Friday features a 10-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
Point guard is a bit thin at the top for a 10-game slate. Shai Gilgeous-Alexander isn’t priced like a true stud at the position, but he has the potential for stud-like value. He and the rest of the Thunder struggled Wednesday vs. the Jazz, but he has they have the potential for a much bigger performance vs. the Rockets. The Rockets played at the fourth-fastest pace in their first game of the season, and they also allowed a whopping 117.4 points per 100 possessions.
SGA was excellent from a fantasy perspective when healthy last year, averaging 1.2 DraftKings points per minute. He’s a steal at just $6,700 on DraftKings given his Bargain Rating of 86%.
Value
Cole Anthony stands out as one of the best values on the slate at $4,900 on FanDuel. It results in a Bargain Rating of 97%, and his seven Pro Trends are tied for fourth at the position. He’s expected to carry a large workload for a Magic squad that is largely devoid of playmakers at the moment. He was just 3-12 from the field on opening night – including 1-7 from 3-point range – so he’s a candidate for some positive regression on Friday.
Fast Break
Spencer Dinwiddie didn’t play as much as expected in his first game of the year, but the Wizards won that game by a comfortable margin. He’s currently projected for around 30 minutes in our NBA Models, so he should see a bit more playing time vs. the Pacers. He’s averaged 1.06 DraftKings points per minute over the past month, so he’s a strong option at just $5,600. The Wizards’ implied team total of 114.75 also ranks second on the slate.
Dejounte Murray is poised for a huge season. The Spurs have a ton of usage available after losing DeMar DeRozan, LaMarcus Aldridge, and Rudy Gay since the start of last season, and Murray posted a usage rate of 29.1% in their first game. He didn’t shoot that well, making just six of 17 shots from the field, but he still racked up 41.0 DraftKings points. Murray has awesome potential in the peripheral categories, so his ceiling is extremely high on nights where his shot is falling.
Shooting Guard
Stud
Fred VanVleet is another midrange option with stud-like upside on Friday. The Raptors lost Kyle Lowry in the offseason, and Pascal Siakam is currently sidelined with an injury. That leaves VanVleet to command a monster usage rate. He did just that on opening night, but his fantasy scoring was plagued by a dreadful 5-20 performance from the field. VanVleet is far from a dead-eye shooter, but he should be able to improve on those marks moving forward.
He’s an elite option on DraftKings at just $6,900 given his Bargain Rating of 96%.
Value
Terrence Ross is underpriced on FanDuel, where his $4,400 salary comes with a Bargain Rating of 92%. He’s currently projected for more than 33.5 minutes in our NBA Models, and he averaged 0.90 FanDuel points per minute last year. He could improve on that figure this season given all the Magic’s departures over the past year, and he’s historically averaged a Plus/Minus of +3.42 with a comparable salary and minute projection (per the Trends tool).
Fast Break
The Bulls managed just 94 points in their first game of the year, but that didn’t stop Zach LaVine from racking up fantasy points. He finished with 52.25 DraftKings points thanks to his lethal combination of scoring volume and efficiency. He has a plus matchup vs. the Pelicans on Friday, who ranked ninth in pace and 23rd in defensive efficiency last season.
Nickeil Alexander-Walker has always been an excellent per-minute contributor, and he should get the chance to play more consistent minutes this season. He logged 34 on opening night and responded with 35.5 FanDuel points, and that was in a tough matchup vs. the 76ers. He’s an awesome option at just $5,700 on FanDuel.
Small Forward
Stud
Sticking with the Pelicans, Brandon Ingram should be their primary scoring threat for as long as Zion Williamson is sidelined. He posted a massive 35.8% usage rate in their first game of the year, and he responded with 43.25 DraftKings points.
Ingram has the potential for an even bigger performance on Friday. He increased his fantasy production to 1.25 DraftKings points per minute with Williamson off the court last year, and he’s projected for close to 37 minutes in our NBA Models.
Value
Kevin Porter Jr. struggled to get anything going on opening night. He played just 24.8 minutes and finished with 13.1 FanDuel points, making him one of the bigger busts in the slate. He racked up a dreadful nine turnovers in his limited court time, and he also shot just 4-12 from the field.
Still, I’m willing to give Porter the benefit of the doubt. He averaged close to 1.00 FanDuel points per minute last year, and he was phenomenal when running the point for the Rockets. He should be able to bounce back vs. the Thunder, and his $6,000 salary on FanDuel comes with a Bargain Rating of 97%.
Fast Break
Michael Porter Jr. is expected to take on a larger role for the Nuggets this season with Jamal Murray sidelined, but that didn’t materialize in their first game of the year. He posted a usage rate of just 16.9%, but that didn’t stop him from scoring 34.0 DraftKings points. He should have some higher-usage games moving forward, so he clearly has upside for better fantasy performances as well. He’s an excellent value at just $6,300 on DraftKings.
OG Anunoby is one of my favorite tournament options on Friday. He was solid on opening night, scoring 32.0 DraftKings points in 34 minutes, despite shooting just 3-17 from the field. That was one of the worst shooting performances in the entire league, but he’s shot at least 48.0% from the field and 39.0% from 3-point range in each of the past two seasons. If he can post some better shooting numbers on Friday, he has the potential to destroy this price tag.
Power Forward
Stud
Christian Wood is only center-eligible on DraftKings, but he has power forward eligibility on FanDuel. The big-man spots are the best places to pay up at on Friday, so being able to fit Wood at power forward is a major plus. He’s popping as one of the best plays in our models in this spot vs. the Thunder. He averaged 1.2 FanDuel points per minute last year, and he owns an Opponent Plus/Minus of +3.2 on FanDuel. He’s worth consideration at center on DraftKings given his Bargain Rating of 93%, but the power forward eligibility on FanDuel is particularly appealing.
Value
Mo Bamba was expected to have a big fantasy season for the Magic, and he did not disappoint on opening night. He put his unique skill set on full display, racking up four blocks on defense and three made 3-pointers on offense. He ultimately finished with 40.8 FanDuel points, resulting in a Plus/Minus of +18.94.
His price tag is considerably higher on Friday, but he still stands out as one of the best pure values at the position.
Fast Break
Paying up for Julius Randle on DraftKings seems like the way to go on Friday. He’s priced at just $8,500, resulting in a Bargain Rating of 93%, and he leads the position with 11 Pro Trends. Randle has historically averaged a Plus/Minus of +2.87 with a comparable price tag as a member of the Knicks. He was dominant in their opening night win vs. the Celtics, racking up 62.5 DraftKings points over 46 minutes. That number is inflated by it being a double-overtime game, but Randle still figures to carry one of the largest minute workloads in the league.
Domantas Sabonis is another option if you want to pay up at the position. He played more than 39 minutes on opening night, and he has the potential to dominate games in a variety of ways. He’s averaged 1.37 DraftKings points per minute over the past year, which trails only LeBron James and Kevin Durant at the position on Friday.
Center
Stud
Center is absolutely loaded on Friday. I think I would play about five of them in the same lineup if I could, but we haven’t reached that level of multi-positional eligibility quite yet. Still, using a center in the utility spot on DraftKings is my preferred strategy.
Nikola Vucevic is my favorite option on DraftKings, and he grades out extremely favorably in our models. He struggled on opening night, shooting just 7-21 from the field, but the minutes and usage were there. He averaged 1.43 DraftKings points per minute last year, so I’m expecting a better performance on Friday.
Additionally, his price tag has absolutely plummeted on DraftKings. He’s down to just $7,800, which represents a decrease of -$1,200 since his first game. That’s a massive overreaction to just one performance, so take advantage while you can.
Value
Jonas Valanciunas is my preferred center target on FanDuel. He didn’t see nearly the same price decrease as Vucevic did on DraftKings, but his $6,500 salary still comes with a Bargain Rating of 92%.
The only thing that has been able to stop Valanciunas in the past is a lack of playing time, and that’s not a concern with the Pelicans at the moment. He logged 30 minutes on opening night but was done in by a ridiculously poor 3-19 shooting performance. If he returns to his normal marks in that category – he’s a career 56.5% shooter – he’s going to smash.
Fast Break
Guys like Joel Embiid and Nikola Jokic are also definitely in play on Friday. They may not stand out as the same values as Vucevic and Valanciunas, but they both have the potential to be the top-scoring player on the slate. Their ownership should also be modest, which makes them elite pivots for tournaments.
Finally, Nicolas Claxton is an option if you want to go cheap at the position. He surprisingly drew the start at center in the Nets’ first game and ultimately played more than 24 minutes. He averaged more than 1.00 fantasy points per minute last season, so he’s an appealing value play at his current price across the industry.
