Saturday features a three-game main 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
Luka Doncic is coming off a rare subpar game in his last outing. He finished with just 42.25 DraftKings points, but he shot just 5-20 from the field and racked up six turnovers. Doncic still posted a massive 40.7% usage rate in that contest, so he should see some positive regression on Saturday.
Additionally, Doncic grabs one of the best possible matchups vs. the Hornets. They’ve played at the third-fastest pace this season, and they rank just 23rd in defensive efficiency. The Mavericks have played at the slowest pace in the league, so this is a massive pace-up spot. Overall, Doncic is the clear top stud on Saturday’s slate.
Value
Ish Smith is currently splitting the point guard minutes with Raul Neto, and he’s provided nice fantasy value in that role. He’s averaged 0.96 DraftKings points per minute over the past month, and he’s currently projected for 23 minutes in our NBA Models. That gives him a good chance of paying off his $4,100 salary, especially in a plus matchup vs. the Lakers.
Fast Break
Russell Westbrook finally delivered a big moment for the Lakers, and he also provided fantasy players with plenty of production. He racked up a triple-double in the Lakers’ overtime win, resulting in 48.0 FanDuel points. He remains very affordable at $6,900 on FanDuel for Saturday’s matchup vs. the Wizards, resulting in a Bargain Rating of 98%.
Darius Garland has done it all for the Cavs this season. He’s racked up at least 50.0 DraftKings points in two of his past three games, and he’s increased his production to 1.27 DraftKings points per minute over the past month. He’s in a nice spot Saturday vs. the Pistons, who rank 25th in defensive efficiency.
Shooting Guard
Stud
Cade Cunningham has missed the past two games for the Pistons, and he’s questionable for Saturday’s matchup vs. the Cavaliers. However, Cunningham has been playing some of his best basketball of late. He’s scored at least 45.5 DraftKings points in three of his past four games, and he’s increased his production to 1.17 DraftKings points per minute over the past month. That makes him intriguing if he’s able to return to the lineup.
Cunningham stands out as an elite option on FanDuel, where his $7,500 salary comes with a Bargain Rating of 94%.
Value
Kentavious Caldwell-Pope has been a consistent source of value recently. He’s posted an average Plus/Minus of +4.94 over his past 10 games on DraftKings, and he’s posted a positive Plus/Minus in eight of his past 11 games. He’s averaged 0.84 DraftKings points per minute over the past month, and he’s also seen a bump in playing time over the second half of the year. KCP is coming off 37 minutes in Friday’s loss to the Knicks, and he should see another sizable workload on Saturday.
Fast Break
Jalen Brunson stands out as one of the best values of the day on FanDuel, where his $5,200 salary comes with a Bargain Rating of 96%. He hasn’t been the same player recently, averaging just 0.75 FanDuel points per minute over the past month, but he has scored at least 26.5 FanDuel points in back-to-back games. Perhaps he’s finally turned the corner and is ready to get rolling.
Corey Kispert is a cheaper option for the Wizards. He hasn’t been as effective on a per-minute basis, but he’s made up for it with outstanding volume of late. He’s racked up at least 29.1 minutes in four of his past five games, and he’s posted a positive Plus/Minus in each of them.
Small Forward
Stud
Saddiq Bey is coming off a massive performance in his last outing. He scored 51 points vs. the Magic – the NBA’s eighth 50-point game during the month of March – to go along with nine rebounds, four assists, and three steals. However, that game was with both Cunningham and Jerami Grant out of the lineup. Both players are expected to return to action on Saturday, which will be a blow to Bey’s value.
Still, small forward is the weakest position on Saturday’s slate, and Bey is very affordable on FanDuel. He’s priced at just $5,600, resulting in a Bargain Rating of 96%, and Bey has historically averaged a Plus/Minus of +3.35 (per the Trends tool).
Value
Deni Avdija is another affordable option for the Wizards. He’s seen more playing time of late, logging an average of 27.2 minutes over his past three games. He’s averaged 0.84 DraftKings points per minute this season, and he’s scored at least 24.5 DraftKings points in two of those contests. Avdija is coming off a poor performance on Friday, but the entire Wizards’ offense struggled in a low-scoring affair vs. the Knicks. Things should be much better for the squad on Saturday, with the Lakers ranking sixth in pace this season.
Fast Break
Lauri Markkanen is coming off a monster outing in his last game. He finished with 31 points and 10 rebounds, resulting in a season-high 60.0 DraftKings points. He saw a few additional minutes with Dean Wade and Rajon Rondo out of the lineup, and both players are questionable again on Saturday. I wouldn’t expect another 60 DraftKings points, but he would be an appealing option if both players are out again.
Isaac Okoro is a pedestrian per-minute producer, but he provides a nice floor at $4,000 on DraftKings. He’s currently projected for 34 minutes in our NBA Models, and players with comparable salaries and minute projections have historically averaged a Plus/Minus of +4.10.
Power Forward
Stud
Outside of Doncic, LeBron James is the only other true “stud” on Saturday’s slate. He’s had to do everything for the Lakers recently just to try to drag this team into the play-in tournament. He’s playing huge minutes – he logged 44.7 minutes in their overtime win on Friday – and he’s scored at least 61.25 DraftKings points in four of his past seven games.
I’m sure the Lakers would love not to push LeBron so hard on the second leg of a back-to-back, but they really don’t have that luxury. With Anthony Davis sidelined and the rest of the squad struggling, expect another monster workload for LeBron vs. the Wizards.
Value
Let’s continue to target the Wizards for value. It’s been a tough year for Rui Hachimura, who missed most of the first half of the season. However, he’s started to play a bit more recently, and he’s been a consistent source of fantasy value. He’s posted a positive Plus/Minus in five of his past six games, and he’s scored at least 25.25 DraftKings points in three of them. The Wizards lead the slate with an implied team total of 115.25 points, so grabbing a few of their value options makes plenty of sense on Saturday.
Fast Break
LeBron is the clear top option at the position in terms of raw points, but Kyle Kuzma is arguably the stronger value. He’s seen a sizable price decrease over the past few weeks, and he remains the Wizards’ top offensive option. He racked up 39.75 DraftKings points vs. the Knicks despite shooting a pedestrian 6-17 from the field. That gives him an excellent ceiling with some better shooting luck vs. the Lakers.
P.J. Washington has struggled recently, averaging just 0.77 FanDuel points per minute over the past month. However, he’s coming off an excellent performance in his last outing, and he has averaged 0.89 FanDuel points per minute for the year. He’s also projected for 32 minutes in our NBA Models, making him underpriced at $5,100.
Center
Stud
Kristaps Porzingis has started to get his feet wet with the Wizards. He’s likely not going to see substantial minutes for the rest of the year, but he has played at least 27.5 minutes in two of his past three games. Porzingis has the potential to be highly effective on a per-minute basis, and he’s averaged 1.36 DraftKings points per minute over the past month. He’s reasonably priced at $7,500 on DraftKings in this spot.
Value
Wenyen Gabriel is an intriguing source of value for the Lakers. He’s priced at the absolute minimum, and he’s coming off 26.75 DraftKings points over 24.9 minutes on Friday. The playing time is a bit of an outlier, but he should see between 16 and 20 minutes on Saturday. Gabriel has averaged 1.01 DraftKings points per minute over the past month, so that’s enough for him to provide value.
Using Gabriel and some of the Wizards’ values allows you to jam both Doncic and LeBron into your lineups, who have the highest ceilings on the slate by a substantial margin.
Fast Break
Evan Mobley continues to produce excellent numbers as a rookie, and he’s going to have to carry a huge workload with Jarrett Allen out indefinitely. He’s racked up at least 38.7 minutes in three of his past four games, and he’s scored at least 44.4 FanDuel points in five of his past seven.
Marvin Bagley has been crushing recently for the Pistons. He’s posted a positive Plus/Minus in six of his past seven games, and he’s averaged 1.02 FanDuel points per minute over the past month. He will likely lose some playing time with Grant and Cunningham back in the lineup, but he still stands out as underpriced on FanDuel. His $5,800 salary comes with a Bargain Rating of 87%.
