Friday features a 13-game slate starting at 7 p.m. ET.
Let’s dive into some of the top plays on the slate using the FantasyLabs tools and metrics.
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Note: Projections and Leverages Scores/Ratings may change throughout the day after this article is posted. The NBA DFS landscape changes quickly.
Consult the NBA Player Models directly for any updates as we get closer to lock. Use our FanDuel promo to get three months of free NBA League Pass.
NBA DFS Point Guard Picks
Stud
Trae Young has the top matchup among the stud point guards on Friday’s slate. He’s taking on the Rockets, who rank 10th in pace and 28th in defensive efficiency this season. Young owns one of the best Opponent Plus/Minus marks at the position at +2.92, and the Hawks’ implied team total of 119.75 ranks third on the slate.
Young hasn’t been a particularly strong value recently, posting an average Plus/Minus of -7.50 over his past 10 games, but he remains a massive part of the Hawks’ offense. There was some concern that his numbers would take a hit with Dejounte Murray in town, but his usage rate has actually increased this season. His assist rate is slightly down, but his mark of 41.3% still ranks fifth in the league.
Value
C.J. McCollum will miss his second straight game due to health and safety protocols, which means Jose Alvarado should draw another start. He performed well in place of McCollum on Wednesday, racking up 26.25 DraftKings points over nearly 30 minutes. He posted a 29.0% assist rate in that contest, and he served as one of the Pelicans’ primary distributors. Alvarado has averaged 1.02 DraftKings points per minute over the past month, so he should continue to thrive with additional playing time. He’s way too cheap at just $3,800 on DraftKings, given his Bargain Rating of 93%.
Fast Break
Collin Sexton has started the past two games in place of the injured Mike Conley, and he racked up 36.0 DraftKings points across 35.1 minutes in his last outing. The Jazz have been careful with Sexton’s minutes to start the year, but he has considerable upside if he’s going to continue to see that much playing time. He’s averaged 0.91 DraftKings points per minute this season, and he’s currently projected for 32.1 minutes in our NBA Models.
Jalen Green has been priced up recently on DraftKings, but he remains affordable at $6,900 on FanDuel. He’s posted a positive Plus/Minus in seven straight games, and he managed 34.0 FanDuel points in his last game despite shooting just 4-15 from the field. If his shot is falling vs. the Hawks, he has the potential for a better performance.
NBA DFS Shooting Guard Picks
Stud
The Suns will take on the Pistons on Friday, and they’ll be without Chris Paul once again. He’s missed each of their past seven games, which has allowed Devin Booker to take on a larger role as a distributor. He’s increased his assist rate by +5.8% in games without his star teammate, good for an average of 1.33 DraftKings points per minute.
He has plenty of upside if Friday’s game vs. the Pistons stays competitive. They rank just 29th in defensive efficiency, and the Suns’ 119.0-point implied team total ranks fourth on the slate. Unfortunately, the Suns are also listed as 12.5-point favorites, so there’s some blowout risk as well.
Value
The Clippers are currently without Paul George and Kawhi Leonard, which leaves plenty of minutes and usage for the rest of their roster. Terance Mann is someone who should benefit. He racked up more than 33 minutes with both players sidelined on Friday and responded with 28.75 DraftKings points. He’s projected for another 32 minutes on Friday, which is a ton of playing time for someone who costs just $3,800. Historically, players with comparable salaries and minute projections have averaged a Plus/Minus of +4.26 (per the Trends tool).
Fast Break
Klay Thompson broke out of his shooting slump on Sunday, racking up 58.5 DraftKings points on 14-23 shooting. Unfortunately, Klay followed that up with just 21.5 DraftKings points in his last outing. Still, he has proven he has plenty of upside at his current price tag, and the Jazz have been a fantastic matchup this season. The Warriors lead the slate with a 123.75 implied team total, so this is another fantastic spot for Thompson.
Zach LaVine is down to just $6,900 on FanDuel, which is a crazy-low price tag for him. It represents a decrease of -$500 over the past week, even though he’s posted a positive Plus/Minus in six of his past seven games. The Bulls also draw a strong matchup vs. the Thunder, so there’s no reason to expect anything different from LaVine on Friday.
NBA DFS Small Forward Picks
Stud
Sticking with the Bulls, DeMar DeRozan is also in play. He’s racked up at least 43.5 DraftKings points in four straight games, including 59.0 DraftKings points vs. the Bucks on Wednesday. The Bucks rank first in the league in defensive efficiency, so Friday’s matchup vs. the Thunder should feel like a walk in the park. DeRozan owns an Opponent Plus/Minus of +3.02 on DraftKings, which is the fifth-highest mark at the position.
Value
Norman Powell is another elite value option for the shorthanded Clippers. He got off to a slow start this season, but he’s turned things around in recent weeks. He’s increased his fantasy output to 0.95 DraftKings points per minute over the past month and that figure to 1.01 with George and Leonard off the floor. No one on the squad has seen a larger usage bump with both players sidelined, and Powell racked up 31.25 DraftKings points in 29.2 minutes on Wednesday. Powell is also one of the best pure values of the day on DraftKings, where his $4,700 salary comes with a Bargain Rating of 96%.
Fast Break
The Wizards were without both Bradley Beal and Monte Morris in their last outing, and both players are questionable on Friday. Deni Avdija racked up a 32.3% assist rate with both guys sidelined on Wednesday, so he would be a strong option if both players are out again. He finished with 42.8 FanDuel points over 40.6 minutes, yet his price tag didn’t budge an inch.
Tari Eason is coming off a big game vs. the Warriors, racking up 39.1 FanDuel points in just 22.7 minutes. I wouldn’t expect that kind of production again, but he’s been an outstanding per-minute producer all season. He’s averaged 1.16 FanDuel points per minute, and he should pick up a few additional minutes with Alperen Sengun listed as doubtful.
NBA DFS Power Forward Picks
Stud
Most of the top power forward options are overpriced on DraftKings, but Jayson Tatum is worth some consideration on FanDuel. His $10,200 salary comes with a Bargain Rating of 91%, and Tatum has made the leap into full-fledged superstardom this season. He’s averaging career highs in both points (30.6) and assists (4.7) per game, and he’s also averaged 7.9 boards. Add it all up, and his 51.03 FanDuel points per game is easily the top mark of his career.
Tatum also draws a strong matchup Friday vs. the Kings. They rank tied for sixth in pace and 26th in defensive efficiency, and the Celtics have been the top offensive team in the league this season. They have plenty of scoring potential in this spot, and their 123.0 implied team total ranks second on the slate.
Value
Marcus Morris is another member of the Clippers who should benefit from the absence of George and Leonard. He saw slightly fewer minutes than usual in their blowout loss to the Warriors on Wednesday, but he still racked up 30.75 DraftKings points. He increased his usage rate to 25.5% in that contest, which was his largest mark of the season. Morris didn’t even shoot the ball particularly well in that outing – he was just 6-15 from the field – so he has the potential for a better performance on Friday.
Fast Break
Playing Draymond Green in 2022 isn’t nearly as fun as it was in 2017, but he still has plenty of upside at $5,900. He’s averaged 0.93 FanDuel points per minute this season, and he put together a vintage Green performance on Wednesday. He racked up nine points, seven rebounds, and 12 assists, resulting in 38.4 FanDuel points.
Justise Winslow is currently projected for around 28 minutes in our NBA Models, and he has historically provided solid value with that much playing time. He’s posted an average Plus/Minus of +7.24 with a comparable salary and minute projection as a member of the Blazers.
NBA DFS Center Picks
Stud
Myles Turner continues to deliver massive performances at a midrange price tag. He’s coming off 55.75 DraftKings points in his last outing, and he’s posted an average Plus/Minus of +7.05 over his past 10 games on DraftKings. He’s averaged 1.35 DraftKings points per minute this season, and while his minutes have been volatile, he has a considerable ceiling when he stays on the floor.
The Nets haven’t been quite as bad defensively this year as they have been in the past, but Turner is simply too cheap across the industry.
Value
On the other side of that matchup, Nic Claxton stands out as an excellent value on DraftKings. His $5,200 salary comes with a Bargain Rating of 84%, and he’s coming off 43.0 DraftKings points in his last outing. Claxton has racked up 1.09 DraftKings points per minute this season, and he played nearly 30.3 minutes in that contest. If he sees a similar workload vs. the Pacers, he has the potential to provide excellent per-dollar production.
Fast Break
Kelly Olynyk has posted a positive Plus/Minus in four of his past five games on DraftKings, and his minutes are on the rise. He racked up 35.1 minutes in his last outing, and he’s capable of doing significant damage with that much playing time. He’s averaged 0.96 DraftKings points per minute, so he can rack up fantasy points quickly.
Jusuf Nurkic is down to just $6,100 on FanDuel, resulting in a Bargain Rating of 92%. He’s averaged 1.13 FanDuel points per minute over the past month, and he’s seen a +1.9% usage rate bump with Damian Lillard off the floor. He racked up 36.7 FanDuel points across 28.3 minutes on Wednesday, and he could see a bit more playing time Friday vs. the Knicks.
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