Jokic has played without at least one of Murray or Gordon this season, the former has topped 70 DraftKings points five times.
Top Value: Al Horford vs. Philadelphia 76ers – $6,200 DraftKings, $6,100 FanDuel
Horford is a terrific value, with Porzingis remaining sidelined for Boston. Horford has been Porzingis’ replacement in the Celtics’ starting five and has been excellent with the first unit, producing 40.8 DraftKings points across 29.7 minutes per game in the three tilts Porzingis has missed this season. Included in this sample is a 40.5 DraftKings points effort against the 76ers, whom Horford will face again tonight.
Just like Tatum, Horford loves facing Philadelphia – he has recorded at least 35 DraftKings points in four of his past seven vs. the club – and FantasyLabs projections are only expecting him to be only around 10% owned on both DraftKings and FanDuel.
