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
After several slightly below-average performances, Luka Doncic has put together back-to-back ceiling games, scoring over 70 DraftKings points. In those two games, Doncic has averaged 36.5 points per game while shooting 56.5% from the field and 47.4% from behind the arc with two double-doubles. He is peaking right now and has the best matchup among the top three options priced over $10,000 tonight.
The Mavericks have won nine of their last 10 games and are 14.5-point road favorites, implied for a slate-high 123.75 points. There is plenty of value on this seven-game slate to get exposure to a $11,200 Doncic. The Wizards rank 29th in defensive rating while allowing 122.8 points per game. They are getting crushed on the glass and play at the fourth-fastest pace in the league. This is an incredible spot to get to Doncic.
Value
The best team to target from a value perspective tonight is the San Antonio Spurs. It is mainly due to the fact that Victor Wembanyama is out due to injury and their home matchup against the Chicago Bulls. When Wembanyama is off the floor this season, Chris Paul leads the team with a +4.49% usage rate boost and a +2.92 DraftKings Plus/Minus (per our Trends tool). Priced under $6,000, Paul is an elite value.
To no surprise, Paul leads all point guards in projected Plus/Minus by a wide margin. In two of the three games he has played this season without Wembanyama, Paul has recorded a points and assists double-double. Playing at home in a close spread against a terrible Bulls defense, Paul has a chance for another ceiling performance. The Bulls lead the league in pace at 104.82 and rank 26th in defensive rating.
Fast Break
Not far behind Doncic in projected ceiling is Thunder’s Shai Gilgeous-Alexander. He has averaged 57.35 DraftKings points per game in his last five games scoring over 50+ in each game. Gilgeous-Alexander ranks fourth in the league in usage rate and continues to shoot over 50% from the field, averaging nearly 30 points per game. The Thunder are still without Chet Holmgren, which provides a boost to Gilgeous-Alexander. He has a +1.87% usage rate and a +1.97 DraftKings Plus/Minus with Holmgren off the floor.
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
Another player who will benefit due to his team’s injuries is Devin Booker. Kevin Durant is expected to miss 1-2 weeks, and Jusuf Nurkic is expected to miss at least one week. Expect a heavy dose of Booker in the near future. He leads all shooting guards in projected ceiling tonight and is, quite frankly, one of the best pay-up options on the slate. His shooting efficiency is down, but his volume is about to skyrocket.
The only player on the Suns who could take shots away from Booker is Bradley Beal, who is incredibly overpriced on this slate at $8,300. Booker has also seen a significant increase in his peripherals recently. In his last four games, Booker has one double-double and two other games with either nine rebounds or nine assists. The Suns are 2.5-point road favorites against the Pelicans, who rank 28th in defensive rating.
Value
Back to the Spurs value well we go with shooting guard Devin Vassell. Since returning from injury, Vassell has seen an increase to his playing time in each of his past three games. Despite playing 24 and 28 minutes in his last two games, Vassell scored over 20 points in both contests. He is projected to play a modest 28 minutes tonight and is priced at only $5,000. He is far and away the best shooting guard value.
Vassell has not seen a huge boost in usage rate without Wembanyama, but he does lead the team with a +5.63 DraftKings Plus/Minus. He has come off the bench in all seven of his games played this season but is averaging 17.9 points per game while shooting 52.9% from the field and 48.8% from behind the arc. Keep an eye on the Spurs starting lineup to see if Vassell draws the start, but he is a great play regardless.
Fast Break
With LaMelo Ball and Miles Bridges out for the Hornets, second-year pro, Brandon Miller is turning into a usage rate and scoring machine. In his last two games, Miller is averaging 33 points per game while making seven 3-pointers in each game. He will not provide many peripherals, but Miller has been a usage monster. He has attempted at least 25 field goal attempts in three consecutive games and averaged a 36.8% usage rate. Miller ranks second behind Booker among all shooting guards in projected ceiling.
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NBA DFS Small Forward Picks
Stud
Scottie Barnes has seen his salary rise after six-straight games with a positive Plus/Minus. Even at $9,100, Barnes is a great option in all formats due to his versatility. In his last five games since returning from injury, Barnes is averaging 26 points, 10.4 rebounds, 7.4 assists, and 55.3 DraftKings points per game with three double-doubles and one triple-double. He has done a little bit of everything lately for the Raptors.
The Raptors are nearly double-digit underdogs at home against the Thunder who have the best defensive rating in the league this season. Despite the difficult matchup and even the price tag rise, Barnes is not a fade by any means. He is playing too well lately and has proven to excel in tough spots. With Immanuel Quickley out, Barnes has point guard and small forward eligibility making him easy to fit into all lineups.
Value
Royce O’Neale leads all small forwards in projected Plus/Minus tonight due to the injuries to Durant and Nurkic. Priced under $5,000, it will not take much for O’Neale to return value. He has recorded a positive Plus/Minus in four of his last five games and is projected to play around 30 minutes. During that five-game stretch, O’Neale is averaging 11 points and five rebounds for 23.15 DraftKings points per game.
Not only have the Pelicans been a bad defensive team this season, but they have also struggled on the glass, ranking 23rd in the league. That is where O’Neale can take advantage. The Suns simply need help rebounding without Durant and Nurkic. With both off the floor this season, O’Neale has the second-highest rebounding rate on team. He could flirt around with a double-double in this cupcake matchup.
Fast Break
Zach LaVine has struggled recently with six-straight games having a negative Plus/Minus, but the matchup and usage rate will be difficult to ignore in this spot. Rostering LaVine with so many Spurs value pieces will be the best way to attack this Spurs and Bulls game. LaVine is still leading the Bulls with 21.8 points per game while shooting a career-high 51% from the field and 42.9% from distance. The Bulls are without Coby White and Patrick Williams, while Josh Giddey is questionable. LaVine is a strong option.
NBA DFS Power Forward Picks
Stud
Jalen Williams leads a weak power forward position tonight with the highest projected ceiling by a wide margin. He will continue to benefit without Chet Holmgren on the floor, especially from a usage rate perspective. In his last 11 games since Holmgren was injured, Williams is averaging an impressive 24.3 points, 5.9 rebounds, 5.5 assists, and 46.7 DraftKings points per game while shooting 53.1% from the field.
The Raptors have been an exploitable defense defending the paint. Their true center, Jakob Poeltl, has been solid, but he is questionable to play with an illness. If he is out, this matchup is going to look even better for Williams, who ranks second on the team in drives at 11.1 per game. The Raptors already rank 20th in points allowed in the paint at 49.6 per game, and that would look even worse without Poeltl.
Value
Priced at the stone minimum of $3,000, rookie Matas Buzelis is a great way to start a stars and scrubs lineup build. With all of the Bulls’ injuries, Buzelis is projected to play 21 minutes tonight. That would likely increase if Giddey is also unable to play. At his current projection, Buzelis is a strong value option. In his last game, Buzelis played 22 minutes, scored a season-high 20 points, and he had 33.75 DraftKings points. He shot 7-for-10 from the field and a near-perfect 4-for-5 from distance. Buzelis is a sharpshooter.
This Spurs and Bulls game has the second-highest total on the slate at 236.5 points. Expect the Spurs to struggle defensively without the league-leading blocks per game weapon Wembanyama protecting the paint. Buzelis is a cheap way to get exposure to this game and has proven to be a strong value option.
Fast Break
Knicks’ forward Josh Hart is a boom-or-bust fantasy player who is always a threat for a ceiling game. He is coming off an 11-point, 13-rebound, 10-assist triple-double against the Magic with three steals. Hart had over 50 DraftKings points in his 39 minutes. Even though the Knicks are 14.5-point favorites, Hart can capture fantasy points in a hurry. He is projected to play a slate-high 38 minutes in an elite matchup against the Hornets. Hart is a perfect mid-range option that is only drawing 15% projected ownership.
NBA DFS Center Picks
Stud
Leading this seven-game slate in projected ceiling is Nuggets’ superstar Nikola Jokic. Despite winning a championship and being a three-time MVP, this is the best start that Jokic has had to a season. He is averaging a career-high across the board in points, rebounds, and assists. Jokic is third in the league with 30.1 points, second in rebounds with 13, and second in assists with 10.4 per game. His 69.1 DraftKings points per game are a league by nearly 10 points than the next closest player. He is a fantasy cheat code.
Surprisingly, the Cavaliers rank 19th in rebounding percentage this season despite having the Twin Towers of Evan Mobley and Jarrett Allen. They have been great defending the paint, but Jokic can thrive in any matchup. Not only is Jokic accumulating a ridiculous amount of counting stats, but he is also shooting 56.4% from the field and 52.2% from deep. He is averaging a career-best 2.3 3-pointers made per game.
Value
Charles Bassey is projected for a slate-high 45% ownership with starting center Victor Wembanyama out. In his last two games played without Wembanyama, Bassey has averaged a near double-double with 11.5 points, 8.5 rebounds, and 37.4 DraftKings points per game. He also has eight blocks in those two games, trying to display his best Wembanyama impression. Bassey is simply the best value option on this slate.
Bassey is projected to play only 23 minutes, but this is a matchup that he can take advantage of in his limited playing time. The Bulls are allowing a league-high 57.6 points per game in the paint and rank 21st in rebounding percentage. Bassey has a great chance to capture that elusive double-double. Zach Collins is another Spurs center who looks great on this slate, but I prefer to save the extra $500 with Bassey.
Fast Break
Karl-Anthony Towns has been an incredible addition to the Knicks this season. The 10-year veteran is averaging a league and career-high 13.1 rebounds per game. He has also been incredible offensively, with 25.1 points per game while shooting 52.8% from the field and 45.2% from distance. Towns has posted a double-double in 18 of his 20 games played and is averaging over 50 DraftKings points per game for the first time in his career. At 15% projected ownership, Towns is a strong contrarian pay-up option tonight.
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