Saturday features a three-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
Saturday’s slate is a small one, so there aren’t a ton of stud options to choose from. Point guard is particularly thin, especially if Malcolm Brogdon sits out for the Pacers.
However, Chris Paul is worth some consideration. He’s been a solid source of value recently, posting a positive Plus/Minus in six of his past nine games, and he’s scored at least 45.5 DraftKings points in back-to-back contests. The Suns also have one of the best matchups of the day vs. the Pacers, and their implied team total of 116.0 ranks second on the slate.
Value
The best matchup of the day belongs to the Bucks, and it’s really not even that close. They’re taking on the Kings, who rank eighth in pace and 27th in defensive efficiency. The Bucks are currently implied for 122.0 points, which is the top mark on the slate by a sizable margin.
Donte DiVincenzo is a cheap way to get some exposure to the Bucks. He’s priced at just $3,300 on DraftKings, and he’s currently projected for 21 minutes in our NBA Models. That’s not a ton of playing time, but DiVincenzo has averaged 0.77 DraftKings points per minute this season. That should be enough to give him a chance to return value.
Fast Break
If Brogdon is able to suit up for the Pacers, he has the potential to carry an expanded workload. Myles Turner and Domantas Sabonis are both out of the lineup, and Caris LeVert is questionable. Brogdon would undoubtedly have to post a higher usage rate if all three players are out of the lineup. Brogdon is particularly appealing on FanDuel given his Bargain Rating of 94%.
Darius Garland is another nice value on FanDuel. His $8,600 salary comes with a Bargain Rating of 87%, and he’s posted an average Plus/Minus of +7.14 over his past 10 games. He’s gone for at least 46.5 FanDuel points in four of his past five games, and the Thunder are a middle-of-the-pack team in terms of defensive efficiency.
Shooting Guard
Stud
Devin Booker has been on a heater recently. He’s scored at least 28 points in four straight games, and he’s increased his production to 1.25 DraftKings points per minute over the past month. He benefits from the same strong matchup as Paul, and he owns the second-highest ceiling projection in our NBA Models.
Value
If you’re looking to go cheaper with the Suns, Cameron Payne is always a viable option. His minutes are typically capped – we currently have him projected for 20 minutes on Saturday – but he makes up for it with strong per-minute production. Payne has averaged 1.01 DraftKings points per minute over the past month, so he has the potential to pay off his price tag in limited minutes.
Fast Break
LeVert is in a very similar situation to Brogdon on Saturday. If he’s able to return to the lineup and Brogdon sits, LeVert will be asked to carry a massive workload. Even if Brogdon is able to suit up, LeVert would still have some value if he’s active. He’s increased his usage rate by +9.0% with Sabonis and Turner off the court this season, albeit over a very small sample size.
Josh Giddey stands out as one of the strongest options at the position on FanDuel. He leads the position with 11 Pro Trends, and his $6,100 salary comes with a Bargain Rating of 95%. Giddey has also increased his production to 1.04 FanDuel points per minute over the past month, and he’s currently projected for 32 minutes in our NBA Models.
Small Forward
Stud
Small forward is probably the weakest position on today’s slate. Khris Middleton is the only option priced above $6,400 on DraftKings, and he’s much less appealing now that Jrue Holiday is back in the lineup.
With that in mind, going down to someone like Lauri Markkanen makes sense. Markkanen is coming off a massive performance in his last game, finishing with 43.25 DraftKings points over 32.6 minutes. Markkanen continues to play a healthy number of minutes for the Cavaliers, and he’s averaged a strong 0.89 DraftKings points per minute over the past month. His salary has also dipped to just $5,500 on DraftKings, resulting in a Bargain Rating of 83%.
Value
Let’s continue to ride the shorthanded Pacers. Even if Brogdon and LeVert are active, Chris Duarte should be asked to carry a sizable workload. He’s coming off 38.5 minutes in his last outing, and he’s scored at least 47.25 DraftKings points in two of his past three games. He’ll face a difficult matchup vs. the Suns, but Duarte is simply too cheap on DraftKings at $5,200. It results in a Bargain Rating of 97%, and Duarte has averaged 0.93 DraftKings points per minute over the past month.
Fast Break
Mikal Bridges is a solid yet unspectacular DFS option on most slates. He plays a ton of minutes – he’s currently projected for 35 in our NBA Models – but he’s one of the worst per-minute producers in the league. He’s averaged just 0.67 DraftKings points per minute over the past month, which gives him a very modest ceiling for his price tag. Still, locking in the safety of Bridges is not the worst idea given the state of the SF position on Saturday.
Isaac Okoro is even worse than Bridges on a per-minute basis. He’s averaged just 0.63 FanDuel points per minute this season, but at least he’s dirt cheap at $3,800. He’s currently projected for 30 minutes in our NBA Models, and players with comparable salaries and minute projections have historically averaged a Plus/Minus of +4.45 (per the Trends tool).
Power Forward
Stud
The gap between Giannis Antetokounmpo and the rest of Saturday’s players is large enough to drive a truck through. He’s priced at $12,100 on DraftKings, and no one else is priced above $9,000. With that in mind, it’s not surprising that Giannis leads the slate in median projection by approximately 19 points and ceiling projection by 22.
Giannis has played some of his best basketball of the season recently, increasing his production to 1.87 DraftKings points per minute over the past month. He’s also posted a usage rate of at least 36.3% in each of his past five games, which represents a slight increase from his season average of 35.2%. Like Middleton, he’s slightly less appealing now that Holiday is back in the lineup, but the Kings represent a potential smash spot. It’s tough not to start your lineups with Giannis on this slate.
Editor’s note: Giannis was listed as doubtful after this piece was submitted. See the Player Models for updated projections as we get closer to lock.
Value
Kevin Love’s salary has come back to reality on DraftKings. He was priced as high as $7,600 earlier this month, but he’s down to just $5,100 on Saturday’s slate. That makes him an excellent buy-low target. Love isn’t playing as many minutes as he was back then, but he’s capable of racking up fantasy points quickly. He’s averaged 1.35 DraftKings points per minute this season, so he doesn’t need more than 20 minutes to potentially pay off his current salary.
Fast Break
Evan Mobley stands out as a strong option on FanDuel, where his $6,600 salary comes with a Bargain Rating of 95%. Mobley is coming off 35.0 FanDuel points over 30.9 minutes in his last outing, and he’s averaged 0.99 FanDuel points per minute this season. He’s projected for 36 minutes on Saturday, and that should be more than enough for Mobley to return value.
If you need a punt play at the position on FanDuel, you could do worse than Jeremiah Robinson-Earl. He’s posted a positive Plus/Minus in four straight games, and he’s coming off 34.2 FanDuel points in his last outing.
Center
Stud
Bobby Portis continues to get no respect across the industry. He routinely racks up 32+ minutes for the Bucks, and he’s averaged 1.15 DraftKings points per minute this season. Portis also owns one of the best matchups at the position on Saturday, resulting in an Opponent Plus/Minus of +3.39 on FanDuel.
He’s an elite option at just $6,300 on FanDuel given his Bargain Rating of 87%.
Value
Richaun Holmes is officially back in action for the Kings, and he logged 27.9 minutes in his last contest. That makes him massively underpriced at $4,300 on DraftKings. Holmes has averaged 1.03 DraftKings points per minute this season, so he has the potential to destroy this price tag if he sees a comparable workload vs. the Bucks.
Fast Break
Goga Bitadze is another potential value option. He drew the start at center in the Pacers’ last game, and he was one of their offensive focal points. He finished with 13 points, nine rebounds, and five assists, resulting in 33.25 DraftKings points. Bitadze has increased his production to 1.14 DraftKings points per minute over the past month, so he should continue to provide value for as long as Sabonis and Turner are sidelined.
Deandre Ayton remains out for the Suns, and Bismack Biyombo grabbed the lion’s share of the center minutes in their last game. He finished with 27.9 minutes, while JaVale McGee played just 17.8. Biyombo has also been better than McGee on a per-minute basis over the past month, making him the preferred choice among the Suns’ centers on Saturday.
