Saturday features a six-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
The Nets and Warriors will square off in a potential NBA Finals preview on Saturday night, and the Nets will have Kyrie Irving available since the game is in Golden State. Still, James Harden stands out as one of the top studs on the slate. Harden missed the Nets’ last game, but he’s played some of his best basketball recently. He’s scored 73.0 DraftKings points in two of his past three games, and he’s increased his production to 1.46 DraftKings points per minute with Kevin Durant off the court.
Value
We’re still waiting on the Pelicans’ injury report for Saturday, and it’s going to be an important one to monitor. They were missing both Brandon Ingram and Jonas Valanciunas on Friday, and there would be plenty of shots available if they’re out again on Saturday.
Devonte’ Graham would be one of the biggest beneficiaries. He racked up 27.25 DraftKings points over 33.6 minutes on Friday, and he’s increased his usage rate by +1.7% with Valanciunas and Ingram off the court this season.
Fast Break
Jalen Brunson is coming off a big performance in his last outing, finishing with 46.5 DraftKings points over 34.8 minutes. I wouldn’t expect a repeat performance on Saturday, but Brunson still stands out as underpriced across the industry. He’s averaged 0.98 DraftKings points per minute this season, and he’s currently projected for 34 minutes in our NBA Models. He also owns an excellent matchup vs. the Pacers, who rank just 24th in defensive efficiency.
Tyrese Maxey is another strong midrange option, particularly at $6,000 on FanDuel. His price tag comes with a Bargain Rating of 91%, and Maxey has played huge minutes for the 76ers recently. He’s logged at least 38.6 minutes in three of his past four contests, and he’s scored at least 30.8 FanDuel points in each.
Shooting Guard
Stud
Saturday’s matchup between the Grizzlies and Wizards figures to be one of the best of the day from a fantasy perspective. The total sits at a slate-high 230.0 points, and the Grizzlies are just five-point home favorites. That suggests a back-and-forth affair with plenty of scoring on both sides.
Bradley Beal is worth some consideration for the Wizards. He’s gotten significantly cheaper recently, with his salary decreasing by -$1,200 over the past month on DraftKings. He’s priced at just $8,900 on Saturday, and while Beal has struggled to pay off his salary for most of the year, he has scored at least 38.75 DraftKings points in four straight games.
Value
Desmond Bane returned to the Grizzlies lineup two games ago, and he’s been thrown right back into the fire. He’s racked up at least 30.4 minutes in both contests, and Bane has averaged 1.05 DraftKings points per minute over the past month. That makes him a good bet to pay off his $6,200 salary vs. the Wizards.
Fast Break
Klay Thompson continues to play limited minutes for the Warriors, but his playing time has ticked up slightly of late. He’s coming off nearly 27 minutes in his last outing, and Thompson can do some damage with that much playing time. He’s averaged 1.15 DraftKings points per minute since joining the Warriors’ rotation, so he’s underpriced at just $5,500 on DraftKings.
Jaylen Brown stands out as an elite option on FanDuel, where his $8,100 salary comes with a Bargain Rating of 95%. He’s posted a positive Plus/Minus in back-to-back games, and his 11 Pro Trends are tied for the top mark at the position. Brown has historically been able to pay off a comparable price tag, posting an average Plus/Minus of +3.08 in 72 previous occurrences (per the Trends tool).
Small Forward
Stud
Josh Hart has been a consistent source of value for the Pelicans this season. He’s averaging career-highs in points and assists per game while providing his usual elite rebounding for a wing player. Overall, he’s averaged 0.94 DraftKings points per minute this season over a career-high 33.3 minutes per game.
Hart has the potential to see even more playing time on Saturday. He’s coming off 36.6 minutes in his last outing, and he’s increased his productivity to 1.02 DraftKings points per minute with Ingram and Valanciunas off the court. He’s a safe option at his current price tag across the industry.
Value
Deni Avdija has played some of his best basketball of the season recently. He’s posted a positive Plus/Minus in four straight games, and he’s scored at least 23.75 DraftKings points in three of them. That makes him a reasonable option at just $3,600. Avdija has averaged 0.82 DraftKings points per minute this season, and he’s played as many as 31.3 minutes recently.
Fast Break
Andrew Wiggins is another potential option for the Warriors. He has seen a slight reduction in value with Thompson back in the lineup, but he did rack up 39.75 DraftKings points over 36 minutes in his last outing. He’s averaged 0.95 DraftKings points per minute this season, so he should be able to pay off his $6,000 price tag.
Kessler Edwards has been a nice source of value for the Nets recently. He’s posted a positive Plus/Minus in four straight games, yet his salary has actually decreased over that time frame. He’s down to just $4,000 for Saturday’s matchup vs. the Warriors, resulting in a Bargain Rating of 91%.
Power Forward
Stud
The Mavericks have played in three straight blowouts, which has resulted in reduced minutes for Kristpas Porzingis. He’s logged 27.1 minutes or fewer in each of those contests, which has resulted in subpar fantasy production.
He should return to his usual workload if Saturday’s game vs. the Pacers is more competitive, and he has the potential to crush his current price tag. He’s been priced down to just $7,400 on DraftKings, resulting in a Bargain Rating of 86%.
Value
If you need to go cheaper with the Mavericks, Dorian Finney-Smith is a viable alternative. He’s another player who will likely see a few additional minutes if Saturday’s game is more competitive. He’s currently projected for 31 minutes in our NBA Models, which is plenty of playing time for someone who costs just $4,400. Historically, players with comparable salaries and minute projections have averaged a Plus/Minus of +2.83.
Fast Break
Jaren Jackson Jr. has gotten a bit more expensive recently, but he remains underpriced at $6,800 on DraftKings. It results in a Bargain Rating of 86%, and JJJ clearly has the ability to pay this salary off. He has one of the highest ceilings for players in this price range, and he’s scored at least 44.25 DraftKings points in three of his past four games.
Pascal Siakam is a nice value on FanDuel, where his $8,800 salary comes with a Bargain Rating of 89%. Like most of the Raptors’ starters, Siakam has been logging massive minutes recently. He’s coming off 43.4 minutes in his last outing, and he’s logged at least 39.4 in nine of his past 10 games. Siakam has also increased his production to 1.22 FanDuel points per minute over the past month.
Center
Stud
Joel Embiid finally came crashing back to reality in his last game. He still finished with 51.75 DraftKings points, but that was not enough to pay off his massive salary.
Still, Embiid has been absolutely dominant of late. He had scored at least 65.5 DraftKings points in four straight before his last outing, and he’s averaged 1.82 DraftKings points over the past month.
He’ll have an excellent chance to redeem himself Saturday vs. the Kings. They rank just 29th in defensive efficiency, and they allow the most points in the paint per game. That is an elite combination for Embiid, who has been abusing defenses on the interior recently. He has the top ceiling on the slate, and it’s really not that close.
Value
I will continue to recommend Richaun Holmes as long as his salary stays below $5,000 on DraftKings. That’s a price tag he can pay off in limited minutes, which he’s done in three of his past four games. He’s averaged 1.03 DraftKings points per minute this season, and he’s currently projected for 28 minutes vs. the 76ers. There is some chance that he ends up in foul trouble vs. Embiid, but I’m willing to take that risk at just $4,800.
Fast Break
Bam Adebayo hit nearly 36 minutes in his last outing, and he’s simply too cheap if he’s going to continue to see that much playing time. He’s averaged 1.20 DraftKings points per minute over the past month, and Adebayo has historically averaged a Plus/Minus of +3.29 with a comparable salary.
