Welcome to the NBA playoffs! Saturday features a four-game slate starting at 1 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
Ja Morant is officially back for the Grizzlies, and he should be able to play close to his usual workload in Game 1 vs. the Timberwolves. It’s an outstanding matchup, with the Timberwolves ranking first in pace this season. The Grizzlies have also played at a top-four pace, so this game should feature plenty of possessions.
Morant also stands out as the best per-minute producer at the position. He’s averaged 1.42 DraftKings points per minute, so he can do some damage in this spot.
Value
The biggest news on Saturday involves the Mavericks, who will be without all-world point guard Luka Doncic. Doncic has been outstanding over the second half of the year, and his absence will open up tons of additional offensive responsibilities for the rest of the roster.
Spencer Dinwiddie figures to be one of the biggest beneficiaries. Since joining the Mavericks, Dinwiddie has increased his usage rate by +9.1% with Doncic off the floor. The result is an average of 1.24 DraftKings points per minute, which is the top mark on the squad. Dinwiddie has also averaged 44.38 DraftKings points in two full games without Doncic, making him one of the best values on the slate.
Fast Break
Steph Curry will return to the lineup for the Warriors on Saturday, but Steve Kerr said he will have his minutes monitored. That means Jordan Poole should continue to see a few additional opportunities offensively. Poole has thrived with Curry out of the lineup recently, increasing his production to 1.13 FanDuel points per minute over the past month. He’s gotten very pricy on DraftKings, but his $6,300 salary on FanDuel comes with a Bargain Rating of 98%.
Patrick Beverley has had an excellent season for the Timberwolves, averaging 1.00 DraftKings points per minute. He’s coming off 33 minutes in their play-in win over the Clippers, and he should see another sizable workload vs. the Grizzlies. Beverley will likely be tasked with trying to stop Morant, which keeps him relevant for fantasy purposes.
Shooting Guard
Stud
Fred VanVleet has been hampered by a knee injury, which has caused him to miss 10 of the Raptors’ past 23 games. However, head coach Nick Nurse has shown no mercy on him when he’s been in the lineup. He’s still routinely approached 40 minutes of playing time, and he should see at least that much playing time vs. the 76ers. VanVleet has averaged 1.09 DraftKings points per minute this season, so he should be able to pay off his salary with that much playing time.
Value
The Nuggets are looking for anyone who can give them consistent production alongside Nikola Jokic, and Bones Hyland has gotten more opportunities of late. He’s responded well, racking up at least 30.0 DraftKings points in four of his past six games. Don’t expect Hyland to play a ton of minutes, but he should be able to make up for it with his average of 1.04 DraftKings points per minute.
Fast Break
Klay Thompson is someone who could see a nice spike in value during the playoffs. His minutes were heavily limited to start the year, but he’s been basically a full go of late. He’s racked up at least 46.5 DraftKings points in four of his past six games, and he’s averaged 1.11 DraftKings points per minute this season. Like Poole, he’s another elite value on FanDuel given his Bargain Rating of 95%.
Jalen Brunson is another potential option for the Mavericks. He hasn’t been quite as productive as Dinwiddie with Doncic off the court recently, but that’s a role that Brunson has historically thrived in. Overall, he’s averaged 36.12 DraftKings points in 17 games without Doncic this season, making his current price tag reasonable.
Small Forward
Stud
The game between the Grizzlies and Timberwolves stands out as the clear top target from a fantasy perspective. The total currently sits at 236.0 points, and no other game is above 223. The Grizzlies’ implied team total of 121.25 ranks first on the slate, while the Timberwolves’ mark of 115.25 ranks second. Overall, both of these squads should be popular targets.
Anthony Edwards is coming off a strong performance in the play-in game, finishing with 42.75 DraftKings points over 37 minutes. He benefitted from Karl-Anthony Towns dealing with foul trouble, but Edwards has scored at least 41.0 DKFP in six of his past eight games. That makes $7,600 a nice price tag in an excellent matchup.
Value
OG Anunoby stands out as one of the top values on the slate. His playing time was limited down the stretch, but the Raptors weren’t really trying in those contests. Like most of the Raptors, Anunoby has the potential to approach 40 minutes now that the playoffs are here. Anunoby has averaged a strong 0.90 DraftKings points per minute, so he has excellent upside for his price tag.
Fast Break
There aren’t a ton of appealing punt plays on this slate, but Danny Green is an option at $3,700 on DraftKings. Green has racked up at least 34.0 DraftKings points in two of his past three games, with the lone exception being a 20-minute performance in the final game of the regular season. Green is a known playoff performer who can knock down 3-pointers, which is something that’s always useful during the postseason.
Bojan Bogdanovic has been rolling recently, yet his price has barely budged. He’s posted a positive Plus/Minus in eight of his past nine games on DraftKings, and he’s scored at least 27.5 DraftKings points in all eight games. He’s very reasonable at just $5,400.
Power Forward
Stud
Power forward is one of the weaker positions on Saturday’s slate, but Draymond Green deserves some consideration. He’s not the same player that he was in his prime – his scoring and 3-point shooting numbers continue to deteriorate – but he’s still a major threat in the peripheral categories. He’s averaged 7.0 assists and 7.3 rebounds per game this season, and he’s done it in an average of 28.9 minutes.
Green should see a few additional minutes per game during the postseason, and he’s averaged 1.07 DraftKings points per minute. There aren’t many options at power forward with that kind of per-minute upside.
Value
Brandon Clarke is actually one of the few power forwards who has been better than Green on a per-minute basis. He’s averaged 1.14 DKFP per minute, albeit over a smaller sample size. He figures to see around 18-20 minutes in this contest, which should be enough to make him relevant.
Fast Break
FanDuel has had some interesting multi-position eligibilities all year, and that continues on Saturday. Nikola Jokic, Joel Embiid, and Karl-Anthony Towns all have dual PF/C eligibility on FanDuel even though I doubt any of them have played power forward all year. Still, it is helpful for fantasy purposes since it allows you to play two of those guys in the same lineup if you choose to.
Scottie Barnes is priced at just $5,500 on FanDuel, resulting in a Bargain Rating of 97%. He’s coming off three straight subpar games, but he’s still averaged a strong 0.93 FanDuel points per minute this season. He’s yet another member of the Raptors who could approach 40 minutes vs. the 76ers, making him a strong value.
Center
Stud
Center is absolutely loaded at the top, but it’s hard to pass up on Jokic at $10,600 on DraftKings. He turned in another monster season, finishing with a career-best 27.1 points and 13.8 rebounds per game. He also added his usual outstanding marks as a distributor, averaging 7.9 assists. Overall, he averaged 61.25 DraftKings per game during the regular season, which blows away his previous career-high of 56.95.
There’s no reason to expect anything less in the postseason. If anything, Jokic should be able to improve upon his average of 33.5 minutes per game. He should be a popular choice, but it’s hard to avoid him at such a cheap price tag. He’s been priced below $11,000 on just five previous occasions this season, and he’s averaged 55.3 DraftKings points in those contests (per the Trends tool).
Value
Dwight Powell has been a solid source of value for the Mavericks recently. He’s scored at least 24.25 DKFP in five of his past seven games, and the Mavericks are going to need his size in this series. Rudy Gobert will be patrolling the paint for the Jazz, and Powell will be asked to keep him off the glass. That should result in a solid handful of minutes, even with Maxi Kleber cleared to return to the lineup.
Fast Break
Kevon Looney doesn’t typically see big minutes for the Warriors, but he is a starting center priced below $4,000 across the industry. He’s also a decent per-minute producer, averaging 0.98 FanDuel points per minute this season.
