The NBA has six games on the schedule this Saturday, and four of those contests are on the main slate on DraftKings and FanDuel. The action for those main contests gets underway at 7:00 p.m. ET after the first two games on the early slate. Of the eight teams on the main slate, the Clippers, Pelicans, and Wizards are playing for the second day in a row, while the Hawks and the Cavs each have another game on Sunday.
Even though there are only four games on the main slate, there are some very interesting matchups to examine, several scenarios to break down, and plenty of news to watch as we approach tip off. Let’s dive into some of the top plays on the slate using the FantasyLabs tools and projections.
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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.
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NBA DFS Point Guard Picks
Stud
Saturday night’s slate features several of the highest-scoring teams in the NBA and several of the teams that are giving up the most points per game as well. As a result, the game environments look to be set up for plenty of fantasy points. The highest over/under and the two highest implied team totals come from the matchup in D.C. between the Hawks and the Wizards, according to our Vegas Dashboard. Each of these teams ranks in the top three in the NBA in pace and the top four for most points allowed per game. The scoreboard could have trouble keeping up with these two teams, so get your running shoes on and be sure to get plenty of exposure to this contest.
Trae Young is a great place to start. He has the second-highest ceiling, median, and floor projections of all point guards on the slate on both DraftKings and FanDuel behind only Luka Doncic. Doncic costs over $2K more on this slate though, and Young’s Pts/Sal and Projected Plus/Minus point to him being a much better value option. In fact, he has the third-highest Projected Plus/Minus of all point guards on the slate even though he’s clearly not a cheap play.
So far this season, Trae has a 31.8% usage rate and has produced 1.35 DraftKings points and 1.30 FanDuel points per minute. He has exceeded salary-based expectations on DraftKings in five of his last six games, and on FanDuel, he has exceeded salary-based expectations in 10 straight games with an Average Plus/Minus of 10.06 FanDuel points.
Trae had 38 points and eight assists in a 157-152 loss to the Pacers on Monday and followed that with 43 points and nine assists in a 147-145 win over the Nets. This game is expected to be high-scoring like those two contests, and Young should be on his way to another monster stat line.
Value
Dyson Daniels has stepped up for the Pelicans while C.J. McCollum has been sidelined with his collapsed lung. Daniels has the top Projected Plus/Minus at the position on FanDuel and the fourth-highest on DraftKings. He’s still relatively affordable at just over $5K, and if you’re going to pass on the elite options for a bargain play, he brings a good ceiling.
Typically, Daniels doesn’t have extremely high usage or score a ton of points, but he is an extremely balanced producer who stuffs the box score in almost every category. He has been very consistent and has scored at least seven points in 13 of his last 14 games. He’s added at least seven rebounds three times in his last five games and at least five assists in five of his last six. All that production has resulted in an average of 0.85 DraftKings points and 0.85 FanDuel points per minute on the season.
He has exceeded salary-based expectations on FanDuel in seven of his last nine games and on DraftKings in six of those nine games. Daniels logged 36 minutes last night in the Pelicans’ upset win over the Clippers and is in a good spot against the Jazz, who have allowed the most DraftKings points per game to opposing small forwards, where Daniels is also eligible on DraftKings.
He doesn’t have an elite ceiling since he defers in the offense to Brandon Ingram and Zion Williamson, but he still is a very solid mid-range fantasy option, and he could get more work than normal if either of those stars sits on the second half of the Pels’ back-to-back.
Fast Break
Whenever the Mavs are on the slate, Luka Doncic brings one of the highest ceilings available. He comes at such a high price that he doesn’t project to be worth it in this matchup with the defensive-focused Clippers. He also has Kyrie Irving available, which often cuts into his usage. Due to the matchup and other options on the board, Luka may be a little less popular than he usually is though, so there is a chance for some leverage.
Darius Garland has had to carry more of the workload with Donovan Mitchell (hamstring) sidelined for the past four games. For the most part, he has stepped up and delivered big games, although he did post a clunker on Wednesday in a blowout loss. If Mitchell is ruled out, Garland will have a high ceiling again in a good matchup against the Lakers. The only downside is that the Cavs’ game is expected to be significantly slower and lower-scoring than the others on the slate.
An alternative to Daniels in the middle range is Tyus Jones, who has been playing well in the past few games for the Wizards and will be opposite Young in that track meet disguised as a basketball game. Jones has exceeded salary-based expectations in each of his last two games and had a season-high 22 points in the Wizards’ loss on Friday. He added his typically strong non-scoring numbers as well to total over 40 fantasy points on both DraftKings and FanDuel.
Jazz rookie Keyonte George is also in the same price range and has been very impressive this season, averaging 0.87 DraftKings points and 0.83 FanDuel points per minute while playing 24.4 minutes per game in his first 15 NBA contests. He has been heating up lately and exceeded salary-based expectations in six of his last seven contests.
If you have to dive into Saturday’s bargain bin at point guard, the options are very limited on FanDuel once you get under $5K. On DraftKings, Landry Shamet is still point guard eligible and brings good upside for a play that’s barely over the minimum salary. He had 15 points on Friday in the Wizards’ close loss to the Bucks. Jose Alvarado is also back for the Pelicans but has been playing limited minutes after missing the first 13 games of the season.
NBA DFS Shooting Guard Picks
Stud
With the Clippers on the second night of a back-to-back, it’ll be important to keep a close eye on their injury report to see if they rest any stars. With all of them in the early projections, Paul George has the top median, ceiling, and floor projections of all shooting guards on FanDuel. On DraftKings, he has the highest median projection and the second-highest ceiling and floor projections at the position. George is significantly underpriced on both sites according to our projections, which also give him the highest Projected Plus/Minus at shooting guard on FanDuel and the second-highest on DraftKings.
George has exceeded salary-based expectations on FanDuel in six straight games and on DraftKings in five of those contests. During that span, he has an Average Plus/Minus of 3.6 DraftKings points and 8.2 FanDuel points while averaging 1.27 DraftKings points and 1.22 FanDuel points per minute. He has averaged 28.3 points, 7.2 rebounds and 4.0 assists per game over that stretch, and he should be in a good matchup to continue his strong run of production in this matchup with the Mavs.
On many slates, the Mavs-Clippers game would have an over/under that would give it the top spot, but it doesn’t come close to the point potential in the Wizards-Hawks. However, it should still be an up-tempo game with plenty of scoring. If the Clippers give James Harden or Kawhi Leonard the night off, it’ll boost George’s ceiling even higher. Still, he has shown that he can thrive alongside those two stars in the new-look Clippers’ rotation.
Value
Paul George, James Harden and Brandon Ingram (on DraftKings) are right at the top of the value rankings for shooting guard, but the first shooting guard under $7K in both Pts/Sal and Projected Plus/Minus on both sites is Jordan Poole. If the Wizards are going to keep things close against the Hawks, they’ll need Poole to produce, and he typically thrives in helter-skelter environments like this contest projects to be.
Poole got off to a very slow start after being traded to the Wizards this season, but he may finally be turning things around. He only scored 24 points or more once in his first 12 games, but he has scored at least that many in each of his last three contests and exceeded salary-based expectations in each of those three games. That run included a season-high 30 points last Monday and a season-high seven assists on Friday.
Similarly to his time with the Warriors, Poole is a volatile option that can go off and carry your team to great heights or sink it to the bottom of the ocean with a bad game. Lately, though, he’s been showing off that ceiling and should be positioned for another big game on Saturday night.
Fast Break
With so many points projected in that Wizards-Hawks game, Dejounte Murray also has plenty of upside alongside Young in the Atlanta backcourt. Murray has exceeded salary-based expectations in each of his last two games and seven of his last 10 on both DraftKings and FanDuel. Bogdan Bogdanovic is another strong Hawks play to consider. He has exceeded salary-based expectations on FanDuel in nine of his last 10 games with an Average Plus/Minus of 4.84 DraftKings points and 5.52 FanDuel points. He is remarkably consistent coming off the bench for the Hawks and has a high ceiling in this matchup.
James Harden has an 89% Bargain Rating on FanDuel, where he has exceeded salary-based expectations in four straight games. Depending on who the Clippers have available, he could get extra work as well.
In addition to Bogdanovic, the top mid-range plays in our projections include Tim Hardaway Jr. of the Mavs, Collin Sexton of the Jazz, and Norman Powell of the Clippers.
Max Christie made his first start of the season for the Lakers on Wednesday in place of Cam Reddish (adductor, questionable). Whichever low-usage player starts alongside the Lakers’ stars will have punt-play potential since the minutes will be there even though neither usually takes a lot of shots. Another solid value option is Landry Shamet, who takes plenty of shots when he’s on the floor, but his minutes fluctuate from game to game.
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NBA DFS Small Forward Picks
Stud
On DraftKings, Brandon Ingram is only eligible as a shooting guard, while on FanDuel, he’s only a small forward. Even with Zion Williamson (discussed below) in the projections, Ingram looks to be one of the best plays on the slate. He has the highest Projected Plus/Minus and the second-highest median projection of all shooting guards on DraftKings. He has the highest Projected Plus/Minus at small forward on FanDuel, where he also has the third-highest median projection and second-highest floor projection.
Ingram has exceeded salary-based expectations on FanDuel in five of his last six games while producing 1.27 DraftKings points and 1.22 FanDuel points per minute. He had 30 points on Friday and helped take over the game for the Pelicans, who have suddenly won five straight games with both Ingram and Zion in the lineup. Ingram has 30+ points in three of his last four games.
If Williamson plays, Ingram will still be critical to the Pelicans winning in Utah, but Ingram gets an even bigger boost if Zion sits out. Last Saturday without Zion, Ingram had a 40.0% usage rate, 30 points, and he almost led the Pels past the Timberwolves. He’ll be a good play either way on this slate but has a much higher ceiling if he’s the clear go-to option in Salt Lake City.
Value
If you need to go cheap at small forward, Corey Kispert has the highest Projected Plus/Minus of all the options under $5K. He can slide to shooting guard on DraftKings if you need a value play in the backcourt, but he is cheaper on FanDuel, where he has a 91% Bargain Rating.
Kispert enters this great game environment coming off an excellent showing on Friday night against the Bucks. He scored 20 points by hitting six three-pointers and vastly exceeded salary-based expectations on both DraftKings and FanDuel.
He has been getting plenty of playing time off the bench, especially since the injury to Delon Wright. Over his past nine games, he has exceeded salary-based expectations seven times with a total Plus/Minus of 8.45 DraftKings points and 17.32 FanDuel points over that span.
Kispert should thrive in this matchup against the Hawks and should have a high ceiling if he continues his hot shooting.
Fast Break
LeBron James continues to be questionable for every matchup but plays through his calf contusion. The Lakers were able to limit his minutes in a blowout win over the Jazz, but he played his full workload against the Mavs on Wednesday, finishing just one rebound short of a double-double in 36 minutes. He could be especially hyped to return to Ohio and take on the Cavs, but he is a volatile play since he brings a very wide range of possible outcomes on Saturday.
LeBron’s availability and usage have a huge impact on Austin Reaves, but the third-year fan favorite has found ways to contribute for the Lakers and fantasy owners throughout this season. He has been at his best in the second unit and has averaged 28.5 minutes per game in his last eight contests since moving to the bench. In his last 10 games, he has exceeded salary-based expectations eight times on FanDuel and six times on DraftKings while averaging 1.10 DraftKings points and 1.04 FanDuel points per minute. He projects as a slightly better value on DraftKings on Saturday, where he has the fourth-highest Projected Plus/Minus at small forward.
Lauri Markkanen has the second-highest ceiling of all small forwards behind only LeBron on FanDuel and the third-highest at the position on DraftKings. Markkanen bounced back from a dismal game against the Lakers with a strong showing in Portland and should continue to be the focus of the Jazz’s offense for their home matchup with the Pelicans, who could be in store for a letdown after their big win over the Clippers.
Max Strus has been helping to fill in the gap while Donovan Mitchell has been out, and he would be a strong mid-range option if Mitchell is sidelined again. De’Andre Hunter has been up and down, but he does bring a high ceiling as a mid-range option in the Hawks’ high-scoring contest Saturday. Hunter is coming off an impressive 25-point double-double in his most recent game on Wednesday.
The cheap options on this small slate are limited, but Josh Green and Terance Mann stand out in the projections as cheap options with upside. Bilal Coulibaly (knee) missed Friday’s game but also would be an intriguing option if he’s ready to return on Saturday.
NBA DFS Power Forward Picks
Stud
In his 15 games this season, Kyle Kuzma has produced 1.29 DraftKings points and 1.23 FanDuel points per minute. That rate is second only to LeBron James among all the power forwards on DraftKings this Saturday and third behind Lebron and Anthony Davis on FanDuel. His rate of production has been higher than Zion’s, higher than Markkanen’s and higher than Kawhi Leonard’s. Kuzma also matches 13 Pro Trends on FanDuel, which ties him with Kawhi for the most at the position, and he matches 10 Pro Trends on DraftKings, which is second only to LeBron.
Kuzma has had some clunkers to be sure, but he has also shown a very high ceiling. He had a pair of double-doubles earlier this week with 22 points and 13 assists in the first matchup with the Bucks. On Wednesday, he was even better, with 28 points, 10 assists and nine rebounds in a close loss to the Hornets. This environment against Atlanta should be similar to that one in Charlotte, setting Kuzma up for success.
He’s a highly volatile play, but his ceiling and situation are too favorable to overlook him on Saturday. As long as the game doesn’t turn into a blowout, Kuzma should be in a smash spot against the Hawks, who allow the second-most fantasy points per game to opposing power forwards.
Value
On the other side of that matchup, Jalen Johnson has the second-highest Projected Plus/Minus at power forward on FanDuel and the third-highest on DraftKings. With John Collins in Utah now, Johnson has stepped into a much bigger role for the Hawks this season and averaged 1.02 DraftKings points and 0.97 FanDuel points per minute in an average of 31.3 minutes per game.
Johnson played 40 minutes on Wednesday against the Nets, but his stats were fairly underwhelming. He only had seven points in that contest, but before that, he had produced at least 16 points in four straight matchups. In this up-tempo game, he should be able to bounce back and get back to his scoring average, as he goes head-to-head with Kuzma in a matchup that should result in good fantasy games for both players.
Fast Break
Zion Williamson has the highest Projected Plus/Minus on the whole slate on both DraftKings and FanDuel. He will be a great option coming off his season-high 32 points on Friday if he plays. However, he has yet to play in any back-to-back for the Pelicans this season and was sidelined for rest last Saturday in almost the exact same situation. If he plays his full minutes, he’ll be a great option, but there is a serious question mark if that will be the case.
Kawhi Leonard is another potential rest candidate, but he has been playing in back-to-back games this season. If he plays, he brings a high ceiling even though he has been sharing the load with George and Harden effectively this season.
Collins will be in action for his new team as the Jazz face the Pelicans. He has gotten off to a strong start to the season and posted a double-double in four of his past five games. He’s a solid mid-range target if you don’t want too much Wizards-Hawks saturation.
Saddiq Bey is a small forward on FanDuel and a power forward on DraftKings. He has the second-highest Projected Plus/Minus at power forward on this slate and comes with a high ceiling after exceeding salary-based expectations on DraftKings in seven of his last 10 games. He did have a down game on Wednesday while De’Andre Hunter was excellent, but before that contest, Bey had been the more consistent option on the wing.
If you need a cheap play at power forward on DraftKings, Grant Williams and Derrick Jones Jr. are options to consider from the Mavs in addition to Terance Mann of the Clippers. On FanDuel, Danilo Gallinari projects to be the best bargain play with Larry Nance Jr. also a bargain option to consider after he logged 20 minutes for the second time this season on Friday.
NBA DFS Center Picks
Stud
The only real stud center on Saturday night’s slate is Anthony Davis, who has the top median, ceiling, and floor projection at the position by a wide margin. Davis does have a positive Plus/Minus on FanDuel and offers good projected leverage on both sites since so much attention will be focused on the superstar point guards.
Davis has posted seven double-doubles in his last eight games and has produced 1.41 DraftKings points and 1.47 FanDuel points per minute this season. Those rates are by far the highest of the centers on Saturday’s slate, and he has been carrying a heavy workload of minutes, averaging 35.2 minutes per contest on the season.
It is worth noting that he is probable with hip spasms, but as long as those don’t turn into a bigger deal than expected, he should be one of the top options at the position as he deals with the Cavaliers and their oversized rotation.
Value
With Dereck Lively II (back) and Maxi Kleber (toe) ruled out, the Mavericks should offer good opportunities for value options at center against the Clippers. Richaun Holmes has the highest Projected Plus/Minus at the position on FanDuel and the third-highest on DraftKings. Holmes has only appeared in six games for the Mavs and has only averaged 8.8 minutes per game. He was basically out of Dallas’ rotation and off the fantasy radar, but with the current injuries, he’s back in the mix.
He played a season-high 23 minutes on Wednesday and had four points and 10 boards with a block and an assist. He’s only $4,100 on DraftKings and $3,700 on FanDuel, so he’s still a remarkable bargain. If you want to pay up for multiple stars in the backcourt and at forward, Holmes should be able to return value at center. He’s projected for 23 minutes again in this contest with the Clippers and makes a great bargain play.
Fast Break
The Hawks’ two centers have the highest Projected Plus/Minus at the position on DraftKings. Onyeka Okongwu is cheaper and a better value while Clint Capela brings great value from the middle range. Capela has been the better fantasy play of the two options lately, going off for double-doubles in two of his last three games with a Plus/Minus of over 12 DraftKings points in those two games against the Sixers and the Nets.
Jarrett Allen and Evan Mobley have good ceilings but are in the tough and potentially slow matchup against Davis and the Lakers.
Ivica Zubac and Daniel Gafford are mid-range plays with solid potential but without quite the ceiling that Capela brings.
For the Jazz, Collins and Kelly Olynyk have been turning in solid numbers, but Walker Kessler (elbow) is questionable and seems to be ahead of schedule in his return.
If you need a value instead of Holmes, Daniel Theis makes sense as a bargain play on the other side of that matchup along with Larry Nance Jr.
