Friday features a seven-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 a bit light on star power, with only four players owning a salary above $9,800 on DraftKings. Luka Doncic is one of those players, and he’s been one of the best players in fantasy this season. That’s not surprising – he’s been one of the best players in fantasy basically since arriving in the NBA – but his 37.1% usage rate does represent a new career-high.
Doncic will take the floor in an elite spot vs. the Timberwolves. The Mavericks have played at the slowest pace in the league this season, while the Timberwolves have been easily the fastest team in basketball of late. That makes this the biggest pace-up spot possible, giving Doncic significantly more upside than usual.
Value
Kris Dunn is back in the NBA, and he’s carried a significant workload for the shorthanded Blazers. He’s averaged 24.8 minutes over his six games, and he moved into the starting lineup in their last outing. Dunn has also provided plenty of fantasy value, averaging 0.93 DraftKings points per minute.
He stands out as one of the best values on Friday’s slate. He’s currently projected for 30 minutes in our NBA Models, making him extremely underpriced at just $4,500. Dunn also draws one of the best possible matchups vs. the Rockets, who rank dead last in defensive efficiency.
Fast Break
Patrick Beverley continues to stand out as an elite option on DraftKings, where his $4,700 salary comes with a Bargain Rating of 75%. He’s played at least 30.9 minutes in back-to-back games, and Beverley has averaged a stout 1.12 DraftKings points per minute over the past month.
Tyrese Maxey has managed to retain most of his value even with James Harden joining the 76ers’ rotation. His production has decreased slightly over the past month, but he’s still averaging 0.83 FanDuel points per minute. Maxey is more than capable of making up for it with one of the largest workloads in the league, and he leads the position with 37 projected minutes on Friday. Maxey is also underpriced at $6,200 on FanDuel, resulting in a Bargain Rating of 94%.
Shooting Guard
Stud
The Heat are going to be an important team to monitor heading into lineup lock. They have a massive injury report, and both Jimmy Butler and Tyler Herro are listed as questionable. If either of those players is ruled out, it will create significant value with the rest of the roster.
However, Herro is worth consideration on DraftKings if he’s active. He’s priced at just $6,300, resulting in a Bargain Rating of 95%, and he’s increased his production to 1.13 DraftKings points per minute over the past month. Herro also sees one of the biggest boosts in value with Butler off the court, so he would be even more appealing if his star teammate is out of the lineup.
Value
The Blazers are going to be a nice source of value at multiple positions given their matchup vs. the Rockets. Ben McLemore is someone worth considering at shooting guard. He’s priced at just $3,700 on DraftKings, and he’s posted a positive Plus/Minus in each of his past four games. That includes at least 25.5 DraftKings points in three of those outings.
Fast Break
Terry Rozier has been playing some fantastic basketball recently, averaging 1.14 FanDuel points per minute over the past month. He draws a tough matchup vs. the Jazz on Friday, resulting in an Opponent Plus/Minus of -2.25, but he still leads the position with 14 Pro Trends on FanDuel. He also owns a Bargain Rating of 97%, making him a very appealing option.
Klay Thompson missed the Warriors’ last game, but he will be back in the lineup on Friday. He should also continue to benefit from the absence of Steph Curry. He’s increased his usage, assist, and rebound rates with Curry off the floor this season, resulting in an average of 1.04 FanDuel points per minute.
Small Forward
Stud
R.J. Barrett has had a breakout season, and he’s officially in stud consideration every time the Knicks take the floor. He hasn’t been a dominant per-minute producer, averaging 1.03 DraftKings points per minute over the past month, but he routinely carries one of the largest workloads in the league. He’s racked up at least 39.7 minutes in six of his past seven games, and he’s projected for another 39 minutes vs. the Heat.
Barrett would also be one of the biggest beneficiaries if Julius Randle is forced to miss his third straight games. He’s increased his usage rate by +7.7% with Randle, Derrick Rose, and Kemba Walker off the floor this season, and he’s posted a usage rate of at least 31.8% in each of his past two games. That gives him a bit more per-minute upside than usual.
Value
Reggie Bullock has seen a nice bump in minutes for the Mavericks recently, and he’s projected for 34 minutes Friday vs. the Timberwolves. He’s a mediocre per-minute producer, but that’s a lot of playing time for someone priced at just $4,400. Historically, players with comparable salaries and minute projections have averaged a Plus/Minus of +3.38 (per the Trends tool).
Fast Break
Eric Gordon has been a bit of a disaster recently, averaging just 0.53 DraftKings points per minute over the past month. However, he’s averaged 0.74 DraftKings points per minute for the year, and he’s still playing around 25 minutes per night. That gives him some buy-low appeal at just $3,400, especially since the Rockets own the highest implied team total on the slate.
Kevin Porter Jr. is the more conventional target for the Rockets, especially at just $5,900 on FanDuel. His price tag comes with a Bargain Rating of 79%, and he’s averaged 0.95 FanDuel points per minute this season. He should be more than enough playing time to pay off his salary vs. the Blazers, especially given his Opponent Plus/Minus of +3.68.
Power Forward
Stud
Kristaps Porzingis is coming off a disappointing outing on Thursday, finishing with just 35.75 DraftKings points vs. the Bucks. It will be interesting to see if the Wizards play him on the second leg of a back-to-back, but he did suit up in the Wizards’ most recent back-to-back.
The Wizards may need Porzingis if they are without Kyle Kuzma for the fourth straight game. His status is currently unknown – the Wizards have yet to submit their initial injury report – but it’s reasonable to expect that he will be questionable at best. Porzingis has increased his production to 1.43 DraftKings points per minute with Kuzma off the court, so he will have appeal if Kuzma sits again. Porzingis definitely carries more risk than usual on the second leg of a back-to-back, but that could also result in reduced ownership.
He racked up 57.25 DraftKings points just two games ago, so the upside is worth the gamble.
Value
It never feels good to play Royce O’Neale, but he stands out as a strong option on Friday’s slate. He’s priced at just $3,900 on DraftKings and is projected for 32 minutes, and it’s hard to beat that combination for cash games. O’Neale has historically averaged a Plus/Minus of +3.94 with a comparable salary and minute projection, so he’s a strong bet to return value.
Fast Break
Trendon Watford has been an elite option for fantasy owners recently, posting an average Plus/Minus of +9.26 over his past 10 games on FanDuel. His price tag has increased over that time frame, but his $6,000 salary still comes with a Bargain Rating of 94%. Watford has averaged 1.01 FanDuel points per minute over the past month, and he’s currently projected for 32 minutes in our NBA Models. He can do some serious damage with that much playing time vs. the Rockets.
Jarred Vanderbilt is another nice option on FanDuel given his Bargain Rating of 85%. He’s currently projected for 25 minutes, but that number could skyrocket if Karl-Anthony Towns is ultimately ruled out.
Center
Stud
If you’re not paying up for Doncic, Joel Embiid is the strongest stud option. Playing both together is definitely doable – especially on FanDuel – and they own the strongest median projections by a comfortable margin.
Embiid has actually been slightly better than Doncic over the past month, averaging 1.60 DraftKings points per minute, and he’s scored at least 58.0 DraftKings points in three of his past four games. However, his matchup vs. the Clippers isn’t ideal. They rank eighth in defensive efficiency, and they’re 29th in pace over their past 10 games.
Value
Greg Brown is yet another potential value option for the Blazers. He’s priced at just $3,400 on DraftKings, and he’s projected for 22 minutes in our NBA Models. Brown has averaged 0.85 DraftKings points per minute this season, and he’s coming off 31.0 DraftKings points in his last outing.
Fast Break
Rudy Gobert never seems to get the attention he deserves in DFS, and he’s put together three straight subpar outings. That’s caused his price tag to dip to $7,600 on DraftKings in an outstanding matchup vs. the Hornets. He owns an Opponent Plus/Minus of +3.43, making him an excellent buy-low option.
Draymond Green has center eligibility on FanDuel, where his $5,200 salary comes with a Bargain Rating of 97%. The Warriors have eased him back into action, but he’s coming off 29 minutes in his last outing. If he continues to see that much playing time, he has the potential to provide excellent value with Curry out of the lineup.
