The NBA has one more big weekend set up before the All-Star game next Sunday. There are 11 games total scheduled for Saturday, but only seven of those games are on the main slate for both FanDuel and DraftKings. The seven included matchups each tip off from 7 p.m. ET through 8:30 p.m. ET, including the big Western Conference spotlight matchup between the Suns and the Warriors. Of the 14 teams on the main slate, the Hawks, Hornets, Rockets, 76ers, Raptors and Wizards are all finishing back-to-backs, but none of these teams are scheduled to play again on Sunday.
With under a week before the All-Star break, several players on this slate are dealing with injury situations that could impact Saturday’s contests. Be sure to refresh the NBA Models for the latest adjustments as a result of breaking news throughout the day.
Let’s dive into some of the top plays on the slate using the FantasyLabs tools and projections.
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.
NBA DFS Point Guard Picks
Stud
The Rockets were already without Fred VanVleet (adductor), and they’ll also be without Alperen Sengun (back) and Cam Whitmore (knee) for their matchup with the Hawks. With those key pieces sidelined, Amen Thompson, Jabari Smith Jr., (who is questionable himself) and Jalen Green all have impressive Projected Plus/Minus on both DraftKings and FanDuel.
Green gets a massive usage boost of almost 15 percentage points with VanVleet and Sengun off the court this season and leads the team with a massive 42.1% usage rate. In that scenario, he has produced 1.39 DraftKings points and 1.32 FanDuel points per minute. He had a massive 30-point performance on Tuesday against the Pacers but was quiet on Friday in Toronto. With so much usage available, he should be primed for a big bounce-back game against the Hawks in the game with the highest point total on the slate. Green has an extremely high ceiling with his 31.0% projected usage.
Amen Thompson has the highest Projected Plus/Minus on both sites and should be in a big role due to his versatility. He had a double-double of 13 points, 13 boards and six assists on Wednesday against the Pacers and followed that with eight points, nine boards and four assists on Friday. The rookie will be pressed into service on Saturday and should again live up to the hype. He is especially attractive on DraftKings, where he has a 95% Bargain Rating.
Value
Another one of the best point guard values on Saturday’s slate is Tyus Jones of the Wizards. Jones and the Wizards played the Celtics very tough on Friday night and will finish their back-to-back with a home game against the Sixers, who also lost Friday with Tyrese Maxey (illness) and Joel Embiid (knee) sidelined.
Jones had 17 points and nine assists while playing 37 minutes in the loss. He has scored at least 12 points in six of his last eight games and exceeded salary-based expectations on FanDuel in six of his last nine. In his last eight games, Jones has averaged 1.02 DraftKings points and 1.02 FanDuel points per minute while playing over 30 minutes a game.
He has the second-highest Projected Plus/Minus of all point guards on both DraftKings and FanDuel, as the Wizards host Philly, and if the game stays competitive throughout like Friday’s, he brings a very high ceiling at his mid-range salary.
Fast Break
Trae Young had a big game on Friday, dropping 37 points against the shorthanded Sixers and adding 12 assists. He has seven double-doubles in his last eight games and has scored 30+ points in five of those contests while producing 1.38 DraftKings points and 1.28 FanDuel points per minute. Especially if Dejounte Murray (back) misses a third straight game, Young is a strong star guard to build around.
Bradley Beal has only played in 28 of the Suns’ 52 games this season but has been able to play in 22 straight. He averaged 0.99 DraftKings points and 0.95 FanDuel points per minute over that span while playing 35.8 minutes per game with a 24.2% usage rate. In his four games in February, he has turned that up to 1.29 DraftKings points and 1.21 FanDuel points with a 30.3% usage rate in 36.3 minutes per game.
If Maxey is limited in his expected return, Cameron Payne would also be an excellent value play. He made his Sixers debut on Friday and played 36 minutes since the Sixers were so shorthanded. He produced 20 points and six assists in 36 minutes and will continue to try and establish a meaningful role on his new team.
Don’t forget to check out our NBA SimLabs Lineup Generator to create advanced DFS lineups using the power of simulation.
NBA DFS Shooting Guard Picks
Stud
Donovan Mitchell brings the highest ceiling, median, and floor projection at shooting guard on both DraftKings and FanDuel. He also ranks in the top four in Projected Plus/Minus at both point guard and shooting guard on FanDuel, where he has a 61% Bargain Rating and matches a slate-high 12 Pro Trends.
Mitchell has carried the Cavs to the second spot in the Eastern Conference standings by averaging an impressive 1.40 DraftKings points and 1.38 FanDuel points per minute on the season. The returns of Darius Garland and Evan Mobley have only spurred Spida on, and he has exceeded salary-based expectations in six of his last eight games while averaging 1.59 DraftKings points and 1.55 FanDuel points per minute.
In each of his last eight games, Mitchell has 25+ points, and he’ll look to keep rolling as the Cavs take on Toronto.
Value
One of the players who could end up being the biggest winner at the trade deadline is Buddy Hield, who moved from a crowded wing rotation with the Pacers to a Sixers team that desperately needs shooting and offense. Like Payne, he jumped right into a big role on Friday, playing 40 minutes against the Hawks. He finished with a 23.3% usage rate and scored 20 points to go with six assists and four rebounds.
His involvement will adjust if Maxey returns, but unlike Payne, he’s expected to stay in a starting role in that scenario. He has the second-highest Projected Plus/Minus of all shooting guards and small forwards on FanDuel, but he’s an even better bargain on DraftKings with an 88% Bargain Rating. On DraftKings, he has the highest Projected Plus/Minus of all small forwards and the second-highest of all shooting guards.
Hield has always brought a high ceiling, and his new home could be a great fit to help him hit his ceiling on Saturday in a very favorable spot against the Wizards.
Fast Break
The matchup between the Grizzlies and Hornets might not be the most exciting one on the slate, but it does give both teams a favorable matchup. Vince Williams is one of the players who could shine in this spot, coming off a big 13-point, 11-rebound, 8-assist performance on Thursday. He has exceeded salary-based expectations on FanDuel in six of his last eight games by producing 1.02 DraftKings points and 0.99 FanDuel points per minute with double-digit points in eight straight games.
On the other side of that matchup, Nick Smith Jr. could be a great bargain after the Hornets shuffled their backcourt situation at the trade deadline. Smith had 13 points in 24 minutes against the Bucks on Friday and could get more minutes after the release of Ish Smith, James Bouknight, and Frank Ntilikina. The versatile 19-year-old rookie is available at small forward on DraftKings and can fit at either guard spot on FanDuel.
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NBA DFS Small Forward Picks
Stud
With Julius Randle (shoulder) and OG Anunoby (elbow) sidelined for the Knicks, Donte DiVincenzo has become a huge contributor. He has the highest ceiling projection of all small forwards on DraftKings and the second-highest at the position on FanDuel. He has an 85% Bargain Rating on FanDuel but brings a great ceiling on both sites.
With Jalen Brunson (ankle) questionable after missing Thursday’s game against the Mavericks, DiVincenzo could be asked to fill in as the primary scorer in a juicy matchup versus the Pacers. The Knicks have the highest Pace Differential on the slate, so DiVincenzo brings a very high ceiling on Saturday.
He has 20+ points in each of his last six games, exceeding salary-based expectations in each of those six games. He has put up 1.16 DraftKings points and 1.12 FanDuel points per minute while playing a huge role with a 26.9% usage rate in a massive 40.3 minutes per game. With so many opportunities coming his way in a great environment, DiVincenzo is a strong centerpiece to consider again on Saturday.
Value
For the Wizards, Deni Avdija has put up big numbers in competitive games. On Friday, he had a huge double-double with 24 points and 11 rebounds against the Celtics, posting almost +20 Plus/Minus in 42 minutes. It was his largest workload of the season by a significant margin, but he may have earned more time going forward.
On the season, he has an average of 1.04 DraftKings points and 1.01 FanDuel points per minute, but he has increased that to 1.09 DraftKings points and 1.09 FanDuel points per minute over his last nine games while averaging 29 minutes per game.
This Saturday against the Sixers, Avdija has the highest Projected Plus/Minus of all small forwards on FanDuel and the second-highest at the position on DraftKings. On FanDuel, he can also slide to power forward, where he has the highest Projected Plus/Minus on the slate.
Fast Break
The Bulls continue to rely heavily on DeMar DeRozan to play big minutes with high usage. He exceeded salary-based expectations in eight of his last 10 games by producing 1.08 DraftKings points and 1.09 FanDuel points per minute and playing 39.2 minutes per game. He has the third-highest ceiling projection at small forward and matches 10 Pro Trends on DraftKings in Saturday’s matchup with the Magic.
The Warriors have been relying on Jonathan Kuminga to step up on offense over the last month. Whether starting or coming off the bench, he has produced at least 16 points in 12 straight games, averaging 23.8 points per game over that stretch and posting 1.20 DraftKings points and 1.19 FanDuel points per minute.
In the two games without VanVleet, Dillon Brooks has scored 23 points against the Pacers and 20 points against the Raptors. Getting him under $5,000 on DraftKings makes him stand out as a bargain play along with Bilal Coulibaly and Patrick Baldwin of the Wizards. With the Rockets so short-handed, they’ll call on Brooks to help carry more of the load.
NBA DFS Power Forward Picks
Stud
The Grizzlies have had to rely heavily on Jaren Jackson Jr. after injuries to Ja Morant and Desmond Bane. JJJ has the second-highest median and ceiling projection at power forward on both DraftKings and FanDuel in what should be a great matchup for him against the Hornets. He also has the second-highest Projected Plus/Minus at the position on both sites.
Jackson has had injury issues of his own, but he has been very good when available. In his last 10 games, he produced 1.26 DraftKings points and 1.25 FanDuel points per minute with a massive 38.6% usage rate in 32.4 minutes per game. He has exceeded salary-based expectations on both sites in seven of those 10 contests.
He has a 37.0% usage projection on Saturday, which is the highest of any player on the slate by a margin of five percentage points.
Value
If you’re looking for a bargain at power forward, Jonathan Isaac has been getting enough minutes off the bench for the Magic to deserve some attention. He has the second-highest Projected Plus/Minus of all power forwards under $6,000 on FanDuel and under $5,500 on DraftKings. Isaac has an 85% Bargain Rating on DraftKings, where he comes at a bargain salary of $3,600.
Isaac has exceeded salary-based expectations on DraftKings in five of his last eight games, averaging 0.87 DraftKings points and 0.94 FanDuel points per minute in 17.7 minutes per game. After having his promising career detoured by injuries, Isaac is slowly ramping back into a larger role. The Magic are bringing him along cautiously, but he has been very effective when given minutes lately.
Fast Break
Kevin Durant has the highest median, ceiling, and floor projections at power forward in this matchup with his former team, the Warriors. KD dropped 31 points against the Jazz on Thursday and has posted 25+ points in four of his last five games.
The Hawks have been getting good numbers from Jalen Johnson, who has exceeded salary-based expectations in seven of his last nine games on both FanDuel and DraftKings. Johnson posted five double-doubles during that run and produced 1.11 DraftKings points and 1.09 FanDuel points per minute while playing a big workload of 38.0 minutes per game.
The ageless Jeff Green has the second-highest Projected Plus/Minus on the slate. He is small forward eligible on FanDuel while he can step in at power forward or center on DraftKings. At under $4,000 on both sites, he is an elite value after stepping in with a big game Friday, playing 27 minutes and finishing with 11 points, six boards and four assists. With Sengun out, he and Jock Landale will have to soak up more minutes, and if Jabari Smith is out as well, Green and Landale will both get all the minutes they can handle.
NBA DFS Center Picks
Stud
While Jackson is a strong play at center as well, the other key option to consider paying up for is Nikola Vucevic, who will face his former team the Magic. He has a top-four ceiling and median projection at the position on both DraftKings and FanDuel.
Over his last 10 games, Vucevic has exceeded salary-based expectations eight times on FanDuel. In those 10 games, he produced 1.21 DraftKings and 1.19 FanDuel points per minute. He has stepped up even more in his last four games, exceeding salary-based expectations on both DraftKings and FanDuel with at least 20 points in each game and three double-doubles.
Like DeRozan, he has been logging big minutes with heavy usage, which gives him both a high floor and a high ceiling as the Bulls head to Orlando.
Value
With the Sixers so short-handed, Paul Reed becomes an intriguing play with good upside. He showcased a high ceiling with 30 points and 13 rebounds against the Nuggets while filling in for Joel Embiid at the end of last month but hadn’t had another big game until Friday against Atlanta when he had 12 points and 13 boards in 31 minutes.
Whether Maxey returns or not, Reed should be active enough to be a solid mid-range play. He has the highest Projected Plus/Minus of all centers under $6,000 on DraftKings and the second-highest of centers under $7,000 on FanDuel. He’ll have a good matchup against the Wizards, who are also very thin up front due to injuries and roster moves.
Fast Break
On DraftKings especially, Draymond Green is a solid mid-range target. He has the third-highest Projected Plus/Minus at power forward and the second-highest at center on DraftKings, where he brings a 93% Bargain Rating.
After missing Friday’s game, Marvin Bagley III is not on the injury report for the Wizards, so he should be able to return versus the 76ers. Bagley has the highest Projected Plus/Minus at center on FanDuel and the third-highest on DraftKings. He has played well for Washington when available and can claim a big role down the stretch with Daniel Gafford traded
If you are shopping for a bargain at center, Isaac is an option on DraftKings, where he has added eligibility. Mo Bamba and Bruno Fernando are backups getting more minutes due to injury, and they have good Projected Plus/Minus as bargain plays.
