Friday features a two-game slate with close-out Games 6. The Magic and Cavaliers will get us started with the Magic looking to force a Game 7 back in Cleveland. That game tips at 7pm ET, which is when this slate locks. The late game is the Mavericks hosting the Clippers at 10:30pm ET, looking to close out the series.
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 300 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 NBA Player Models directly for any updates as we get closer to lock.
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NBA DFS Point Guard Picks
Stud
Luka Doncic sets the tone for this two-game slate. He has by far the highest projected ceiling in our Player model. During the Mavericks’ and Clippers’ series, Doncic is averaging 30.2 points, 9.2 rebounds, 8.8 assists per game, and 59.3 DraftKings points per game. Projected to play over 42 minutes, Doncic also has a slate-high 13 Pro Trends and the highest projected Plus/Minus. Despite being priced at almost $12,000, it is nearly impossible to get away from how great of a play Doncic is tonight.
The Mavericks are eight-point favorites looking to close out the Clippers and advance to the Western Conference semifinals. Even with both games having a low point total, the Mavericks are implied for a slate-high 108.25 points. There is plenty of value to pay up for Doncic tonight. He is projected for nearly 50% ownership, which may be a little low. Doncic is an elite pay-up option.
Value
Cavaliers’ point guard Darius Garland is coming off his best game of the series with 23 points, five assists, and five rebounds. He shot 9-for-16 from the field and 3-for-5 from behind the arc, finishing with 37.25 DraftKings points. It was the first game all series that Garland had a positive Plus/Minus, and he now has the second-highest projected Plus/Minus at the point guard position behind Doncic tonight. Priced at a relatively cheap $6,500, Garland is a strong value play in all formats.
The home team in the Cavaliers and Magic series has won every game thus far, which does not bode well for the Cavaliers. They are four-point road underdogs, implied for a slate-low 97.5 points. However, if Garland is as involved as he was Tuesday night, he is in line for another positive outcome. Garland had a 26% usage rate, and even with a 22% projected usage rate tonight, he is drawing nearly 40% ownership.
Fast Break
Kyrie Irving hasn’t been all that consistent in this Mavericks’ first-round series, but he has shown the ability to post ceiling games. He had 40 points in the Mavericks’ last home game while shooting 14-for-25 from the field. Irving is a cheaper way to get exposure to the best offense on the slate while also having upside. He has point guard and shooting guard eligibility with a $8,900 price tag that is resulting in one of the best Bargain Ratings at the guard position. Which Irving will show up in Game 6?
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NBA DFS Shooting Guard Picks
Stud
Paul George is doing his best to keep the Clippers’ season alive with Kawhi Leonard sidelined due to an injury. Similar to Irving, George has been a boom-or-bust player this entire series. However, with Leonard out, he does receive a significant boost to his production. With Leonard off the floor this season, George is averaging a team-high +3.74% usage rate and a +3.92 DraftKings Plus/Minus. With his back against the wall, expect George to do everything he can to get this series to a Game 7 back in Los Angeles.
George has the perfect mix of projected ceiling and projected Plus/Minus. He is drawing nearly 50% ownership with nine Pro Trends. George is the best shooting guard option on tonight’s slate, and his $8,600 salary is reasonable. He has shooting guard and small forward eligibility and is coming off a points and rebounds double-double. All signs point to a ceiling performance from George tonight.
Value
Sticking with the Clippers’ backcourt, Terance Mann has put together strong back-to-back performances. He has scored 11 points in each of his last two games while averaging 33.5 minutes and five rebounds per game during that time. The only downside for Mann tonight is his questionable status due to a leg injury. He hasn’t missed a game since March 20th, but make sure to monitor his news the closer we get to lock. If Mann is out, that will provide boosts to the other bench options on the Clippers.
It has been a roller coaster of a series for Mann, but he will also benefit from the absence of Kawhi Leonard. In the three games that Mann has played without Leonard, he is averaging 35.3 minutes per game. Playing alongside Leonard, Mann is only averaging 22 per night. Projected to play heavy minutes again tonight with Leonard out, Mann is an exceptional value play at his $4,800 salary.
Fast Break
Similar to his backcourt teammate, Donovan Mitchell had a positive Plus/Minus last game for the first time all series despite shooting 9-for-23 from the field. Outside of Game 1, Mitchell is shooting 38.7% during this series. The Magic have been one of the most difficult matchups all season long, ranking third in defensive rating and 27th in pace. Even in a tough, slow-paced game, Mitchell has displayed the ability to have ceiling games. It all depends on whether or not his perimeter shot is falling.
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NBA DFS Small Forward Picks
Stud
One of the most popular players on this two-game slate is Magic forward Franz Wagner. The third-year pro struggled in Game 5 but put on a scoring clinic in both of the Magic’s home games in this series. In Game 3 and 4, Wagner averaged 25 points, nine rebounds, and six assists while shooting an impressive 65.5% from the field. The Magic won by an average of 30.5 points per game. If this is another blowout, it will be in large part due to Wagner having another incredible performance in Game 6.
The Magic have been fantastic at home throughout the year. They have a 31-12 home record including their two playoff victories. Expecting to have another strong game tonight, it should be no secret that Wagner is one of the best players to target on this team. He leads this position in projected Plus/Minus and ranks second behind George in projected ceiling. Wagner is a great mid-range option.
Value
Outside of Wagner and George, the small forward position is rather weak on this two-game slate. When looking for value, the player who surfaces the most is Norman Powell. Not only is Kawhi Leonard out, but Terance Mann is questionable, which would both be beneficial to Powell’s outlook tonight. Powell had an atrocious start to this series but has rebounded in a big way and has been a key factor in the Clippers’ offense recently. The only negative is Powell is a scoring-dependent fantasy producer.
In his last three games, Powell is averaging 15.3 points per game while shooting 51.6% from the field and 47.1% from behind the arc. Powell will continue to come off the bench but is projected to play around 30 minutes tonight. Priced under $5,000 with shooting guard and small forward eligibility, Powell is a great option in stars-and-scrubs lineup builds that include Luka Doncic.
Fast Break
Max Strus is another small forward value play that is only $5,100 with dual eligibility. Strus is coming off a series-high 16 points where he shot 6-for-13 from the field, including four made 3-pointers. Nearly all of Strus’ production comes from his perimeter shooting, which bodes well in this matchup. The Cavaliers this season allowed opponents to shoot 37.1% from behind the arc, which was the 10th-highest mark. It won’t take much for Strus to outperform his salary based expectations in Game 6 tonight.
NBA DFS Power Forward Picks
Stud
Paolo Banchero is by far the best power forward to target on this slate. After an awful Game 4 where Banchero only scored nine points, he rebounded perfectly with a 39-point performance in Game 5, shooting 14-for-24 from the field in the Magic’s one-point loss. Banchero is second in projected ownership behind his teammate Franz Wagner. With 10 Pro Trends and an incredibly high ceiling, Banchero is a great play in all formats and only costs $8,300 on tonight’s slate.
A big reason why Banchero erupted for 39 points last game was due to the absence of Jarrett Allen. The Cavaliers’ big man missed the game due to a rib injury and is questionable for tonight’s action. If Allen is out again, that will make Banchero look that much better. Even if Allen plays, this is a spot worth getting exposure to with the Magic’s back against the wall. Expect another big game from Banchero.
Value
Mostly known for his defense, Jonathan Isaac has scored double digits in two of his five games of this series. In those two games, he did post a positive Plus/Minus, which isn’t difficult to do at his $4,200 price tag. Isaac’s playing time has been fairly consistent at 20 minutes per game in the playoffs, but he always has the upside for more if either of Mitchell or Garland start cooking. The biggest benefit for Isaac is his salary that is resulting in a 91% Bargain Rating, which is tied for the highest on the slate.
Isaac has posted over 30 DraftKings points twice and 15 or below three times in this series. Which Isaac will show up is anyone’s guess, but the savings he provides makes him one of the best potential upside values on the slate. He is projected for nearly 40% ownership for a reason and is going to be a staple in cash games. Isaac is a good value with a ceiling to make him a great value tonight.
Fast Break
Derrick Jones Jr. was irrelevant in Game 1, but has bounced back with a positive Plus/Minus in each of his last four games. During that stretch, Jones Jr. is averaging 11.8 points and five rebounds per game while shooting 63.3% from the field and 45.5% from downtown. Playing alongside Doncic and Irving creates so many open looks for role players like Jones Jr. Projected to start and play around 32 minutes, Jones Jr. is a strong value play. He and Isaac are in a similar boat, but Jones Jr. is projected for half the ownership.
NBA DFS Center Picks
Stud
Evan Mobley leads a weak center position; he has the highest projected ceiling. Second on the list is his teammate Jarrett Allen, who is questionable to play. In Mobley’s last game without Allen, he was fantastic with a 14-point, 13-rebound double-double that included four assists, two blocks, and two steals. The versatile big man thrives when he is the only big man on the floor. In five games without Allen this season, Mobley averaged a double-double with 15.4 points and 11 rebounds per game.
Mobley was hurt for a few games against the Magic during the regular season but was impressive in the two games that he did play. He averaged 15 points per game while shooting 61.9% from the field. This game will be a rock fight like it has all series, which Mobley seems to thrive in. At $7,300 with power forward and center eligibility, Mobley will look incredible if Allen is unable to suit up.
Value
The most popular player on the entire slate is Magic center Wendall Carter. He also benefited from the Cavaliers not having Jarrett Allen last game. Carter played a series-high 33 minutes and stuffed the stat sheet with 11 rebounds, seven points, three blocks, two assists, and one steal. His 31.75 DraftKings points was his highest total in nearly a month. Despite being projected to play a modest 22 minutes, Carter is still popping as an elite value play with a 91% Bargain Rating due to his $4,400 salary.
Carter is only center eligible, but his price tag is drawing around 60% projected ownership. It is difficult to find a better value, especially since the center position is so weak tonight. Not only does Carter have the highest projected Plus/Minus at this position, he also has the fifth-highest projected ceiling. There is a chance that Carter could flirt with a double-double tonight, especially if Allen is out or limited.
Fast Break
Dereck Lively is coming off one of his best games of the series where he recorded 12 points and seven rebounds while shooting a perfect 5-for-5 from the field. Lively’s job playing alongside Doncic and Irving is rather easy: Roll to the rim and crash the glass. He has made his last nine field goal attempts and is shooting 88.2% from the field in his last three games. Lively is an active big man who doesn’t need a ton of playing time to be effective. Similar to Carter, he is a little too cheap given his potential upside.
