Friday features a nine-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
Steph Curry has been in a bit of a shooting funk recently. He’s shot just 40.2% from the field and 34.3% from 3-point range over his past five games, both of which are well below his marks from last season.
That’s caused his price tag to drop to just $9,800 on FanDuel, resulting in a Bargain Rating of 98%. He’s an interesting buy-low target at that price tag. Curry has averaged a Plus/Minus of +3.45 with a comparable salary since the start of last season (per the Trends tool). Curry also owns a solid matchup vs. the Pelicans, who rank just 28th in defensive efficiency.
Value
The Timberwolves are currently playing without D’Angelo Russell, and Patrick Beverley was one of the biggest beneficiaries in their last game. He played a season-high 31.4 minutes and racked up 36.5 DraftKings points. Beverley has averaged a stout 1.13 DraftKings points per minute to start the year, so he can definitely take advantage of some additional playing time.
Beverley is a steal at just $4,000 on DraftKings given his Bargain Rating of 93%.
Fast Break
Things continue to look bleaker and bleaker for Damian Lillard. His shooting numbers have been abysmal to start the year, making just 35.3% of his shots from the field and 23.4% from 3-point range. However, he’s still managed to post a positive Plus/Minus on FanDuel in each of his past two games. His salary has gone to a point where he can now return value on poor shooting nights, which obviously gives him a ton of upside if he ever starts making shots again. Perhaps that will start Friday vs. the Pacers given his Opponent Plus/Minus of +3.04.
Davion Mitchell has posted a Plus/Minus of at least +9.33 in each of his past two games on DraftKings, yet his salary hasn’t budged. He’s priced at just $3,800 for Friday’s matchup vs. the Hornets, making him one of the best values at the position. The Kings’ implied team total of 114.75 is also the top mark on the slate.
Shooting Guard
Stud
The Cavaliers are playing pretty shorthanded at the moment. Lauri Markkanen and Kevin Love are both out of the lineup due to health and safety protocols, and they’ve played just eight players in each of their past two games.
Collin Sexton hasn’t been as effective as expected to start the year, averaging just 0.86 DraftKings points per minute, which has caused his salary to plummet. It has decreased by -$1,900 since the start of the year on DraftKings and -$1,500 on FanDuel. That makes him a nice buy-low target across the industry.
Value
Cade Cunningham’s shooting numbers have been awful to start his NBA career. He’s made just 17.9% of his shots from the field and 4.8% of his 3-pointers, but that didn’t stop him from scoring 36.0 FanDuel points in his last outing. He was able to boost his scoring numbers thanks to 10 free throw attempts, and he also racked up 10 rebounds and four assists. If Cunningham eventually can start making some shots from the field, he has massive upside at just $4,200 on FanDuel.
Fast Break
Malik Beasley didn’t see as large of a playing time boost as expected with Russell out of the lineup in their last game, but he still posted a positive Plus/Minus on DraftKings. He’s returned value in each of his past three games, and he remains affordable at just $4,400.
Terry Rozier stands out as one of the best pure values at the position on FanDuel given his Bargain Rating of 96%. He also owns an excellent matchup vs. the Kings, resulting in a Bargain Rating of 3.04. He hasn’t been limited at all since returning to the lineup, playing at least 33.2 minutes in all three games.
Small Forward
Stud
There’s a bit of sticker-shock with Paul George at his current price tag across the industry. He’s priced at $10,400 on DraftKings and $10,800 on FanDuel, and both of those prices feel high. That said, George has proven that he deserves that kind of price tag with his play to start the year. He’s carrying one of the largest workloads in the league without Kawhi Leonard. His 34.1% usage rate ranks fifth, while he leads the league with an average of 28.9 points per game.
That has translated into some excellent fantasy numbers to start the year. George has averaged 1.49 FanDuel points per minutes, which trails only Giannis Antetokounmpo among Friday’s players. He’s posted a positive Plus/Minus in six of his first seven games, and I see no reason why he can’t do it again vs. the Timberwolves.
Value
Saddiq Bey is pretty massively underpriced at just $5,600 on FanDuel. It results in a Bargain Rating of 96%, and his nine Pro Trends rank third at the position. Bey has averaged 0.88 FanDuel points per minute, and he’s coming off 37.7 minutes in his last outing.
Fast Break
Norman Powell seems like the preferred value option on DraftKings. His $4,700 salary comes with a Bargain Rating of 96%, and he racked up 40.75 DraftKings points in his last game. Overall, Powell has averaged 0.92 DraftKings points per minute this season, and he’s projected for approximately 30 minutes in our NBA Models.
Kyle Anderson is an appealing target across the industry. His minutes are down to start the year, but he’s made up for it with elite efficiency. He’s averaged 0.98 FanDuel points per minute, so he doesn’t need a ton of playing time to pay off his current price tag.
Power Forward
Stud
Giannis Antetokounmpo is the stud of all studs at the moment in NBA DFS. He’s coming off 59.5 DraftKings points in his last outing, and he did it in just 26.8 minutes. That’s good for an absurd 2.22 DraftKings points per minute.
The Bucks are expected to get Jrue Holiday back after he missed the past five games with an injury, but that shouldn’t have much of an impact on Giannis. He’s actually increased his usage rate while sharing the court with Holiday to start the year, and he’s averaged 1.86 DraftKings points per minute in that situation. Khris Middleton and Brook Lopez remain out of the lineup, so Giannis should continue to carry an increased workload.
His matchup vs. the Knicks isn’t ideal, but he still owns an Opponent Plus/Minus of +1.81 on DraftKings.
Value
Thaddeus Young is coming off a season-high 22.2 minutes in his last game. That may not sound like much, but it’s more than enough to make Young fantasy-relevant. He responded with 29.7 FanDuel points, and he’s averaged 1.16 FanDuel points per minute for the year. He’s in an excellent spot vs. the Magic, resulting in an Opponent Plus/Minus of +3.08, so he makes for a strong value option.
Fast Break
Mo Bamba continues to stand out as underpriced on FanDuel. His $6,500 salary comes with a Bargain Rating of 91%, and his dual PF/C eligibility makes him easy to fit into your lineups. Bamba has averaged 1.01 FanDuel points per minute to start the year, and he’s posted an average Plus/Minus of +4.37 through his first nine games.
Jaren Jackson Jr. is loaded with potential, and he finally put that potential on display in his last game. He finished with 42.0 DraftKings points over 30.1 minutes, resulting in a Plus/Minus of +15.6. Overall, he’s averaged 1.03 DraftKings points per minute this season, and he’s projected for around 30 minutes once again on Friday. That makes him very appealing at just $5,600.
Center
Stud
Domantas Sabonis is coming off easily his worst game of the season in his last outing. He finished with just 18.9 FanDuel points over 34.2 minutes, which caused his salary to drop to just $9,400 on FanDuel. Sabonis has some buy-low appeal at that salary. He’s historically averaged a Plus/Minus of +2.05 with a comparable salary, including a mark of +3.65 in 44 games last season.
Sabonis is also in an elite spot vs. the Blazers. He owns an Opponent Plus/Minus of +3.22 on FanDuel, and this game features the second-highest total on the slate.
Value
Daniel Gafford is back in the Wizards’ lineup after missing two games with an injury. He hasn’t played a ton of minutes, but he’s averaged 1.14 FanDuel points per minute so far this season. He’s currently projected for approximately 21.5 minutes in our NBA Models, and that should give him a good chance to pay off his $4,400 salary.
Fast Break
The Cavaliers have a pair of high-upside frontcourt players in Evan Mobley and Jarrett Allen. Mobley has played at least 39.6 minutes in back-to-back games, while Allen has played at least 34.9. Both players should be busy again with Markkanen and Love out of the lineup, so both players have plenty of appeal on this slate.
Myles Turner has put together some monster games to start the year, including 57.25 DraftKings points in his last outing. He benefits from the same elite matchup as Sabonis, and his $6,000 salary comes with a Bargain Rating of 93%.
