Friday features a seven-game slate starting at 7:30 p.m. ET.
Point Guard
Stud
Russell Westbrook has been on a tear recently. He’s posted a positive Plus/Minus in each of his past 10 games, scoring at least 55.75 DraftKings points in each contest. Westbrook has increased his production to 1.69 DraftKings points per minute over the past month, and he could be even more involved than usual with Rui Hachimura and Deni Avdija out of the lineup.
Westbrook is also in a great spot against the Thunder. The Wizards lead the slate with an implied team total of 120.25 points, and the Thunder rank just 24th in defensive efficiency. This is also a potential revenge game for Westbrook, if you’re into that sort of thing.
Value
Brandon Goodwin will likely step into the Hawks’ starting lineup in place of the injured Trae Young, and Goodwin has thrived in that role this season. He’s played four games with both Young and De’Andre Hunter out of the lineup, averaging 24.13 DraftKings points over 30.3 minutes in those contests. He’s been even better in his past two starts, racking up 32.25 and 35.75 DraftKings points.
Goodwin is also an insane value at $3,400 on DraftKings, resulting in a Bargain Rating of 99%.
Fast Break
Raul Neto is another potential value option at point guard. He benefits from the same elite matchup as Westbrook, resulting in an Opponent Plus/Minus of +2.37 on FanDuel. He’s also averaged 0.83 FanDuel points per minute this season and is currently projected for 28.0 minutes in our NBA Models. That makes him a nice value at $3,600 on FanDuel and $3,400 on DraftKings.
Damian Lillard is an interesting contrarian option for tournaments on FanDuel. He shouldn’t garner a ton of ownership, but he’s been priced down to just $8,700 for tonight’s matchup vs. the Grizzlies. It results in a Bargain Rating of 85%, and Lillard has historically averaged a Plus/Minus of +3.51 with a comparable salary (per the Trends tool).
Shooting Guard
Stud
The Clippers are another team dealing with some injuries at the moment. Kawhi Leonard is sidelined indefinitely with a foot injury, while Serge Ibaka and Patrick Beverley remain out with long-term injuries. Rajon Rondo is also questionable with right wrist inflammation.
Paul George rested in the Clippers’ last game, so he should be ready to carry a monster workload on Friday. He’s increased his usage rate to 35.9% with Leonard, Ibaka and Beverley off the court this season, resulting in an average of 1.37 DraftKings points per minute. George has also averaged 53.25 DraftKings points in five full games with all three players out of the lineup.
Value
Romeo Langford has the potential to be an excellent value option tonight at the absolute minimum on DraftKings. He’s coming off 31.8 minutes yesterday vs. the Suns, and that was with Kemba Walker in the lineup. Walker will rest on Friday on the second leg of a back-to-back set, while Jaylen Brown will also miss his second straight game. Langford is currently projected for 31.5 minutes in our NBA Models, and min-priced players have historically averaged a Plus/Minus of +6.27.
Fast Break
Marcus Smart is another potential option for the Celtics. He’s increased his usage rate by +2.5% with Walker and Brown off the court this season, resulting in an average of 0.94 DraftKings points per minute. The Nets are also a solid matchup, ranking just 23rd in defensive efficiency.
On the other side of that matchup, Kyrie Irving could be looking at another expanded workload. Kevin Durant is currently listed as questionable, and he should be limited even if he’s back in the lineup. Irving has increased his usage rate to 34.2% with both Durant and James Harden off the court, and he’s coming off 62.75 DraftKings points with both players out of the lineup on Wednesday.
Small Forward
Stud
Small forward is not a position I’m particularly interested in paying up for on Friday, but Bradley Beal does have some appeal for the Wizards. He’s increased his usage rate by a team-high +4.1% with Hachimura and Avdija off the court this season, resulting in an average of 1.39 DraftKings points per minute. He’s also started to turn things around after a cold stretch, scoring at least 50.25 DKFP in two of his past three games.
Beal is a slightly better value on FanDuel — he owns a Bargain Rating of 82% — but the fact that you can play him at small forward on DraftKings is very enticing.
Value
Kelly Oubre Jr. stands out as an elite value on DraftKings, where his $5,500 salary comes with a Bargain Rating of 98%. He was limited in his first game back with the team, but he was ramped back up to 36.6 minutes in his last contest. He responded with 39.75 DraftKings points, and his playing time should be solidified with Kent Bazemore out of the lineup due to health and safety protocols.
Fast Break
Will Barton is another excellent value on DraftKings. He also owns a Bargain Rating of 98% and should be one of the biggest beneficiaries of the Nuggets’ current injury situation. Monte Morris will likely miss another game with his hamstring injury, and Barton has averaged 0.94 DraftKings points per minute with Morris and Jamal Murray off the court this season.
Lu Dort is currently questionable, and his status will be important on today’s slate. If he’s active, he’s going to serve as the Thunder’s offensive focal point in a great matchup vs. the Wizards. He’s averaged 1.28 FanDuel points per minute over the past month, and he’s posted an average usage rate of 31.8% over his past four games. If he’s ruled out, it opens the door for Kenrich Williams as a value option.
Make sure to monitor this situation with the Labs Insiders tool.
Power Forward
Stud
Jayson Tatum is priced way up on Friday — particularly at $10,000 on DraftKings — but he’s still an appealing option for the shorthanded Celtics. He’s going to be asked to carry the offense with Brown and Walker out of the lineup, and he’s increased his usage rate by +6.2% with both players off the court this season. Tatum has averaged 1.35 DraftKings per minute in that situation, and he’s played at least 37 minutes in five of his past eight games.
Tatum is a slam dunk on FanDuel, where he leads the position with 12 Pro Trends and owns a Bargain Rating of 80%.
Value
Davis Bertans is one of the easiest plays of the day on DraftKings, where his $4,300 salary comes with a Bargain Rating of 88%. He’s scored at least 30.5 DraftKings points in back-to-back games since returning to the lineup, and his minutes should be solidified with Hachimura and Avdija out of the lineup. Bertans has averaged 1.02 DraftKings points per minute over the past month, so he can do a lot of damage with additional playing time.
Fast Break
The Grizzlies are going to be without Jonas Valanciunas once again on Friday, and Jaren Jackson Jr. is still being eased into the rotation. That means Brandon Clarke should see a solid handful of minutes. He’s increased his production to 1.06 FanDuel points per minute over the past month, so he doesn’t need a ton of playing time to pay off his current salary.
Kevin Love has quietly been racking up fantasy points recently. He’s posted an average Plus/Minus of +4.51 over his past 10 games on FanDuel, and he’s increased his production to 1.11 FanDuel points per minute over the past month. He’s in a nice spot Friday vs. the Hornets, resulting in an Opponent Plus/Minus of +1.54.
Center
Stud
Nikola Jokic is coming off an uncharacteristically poor showing in his last outing, finishing with just 44.25 DraftKings points over 35.6 minutes vs. the Blazers. That said, there’s no reason to expect a repeat performance on Friday. He had scored at least 53.5 DraftKings points in each of his previous six contests, and he’s averaged 55.75 DraftKings in 10 games with Murray out of the lineup. The Warriors are also an excellent matchup, ranking second in the league in pace, and Jokic finished with 58.0 DraftKings points in his last meeting with the Warriors. He’s the clear option if you’re paying up at center.
Value
Jusuf Nurkic checks a lot of boxes on today’s slate. The Blazers own the second-highest implied team total on the slate, and they’re taking on a Grizzlies’ squad that is playing without their starting center. Nurkic also had his minute’s limit increased in his last contest, and he’s averaged 1.17 DraftKings points per minute this season. Add it all up, and he’s simply too cheap at $5,200.
Fast Break
If you want to go even cheaper than Nurkic, there are plenty of viable options. Daniel Gafford stands out as one of the best. He’s posted a positive Plus/Minus in nine straight games on DraftKings, and he could see a few additional minutes given the Wizards’ current injury situation. His $3,800 salary on DraftKings also comes with a Bargain Rating of 99%.
Tristan Thompson is the preferred value on FanDuel. He’s priced at just $4,800, and Robert Williams will join Walker and Brown on the sidelines on Friday. Thompson is currently projected for 32.5 minutes in our NBA Models, and he’s averaged 0.91 FanDuel points per minute this season.
Pictured above: Russell Westbrook
Credit: Will Newton/Getty Images
