On Saturday night, the NBA brings us a nice six-game fantasy basketball slate on DraftKings that tips off at 7:00 p.m. ET. The Jazz and Knicks meet in the afternoon in Salt Lake City, but the other 12 teams in action still give us a very solid player pool of options to consider for Saturday night lineups. Since the Bulls, Nuggets, Warriors, Rockets, Mavs, and Trail Blazers are all on the second day of back-to-back games, keep a close eye on the latest news and updates, as the models will adjust to compensate for any players ruled in our out before tip off.
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
The Hornets and Bucks meet for the second Saturday in a row, and LaMelo Ball brings the highest ceiling projection and the highest Projected Plus/Minus of all point guards on the slate. It should be a good matchup for Ball, who had 26 points, nine assists, six rebounds, and 45.75 DraftKings points in their meeting last week.
Ball has had over 50 DraftKings points in two of his three games since then, dropping 35 points, nine assists, and 59 DraftKings points in his most recent game on Thursday against the Pistons. He raised his average to 48.2 DraftKings points per game in his 15 games this season, and he brings a very high ceiling when he’s healthy; he has produced 1.46 DraftKings points per minute with a league-leading 36.7% usage rate.
Last week, Ball and the Hornets pulled off a one-point upset of the Bucks, but Damian Lillard missed that game with a concussion. This week, Milwaukee will be at full strength, so Ball will need to be even better for this rematch on the road.
Value
The game with the highest over/under on the slate is the matchup in Chicago between the Bulls and Grizzlies. Both teams rank in the top three in the NBA in pace with the Bulls leading the way followed by the Hawks and then the Grizzlies. The Bulls faced the Hawks on Friday and won, 136-122. Ayo Dosunmu had one of his best games of the season and should be in a good spot to produce once again since he has the third-highest Projected Plus/Minus of all point guards on Saturday’s slate.
Dosunmu posted 39.75 DraftKings points in Friday’s win with 20 points, eight assists, three rebounds, and two steals. He moved into the starting lineup in place of Torrey Craig and should have earned more time with that strong showing. He played 38 minutes, so there could be some fatigue in the back-to-back, but the workload increase is a great sign for the 24-year-old Chicago kid that the Bulls are looking to get into a bigger role.
At only $5,000, he’s an affordable way to get some exposure to this high-scoring contest and could be on the start of a run of big games if he sticks in the starting five.
Fast Break
Stephen Curry has been very reliable this season and has produced at least 42 DraftKings points in three straight games and five of his last six. He and the Warriors are in San Antonio to face the Spurs this Saturday, and he has the third-highest ceiling projection at point guard behind just Ball and Lillard.
The Magic have played well without star Paolo Banchero (oblique) and are 10-7, currently No. 4 in the Eastern Conference. Jalen Suggs has been a big part of their success and has a 24.3% usage rate over the 12 games without Banchero, producing 0.96 DraftKings points per minute. He has the fourth-highest Projected Plus/Minus at the position and is a very solid mid-range target in a favorable matchup at home against the Pistons.
Coming off the bench for the Hornets, Cody Martin has been an inconsistent fantasy producer this season with a very volatile role from game to game. He had 15 points and 27.75 DraftKings points in 36 minutes on Thursday against the Pistons and has exceeded salary-based expectations in six of his last seven games. Part of the reason he has been able to regularly outproduce expectations is that his salary is so low at under $4,000. He has the second-highest Projected Plus/Minus of all point guards on the slate and the highest of all small forwards.
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 year on FantasyLabs this season is our partnership with ShotQuality. In both the FantasyLabs and ShotQuality projections, Desmond Bane has the highest Projected Plus/Minus at shooting guard, just edging out Brandon Miller. Bane is expected to have one more game at least before Ja Morant (hip, doubtful) returns, so he’ll be in position to carry a big workload again on Saturday in that uptempo matchup against the Bulls.
Bane has played four games since returning from his oblique injury and has over 30 DraftKings points in three of those games. He had a 21-point, 10-rebound double-double on Wednesday in his most recent game and finished with a season-high 48.5 DraftKings points against the Sixers.
With Morant off the floor, Bane has a 24.7% usage rate this season and has produced 1.23 DraftKings points per minute. In this fast-paced matchup Saturday, he has a very high ceiling in Chicago.
Value
For the first time this season, the Pistons will be without Cade Cunningham (hip) on Saturday. With Cunningham off the floor, Jaden Ivey’s usage rate increases to a team-high 33.6% compared to just a 22.9% usage rate with Cunningham on the floor. Ivey’s production rate spikes to 1.28 DraftKings points per minute in that scenario.
On Saturday against the Magic, Ivey will have to carry the load, which gives him a high ceiling. However, Orlando’s defense has been very good this season, which keeps him from being a slam dunk play. Ivey has shown upside with 28 points, eight assists, and 47.5 DraftKings points in 30 minutes against the Wizards last Sunday, but he has often taken a back seat to Cunningham so far this season.
On Saturday’s slate, Ivey has a top-six ceiling projection at shooting guard in both sets of projections and also ranks in the top 10 in Projected Plus/Minus at the position in the ShotQuality projections.
Fast Break
Brandon Miller is coming off a career-high of 38 points in 42 minutes against Ivey and the Pistons on Thursday. He finished with an impressive 63.25 DraftKings points while leading the Hornets to an overtime win. The second-year wing has been an excellent complement to Ball so far this season and is developing into a top fantasy option. He has produced 1.12 DraftKings points per minute on the season and posted over 45 DraftKings points in each of his last two games. In last week’s matchup against Milwaukee, he only managed 13 points and 27 DraftKings points, but he’ll look for a much better showing this Saturday.
Spurs’ rookie Stephon Castle has scored double-digit points in eight straight games after moving into San Antonio’s starting five nine games ago. He has played 31.1 minutes per game over that stretch and exceeded salary-based expectations in seven of those eight contests by producing 0.86 DraftKings points per minute with a 21.0% usage rate. Castle could get slightly lower usage if Victor Wembanyama ($11,000; knee, questionable) returns, but he has proven he can be a solid mid-range target by averaging 27.6 DraftKings points per game over his last five games. He has the fourth-highest Projected Plus/Minus of shooting guards Saturday in the FantasyLabs projections.
If you need an ultra-cheap play at shooting guard, Luke Kennard is worth a look. He has the third-highest Projected Plus/Minus at the position in the FantasyLabs projections and the fifth highest in the ShotQuality projections. The veteran has exceeded salary-based expectations in five of his last seven games and is coming off 12 points and 24.25 DraftKings points on Wednesday against the Sixers.
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NBA DFS Small Forward Picks
Stud
The Magic have been getting great play from Franz Wagner this season, and they’ll get a great matchup against the Pistons as they come home after taking two of three on their West Coast trip.
Wagner went off for 71 DraftKings points on Thursday against the Lakers, finishing with 37 points, 11 assists, and four steals. He hit the game-winning three-pointer in a memorable moment and continues to post big performance after big performance while working without Paolo.
In his last nine games, he has produced an elite 1.42 DraftKings points per minute with a 32.4% usage rate. He has exceeded salary-based expectations in five of his last six games even though his salary has climbed over $9,000, and he’s worth a look at that level again on Saturday since he has the highest ceiling projection of all small forwards.
Value
The Rockets blasted past the Trail Blazers on Friday night in an NBA Emirates Cup game, and the two teams will run it back again on Saturday in a normal regular season matchup. In the rematch, Dillon Brooks has the fourth-highest Projected Plus/Minus at small forward in the FantasyLabs projections and comes very affordably at only $3,700.
On Friday, Brooks went off for 28 points, six rebounds, and 39 DraftKings points in 25 minutes in the first game of this series. He should be a good value option even if he doesn’t quite reach those levels. Over his last nine games, Brooks has a 19.8% usage rate and has produced 0.81 DraftKings points per minute while exceeding salary-based expectations seven times.
He has taken at least nine shots in 15 of his last 16 games and has produced 21.1 DraftKings points per game on the season. Overall, he hasn’t been an efficient producer in real life, but his high volume gives him a good fantasy ceiling vs. Portland.
Fast Break
Zach LaVine had 26 points in Friday’s win and has at least 25 points in three straight and five of his last seven games. He leads the Bulls with a 25.3% usage rate and had 30 points and 43.75 DraftKings points against the Grizzlies earlier this season. He has the second-highest ceiling projection at small forward in both the FantasyLabs and ShotQuality projections and also ranks in the top five at the position in Projected Plus/Minus.
Malik Beasley has exceeded salary-based expectations in nine straight games for the Pistons and could help carry the load while Cunningham is out. Beasley has 15+ points in eight straight and even went off for 49 DraftKings points during that run in a game with a double-double against his former team, the Bucks.
The Hornets have been working Josh Green into their rotation more, and the promising young forward seems to have gotten back on track after a slow start. Green has scored double-digit points in three of his last four games and had 15 points and 36.25 DraftKings points against the Bucks last Saturday in one of his best performances of the year. At just $3,500, he’s a great value solution at forward.
NBA DFS Power Forward Picks
Stud
After losing to Wagner and the Magic on Thursday and taking their first home loss of the season, the Lakers host the Nuggets on Saturday night. LeBron James has the highest Projected Plus/Minus of all power forwards in the ShotQuality projections and the second-highest ceiling projection at the position in both sets of projections.
The ageless wonder continues to post huge stats and has averaged 56.8 DraftKings points per game over his 10 contests in November. He has out-produced his teammate Anthony Davis over that stretch by averaging 1.57 DraftKings points per minute and logging 36.2 minutes per game (while Davis is averaging 31.3 minutes over that same stretch.
LeBron and the Lakers were bounced from the playoffs by the Nuggets last season, and they’ll look to continue their strong start and get some revenge on Saturday night in the late game from Los Angeles.
Value
With Vince Williams Jr. (ankle) and Zach Edey (ankle) out on Saturday, Jake LaRavia is in line for more work off the Memphis bench. LaRavia has averaged 24.6 minutes per game over his last nine contests and has produced 1.11 DraftKings points per minute.
In Saturday’s matchup with the Bulls, LaRavia has the highest Projected Plus/Minus of all power forwards in the FantasyLabs projections and the second-highest in the ShotQuality projections.
LaRavia came close to a double-double in each of his last two games, finishing with 32.75 and 27.25 DraftKings points against the Nuggets and Sixers, respectively. He’s still under $5,000 for this contest and can be a good value option at either forward spot in this favorable matchup on Saturday.
Fast Break
Giannis Antetokounmpo has the highest ceiling projection of all power forwards in his matchup with the Hornets. He had a triple-double and 66.25 DraftKings points against them last week and has posted 65.75 and 73.5 DraftKings points in his two most recent contests. Giannis always has the potential to break the slate, but at his salary of over $12,000, he is a little overpriced compared to his ceiling projection vs. the Hornets this Saturday.
With Cunningham out, the Pistons could rely more on former Magic forward Tobias Harris in Orlando on Saturday. Harris had 26 points and 43 DraftKings points on Thursday in Charlotte. He has finished two boards or fewer shy of a double-double in three of his last five contests, and with a little extra usage, he should be a strong mid-range target at $6,400.
On the other side of that game in Orlando, rookie Tristan Da Silva has good bargain projections at $3,600 after starting 11 straight games for the Magic and playing 27.5 minutes per game. Da Silva has scored double-digit points in back-to-back games and has averaged 16.8 DraftKings points per game since joining the starting five. He doesn’t usually get a ton of usage, but his workload is enough to make him worth considering at his low salary.
NBA DFS Center Picks
Stud
Nikola Jokic returned from a three-game absence due to personal reasons on Friday night against the Mavericks. Even though his Nuggets fell short, The Joker had 33 points, 17 rebounds, 10 assists, and 73.25 DraftKings points in 39 minutes.
On the season, Jokic has averaged an incredible 72.1 DraftKings points per game and 1.89 DraftKings points per minute. He has over 70 DraftKings points in each of his last five games and didn’t seem rusty or out of form at all in Friday’s return.
On Saturday, Jokic will face the Lakers, a team he regularly smashes for monster games. He averaged 28.2 points, 16.2 rebounds, and 9.8 assists in their five games in the playoffs last season, and he’ll look to put up another massive stat line on Saturday.
As long as the back-to-back isn’t an issue, he is the top pay-up option on the slate given his impressive start to the season. He has the highest median and ceiling projections on Saturday’s slate in both the FantasyLabs and the ShotQuality projections.
Value
In the FantasyLabs projections, Moussa Diabate has the highest Projected Plus/Minus of all players on the entire slate, and in the ShotQuality projections, he leads all centers in that category.
Diabate had an impressive 12-point, 14-rebound double-double against the Bucks last week to finish with 39 DraftKings points in 25 minutes off the bench. He followed that up with two quieter games during the week, but he moved into the starting lineup for the first time this season in Thursday’s home game against the Pistons. Even though Diabate only had one point, he had a solid fantasy showing with 28.0 DraftKings points in an expanded workload of 32 minutes, a new season high.
If he gets another start on Saturday with Mark Williams (foot), Nick Richards (ribs) and Miles Bridges (knee) all out, he’ll be a great play under $5,000 at center with a very high ceiling.
Fast Break
Victor Wembanyama was just finding his groove with 59+ DraftKings points in four straight games before sustaining a right knee contusion that has cost him three straight games. If he’s ready to return, he’ll bring a very high ceiling against the Warriors, but be careful of him getting eased back into a full workload after missing time.
On the other side of that Western Conference matchup in Texas, the ShotQuality projections give Trayce Jackson-Davis the third-highest Projected Plus/Minus at the position. The Warriors starting center is still priced under $4,000 despite out-performing salary-based expectations in four of his last five games with over 21 DraftKings points in each of those four games and a high-point of 36.25 DraftKings points on Wednesday vs. the Hawks.
As a mid-range play, Trail Blazers rookie center Donovan Clingan is worth a look after exceeding salary-based expectations in six straight games while filling in for Deandre Ayton (finger). Clingan had an impressive double-double worth 50.5 DraftKings points just over a week ago against the Timberwolves as part of that run and has been near a double-double in several games since then, including Friday night when he had 22.75 DraftKings points vs. the Rockets in the first game of this back-to-back.
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