Friday features a seven-game main slate starting at 7 p.m. ET.
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.
You can also use our SimLabs Lineup Generator, a tool that creates the most user-friendly lineup generation process.
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.
Stud
Cade Cunningham got all the way up to $10,600 in his last outing, but he’s dipped back to a more reasonable $9,900 for Friday’s matchup vs. the Hornets. That makes him an appealing buy-low target, especially with Jaden Ivey out of the lineup. Cunningham has seen a +2.38% usage bump with Ivey off the floor this season, resulting in an average of 1.47 DraftKings points per minute. He also leads the position with 12 Pro Trends.
Value
The Nuggets are currently playing without Aaron Gordon, which should result in a few additional minutes for Russell Westbrook. Westbrook isn’t the same player that he was in his prime, but he’s still a really good fantasy producer. He’s averaged 1.22 DraftKings points per minute for the year, and he’s currently projected for 32 minutes in our NBA Models.
It’s really tough to pass up that combination at just $6,600. Westbrook has historically had a comparable salary and minute projection in just 10 previous contests, and he’s responded with an average Plus/Minus of +3.32 (per the Trends tool). Add in a strong matchup and an 82% Bargain Rating, and there’s nothing not to like with Westbrook on Friday.
Fast Break
The Pelicans are another team with a strong matchup on Friday. They’re taking on the Wizards, who rank 27th in defensive efficiency and fourth in pace, and their 119.75 implied team total is the third-highest on the slate. Dejounte Murray has missed plenty of time with injuries this season, but he’s still been effective when on the floor. He’s averaged 1.20 DraftKings points per minute, and he’s gone for as many as 64.0 DraftKings points of late. That gives him a nice ceiling in a juicy matchup.
Immanuel Quickley balled out in his return to the lineup on Wednesday. He played 32.1 minutes in his first game in more than a month, and he finished with 21 points and 15 assists. He ultimately racked up 51.0 DraftKings points, good for an average of 1.59 DraftKings points per minute. He’s likely due for some regression moving forward – especially in a tough matchup vs. the Magic – but he’s now averaged 1.29 DraftKings points per minute in five games this season. He could pick up a few additional minutes as he gets further removed from his injury, making him an interesting option for tournaments.
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
Jalen Suggs has seen a sizable increase in value following the injuries to Paolo Banchero and Franz Wagner. He’s seen a team-high +7.16% bump to his usage rate in eight games without both players, resulting in an average of 1.27 DraftKings points per minute. He’s posted a usage rate of at least 30.2% in four straight games, and he’s coming off 44.0 DraftKings points in his last outing.
Suggs and the Magic draw an excellent matchup Friday vs. the Raptors. Toronto ranks sixth in pace and 26th in defensive efficiency for the year, and Orlando’s 109.75 implied team total represents a significant increase compared to their season average (105.6). Suggs has an Opponent Plus/Minus of +3.71 in this matchup, which is the top mark among Friday’s point guards.
Value
Stephon Castle stands out as a near must-play on Friday’s slate. His price tag has dipped all the way to $3,400 on DraftKings, due mostly to the fact that he’s been playing reduced minutes. He had logged 20.2 minutes in five straight games, culminating with fewer than eight minutes two games ago.
However, Castle bounced back with 23.2 minutes in his last outing, and he has the potential for even more on Friday. The team is going to be without Jeremy Sochan, and his absence will open up some additional minutes for the rest of the roster. Castle is expected to be one of the biggest beneficiaries: he’s currently projected for 28 minutes in our NBA Models.
If he gets to that threshold, he’s poised to deliver massive value at a near-minimum price tag. Historically, players with comparable salaries and minute projections have averaged a Plus/Minus of +3.96.
The only downside with Castle is his projected ownership. He’s checking it at 42.6%, which is the top mark on the slate. Still, he’s showing up in the optimal lineup simulations at a greater than 48% clip, so it’s possible he’s still being a bit undervalued by the public.
Fast Break
Malcolm Brogdon has been playing around 30 minutes a night for the Wizards recently, and he’s generally been a nice source of value. He’s posted a positive Plus/Minus in four of his past five games, and he went for 39.5 DraftKings points two games ago vs. the Knicks. He’s underpriced at $6,000 for a strong matchup vs. the Pelicans.
C.J. McCollum is yet another potential option for the Pels. He’s coming off a subpar showing in his last outing, but he had at least 45.5 DraftKings points in his two previous games. He’s projected for less ownership than Murphy and Murray, making him an interesting pivot for tournaments.
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NBA DFS Small Forward Picks
Stud
Trey Murphy is another prime target for the Pelicans. He’s played some of the best basketball of his career recently, posting a positive Plus/Minus in six of his past seven games. That includes at least 45.5 DraftKings points in two of his past three outings.
Murphy has increased his production to 1.06 DraftKings points per minute over the past month, and he should continue to play all the minutes he can handle for the shorthanded Pelicans. They’re still without Zion Williamson and Brandon Ingram, and Murphy has logged at least 37.9 minutes in three straight outings.
Value
Ausar Thompson hasn’t gotten the same opportunities as his brother Amen in Houston, but that could be about to change. He’s played at least 24 minutes in back-to-back games, and he could see a few additional minutes with Ivey sidelined on Friday.
That makes him a very appealing value target at just $4,000. Thompson is a capable per minute producer, averaging 0.99 DraftKings points per minute for the year. He’s scored at least 21.25 DraftKings points in each of his past two contests, so he can do some damage with any additional playing time.
Fast Break
Speaking of Amen Thompson, he’s currently out of the lineup for Houston while serving a suspension. That has allowed Cam Whitmore to earn some additional minutes. He’s coming off 25.75 DraftKings points in 24.0 minutes in his last outing, and he’s projected for another 24 minutes on Friday. He’s averaged a strong 1.06 DraftKings points per minute for the year, and he’s increased that figure to 1.18 over the past month. That makes him a nice value at just $3,900.
Christian Braun has taken a bit of a leap in his third professional season. He’s averaging 14.2 points per game in his first year as a starter, nearly doubling his scoring average from last year. His playing time had waned a bit recently, but with Gordon out of the lineup, his role should be solidly locked in on Friday. He’s projected for 32 minutes in our NBA Models, and he’s scored at least 24.75 DraftKings points in three straight games.
NBA DFS Power Forward Picks
Stud
The Celtics’ injury report will be important to monitor on the second leg of a back-to-back. They were without both Jaylen Brown and Kristaps Porzingis on Thursday, but it’s possible that both return to the lineup vs. the Rockets.
However, if both players are out once again, Jayson Tatum would become a primary stud target. He racked up 64.5 DraftKings points sans both players vs. the Timberwolves, and he’s increased his usage rate by +5.9% with both players off the floor this season. As a result, he’s averaged a stout 1.61 DraftKings points per minute in that split. The Rockets are a tough matchup, but Tatum’s upside for the shorthanded Celtics would simply be too high to ignore.
Value
Keldon Johnson figures to be the biggest beneficiary from Sochan’s absence. He’s played sparingly off the bench for most of the season, but he’s been impactful whenever on the floor. He’s averaged 1.00 DraftKings points per minute, and he’s scored at least 20.5 DraftKings points in three straight games.
Now, Johnson is expected to see a significant uptick in playing time. He’s projected for 28 minutes in our NBA Models, and if that happens, he’s simply too cheap at $4,000. Johnson has historically had a comparable salary and minute projection in just four previous outings, and he’s averaged a Plus/Minus of +8.11 in that split.
Fast Break
Wendell Carter Jr. has eligibility at both power forward and center, and he’s a strong option regardless of where you choose to play him. He’s played sparingly for most of the year, but his minutes were cranked up in his last contest. He played 34.1 minutes vs. the Pistons, and he’s averaged 0.90 DraftKings points per minute for the year. If he’s going to continue to play that much moving forward, he’s undoubtedly underpriced at $5,100.
Alex Sarr continues to produce for the Wizards and DFS players. He’s posted a positive Plus/Minus in nine of his past 10 outings, including 34.0 DraftKings points in his last contest. He did that in just 24.8 minutes, and he should play a bit more if Friday’s game vs. the Pelicans is more competitive. He’s projected for 27 minutes in our NBA Models, and he’s had at least 31.8 in three of his past six contests.
NBA DFS Center Picks
Stud
When it comes to fantasy basketball, there’s Nikola Jokic, and then there’s everybody else. There are a few other players who can match Jokic’s upside, but no one can do it on such a consistent basis. Jokic has posted a remarkable +7.12 average Plus/Minus for the year despite routinely being the most expensive player in fantasy.
Jokic did hit a bit of a skid over the past few weeks, but he’s now posted a positive Plus/Minus in four straight games. That includes three outings with at least 72.75 DraftKings points, and one with 93.0.
There’s no reason to shy away from him on a slate with plenty of value. The Nuggets have the top implied team total of the day at 122.5, and he’s going to be asked to do even more than usual without Gordon. He’s seen a team-high +2.2% usage bump with Gordon off the court this season, resulting in an average of 1.97 DraftKings points per minute. If you’re willing to fade him on this slate, you’re braver than I.
Value
Mark Williams has been a monster since returning to the lineup for the Hornets. He’s averaged 1.49 DraftKings points per minute over the past month, and he’s posted a positive Plus/Minus in five straight games. He’s done that despite playing limited minutes. When he finally cracked 30 minutes in his last outing, he got all the way to 49.0 DraftKings points.
There’s no guarantee that Williams will see the same workload on Friday, but he’s proven that he doesn’t need it to return value. Ultimately, he provides a nice combination of floor and ceiling at $5,500.
Fast Break
Goga Bitadze is an interesting pivot off Carter in tournaments. The two players are negatively correlated, so it’s no surprise that Bitadze struggled with Carter breaking out in their last contest. However, Bitadze has been the better player for most of the year. He’s averaged 1.20 DraftKings points per minute over the past month, and he’s projected for 30 minutes on Friday’s slate. If the pendulum swings back in his favor, fading Carter for Bitdaze could pay off handsomely.
It’s always tough to click on Jonas Valanciunas. He rarely plays more than 20 minutes, and it’s tough to trust a player with such a limited minutes ceiling. Still, Valanciunas makes up for it with his elite per-minute efficiency. He’s scored at least 34.5 DraftKings points in four of his past five games despite playing 23.5 minutes or fewer in three of them.
