Saturday features a six-game slate starting at 7:30 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
Trae Young was playing some of his best basketball before the All-Star break, but he stumbled in his first game back. He shot just 3-of-17 from the field, ultimately finishing with just 32.25 DraftKings points over 37 minutes.
Young faces a tough matchup Saturday vs. the Raptors, but he still stands out as the clear top stud point guard. He’s averaged 1.42 DraftKings points per minute this season — the second-highest mark at the position on Saturday’s slate — and he should continue to benefit from the Hawks’ injury situation.
John Collins and Lou Williams remain out of the lineup, and Young has increased his usage rate by +2.6% with both players off the floor.
Value
Brandon Goodwin is the lock of all locks on Saturday’s slate. The Cavaliers have been decimated by injuries in the backcourt, and they’ll be without Darius Garland, Caris LeVert and Rajon Rondo vs. the Wizards.
That leaves Goodwin to handle the majority of the playing time. He’s currently projected for 32 minutes in our NBA Models, and he’s averaged 0.94 DraftKings points per minute this season.
Goodwin also stands out as one of the best pure values at the position on DraftKings, where his $4,200 salary comes with a Bargain Rating of 95%.
Fast Break
Dejounte Murray has a claim to the top spot at the position on FanDuel. He’s been incredible all season, and he’s taken his game to another level following the Derrick White trade.
He’s increased his production to 1.52 FanDuel points per minute over the past month, which is the top mark at the position by a sizable margin. He leads all point guards with 13 Pro Trends on FanDuel, where his $9,700 salary comes with a Bargain Rating of 95%.
Fred VanVleet was questionable ahead of Friday’s matchup vs. the Hornets, but he was able to suit up. He was limited to just 29.3 minutes in a blowout loss, but he should return to his usual massive workload if Saturday’s matchup is more competitive.
He’s currently projected for 36 minutes, and that’s a conservative estimate: He’s logged at least 37.4 minutes in seven of his past 10 games.
Shooting Guard
Stud
Shooting guard is one of the weaker positions on Saturday’s slate, but Khris Middleton is worthy of some attention.
The Bucks own an excellent matchup vs. the Nets, resulting in a slate-high implied team total of 123.0 points. Middleton’s price tag on DraftKings has also dipped by -$800 over the past month, giving him some buy-low appeal.
Value
The Spurs have some legitimate concerns on Saturday. They’re coming off a grueling double-overtime marathon on Friday, and they’ll have to contend with a brutal matchup vs. the Heat on the second leg of a back-to-back. The Heat are currently listed as 8.5-point favorites, so there’s a bit of a blowout concern.
However, Lonnie Walker IV stands out as one of the better value options at shooting guard. He’s been one of the biggest beneficiaries following the White trade, scoring at least 28.75 DraftKings points in each of his past three games.
He’s posted a usage rate of at least 26.4% in all three contests, which represents a sizable increase from his season average of 23.2%.
Overall, he’s averaged 0.86 DraftKings points per minute with White off the floor, so he’s underpriced at $4,100.
Fast Break
Kevin Huerter is another potential option on DraftKings, where his $4,500 salary comes with a Bargain Rating of 79%. He’s a mediocre per-minute producer, averaging 0.75 DraftKings points per minute for the year, but he’s coming off 35.2 minutes in his last outing.
Zach LaVine has taken a backseat to DeMar DeRozan of late, which has caused his price tag to dip to just $7,800 on FanDuel. That’s an excellent price tag for LaVine. It results in a Bargain Rating of 94%, and he’s averaged a Plus/Minus of +2.86 with a comparable salary this season (per the Trends tool).
Small Forward
Stud
Jimmy Butler has struggled a bit recently, posting an average Plus/Minus of -3.09 over his past 10 games on DraftKings.
Still, Butler has had an excellent season. He’s averaged 1.25 DraftKings points per minute, and he’s in an excellent bounce-back spot vs. the Spurs. They’ve played at the fourth-fastest pace this season, and they’ve been below average in defensive efficiency.
The Heat are currently implied for 116.75 points, which represents a massive increase from their season average of 109.0.
Value
OG Anunoby is sidelined with a finger injury, which opens up some additional playing time for Scottie Barnes. He had an awesome performance on Friday, finishing with 38.25 DraftKings points while shooting 13-of-18 from the field.
He’s clearly due for some regression, but he should make up for it with a few extra minutes. Barnes was limited to less than 32 minutes in Friday’s blowout, so he could definitely play more vs. the Hawks.
His $5,600 price tag is also cheap enough that a bit of regression wouldn’t kill his value.
Fast Break
De’Andre Hunter left the Hawks last game after just 13 minutes, but he is probable to suit up vs. the Raptors. He’s currently projected for 32 minutes in our NBA Models, which makes him a strong option at just $4,400 on DraftKings.
Historically, players with comparable salaries and minute projections have averaged a Plus/Minus of +4.14.
The Wizards could get Kristaps Porzingis in the lineup on Saturday, but he will likely be heavily limited even if he does suit up.
That means Kyle Kuzma should continue to serve as the team’s top scoring threat. He’s increased his production to 1.16 FanDuel points per minute over the past month, and his $7,400 salary comes with a Bargain Rating of 97%.
Power Forward
Stud
Giannis Antetokounmpo is expensive at $11,800 on DraftKings, but that’s actually a pretty reasonable price tag for him. He’s scored at least 68.25 DraftKings points in three of his past four games, and the only thing that’s been able to stop him recently has been minutes.
In games where he’s seen his usual workload, he’s been absolutely dominant over the past month. Giannis has increased his production to 1.87 DraftKings points per minute over that time frame, and he’s in an excellent spot vs. the Nets.
He owns an Opponent Plus/Minus of +2.52, which ranks second at the power forward position on Saturday’s slate.
Value
Thaddeus Young is coming off 21.3 minutes in his last outing, his second straight game with at least 20.6 minutes.
That’s not much, but it’s more than enough given Young’s minimal price tag. He’s priced at just $3,200 on DraftKings, and Young has averaged a stout 1.07 DraftKings points per minute this season.
He should see a similar workload with Anunoby out of the lineup again on Saturday, making him a very appealing punt play.
Fast Break
Evan Mobley has had an excellent rookie season, and he’s emerged as the massive favorite to win the Rookie of the Year. He’s increased his usage rate by +5.2% with each of the Cavaliers’ injured guards off the court this season, giving him a bit more upside than usual.
He’s also very fairly priced at $6,800 on DraftKings, resulting in a Bargain Rating of 83%.
Kevin Love is the preferred Cavs’ target on FanDuel, given his Bargain Rating of 94%. He’s displayed massive upside this season, and he’s averaged 1.23 FanDuel points per minute with LeVert, Garland, Rondo, Collin Sexton and Ricky Rubio off the floor this season.
Center
Stud
Nikola Jokic is slightly more expensive than Giannis on Saturday, but it’s hard to argue against his price tag. He’s been the most consistent player in fantasy this season, and he’s scored at least 57.75 DraftKings points in each of his past five games. Like Giannis, he’s also averaged 1.87 DraftKings points per minute over the past month.
Jokic also owns one of the top matchups on the slate. He’s taking on the Kings, who rank 29th in defensive efficiency.
The Nuggets are currently implied for 122.25 points, and Jokic owns an Opponent Plus/Minus of +3.23. Our Models give him a slight edge over Giannis if you’re trying to decide between the two.
Value
Khem Birch moved into the Raptors’ starting lineup in place of Anunoby, but he finished with a disappointing 10.5 DraftKings points over 18.2 minutes.
Still, Birch is dirt-cheap at $3,100 on DraftKings, and he’s averaged 0.78 DraftKings points per minute this season. That should at least give him a shot at returning value.
Fast Break
Brandon Clarke has posted a positive Plus/Minus in seven straight games on DraftKings, and he’s increased his production to 1.23 DraftKings points per minute.
He’s gotten more expensive over that time frame, but he’s still cheap enough to return value in around 23 minutes.
Jarrett Allen stands out as an elite target on FanDuel, given his Bargain Rating of 92%. He also owns an Opponent Plus/Minus of +7.04, which is one of the highest marks I’ve seen all season.
His 10 Pro Trends trail only Jokic’s 11 at center, and his $6,800 salary makes him significantly cheaper.
