Friday features an eight-game slate starting at 7:30 p.m. ET.
Let’s dive into some of the top plays on the slate 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 300 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 NBA Player Models directly for any updates as we get closer to lock.
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NBA DFS Point Guard Picks
Stud
Given his league-leading, career-high 12.3 assists per game, Tyrese Haliburton has seen his salary increase rapidly across the industry. He is the highest-priced point guard on DraftKings at $11,000 and FanDuel at $10,600. Haliburton has recorded 25+ points and 15+ assists in four of his last five games. In those four games, he is averaging 69.9 DraftKings points per game while shooting 59.7% from the field and 55.8% from behind the arc. Haliburton has been playing at a super elite level recently.
Each of the Pacers’ last 11 games has gone over the total points line, and tonight’s game has a slate-high 247.5-point total. The Pacers are 8.5-point home favorites against the Pistons, implied for 128 points. They lead the league in Offensive Rating and Pace while averaging a league-high 128.3 points per game. This is a great spot to take the efficient Haliburton.
Value
Chris Paul recorded four straight games with a positive Plus/Minus before getting ejected in his last outing. He averaged 14.3 points per game in those four contests with back-to-back double-digit assists. Paul is projected for the highest Plus/Minus at the point guard position on DraftKings at his $7,200 salary. This is the last game that Paul will play without Draymond Green, who is still serving his five-game suspension. Another double-double is certainly on the table tonight.
The Warriors are double-digit home favorites against the Spurs who rank fourth in Pace and 26th in Defensive Rating. They are allowing 123.1 points and 28.2 assists per game, which is tied for the second-highest mark in the league. Paul has a ceiling of close to 50 DraftKings points in this matchup. Prioritize him on DraftKings, where he has a 71% Bargain Rating.
Fast Break
In his first season with the Bucks, Damian Lillard is second on the team in scoring and usage rate and first in assists with 6.2 per game. Lillard has been inefficient shooting the ball but has still scored 20+ points in eight of his last night games including three 30-point games. He has poured in at least three 3-pointers in five straight games, with two double-digit assists over that time. This is an elite matchup for Lillard as the Wizards are allowing a league-high 29.3 assists per game.
NBA DFS Shooting Guard Picks
Stud
The second-highest-rated player in our Tournament Model on DraftKings is Timberwolves’ rising star Anthony Edwards. With shooting guard and small forward eligibility on both sites, Edwards is coming off yet another 30-point game where he shot 50% from the field and 5-for-9 from behind the arc. He leads the 11-3 Timberwolves in scoring, usage rate, and field goal attempts with a career-high 20.5 per game this season. Edwards will feast on a below-average Kings defensive team.
The Timberwolves are four-point home favorites against the Kings, who just lost back-to-back road games. Edwards has recorded a positive Plus/Minus on both sites in seven of his last 10 games. Over that time, he is averaging 26.6 points per game with a 33% usage rate. Prioritize Edwards on DraftKings where he has more value than his peers at this position.
Value
Staying with the Timberwolves backcourt, Nickeil Alexander-Walker has a positive Plus/Minus in eight of his last 10 games and has the second-highest projected Plus/Minus on FanDuel and third-highest on DraftKings at this position. Alexander-Walker has seen his minutes trending up drastically, with 33 and 29 minutes in his last two games. Expect his playing time to stay around his projected 31 minutes tonight, as the Timberwolves will be without Jaden McDaniels for the next few weeks.
Alexander-Walker was a key piece in the Timberwolves’ run last season, and his defensive prowess will be needed to guard the electric De’Aaron Fox tonight. Priced under $4,500 on DraftKings and FanDuel, Alexander-Walker will be a great source of value on this eight-game slate as he is expected to draw his fourth start of the season. He is too cheap for his recent play.
Fast Break
Paul George isn’t far behind Edwards, leading the shooting guard position with 11 Pro Trends on FanDuel and 10 on DraftKings. The ultra-consistent George is one of the best cash game plays on the slate, as he has scored 40+ DraftKings points in 11 of his 13 games while still displaying a ceiling. He has seen his rebounding numbers spike with seven or more in six of his last eight games. An outside chance at a double-double as the Pelicans rank 19th in Rebounding Percentage.
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NBA DFS Small Forward Picks
Stud
Currently second in the Most Improved Player voting, Scottie Barnes has had an incredible start to his third year. Through 15 games, Barnes is averaging a career-high in points, rebounds, and assists. He is coming off his fifth double-double of the season last game where he recorded 20 points, 12 rebounds, four assists, and four steals. Barnes is second on the team in points, assists, and usage rate but first in rebounds, steals, and blocks this year. He does everything for this Raptors team.
It seems like only a matter of time until the Bulls start to move pieces, as they are 5-11 after losing five of their last six games. They rank 29th in Rebounding Percentage and 27th in Offensive Rating. Barnes had a triple-double in their only meeting this year, as he had 22 points, 10 rebounds, and 10 assists. This is a cupcake matchup for a stat stuffer like Barnes.
Value
Buddy Hield leads all players with the highest Projected Plus/Minus on both DraftKings and FanDuel tonight. Priced at $5,500 on DraftKings and $5,000 on FanDuel, Hield is projected to have the highest ownership on both sites. He is coming off a season-high 31 points last game as he shot 12-for-17 from the field, including 7-for-12 from behind the arc. Hield has buried 13 3-pointers in back-to-back games. The Pacers’ fast-paced offense fits his game perfectly, as the sharp shooter lets it fly.
The Pistons have been a solid perimeter defensive team this season, but with the Pacers’ pace of play and amount of shot attempts they will have, it is nearly impossible to slow them down. Hield will have many scoring opportunities from all over the floor and is simply too cheap on this slate. He is projected to start and play 30 minutes. Hield is a staple cash game play.
Fast Break
Kyle Kuzma flirted with a triple-double in his last game as he finished with 28 points, 10 assists, nine rebounds, and a season-high 62.25 DraftKings points. Kuzma has recorded back-to-back games with double-digit assists as one of those games was against the Bucks, which is his opponent again tonight. Make sure to prioritize Kuzma on FanDuel, where he is priced under $8,000 with small forward and power forward eligibility. He has a 91% Bargain Rating with 12 Pro Trends.
NBA DFS Power Forward Picks
Stud
Giannis Antetokounmpo struggled in a difficult matchup against the Celtics but now is in a fantastic spot at home versus the Wizards. Giannis played the Wizards on Monday night and erupted for 42 points, 13 rebounds, and eight assists while shooting a ridiculous 20-for-23 from the field. Through his first 14 games this season, Giannis is averaging a double-double for the seventh consecutive season while shooting a career-high 60.1% from the field and having a 35.5% usage rate.
Giannis can put up a repeat performance in this matchup as the Wizards rank last in Rebounding Percentage at 43.6% and 27th in points allowed in the paint with 56.6 per game. The Bucks are 13.5-point home favorites, implied for a slate-high 130.25 points. Among the three studs on this slate, Giannis looks the best from a value standpoint on DraftKings.
Value
Victor Wembanyama leads the power forward position with the highest Projected Plus/Minus on DraftKings and FanDuel. The highly-touted No. 1 Overall Pick has already shown signs of pure domination on the court but has had difficulty staying consistent. It is probably best to keep Wembanyama to tournament use only, especially given the fact that the Spurs have lost 10 straight games by an average of 17 points. His playing time can be sporadic due to the blowouts the Spurs are in.
However, projected to play 32 minutes tonight, Wembanyama has the second-highest projected ceiling behind Giannis at the power forward position. The Spurs are double-digit road underdogs, but in the last three games where they have kept the final score within 12 points, Wembanyama has averaged 22.7 points, 12.3 rebounds, and 3.7 blocks per game.
Fast Break
Karl-Anthony Towns has been another key factor in the Timberwolves success this season. After a slow start to the season shooting the ball, Towns is averaging 25.4 points per game while shooting 57.7% from the field and 50% from behind the arc in his last eight games. He has scored 20+ points in every game over that time and has a positive Plus/Minus in all but one game. Priced at $8,500 on FanDuel and $8,400 on DraftKings, Look for Towns to continue his dominance in this matchup.
NBA DFS Center Picks
Stud
Nikola Jokic is coming off yet another triple-double against the Magic as he posted 30 points, 13 rebounds, and 12 assists. He added two blocks and three steals as Jokic scored 78.75 DraftKings points. Easily the most expensive player on the slate, Jokic has a near-untouchable ceiling. Jamal Murray remains out tonight for at least one more game, which boosts Jokic’s upside even more. In eight games without Murray, Jokic has seen a usage rate and production bump in all statistics.
The Rockets have been great defending the paint this season, but Jokic presents a completely different test. In their meeting earlier this month, Jokic played a season-high 38 minutes and dominated the game with a 36-point, 21-rebound, 11-assist triple-double. There is enough value on this eight-game slate to fit in Jokic, who has by far the highest projected ceiling.
Value
A calf injury sidelined Trey Lyles start to his 2023 campaign, but he returned to action Wednesday night with a near double-double, scoring 12 points and grabbing eight rebounds in 28 minutes of action. The extra minutes Lyles received were due to Keegan Murray being out, as he is out again tonight. Lyles is projected to play a modest 22 minutes as he still looks like a fantastic value play at his center-only eligibility on DraftKings with the second-highest projected Plus/Minus on the slate.
The Kings will need Lyles’ size against the massive Timberwolves frontcourt. Since coming to the Kings in 2021, Lyles has had a few of his best seasons. The Timberwolves have had one of the league’s top defenses this season, so it will be tough to get to Kings exposure. However, Lyles at $4,000 on FanDuel and $3,300 on DraftKings negates the difficult matchup.
Fast Break
In the same matchup, Domantas Sabonis is at the opposite pricing tier of Sabonis but has displayed an upside that is worth getting exposure to. He has specifically been dominant on the glass with 12.4 rebounds per game, which ranks second only to Jokic. Sabonis has averaged 12+ rebounds for the sixth-straight season. Despite the big frontcourt, the Timberwolves are an average rebounding team, which will benefit Sabonis, who leads the team in assists and is averaging 20 points per game.
