Friday features a nine-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
Friday’s slate is absolutely loaded with value, so you’re going to need to find some stud options to pay up for. LaMelo Ball stands out as one of the best. The Hornets still have plenty to play for with just two games left in the regular season. They’re currently one game behind the Nets and Hawks in the standings for the crucial No. 8 spot in the East. That means they should give max effort Friday vs. the Bulls.
Ball has also been an excellent source of value recently. He’s posted a positive Plus/Minus in five of his past six games on DraftKings, including four games with at least 52.0 DraftKings points. This game also features the highest total on the slate at 234.0 points, so there’s plenty to like about Ball in this spot.
Value
There are some elite pay-down options at PG, but Zavier Simpson is the best of the bunch on DraftKings. His $3,900 salary comes with a Bargain Rating of 86%, and he’s been a workhorse in his first two games with the Thunder. He’s logged at least 38.7 minutes in both contests, and he’s racked up at least 26.25 DraftKings points in each. He’s projected for another 36 minutes on Friday, and players with comparable salaries and minute projections have historically averaged a Plus/Minus of +4.78 (per the Trends tool).
Fast Break
Vit Krejci is another excellent potential source of value for the Thunder. He’s a bit more expensive at $4,400, but that’s still very reasonable for someone playing 30+ minutes. He’s posted an average Plus/Minus of +6.35 over his past 10 games, and he’s coming off 27.0 DraftKings points in his last outing.
You can add Kris Dunn to the list of value options on FanDuel, where his $4,800 salary comes with a Bargain Rating of 89%. He’s averaged 0.98 FanDuel points per minute since joining the Blazers’ rotation, and he started over Brandon Williams in the team’s last outing.
Shooting Guard
Stud
Shooting guard is typically not somewhere you want to spend up, but Kyrie Irving is an exception. The Nets are in control of their own destiny for the No. 8 seed in the East, but they need to continue to win games. That means Irving should continue to handle as many minutes as possible. He’s currently projected for 39 minutes in our NBA Models, and that’s a conservative estimate: Irving has racked up at least 40.3 minutes in five of his past six games.
Kyrie has also increased his fantasy output to 1.22 FanDuel points per minute over the past month, and his $9,400 salary on FanDuel comes with a Bargain Rating of 94%.
Value
The Lakers are expected to be without LeBron James, Anthony Davis, and Russell Westbrook once again on Friday. If that happens, Malik Monk will deserve heavy consideration at his current price tag across the industry. Monk is coming off 37.1 minutes with all three players out of the lineup on Thursday, and he responded with 44.25 DraftKings points. Overall, he’s averaged 1.09 DraftKings points per minute with all three players off the floor this season, so he can do some serious damage in a juicy matchup vs. the Thunder.
Fast Break
Georgios Kalaitzakis is another player who has come right off the streets into a massive workload for the Thunder. He’s averaged 36.0 minutes in his two games with the team, and he’s scored at least 18.5 DraftKings points in both contests. His per-minute average of 0.62 DraftKings points per minute is a bit lacking, but it’s hard to knock a $3,600 player with the potential for more than 30 minutes.
Midrange players like Gary Trent Jr. shouldn’t garner much ownership on this slate, but Trent is worth a roster spot at just $5,300 on FanDuel. It results in a Bargain Rating of 91%, and he’s posted a positive Plus/Minus in six straight games. His upside is a bit lower with Fred VanVleet expected to rejoin the rotation on Friday, but he’s still very underpriced.
Small Forward
Stud
Kevin Durant checks a lot of the same boxes as Irving on this slate. If anything, he can be expected to play a few more minutes than his superstar teammate. Durant has logged at least 42.3 minutes in three of his past four games, and he’s scored at least 70.5 DraftKings points in three of his past five. He’s averaged 1.50 DraftKings points per minute over the past month, and his matchup vs. the Cavs results in an Opponent Plus/Minus of +3.91. Overall, Durant is one of the safest pay-up options on the slate.
Value
Talen Horton-Tucker is arguably the strongest overall option on Friday. He’s coming off a monster performance in his last game, finishing with 56.25 DraftKings points over 37 minutes, and he has the potential for a comparable performance vs. the Thunder. No one on the Lakers has seen a larger usage bump with LeBron, AD, and Westbrook off the floor this season, and THT averages 1.02 DraftKings points per minute in that situation. He probably deserves to be priced around $7,000 if the Lakers’ “Big Three” is out vs. the Thunder, so he’s basically impossible to fade at less than $4,000.
Fast Break
THT isn’t the only viable Lakers’ SF on Friday. Stanley Johnson and Austin Reaves are also very much in play. Johnson is currently projected for 33 minutes at the absolute minimum on FanDuel, while Reaves’ $4,000 salary on DraftKings comes with a Bargain Rating of 89%. Both players are grading out among the top values at their position in our NBA Models.
Deni Avdija has quietly been playing some quality basketball of late, increasing his production to 0.92 DraftKings points per minute over the past month. He should see plenty of minutes with Kristaps Porzingis joining Kyle Kuzma on the sidelines, and he could see a few additional shot attempts as well.
Power Forward
Stud
It remains to be seen what Giannis Antetokounmpo’s workload looks like on Friday. The team is playing on the second leg of a back-to-back, so they could choose to rest or limit the MVP candidate. The Bucks are still fighting for the No. 2 spot in the East, but I’m not sure how much of an incentive that is. Not only does it set up a possible first-round matchup vs. the Nets – who remain incredibly scary – but the Bucks seem confident that they can win the East regardless of seeding.
Still, Antetokounmpo’s upside is tantalizing. He’s averaged 1.77 DraftKings points per minute this season, which is easily the top mark among today’s players. He hasn’t been quite as dominant of late, but his 1.69 DraftKings points per minute over the past month is nothing to be ashamed of. Make sure to monitor the news heading into lineup lock, but Antetokounmpo is obviously in play if he’s active vs. the Pistons.
Value
Jaylen Hoard has been an absolute monster for the tanking Thunder recently. He’s played at least 36.2 minutes in three of his four games, and he’s responded with at least 39.75 DraftKings points in each contest. Overall, he’s averaged 1.08 DraftKings points per minute as a member of the Thunder, and he’s projected for another 35 minutes on Friday’s slate. He’s gotten a bit more expensive of late, but he remains underpriced across the industry.
Fast Break
Obi Toppin continues to warrant consideration for the Knicks. He’s taken full advantage of the absence of Julius Randle, scoring at least 33.0 DraftKings points in three straight games. He’s increased his production to 1.06 DraftKings points per minute over the past month, so he should continue to thrive with additional playing time.
Rui Hachimura is another player who should benefit from the absence of Porzingis on Friday. He’s been a solid source of value recently, posting an average Plus/Minus of +4.63 over his past 10 games on FanDuel, and his $4,500 salary comes with a Bargain Rating of 94%.
Center
Stud
Nikola Vucevic’s price tag continues to dip on FanDuel. He’s down to just $7,100 in a strong spot vs. the Hornets, making him a nice buy-low target. Vucevic has been seeing fewer minutes of late, but he’s historically averaged a Plus/Minus of +2.46 with a comparable price tag.
Value
Wenyen Gabriel is the last stop on our tour of the Lakers. Gabriel is a subpar per-minute producer for a center, but he’s dirt cheap at $3,600 and should see a healthy number of minutes vs. the Thunder. It’s an excellent matchup, giving Gabriel an Opponent Plus/Minus of +2.97.
Fast Break
Isaiah Roby was limited to just 26.2 minutes in the Thunder’s last game, but that was a 36-point loss to the Jazz. He still managed 35.75 DraftKings points in that outing, and he has the potential for much more playing time Friday vs. the Lakers. He saw more than 43 minutes two games ago, and he’s racked up at least 34.2 minutes in four of his past six games. Roby has averaged 1.04 DraftKings points per minute over the past month, so that’s more than enough to make him relevant.
