In order to conserve resources for where they are most needed, the NBA chose to postpone two games scheduled for the greater Los Angeles area on Saturday night, as wildfires continue to devastate the region. With the Hornets-Clippers and Spurs-Lakers games postponed to a later date, there are still three games on Saturday night’s main slate on DraftKings. None of the six teams remaining on the schedule are playing for the second day in a row, and none will play again on Sunday, so back-to-backs won’t impact the teams’ rotations. However, it’s still important to keep up with news and updates throughout the day. Our NBA models will adjust and change, so be sure to update the projections and adjust your roster if needed.
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.
NBA DFS Point Guard Picks
Stud
Of all the players on Saturday’s slate, Cade Cunningham has the highest median, ceiling, and floor projections. The Pistons’ point guard is having a huge breakout season and has been one of the most productive fantasy players in the NBA. He has a favorable matchup against the Raptors and will look to post another huge number at home to help the Pistons get back over .500.
Cunningham has at least 32 points and at least 57 DraftKings points in three of his last four games. He made 57% of his shots from the field while scoring 32 points to go with eight assists, six rebounds, and three steals on Thursday against the Warriors in his most recent game.
With Jaden Ivey (leg) off the court this season, Cunningham’s usage has climbed from his season mark of 32.1% to 34.2%, and he has produced 1.46 DraftKings points per minute in that scenario. The Raptors have allowed the tenth-most fantasy points per game to point guards this season, so it should be a good spot for Cunningham to continue to deliver strong production.
Value
The Timberwolves have replaced Mike Conley in their starting lineup with Donte DiVincenzo, and both players have been productive in their new roles over the past three games. Conley has produced over 20 DraftKings points in each of his three games in the second unit and has the highest Projected Plus/Minus of all point guards on Saturday’s slate since his salary is only $3,500.
DiVincenzo has the second-highest Projected Plus/Minus at both point guard and shooting guard. In each of his three games since moving into the starting five, he has taken at least 10 shots from the field and made multiple three-pointers. He has at least 25 DraftKings points in each game, with his best game coming against New Orleans on Tuesday when he added seven assists and three steals to his 10 points for 28.5 DraftKings points.
Both guards seem to be fitting well into their new roles. If you need salary savings and an ultra-cheap play, Conley makes sense in the second unit, but DiVencenzo is a safer play with a higher ceiling if you have the salary available.
Fast Break
While trying to carry more of the workload in the absence of Jimmy Butler (suspension), Tyler Herro has fallen short of salary-based expectations in six straight games. He is getting plenty of usage, but his salary has climbed so high that his production hasn’t been able to keep up. He’s in a favorable matchup against the Trail Blazers on Saturday and will look to bounce back with a better showing. He has an extremely high ceiling since the opportunity is definitely there for him.
In contrast to Herro, Anfernee Simons has exceeded salary-based expectations in six of his last seven games while producing 1.13 DraftKings points per minute and averaging a team-high 40.3 DraftKings points per game. He has a good ceiling given his salary under $7,000. He posted 36 points and 54 DraftKings points in Detroit on the Blazers’ recent road trip when they went 2-3 and were competitive in all five games.
Simons’ teammate, Scoot Henderson has the third-highest Projected Plus/Minus at the position and seems very underpriced at $4,300 after starting the week at $5,000. He had at least nine points in four of the five games on the Blazers’ trip and exceeded is salary-based expectations in each of those four games even when his salary was higher. Over his last nine games, he has averaged 28.0 DraftKings points per game and 1.06 DraftKings points per minute.
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
One of the exciting new features this season on FantasyLabs is our partnership with ShotQuality. On Saturday, both sets of projections point to Anthony Edwards as the top high-priced option at shooting guard, as his Timberwolves host the Grizzlies. Ant has the highest median, ceiling, and floor projections in both the FantasyLabs and ShotQuality projections, but his value is even higher in the ShotQuality projections, where he has the third-highest Projected Plus/Minus at the position.
Edwards has scored 20+ points in each of his last four games, dating back to his 53-point outburst against the Pistons last Saturday. He finished with 65.5 DraftKings points in that game and followed it up with 61.75 DraftKings points against the Clippers on Monday.
There aren’t many players with that kind of ceiling on Saturday’s limited slate, so paying up for Edwards is an option to consider if you can squeeze salary in other roster spots.
Value
Without Jaden Ivey, veteran Malik Beasley has stepped into a larger role for the Pistons, and he started each of the last three games. Beasley has the highest Projected Plus/Minus of all shooting guards in both the FantasyLabs and ShotQuality projections on Saturday’s slate.
Over his five games since the Ivey injury, he has averaged 16.8 points, 2.6 rebounds, 2.4 assists, and 1.6 steals in 32.5 minutes per game. He has averaged 0.86 DraftKings points per minute and 27.8 DraftKings points per game.
Beasley is getting plenty of shots to give him a very high ceiling. He hoisted 21 shots on Thursday and scored 21 points. While his scoring output has been solid with at least that many points in three of his last four, his opportunities give him an even higher ceiling if he can pick up his shooting percentage back to his typical level.
Fast Break
The Blazers got good work from Shaedon Sharpe on their last trip as well. Sharpe had at least 16 points in each of the five games and at least 20 points in each of the last three. He averaged 35.1 DraftKings points per game over his last five games and hit for 49.0 DraftKings points on Monday and 42.5 DraftKings points on Thursday.
Terry Rozier has good value potential on the other side of the late game and has the third-highest Projected Plus/Minus at the position in the FantasyLabs projections. Rozier didn’t have a good game Thursday in Utah with just 16.25 DraftKings points, but he had at least 22 DraftKings points in seven of his previous eight contests. His best game during that stretch was Monday against the Kings when he delivered 33.25 DraftKings points.
As a bargain play, Nickeil Alexander-Walker has upside off the Wolves bench. NAW is ranked in the top six in Projected Plus/Minus at shooting guard and has the second-highest Projected Plus/Minus at small forward in both sets of projections. He finds a way to contribute in the second unit and had 19 DraftKings points with at least 14 DraftKings points in three of his last four. His ceiling isn’t extremely high in his regular role, but he does consistently find ways to return decent value.
Be sure to check out all the pick’ems Sleeper has to offer with Sleeper promo code LABS1.
NBA DFS Small Forward Picks
Stud
With Butler out, the Heat have turned to Jaime Jaquez Jr., and the Eastern Conference version of JJJ has looked very sharp since moving into a starting role. His salary is under $6,000 but he still ranks in the top five in median, ceiling, and floor projections at small forward while also ranking in the top five of Projected Plus/Minus.
Jaquez scored double-digit points in five of his last six games and started each of Miami’s last three contests. In his first start of 2025, he posted a triple-double with 16 points, 12 rebounds, 10 assists, and 61.0 DraftKings points against the Kings. After that breakout, he had 24.75 DraftKings points in 29 minutes against the Warriors the following night. Against the Jazz on Thursday, he had 20 points, seven rebounds, seven assists, and 43.25 DraftKings points against the Jazz.
He has huge upside with his multi-category potential against the Trail Blazers, who have allowed the ninth-most fantasy points per game to small forwards this season.
Value
In both sets of projections, Timberwolves small forward Jaden McDaniels stands out as an excellent value at only $4,000. McDaniels has started all 37 games this season for Minnesota, averaging 22.1 DraftKings points in 29.6 minutes per game. He only has a 15.3% usage rate and a production rate of 0.74 DraftKings points per minute, but he gets so much playing time that he usually delivers good value.
McDaniels has 20+ DraftKings points in five of his last seven games with a high-point of 32.5 DraftKings points against the Celtics on January 2. While his overall totals aren’t jaw-dropping, his regular playing time and consistent workload make him a good value play at this price on Saturday’s limited slate.
He probably won’t go off against Memphis and carry your team to a win, but his salary saves enough cap space for you to stack the rest of your roster.
Fast Break
In the Raptors’ matchup in Detroit, Scottie Barnes has the highest median, ceiling, and floor projections at small forward in both the FantasyLabs and ShotQuality projections. Barnes had a big 24-point, 10-rebound double-double while adding eight assists on Thursday against the Cavs on his way to 54.5 DraftKings points. Before that big game, though, he had been held under salary-based expectations in five of his previous six contests. He definitely brings a high ceiling, but he’s a high-risk play at his price of almost $9,000.
Deni Avdija has been excellent for the Trail Blazers, averaging 1.13 DraftKings points per minute and 40.6 DraftKings points per game over his last nine games. Avdija had a pair of impressive double-doubles on the team’s recent road trip, although he seemed to run out of gas a little bit on the second night of a back-to-back in Dallas in his most recent game. He should be in a good place to bounce back against the Heat on Saturday night.
In the ShotQuality projections, Toumani Camara has the third-highest Projected Plus/Minus at small forward behind only McDaniels and NAW. Camara had exceeded salary-based expectations in five straight games before finishing with just 18 DraftKings points in his most recent game. Camara has scored double-digit points in six straight dating back to a double-double that earned him 31.5 DraftKings points against the Sixers.
NBA DFS Power Forward Picks
Stud
The two big names at power forward go head to head on Saturday as Julius Randle hosts Jaren Jackson Jr. In the ShotQuality projections, Randle actually edges out Jackson in median, floor, and ceiling projections, while in the FantasyLabs projections, they’re virtually identical. The biggest difference is that Randle is over $2,000 cheaper, making him much easier to build around.
Randle has played in all 37 games for the Wolves, averaging 33 minutes per game and producing 36.3 DraftKings points on 19.6 points, 7.0 rebounds, and 4.4 assists per contest. Randle’s production has been trending up lately as well, with an average of 40.1 DraftKings points per contest over his last 10 games. He is coming off a strong showing with 23 points, 10 rebounds, and 41.5 DraftKings points on Thursday against the Magic in his seventh double-double of the season.
Since the Grizzlies are getting healthier, Jackson’s production may have trouble keeping up with his elevated salary, so it makes sense to target Randle as an alternative unless you are desperate for leverage and have extra salary to spare.
Value
In the FantasyLabs projection, Simone Fontecchio has the highest Projected Plus/Minus of all players on the three-game slate. He has the second-highest Projected Plus/Minus at power forward in the FantasyLabs projections as well.
Fontecchio has played 33 games for the Pistons, averaging just 18.5 minutes per contest and producing only 13.1 DraftKings points per game. However, since his salary is barely over the minimum at $3,100, he brings a lot of upside in an expanded role.
Fontecchio has played 21, 24, and 27 minutes in the Pistons’ last three games, producing 19.5, 29.25, and 9.5 DraftKings points. He had a rough shooting game against Golden State, going just 1-for-7 from the field, but he’s projected to have a good bounce-back game against the Raptors. One key update to watch for if you’re using Fontecchio is if Tim Hardaway Jr. (back, questionable) is able to return. If Hardaway and Ausar Thompson are both in the mix, it could squeeze Fontecchio’s playing time.
Fast Break
After missing six games with an ankle injury, Santi Aldama had 12 points, nine rebounds, and 25.25 DraftKings points against the Rockets on Thursday. The Spaniard turned 24 on Friday and is in the midst of what could be a breakout season. He’s averaging 13.0 points, 7.3 rebounds, and 2.9 assists in 25.6 minutes per game, and if he produces near those averages on Saturday, he’ll be a great value under $5,000. He has the fourth-highest Projected Plus/Minus at power forward in both sets of projections.
Heat forward Haywood Highsmith is an interesting punt play under $4,000. He always logs plenty of minutes, especially without Jimmy Butler, but his production has been inconsistent. He had 28 DraftKings points three games ago against the Kings but only 13 DraftKings points despite playing 22 minutes against the Jazz on Thursday. If Fontecchio’s projected minutes and usage go down, though, Highsmith would be a solid bargain pivot.
NBA DFS Center Picks
Stud
Both the ShotQuality and FantasyLabs projections agree on Bam Adebayo as the top stud center to build around in what should be a very favorable matchup against the Trail Blazers. He has the highest median, ceiling, and floor projections at the position and a positive Projected Plus/Minus as well.
Adebayo had back-to-back games with over 40 DraftKings points against the Kings and Warriors before slowing down on Thursday against the Jazz. He still had 38.25 DraftKings points on 15 points, seven boards, three assists, three steals, and two blocks. His defensive production helps him have a high floor, and his double-double potential gives him a high ceiling.
In his time this season without Butler on the floor, Bam is averaging 1.12 DraftKings points per minute and has had his usage rate climb by almost two percentage points in that scenario. Adebayo had over 50 DraftKings points on New Year’s Day against the Pelicans, and he brings elite potential even though his salary is only $8,400.
Value
Pistons center Jalen Duren has the highest Projected Plus/Minus on the entire slate in the ShotQuality projections and the second-highest in the FantasyLabs projections behind only his teammate Fontecchio.
Duren gets a juicy matchup against the Raptors, who have allowed more DraftKings points per game to opposing centers than any other team in the NBA. While he hasn’t been playing huge minutes, Duren has been surging in his last few games, with over 31 DraftKings points in six of his last eight games since Christmas. During that span, he has produced a very solid 1.26 DraftKings points per minute and averaged 32.4 DraftKings points per game.
Fast Break
If you don’t have enough for Adebayo but don’t want to go with a value play, one option that brings a high ceiling is Raptors center Jakob Poeltl. Poeltl is coming off a strong showing of 42.75 DraftKings points against the Cavs on Thursday, and he continues to bring good upside even though he has more options around him now in the Raptors’ offense. He has the fourth-highest ceiling projection at center and the highest of the options under $7,000 in both sets of projections.
A solid value alternative to Duren to consider is Timberwolves’ backup big Naz Reid. Reid’s production can be volatile coming off the bench, but he has at least 13 points in five of his last six games and has averaged 15.8 points, 6.3 rebounds, and 30.3 DraftKings points over that span. His upside isn’t quite as high as Duren’s, but he’s a very solid play under $5,000 to consider at either power forward or center.
Isaiah Stewart continues to be a good punt play while backing up Duren for the Pistons. He has delivered at least 13 DraftKings points in six straight games, with 20+ DraftKings points in four of those contests. Especially if Fontecchio is crowded out at forward, Stewart is a strong bargain pivot since his minutes as backup center seem secure.
YOU MAY ALSO LIKE
NBA DFS (Friday, Dec. 23): Top Model Picks and Value Plays on DraftKings and FanDuel
NBA DFS Picks Breakdown (Monday, Dec. 26): Keep Rolling With the Pelicans
NBA DFS Picks Breakdown (Thursday, Dec. 29): Can Luka Doncic Do It Again?
NBA DFS (Friday, Feb. 9): Top Model Picks and Value Plays on DraftKings and FanDuel
