Friday features an 11-game main slate starting at 7 p.m. ET.
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 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
It’s been a disastrous start to the year for De’Aaron Fox. He’s averaging five fewer points per game than he did last season, and he’s scoring more than 8.5 fewer DraftKings points per game. He’s posted a negative Plus/Minus in five straight games on FanDuel, and his struggles were part of the reason why Luke Walton got fired.
Those struggles have caused Fox’s salary to plummet to just $7,300 on FanDuel. It results in a Bargain Rating of 87%, and Fox has historically averaged a Plus/Minus of +4.98 with a comparable salary (per the Trends tool). Fox also owns an excellent matchup vs. the Lakers, resulting in an Opponent Plus/Minus of +4.54. He’s a very intriguing buy-low option.
Value
The Nuggets have been absolutely decimated by injuries of late. There’s a chance that they’re without Nikola Jokic, Bones Hyland, and P.J. Dozier on Friday, and Jamal Murray and Michael Porter Jr. remain out with long-term injuries.
Facundo Campazzo has seen a sizable workload recently, logging at least 26.8 minutes in three straight games. He’s scored at least 24.5 DraftKings points in two of them, making him a very reasonable option at just $3,500.
Fast Break
Dejounte Murray has gotten very expensive across the industry, but he’s still probably a bit underpriced. He’s been an absolute monster this season, averaging 1.35 DraftKings points per minute, and he’s scored at least 54.5 DraftKings points in four of his past five contests.
On the other side of that matchup, the Celtics could also provide some value at the position. Robert Williams and Josh Richardson are not expected to play, while Jaylen Brown is questionable. Marcus Smart and Dennis Schroder should both see plenty of minutes with Richardson out, and they’d be elite options if Brown is also sidelined.
Shooting Guard
Stud
Malcolm Brogdon has SG eligibility on FanDuel, where he’s become extremely underpriced. His $7,200 salary comes with a Bargain Rating of 85%, and Brogdon has historically averaged a Plus/Minus of +4.53 with a comparable salary. He’s averaged a strong 1.11 FanDuel points per minute this season, and he’s coming off 42.4 FanDuel points in his last outing.
Value
Malik Beasley stands out as one of the best sources of value on Friday’s slate. He’s taken a backseat to some of the Timberwolves’ other options this year, but he’s coming off his best performance of the year in his last outing. He racked up 39.25 DraftKings points over 37.5 minutes, and he moved into the starting lineup in the second half after Patrick Beverley was injured. Beverley is expected to miss multiple games, so Beasley should continue to see an increased workload.
Fast Break
Josh Giddey remains an appealing option for the Thunder, who will continue to play without Shai Gilgeous-Alexander. Giddey has served as the Thunder’s defacto point guard with Gilgeous-Alexander out of the lineup, handing out at least eight assists in back-to-back games. He’s also been active on the glass this season, averaging 7.3 rebounds per game, and his ability to rack up peripheral stats gives him a strong floor and an excellent ceiling. He’s racked up at least 38.25 DraftKings points in his first two games without SGA, making him an elite option at his current price tag across the industry.
Editor’s note: SGA was upgraded to questionable for Friday after this piece was submitted.
You can also continue to target Jalen Suggs for the short-handed Magic. He’s scored at least 28.75 DraftKings points in four of his past five games, and he was limited to just 16.9 minutes in the lone exception. He’s posted a usage rate of at least 30.3% in each of his past three games, and he’s one of the biggest beneficiaries with Cole Anthony out of the lineup.
Small Forward
Stud
I’m sure the Lakers would like to limit LeBron James’ workload early in the year, especially since he’s dealt with injuries. Unfortunately, they’re just not good enough to make that happen. They need LeBron to do basically everything to keep them competitive, and he finished with 61.0 DraftKings points over 43.5 minutes in their last game.
The Lakers own one of the best matchups of the day vs. the Kings, who rank 27th in defensive efficiency this season. This game also figures to be one of the fastest of the day, with both teams ranking in the top ten in pace. The Lakers lead the slate with an implied team total of 118.0 points, and LeBron’s $9,900 salary on FanDuel comes with a Bargain Rating of 91%.
Value
Franz Wagner is another nice source of value for the Magic, particularly on DraftKings given his Bargain Rating of $4,300. Wagner is currently projected for 30 minutes in our NBA Models, and he’s averaged 24.04 DraftKings points with a comparable minute projection this season. That would be enough for him to return value at his current salary, and he clearly has upside for a bigger performance. He’s coming off 31.75 DraftKings points in his last game, and he’s scored at least 28.25 DraftKings points in four of his past six.
Fast Break
Will Barton is criminally underpriced at just $6,000 on FanDuel given his Bargain Rating of 96%. He’s averaged 0.95 FanDuel points per minute this season, and he would become arguably a must-play if Jokic is ruled out. He’s posted a 24.0% usage rate with Jokic and Porter off the court this season, resulting in an average of 1.02 FanDuel points per minute.
Anthony Edwards put together a monster game in his last outing. He racked up 33 points, 14 rebounds, six assists, and three steals, resulting in 69.5 DraftKings points. He should see a few additional minutes with Beverley out of the lineup, so he’s a nice target at his current price tag across the industry.
Power Forward
Stud
Most of the top power forward options on the slate seem overpriced, but Giannis Antetokounmpo deserves consideration every time he takes the court. He’s posted a negative Plus/Minus in back-to-back games, but he scored at least 66.25 DraftKings in each of his three previous contests. His ceiling is higher than every other player’s on today’s slate, especially if Jokic is out of the lineup.
His price tag should keep his ownership reasonable, and he has the potential to be a slate-breaker if he hits his ceiling. I’m always interested in targeting Giannis at lower ownership.
Value
Wendell Carter Jr. is underpriced across the industry. He put together an excellent performance in his last outing, and he’s been a solid producer all season. He’s averaged 1.06 FanDuel points per minute, but his minutes have fluctuated a bit of late. However, he did play more than 32 minutes in his last outing, and he’s currently projected for 30 minutes in our NBA Models. He should be able to easily pay off his current salary with that much playing time.
Fast Break
Jaren Jackson Jr. is one of the most talented big men in the league, and he’s started to put things together recently. He’s increased his fantasy production to 1.11 DraftKings points per minute over the past month, and his $6,300 salary on DraftKings comes with a Bargain Rating of 83%.
We can continue to roll with Bobby Portis, aka the Mayor of Milwaukee. He’s played a sizable workload for the Bucks with Brook Lopez out of the lineup, logging at least 31 minutes in three of his past four games. Portis is an elite per-minute producer – he’s averaged 1.15 FanDuel points per minute this season – so he’s unsurprising scored at least 41.75 FanDuel points in all three of those contests.
Center
Stud
Karl-Anthony Towns has been subpar this season by his loft standards. He’s averaged just 1.29 FanDuel points per minute, which is well below his peak marks in previous years.
That’s caused his price tag to dip to just $8,800 on FanDuel, resulting in a Bargain Rating of 92%. He has some serious buy-low appeal at that salary. Towns has historically averaged a Plus/Minus of +4.62 with a comparable salary, and Towns owns an excellent matchup vs. the Hornets.
Value
Jakob Poeltl is back for the Spurs, and he’s played at least 29.1 minutes in each of his past two games. He’s averaged a stout 1.06 FanDuel points per minute this season, so he can do some damage with around 30 minutes. He’s priced fairly across the industry, but his $5,800 salary on FanDuel is particularly appealing.
Fast Break
Jonas Valanciunas’ playing time has fallen off a cliff recently, but the Pelicans have played in three straight blowouts. There’s no reason to believe his minutes won’t bounce back in a more competitive contest, which makes him an excellent option at just $7,200 on FanDuel. His price tag comes with a Bargain Rating of 98%, and Valanciunas has averaged 1.25 FanDuel points per minute this season.
Rudy Gobert stands out as one of the best values at center on DraftKings, where his $8,200 salary comes with a Bargain Rating of 86%. He leads the position with 10 Pro Trends, and his matchup vs. the Pelicans results in an Opponent Plus/Minus of +2.06.
