The NBA has seven games on the main slate Saturday night, which is focused on the big showdown between the new-look Lakers and the Celtics in Boston. That game is one of two games that tip off at 8:30 p.m. ET, but DFS contests will lock at 7:00 p.m. ET when the Pelicans and Rockets get the slate underway in Houston. The Heat and Raptors are both playing for the second day in a row on Saturday, while the Pistons, Bucks, and Pelicans are playing the front half of their set of back-to-back games.
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 Leverage 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
Cade Cunningham has the highest median, ceiling, and floor projections of all point guards on Saturday’s slate, as he leads his Pistons to San Francisco to face the Warriors. It should be a good matchup for him, and he produced 59 DraftKings points on 32 points, eight assists, and six rebounds in their first meeting this season.
In his most recent game, Cunningham had 37 points, 10 assists, and 62.75 DraftKings points in the team’s loss to the Clippers. He fell just one assist short of a double-double in each of his two previous games, posting 49.25 DraftKings points against the Jazz and 39.75 DraftKings points against the Nets.
Since the All-Star break, Cunningham has averaged 50.2 DraftKings points per game and 1.50 DraftKings points per minute in his eight contests. He has become one of the top pay-up fantasy plays on any slate, and with so many cheap options available on Saturday, he’s one place to pay up and almost be assured of a monster night.
Value
The highest Projected Plus/Minus at point guard goes to potential bargain Jamal Shead, whose salary is under $4,000. The Raptors are finishing their back-to-back by hosting the Wizards in a favorable spot for point guard production, but they ruled out Immanuel Quickley (rest) and listed Scottie Barnes (hand) as questionable.
Shead will most likely get the start in IQ’s spot and could get most of the creative load if Barnes is out as well. The rookie from Houston is averaging just 17.4 minutes per game this season and producing 14.0 DraftKings points. He could be in for a much bigger role than typical tonight, though, and have a unique chance to shine in this favorable matchup.
In his one start this season, Shead played 30 minutes and had 14 points, four assists, and 22 DraftKings points against Memphis. The game before that, he had 16 points and nine assists for 32.75 DraftKings points against the Knicks. He has produced 17+ DraftKings points in 10 of his last 15 games dating back to his last game against the Wizards, when he had 10 points and 20.5 DraftKings points.
If he gets the start, he’ll be a great option at this salary, and he will have an even higher ceiling if Barnes ends up out as well.
Fast Break
Luka Doncic is a very expensive play in Boston against the Celtics and ranks just behind Cunningham, who comes a little bit cheaper. Luka is coming off back-to-back massive games with double-doubles against the Pelicans and Knicks. He had 68.5 and 67.75 fantasy points in those two games and has that kind of massive ceiling in tonight’s big matchup.
If he is able to return after missing a game due to a hip injury, Tyrese Haliburton would be in a great matchup against the uptempo Hawks. Hali had six straight double-doubles with an average of 55.5 DraftKings points per game. If he’s back for the second half of the team’s two-game stop in Atlanta, he’ll be an excellent option under $9,000.
The Bulls are taking their talents to South Beach to face the Heat on Saturday but probably won’t have Lonzo Ball (wrist), who is doubtful. Tre Jones has been a meaningful contributor since arriving from the Spurs in the Zach LaVine trade and had 20 points and 34.25 DraftKings points on Thursday. He has started the last two games with 30+ DraftKings points in each contest and is a good option with the highest Projected Plus/Minus of all non-Raptors PGs.
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. In Saturday’s ShotQuality projections, Heat guard Tyler Herro has the highest median, ceiling, and floor projections at shooting guard. He also has a top-five Projected Plus/Minus at shooting guard in the FantasyLas projections.
Herro is officially probable due to illness, and as long as he plays at full strength, he will get a smash spot against Chicago. The Bulls have allowed the third-most DraftKings points per game to point guards this season, and Herro had 45 DraftKings points in his first matchup against them.
Since Jimmy Butler left, the Heat have relied heavily on Herro, who has stepped up and averaged 42.7 DraftKings points per game since February 1, and 44.1 DraftKings points over the last two weeks. He had 49 DraftKings points on Friday against the Timberwolves and could be set for even more on Saturday.
Value
Raptors guard AJ Lawson has started each of the last two games for the Raptors and played over 25 minutes after totaling just 29 minutes in his six games all season. He has the second-highest Projected Plus/Minus at shooting guard in both sets of projections on Saturday since he will likely get a lot of work once again, especially with Ja’Kobe Walter (quad) out as well.
Lawson had 13 points and 22.5 DraftKings points against the Magic on Tuesday in his first start of the season, and he followed that up with six points and 13.75 DraftKings points while playing a season-high 27 minutes on Friday. Especially if Barnes is out, Lawson should be a great bargain value once again, since he’s getting so much time and is still available at the minimum salary of only $3,000.
Jared Rhoden is another Raptors bargain with upside after scoring 14 points in 28 minutes and finishing with 24.25 DraftKings points fresh off signing a two-way deal earlier this week.
Fast Break
Since the Hawks-Pacers matchup has the highest over/under on the slate, Dyson Daniels is a good mid-range guard to consider. He had 17 points and 30.5 DraftKings points on Thursday in their first matchup but had been even better lately, with at least 33 DraftKings points in 13 of his previous 14 contests. He brings great energy at both ends of the floor and offers both a high ceiling and a high floor due to his multi-category upside. He has the fourth-highest Projected Plus/Minus in the ShotQuality projections at shooting guard.
With Jalen Suggs (knee) done for the season, Cole Anthony should continue to start for the Magic at point guard. Anthony returned from a one-game absence due to a toe injury on Thursday against the Bulls and had 20 points and 33.5 DraftKings points in just 24 minutes. He can be a boom-or-bust option, but if he’s healthy, there is a lot of upside to like at his salary under $5,000.
Kevin Huerter has exceeded salary-based expectations in three of his last four games with the Bulls and has scored 13+ points in five straight. He missed a couple of games with a knee issue but had 13 points and 25.75 DraftKings points against the Magic on Thursday. His salary is just over $4,000, but he has a nice ceiling.
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NBA DFS Small Forward Picks
Stud
Both sets of projections give LeBron James the top ceiling, median, and floor projections at small forward, as The King continues to defy the aging process. He has been outstanding for the Lakers in their recent surge and should be hyped to come back to Boston and tangle with the Celtics again.
James has exceeded his lofty salary-based expectations in four of his last five games, with over 51 DraftKings points in each of those games and a high point of 62 DraftKings points on Thursday against the Knicks, when he had 31 points, 12 rebounds, eight assists, and one block in 44 minutes.
James only played 31 minutes in the first matchup between these teams this season but still managed to post 20 points, 14 boards, and 47 DraftKings points. He’s an expensive play, but it feels like a vintage Lebron game is on tap to keep his team cruising against one of his top rivals from the past, who also happens to be the team that beat his new partner in last year’s NBA Finals.
Value
RJ Barrett has the second-highest Projected Plus/Minus ratings at small forward in both sets of projections behind only Scottie Barnes, who is questionable. Barnes will be a good play if available, but he may not be ready for a full workload. If Barnes sits, Barrett would be an even stronger play since he would have to carry so much of the Raptors’ offense.
Barrett has actually been pretty productive when available over the last six weeks. He has exceeded salary-based expectations in six of his eight games since February 1, averaging 44.5 DraftKings points per game. He had 21 points, eight rebounds, nine assists, and 46.5 DraftKings points in his last game, which was Tuesday against the Magic.
When he has played and Quickley has not, Barrett has averaged 41.9 DraftKings points per game. In his 11 games without both Quickley and Barnes, he averaged 48.5 DraftKings points.
Remember, he’ll also be set up for all this work against a very beatable Wizards’ defense, so he’s one of the top players on the entire slate. He’s not a bargain value like some of his teammates, but he’s still a good value at his salary of just over $7,000
Fast Break
Amen Thompson had a double-double and 39.8 DraftKings points to lead the Rockets past the Pelicans on Thursday, and he gets a rematch with New Orleans at home on Saturday night. He should continue to get plenty of work with Fred VanVleet (ankle) still out and continue to emerge as an elite fantasy contributor. He can be inconsistent at times, but brings a very high ceiling, especially in this matchup.
Like Thompson, Terance Mann has point guard and small forward eligibility, which can help him fit in many different builds, especially at only $4,000. Mann has scored at least 12 points in five of his last six games with the Hawks, exceeding salary-based expectations four times during that run. On Thursday against the Pacers, he had 12 points in 22 minutes.
Mann’s teammate Georges Niang has also been a nice pickup for Atlanta, scoring 24 points on Thursday and finishing with 37.5 DraftKings points. He hasn’t been quite as consistent as Mann but does have a high ceiling in this matchup with the Pacers.
NBA DFS Power Forward Picks
Stud
No player on the entire slate matches the ceiling, median, and floor projections of Giannis Antetokounmpo as the Bucks visit the Magic. He’s questionable due to an illness, but if he plays he’ll have an extremely high upside.
He only played 25 minutes on Wednesday against the Mavs but produced 58.75 DraftKings points. He has over 58 DraftKings points in four straight and has averaged 61 DraftKings points per game over that stretch even though he is only averaging 31 minutes per game.
Damian Lillard (eye) is probable and would be a great play if Giannis is unavailable, but if Giannis plays, he is set for a huge game given his recent rate of production. With so many available cheap options, Giannis is a safe place to pay up as long as it looks like he’ll be 100%.
Value
The Rockets have been getting great production from Tari Eason over the last few games as “The Bucket from the Bayou” has been able to take on more minutes. He’s only been able to play 24.4 minutes per game on the season, but he has played at least 27 minutes in nine of his last 11 games.
In those 11 games, Eason has produced 29.9 DraftKings points per game and 1.04 DraftKings points per minute. He had 20 points and 40 fantasy points against the Pelicans on Thursday after racking up 41 fantasy points in 26 minutes against the Pacers earlier this week.
Eason has the highest Projected Plus/Minus of all power forwards in both sets of projections and brings great upside under $6,000.
Fast Break
Jayson Tatum had a massive 87.5 DraftKings points last Friday in a loss to the Cavs and produced 39.25 and 53.25 in his two games since then. He also sat out one game this last week, but he should be ready to roll against the Lakers. He and Jaylen Brown have proven that they can step up in these kinds of matchups, and Tatum has the third-highest ceiling projection at power forward behind only LeBron and Giannis.
Wizards forward Kyshawn George continues to be a very solid mid-range play since taking on more work since the trade of Kyle Kuzma to the Bucks. George had 23 points and 38.75 DraftKings points on Wednesday and has at least 29 DraftKings points in four of his last five games. The Raptors frontcourt is a favorable matchup for George on Saturday.
If you want to go ultra cheap at power forward, Chris Boucher will be a good play if he returns from dental surgery, and Jonathan Isaac always has bargain upside for the Magic as well.
NBA DFS Center Picks
Stud
Aside from Giannis, Bam Adebayo has the highest median, ceiling, and floor projections at center in the ShotQuality projections. Adebayo has been exceptional lately while carrying a huge workload. Fatigue may be a factor, but his upside is also extremely high with such a big workload.
On Friday, he played 43 minutes against Minnesota and finished with 29 points, 13 rebounds, and 54.25 DraftKings points. He was even better on Wednesday against the Cavs, totaling 62.5 DraftKings points on 34 points and 12 rebounds.
His salary is barely over $9,000, but he has posted over 50 DraftKings points in three straight contests and now gets a smash spot against the Bulls, who have allowed the third-most fantasy points to centers this season.
If it wasn’t for the back-to-back, Bam would be a very safe play. Even as it is, he brings a very high ceiling in this matchup if he gets near his normal workload.
Value
As the Warriors host the Pistons, Draymond Green is a great value at center. He has the second-highest Projected Plus/Minus at the position and has been playing very well since the Warriors acquired Jimmy Butler and settled into their current form.
In his last 10 games, Green averaged 35.1 fantasy points per game in 30.5 minutes per game. He produced 11.6 points, 7.1 assists, 7.3 rebounds, and 1.5 steals per game in vintage Draymond fashion, regularly stuffing the stat sheet.
On the season, he has averaged 30.1 DraftKings points per game at home and just 28.9 DraftKings points per game on the road. Since he’ll be at home for tonight’s matchup with the Pistons, he’s a solid mid-range target with a high floor even though he doesn’t have an ultra-high scoring ceiling.
Fast Break
Without Quickley and possibly Barnes, Jakob Poeltl has the highest Projected Plus/Minus of all centers on the slate. He didn’t play on Friday but had two strong games against the Magic earlier this week. He had 17 points, seven rebounds, and 34.75 DraftKings points on Tuesday in a win after a double-double for 39.25 DraftKings points last Sunday. The Wizards should be an even better matchup with more usage potentially available, making Poeltl a great center option.
In the uptempo matchup against the Pacers, Onyeka Okongwu also brings good upside. He had 20 points, 13 rebounds, and 44.75 DraftKings points in the first game of their two-game set and has at least 39 DraftKings points in three of his last four games.
Jalen Smith was ejected on Thursday but had played 26 minutes and produced 20.25 DraftKings points before being tossed. It was one of his largest workloads of the year with Zach Collins fouling out and Nikola Vucevic (calf, doubtful) unavailable. Smith has flashed in his minutes off the bench since returning from a concussion, even posting a double-double with 31.25 DraftKings points against the Cavs on Tuesday. He’s barely over $4,000 and should get about 20 minutes and a chance to post solid returns against the Heat on Saturday.
