Friday features a nine-game slate starting at 7 p.m. ET.
Point Guard
Stud
Russell Westbrook’s salary is all the way up to $12,800, but it is 100% deserved. He’s posted an average Plus/Minus of +16.35 over his past 10 games, and he’s scored at least 70.25 DraftKings points in six of his past seven. Westbrook should put up another huge game against the Cavaliers on Friday. Bradley Beal remains out of the lineup, and the Cavs represent a tremendous matchup — they rank just 26th in defensive efficiency, and the Wizards’ implied team total of 118.25 points ranks second on the slate.
Value
The Warriors have a jam-packed injury report heading into Friday’s matchup against the Pelicans. Steph Curry, Andrew Wiggins and Draymond Green are all questionable, and there’s a good chance that all three players sit in an essentially meaningless contest. Make sure to monitor the injury report utilizing the Labs Insiders tool.
If that happens, Jordan Poole is going to be asked to carry a large workload vs. the Pelicans. He’s filled in admirably in seven games without Curry this season, averaging 31.57 DraftKings points per game.
Fast Break
We can continue to target Malachi Flynn for the shorthanded Raptors. He’s coming off more than 41.4 minutes in his last game, and he’s scored at least 29.6 FanDuel points in each of his past three contests. Overall, he’s averaged 31.93 FanDuel points in four games without Kyle Lowry, Fred VanVleet and Pascal Siakam this season. He’s an elite value at just $5,600 on FanDuel given his Bargain Rating of 78%.
The Pelicans have a few interesting point guard options on Friday. Nickeil Alexander-Walker had his minute’s limit removed in his last game, and he ultimately finished with 21.5 DraftKings points over 34.5 minutes. That was a disappointing performance, but it bodes well for his success against the Warriors.
NAW has averaged 1.07 DraftKings points per minute with Zion Williamson, Brandon Ingram and Lonzo Ball off the court this season.
Kira Lewis is cheaper across the industry, and he also has some viability. He isn’t nearly the same producer as Alexander-Walker on a per-minute basis, but Lewis is coming off 21.5 DraftKings points over 22 minutes in their last game.
Shooting Guard
Stud
Only in the final week of the regular season can Terence Davis realistically be considered a stud, but that’s exactly where we’re at on Friday. He’s another player who has absolutely smashed recently. He’s scored at least 35.75 DraftKings points in four straight games, and he should continue to see a large workload for the shorthanded Kings. We’re still waiting on their official injury report, but it would not be shocking if they’re without Harrison Barnes, Marvin Bagley and Richaun Holmes against the Grizzlies.
Davis is also one of the best values at the position on DraftKings, where his $6,200 salary comes with a Bargain Rating of 92%.
Rocky Widner/NBAE via Getty Images. Pictured: Terence Davis
Value
Svi Mykhailiuk has seen around 24 minutes per game recently, and he’s made the most of his playing time. He’s scored at least 27.75 DraftKings points in each of his past three contests, and he’s increased his fantasy production to 0.84 DraftKings points per minute over the past month. The Thunder have already ruled out Lu Dort vs. the Jazz, so Mykhailiuk’s playing time should be secure.
Fast Break
Add Eric Bledsoe to the list of viable options for the shorthanded Pelicans. He’s posted an average Plus/Minus of +8.20 over his past 10 games on FanDuel, and he’s increased his production to 0.90 FanDuel points per minute over the past month. He’s underpriced at just $5,800 on FanDuel, resulting in a Bargain Rating of 86%.
I don’t blame you if you’ve never heard of Khyri Thomas. He’s played just four games for the Rockets this season, but he leads the position with 14 Pro Trends on FanDuel. That’s a ton, especially considering his $5,800 price tag. Historically, players with a comparable number of Pro Trends and salary have averaged a Plus/Minus of +3.40 (per the Trends tool).
Small Forward
Stud
Despite Friday’s slate being nine games, there aren’t a ton of true studs to consider paying up for. Westbrook is the clear top option in that department, but I wouldn’t blame you if you went with Luka Doncic on DraftKings. The Mavericks still have something to play for, holding just a 1.0-game lead over the Lakers for the No. 7 spot in the West. They do not want to fall into the play-in tournament, so expect Doncic to be at full capacity vs. the Raptors.
Value
Kent Bazemore has been a strong fantasy option while filling in for Kelly Oubre recently, and he’s one of the lone Warriors’ starters not currently on the injury report. That means he should be in the lineup vs. the Pelicans, and he would obviously see a boost in value if Curry, Wiggins, and Green are ruled out. The Pelicans are also an excellent matchup, ranking just 23rd in defensive efficiency.
Fast Break
Stanley Johnson is priced at the absolute minimum on FanDuel, and he’s coming off more than 43 minutes in the Raptors’ last game. He’s not projected for quite as much playing time on Friday – he’s currently projected for 29.0 minutes in our NBA Models – but that’s still a bunch for a minimum-priced player. Historically, min-priced players have posted an average Plus/Minus of +4.23 with a comparable minute projection.
Naji Marshall is another possible option for the Pelicans. He’s played approximately 30 minutes over his past two games and has increased his production to 0.92 FanDuel points per minute over the past month. He should see another expanded workload on Friday, which makes him a strong option across the industry.
Power Forward
Stud
The Rockets are in full tank mode and have unsurprisingly ruled out Christian Wood, Kevin Porter Jr. and Danuel House for Friday’s matchup against the Clippers.
Kenyon Martin Jr. was just one of eight available players in their last game, and he finished with 43.5 DraftKings points over 37.2 minutes. That performance wasn’t an isolated incident for Martin, either: He’s posted an average Plus/Minus of +14.49 points over his past 10 games. He’s increased his production to 0.92 DraftKings points per minute over the past month and should approach 40 minutes once again on Friday.
Troy Fields/NBAE via Getty Images. Pictured: Kenyon Martin Jr.
Value
I’m going to continue to take the value with Chimezie Metu at power forward. He’s coming off 34.3 minutes in his last game and has averaged a stout 1.02 DraftKings points per minute over the past month. That’s a ton of production for someone in this price range, so he’s too cheap if the Kings’ frontcourt is shorthanded again against the Grizzlies.
Fast Break
On the other side of that matchup, the Grizzlies just ruled out a large majority of their team. That includes Jonas Valanciunas, Kyle Anderson, Jaren Jackson Jr. and Brandon Clarke in their frontcourt, which means Xavier Tillman should command a massive workload. Tillman has averaged 0.97 FanDuel points per minute over the past month, so he can do some serious damage with increased playing time. He’s a particularly strong option on FanDuel, where his $3,900 salary comes with a Bargain Rating of 75%.
James Johnson is always a viable option when he’s expected to see minutes, and he’s currently projected for 29.5 minutes in our NBA Models. He’s coming off a down performance in his last game, but he finished with at least 31.9 FanDuel points in his previous two games. He’s a nice buy-low option at $4,800.
Center
Stud
The Cavaliers are one of the few cellar-dwellers who aren’t all-out tanking late in the season. What a concept! Jarrett Allen hasn’t exactly crushed from a fantasy perspective of late, but he has played at least 32.1 minutes in back-to-back games. He’s averaged 1.07 DraftKings points per minute this season, so that bodes well for his fantasy prospects on Friday. The Wizards represent an excellent matchup since they play at the fastest pace in the league by a wide margin.
Value
JaVale McGee is coming off more than 24 minutes on Thursday against the Timberwolves, and he has tremendous upside when he sees that much playing time. He’s averaged a stout 1.19 DraftKings points per minute this season, so it’s not surprising that he racked up 33.75 DraftKings points on Thursday. The Nuggets’ beat writers have speculated that head coach Mike Malone will play Nikola Jokic fewer minutes down the stretch, and McGee would be one of the primary beneficiaries if that does happen.
Fast Break
Kevon Looney should also provide some value at the center position. He’s not a great producer on a per-minute basis, but he’s currently projected for 28.8 minutes in our NBA Models. That’s a lot of playing time for someone who costs just $3,800, particularly in a good matchup vs. the Pelicans.
Jokic carries a bit more risk than usual, but he still carries excellent upside on a slate with limited studs. He owns an Opponent Plus/Minus of +3.51 on FanDuel, and he’s averaged 1.60 FanDuel points per minute over the past month. He can still rack up plenty of fantasy points in limited minutes, just like he did in his last outing.
