Saturday features a five-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
Saturday’s contest between the Hornets and Spurs should be one of the best of the day from a fantasy perspective. It leads the slate with a total of 237.0 points, and the Hornets are just four-point favorites.
LaMelo Ball has struggled a bit recently, which has caused his salary to dip to just $8,500 on DraftKings. That makes him a nice buy-low option. He’s still averaged 1.35 DraftKings points per minute for the year, and he’s averaged 43.68 DraftKings points in 19 games with a comparable salary this season (per the Trends tool).
Value
De’Anthony Melton doesn’t typically see a ton of minutes for the Grizzlies, but he makes the most of them. He’s a high-impact player off the bench, and he’s averaged 1.13 DraftKings points per minute this season. The Grizzlies are also in an excellent spot vs. the Magic, who rank just 20th in defensive efficiency. The Grizzlies are implied for 122.75 points, which ranks second on the slate.
Fast Break
Tyrese Maxey has been absolutely balling of late. Since James Harden arrived in Philly, Maxey has scored at least 36.5 DraftKings points in each contest. That includes a massive 52.5 DraftKings points Friday vs. the Cavaliers. Maxey is due for some shooting regression – he’s made a ridiculous 14 of his past 20 3-point attempts – but he still stands out as underpriced. His $6,700 price tag on DraftKings comes with a Bargain Rating of 94%.
Russell Westbrook is priced at just $7,000 on FanDuel, resulting in a Bargain Rating of 96%. It hasn’t been a good season for Westbrook, but he’s still capable of providing value at that salary. He’s averaged 1.10 FanDuel points per minute this season, and he put up 40.2 FanDuel points just two games ago.
Shooting Guard
Stud
As usual, shooting guard is one of the weakest positions on Saturday’s slate. However, Klay Thompson does have some appeal vs. the Lakers. They’ve struggled on the defensive end recently, ranking 20th in defensive efficiency over their past 10 games, and Thompson is slightly cheaper than usual at $6,500. He shot the ball poorly in his last game, but he’s averaged 1.15 DraftKings per minute this season.
Value
The Blazers are an interesting team on Saturday. They’re massive 14.5-point underdogs, so there are obviously some blowout concerns vs. the Timberwolves. However, they’re also going to be extremely thin on Saturday. Josh Hart and Justise Winslow have been ruled out, and the team was already playing without Damian Lillard, Jusuf Nurkic, and Nassir Little.
With that in mind, the Blazers stand out as one of the best sources of value on Saturday’s slate. Keon Johnson is priced near the minimum at $3,200, but he’s expected to see around 25 minutes in this matchup. Johnson has been a low-impact player this season – he’s averaged just 0.70 DraftKings points per minute – but he should be able to pay off his salary with that much playing time.
Fast Break
Jordan Poole is coming off a big performance in his last game, scoring 36.25 DraftKings points over 26.5 minutes. He’s now posted a positive Plus/Minus in four of his past six games, and he’s averaged 0.97 DraftKings points per minute over the past month. He’s currently projected for 27 minutes in our NBA Models, making him a nice option at his current price tag across the industry.
Franz Wagner leads the position with 12 Pro Trends on FanDuel, where his $5,400 salary comes with a Bargain Rating 89%. That’s a strong price tag for Wagner: He’s posted a positive Plus/Minus in five of his past six games, and he’s scored at least 42.7 FanDuel points in two of them.
Small Forward
Stud
It has gone from surprising to disappointing to downright sad with the Lakers. They’ve lost seven of their past eight games, including a 21-point drubbing by the Clippers in their last outing. At this point, it’s possible that they fall out of the play-in tournament entirely.
That’s a shame since LeBron James is still playing at an extremely high level. He’s averaged 1.46 DraftKings points per minute this season, and he’s been even better in 23 games without Anthony Davis. He’s increased his usage rate by +1.8% in those contests, resulting in an average of 1.52 DraftKings points per minute. He’ll face a tough test Saturday vs. the Warriors, but LeBron is still capable of putting massive fantasy performances in his 19th NBA season.
Value
Elijah Hughes is in a very similar situation as Johnson for the Blazers. He’s also projected for 25 minutes in our NBA Models, and he’s also a mediocre producer on a per-minute basis. Still, it’s hard to find players with as much playing time upside as Hughes at just $3,100.
Fast Break
Ben McLemore is another potential option for the Blazers. He’s not much more expensive than Hughes at $3,300, and he’s been a better fantasy producer over the course of the year at 0.74 DraftKings points per minute.
Jimmy Butler is currently questionable for the Heat, but Butler is almost always questionable. He will likely suit up, and he’s worth some consideration on FanDuel in that situation. He’s priced at just $8,200, resulting in a Bargain Rating of 89%, and he’s historically averaged a Plus/Minus of +2.92 with a comparable salary. He’s only owned a comparable salary in four previous games this season, and he’s averaged a Plus/Minus of +3.73 in those contests.
Power Forward
Stud
Ja Morant has grabbed all the attention for the Grizzlies, which has been deserved based on his recent play. However, Jaren Jackson Jr. stands out as the more appealing fantasy target on Saturday. His price has dipped by -$1,000 recently, and he’s currently priced at just $6,100 vs. the Magic. Jackson has averaged 1.16 DraftKings points per minute over the past month, and he’s coming off more than 35.5 minutes in his last outing. If he sees that much playing time again on Saturday, he has the potential to destroy his current salary.
Value
Trendon Watford is the next man up for the Blazers, and he’s someone who is a bit easier to get behind. He’s a bit better than his other value teammates on a per-minute basis, averaging 0.90 DraftKings points per minute for the year. He also racked up more than 30 minutes in his last outing, and he responded with 33.75 DraftKings. He now has two performances with at least 30.5 DraftKings points over his past five games, giving him nice upside at just $4,200.
Fast Break
Jarred Vanderbilt has developed into a quality role player for the Timberwolves. He’s averaged 0.93 DraftKings points per minute this season, and he’s played at least 24.1 minutes in four of his past five games. He’s expected to see a few additional minutes on Saturday – he’s projected for 27 minutes in our NBA Models – making him one of the best values at the position.
Montrezl Harrell is slightly underpriced on FanDuel, where his $5,500 salary comes with a Bargain Rating of 76%. He also owns one of the better matchups at the position, resulting in an Opponent Plus/Minus of +2.84. Harrell has thrived with his new opportunity in Charlotte, posting a positive Plus/Minus in six of his past eight games.
Center
Stud
Jakob Poeltl has quietly had a really nice season for the Spurs. He’s averaged 13.5 points, 9.2 rebounds, and 3.0 assists per game, all of which represent new career highs. He’s been even better recently, increasing his production to 1.24 DraftKings points per minute over the past month. Poeltl has scored at least 35.5 DraftKings points in four straight games, and he’s scored at least 52.75 DraftKings points in two of them. It’s weird seeing Poeltl priced this expensively, but I would argue he’s underpriced in this matchup.
Value
Our final stop on the tour of the Blazers’ value options is Drew Eubanks. He signed with the Blazers recently and has stepped right into a starting role. He’s taken full advantage, averaging 1.17 DraftKings points per minute over the past month. He was limited to just 17.9 minutes in his last outing, but the Blazers lost that game by 30 points. Eubanks should see more playing time if Saturday’s game is more competitive, making him one of the better values at the position.
Fast Break
Wendell Carter Jr. remains out of the lineup for the Magic, which should give Mo Bamba a boost in value. It didn’t help him in his last game – he finished with just 23.5 FanDuel points over 24.8 minutes – but he struggled with foul trouble vs. the Raptors. He should see more playing time on Saturday if he can avoid hacking, and he’s averaged 1.05 FanDuel points per minute this season.
The true stud options on Saturday’s slate are a bit limited, which makes paying up for Joel Embiid more viable than usual. He’s coming off a poor performance in his last contest, but he’s still averaged 1.74 FanDuel points per minute over the past month. His $11,000 price tag on FanDuel also comes with a Bargain Rating of 95%.
