The first Saturday of 2025 has nine games on the NBA schedule, seven of which are on the main fantasy basketball slate on DraftKings. Contests lock at 7:00 p.m. ET and leave off the early game between the 76ers and the Nets and the late game between the Hawks and Clippers. Of the 14 teams on the main slate, the Nuggets, Pistons, Grizzlies, Knicks, and Spurs are all playing for the second day in a row, so be sure to keep a close eye out for their injury reports as the day goes on. As news and updates come out throughout the day leading up to tip off, our NBA models will adjust and change, so be sure to update the projections and your roster.
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
With Jimmy Butler (suspension) out and likely to be traded as soon as possible, Tyler Herro should be the focus of the Heat’s offense for the near future. On Saturday when Butler starts his seven-game suspension, Herro gets a great matchup against the Jazz, who have allowed the second-most DraftKings points to point guards this season.
Herro has 41.1 fantasy points per game on 24.1 points, 5.5 rebounds, 5.1 assists, and 0.7 steals in 35.2 minutes per game. He leads the team with a 27.4% usage rate and is tied with Bam Adebayo for the team lead with a production rate of 1.16 DraftKings points per minute.
With Butler off the floor, Herro’s production rate increases to 1.20 DraftKings points per minute, and his usage ticks up to 28.9%. In the 10 games he played with Butler out, Herro has averaged 42.8 DraftKings points per contest, so he should be set up to post another big game on Saturday.
He has the second-highest median and ceiling projection of all point guards on the slate and the highest median and ceiling projection of all shooting guards.
Value
One key absence that has a major impact on value plays on Saturday’s slate is Stephen Curry (injury management) taking off the first game of the Warriors’ back-to-back. The top three players on the slate in Projected Plus/Minus are all Warriors options who could get more work while Curry is out. Dennis Schroder leads the way with the highest Projected Plus/Minus on the slate.
Schroder has been down statistically since joining the Warriors, but he is coming off his best game with his new team. On Thursday, he had 34.5 DraftKings points against the 76ers, contributing 15 points, six assists, and two steals in 25 minutes. He has scored double-digit points in four of the last five games and seems to be finding his rhythm with his new team.
In the one game Curry sat since Schroder arrived, Schroder had a miserable shooting night, going 0 for 6 from three-point range and 3 for 11 from the field. He’ll look for a much better showing with extra usage on Monday against Memphis, who will remain without Ja Morant (shoulder) for the second night of their back-to-back after a five-point loss to the Kings on Friday.
Fast Break
Cade Cunningham has the highest ceiling projection at point guard, as his Pistons host the Timberwolves. On Friday, he led the team to a five-point win over the Hornets with 18 points, five rebounds, five assists, and 37.25 DraftKings points. He may have to carry more of the offensive workload while Jaden Ivey (leg) is sidelined. He has averaged 1.46 DraftKings points per minute with Ivey off the floor this season.
Trail Blazers point guard Scoot Henderson has exceeded salary-based expectations in four of his last five games and had 33.25 DraftKings points in his last game on Thursday against the Lakers. The No. 3 overall pick in the 2023 NBA Draft has produced 0.95 DraftKings points per minute on the season and 1.21 DraftKings points per game over those last five contests. His shooting is still not great, but he’s compensating by contributing in multiple other meaningful categories and handing out enough helpers to be a solid play at point guard under $5,000. He has the third-highest Projected Plus/Minus at point guard on Saturday.
Lonzo Ball is another strong affordable point guard to consider. His salary is just over $4,000, but he has been able to outproduce salary-based expectations in five of his last seven games and has at least 28 DraftKings points in three of those contests. He had five points, eight rebounds, four assists, and three steals in 22 minutes on Wednesday for 29 DraftKings points against the Wizards. He and the Bulls take on the Knicks on Saturday, and Ball brings the seventh-highest Projected Plus/Minus of all point guards.
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
With Morant out, Desmond Bane has been carrying the load for Memphis, and he is in the top five in Saturday’s projections at shooting guard in median, ceiling, and floor projections. He has exceeded salary-based expectations in four straight and six of his last seven games. He has over 39 DraftKings points in each of those six contests and is coming off 22 points, seven rebounds, eight assists, and 46.25 DraftKings points on Friday.
Bane has averaged 1.42 DraftKings points per minute over his last seven games, with a 24.7% usage rate, raising his production for the season to 1.20 DraftKings points per minute.
Bane did play 35 minutes on Friday night, so fatigue could be a factor, but as long as he’s ready for his normal workload, he should be a good play, as Memphis tries to knock off the Warriors with Steph on the second night of their back-to-back.
Value
One of the exciting new features this season on FantasyLabs is our partnership with ShotQuality. The ShotQuality projections point to Stephon Castle as a strong value play on Saturday, with the second-highest Projected Plus/Minus at both shooting guard and point guard behind only Schroder.
Castle should be set for increased playing time again on Saturday if Jeremy Sochan (back) is forced to miss a second straight game. Castle got the start on Friday in the Spurs’ 113-110 win in Denver and finished with eight points, three rebounds, four assists, and 17.75 DraftKings points in 25 minutes. In his previous game, he posted an even stronger stat line while filling in for Sochan in the second half, contributing 15 points, four rebounds, four assists, and 29.5 DraftKings points against the Clippers.
It has been an up-and-down year for Castle in his rookie campaign, but if he gets consistent playing time, he typically turns in solid numbers across multiple categories. If he gets another start on Saturday, he’s a very strong value option with his salary under $3,500.
Fast Break
Coby White has the second-highest median, ceiling, and floor projection of shooting guards under $7,800 in the ShotQuality projections and has posted over 29 DraftKings points in four straight games. His best game during that stretch was a near triple-double that earned him 51.5 DratKings points against the Hornets. He slowed down a bit with 29.5 DraftKings points in his most recent game on Wednesday, but he’s putting up good numbers for the Bulls, who will look to knock off the Knicks on Saturday.
Without Jimmy Butler, Terry Rozier is another key member of the Heat who will need to step up over the next several games. The veteran guard has scored 14+ points in four of his last five games and is averaging 0.88 DraftKings points per minute and 26.5 DraftKings points per game over that span. In a very favorable matchup against Utah, Rozier is a solid play to consider under $5,000.
Without Curry, Buddy Hield and Lindy Waters III are solid bargain plays along with Schroder since Brandin Podziemski (abdominal) is also out. Hield is very boom or bust off the bench, while Waters has been a little more consistent lately and is coming off 10 points and 17 DraftKings points against the Sixers on Thursday. Both are barely over the minimum salary, and I’d lean toward Waters for reliability and Hield for upside.
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NBA DFS Small Forward Picks
Stud
The Knicks have been getting excellent numbers from Josh Hart over the last week, and the forward has the highest median, ceiling, and floor projections in the FantasyLabs projections at small forward and the second-highest in the ShotQuality projections behind only Bane.
Hart had back-to-back triple-doubles to earn 66.75 and 56.0 DraftKings points in favorable matchups against the Wizards and Jazz to start the week. On Friday, he had 34.75 DraftKings points in the Knicks’ loss to the Thunder. That snapped a five-game streak of exceeding salary-based expectations.
Over his six games dating back to Christmas Day, Hart has averaged 48 DraftKings points per game at the rate of 1.17 DraftKings points per minute. He gets a favorable matchup against the Bulls on Saturday since Chicago is second in the NBA in pace and ranks in the bottom 10 in Defensive Rating. Partly due to those rankings, the Knicks have the highest implied team total on the slate.
Keep an eye on the Knicks’ injury report, but as long as Hart is lined up for his typically heavy workload, he’s a solid play to build around at $7,500.
Value
The Trail Blazers have been getting great production from Deni Avdija, who has the second-highest Projected Plus/Minus of all small forwards in the ShotQuality projections.
Avdija has scored at least 17 points in eight of his last nine contests, averaging 32.9 DraftKings points per game at the rate of 1.16 DraftKings points per minute. Avdija had a big game last Thursday against the Jazz, finishing with 50 DraftKings points on 27 points, eight boards, and six assists, and he had 19 points and 40.5 DraftKings points on Thursday in his most recent game against the Lakers.
While much of his recent success has been while he was coming off the bench, Avdija has started the last three games and has gotten some extra playing time in his last two games with Jerami Grant (face) sidelined. Grant will be out again on Saturday, opening more time for the 24-year-old Avdija to post good numbers.
Fast Break
In six of his last seven games, Michael Porter Jr. has exceeded salary-based expectations. He has a top-eight Projected Plus/Minus and a top-ten ceiling projection at small forward on both sets of projections on Saturday after scoring 20+ points in four straight games and six of his last seven. On Friday against San Antonio, he had 34 DraftKings points while playing a huge workload and logging a team-high 42 minutes. He continues to get more work while Aaron Gordon (calf) is sidelined.
Both Keldon Johnson and Harrison Barnes have exceeded salary-based expectations in their last three games for the Spurs. Johnson has at least 13 points in each of his last four games and had 23.5 DraftKings points in 27 minutes against the Nuggets on Friday. Barnes is even cheaper than Johnson but showed good upside with 24 points and 31.75 DraftKings points last week in Minnesota. Both Spurs’ forwards are viable value plays, especially if Sochan is out for a second straight day.
Jaden McDaniels is another affordable option at small forward with a good ceiling. His salary is just $4,000, but he had 19 points and 32.5 DraftKings points in his last game on Thursday against Boston after posting a double-double and 30.5 DraftKings points against the Spurs last Sunday. He can be boom or bust, but he brings a high ceiling at this salary.
NBA DFS Power Forward Picks
Stud
Despite having to overcome multiple injuries again this season, the Grizzlies are currently the No. 2 seed in the West with a 23-12 record. Jaren Jackson Jr. has been very consistent for Memphis this season and has the second-highest ceiling projection of all power forwards in the ShotQuality projections.
JJJ had 44.5 DraftKings points on 28 points, six rebounds, and five assists on Friday against Sacramento and has at least that many DraftKings points in four of his last five contests. On Tuesday in Phoenix, he put on an impressive show with 38 points, 12 boards, four assists, and 66 DraftKings points.
If you’re spending up for an elite power forward on Saturday’s slate, Jackson makes sense as long as the Grizzlies’ injury report doesn’t have any surprises.
Value
On the other side of that matchup, Jonathan Kuminga is one of the best value plays on the board this Saturday. He has the second-highest Projected Plus/Minus on the entire slate in both sets of projections behind only his teammate Dennis Schroder.
Kuminga has been on an impressive run while becoming a reliable source of minutes and instant offense even though he has been coming off the bench. Over his last six games, he has averaged 24.3 points, 8.0 rebounds, 3.2 assists, and 42.6 DraftKings points per game. He has over 35 DraftKings points in four straight games dating back to a monster game in which he earned 60.5 DraftKings points against the Clippers in the last game Curry sat out.
On the season, Kuminga has averaged 1.13 DraftKings points with Curry off the floor and gets almost a 3% increase in usage without Curry next to him. With increased opportunities against the Grizzlies, Kuminga is a great play to build around Saturday night.
Fast Break
Giannis Antetokounmpo has the highest median, ceiling, and floor projections at the position in the Bucks’ favorable matchup at home against the Trail Blazers. He has scored over 25 points in all 10 of the games he has played since December 1 and has at least 12 rebounds and 57 DraftKings points in each of his last five games. While most lineups will likely be focused on one or both of the big men in the Nuggets-Spurs rematch, Giannis could fly a little under the radar despite his smash spot against Portland.
Another forward on the Warriors who shows up well in both sets of projections due to potential additional work is Andrew Wiggins. Wiggins has the second-highest Projected Plus/Minus at both small forward and power forward behind only Kuminga. He had 15 points and 31.75 DraftKings points against the Sixers on Thursday, although that was just the second time in eight games that he exceeded salary-based expectations.
Brandon Clarke came back from a two-game absence due to a calf injury and had 11 points, eight rebounds, and 22.5 DraftKings points against the Kings on Friday night. He has been a great bargain play when available off the Grizzlies’ bench and could get more or less time depending on how the injury report looks for Saturday. He has the highest Projected Plus/Minus of all forwards except for those on the Warriors in both the FantasyLabs and ShotQuality projections.
NBA DFS Center Picks
Stud
The Nuggets lost to the Spurs in a fantastic matchup on Friday night, and Nikola Jokic and Victor Wembanyama will go head-to-head again on Saturday, this time in San Antonio. While Wemby had 35 points, 18 rebounds, and 69.5 DraftKings points while leading his team to a win, he still wasn’t as good as Jokic, who had 41 points, 18 rebounds, nine assists, and 83 DraftKings points.
The Joker has been putting up absolutely crazy numbers lately and is worth paying more for on Saturday based on his consistency and extremely high ceiling. Jokic has exceeded his lofty salary-based expectations in five straight with over 70 DraftKings points in four of those contests. He even hit 90 DraftKings points while leading the Nuggets to a win over the Jazz in their most recent road game.
On the season, Jokic has produced an impressive 1.87 DraftKings points per minute, but he has been even better in his last five games, producing 2.17 DraftKings points per minute. He’s on a whole different level than the rest of the league right now and is actually projected to be a good value even though he has the highest salary on the slate.
Value
Let’s go back to Golden State one more time for our last value pick. Trayce Jackson-Davis has been a regular in my picks for the last few weeks and continues to produce good numbers that outpace his salary, which has also trended upward recently. TJD has the highest Projected Plus/Minus of all centers in both sets of projections.
Jackson-Davis is coming off a down game on Thursday when he had just 15.25 DraftKings points against the Sixers. However, he had exceeded salary-based expectations in each of his eight straight before that. He had back-to-back double-doubles before that letdown against Philly, producing 43 and 43.5 DraftKings points against the Suns and Cavs, respectively.
He should be in a good spot to bounce back against the Grizzlies and can be part of a strong Golden State stack to take advantage of Curry’s vacated production.
Fast Break
Depending on who exactly the Knicks have for the second half of their back-to-back, Karl-Anthony Towns is another elite option to consider at center. He had 17 points and 22 boards against the Thunder on Friday, finishing with 57 DraftKings points. He has four straight double-doubles and had 30+ points in each of his last three games before slowing down his scoring in OKC. The Bulls should be a great matchup for him, and if more usage is available, he could end up the strongest play in an elite group of centers on Saturday’s slate.
Without Butler, Nikola Jovic has the potential to work his way into more playing time for the Heat. He is ranked in the top five in Projected Plus/Minus at center and has over 24 DraftKings points in four of his last six games, which makes him a play worth considering at his salary under $5,000.
If you have to go cheaper than Jackson-Davis, Brandon Clarke stands out as the best bargain punt play at the position, with Isaiah Stewart also an option to consider after he had 24 and 20.25 DraftKings points in his last two games against the Magic and Hornets to start 2025.
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