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
The only player priced above $9,600 tonight is NBA MVP frontrunner Shai Gilgeous-Alexander. The Thunder have won seven straight games to bring their record to a league-best 44-9 this season. Despite averaging 33.3 points per game during this winning streak, Gilgeous-Alexander only has two games with a positive Plus/Minus. This slate is loaded at the point guard position, but it is difficult to ignore the ceiling Gilgeous-Alexander provides. He continues to lead the league with a career-high 32.6 points per game.
The Thunder are eight-point road favorites against the Timberwolves with the third-highest total on the slate at 115.25 points. The Timberwolves rank sixth in defensive rating this season, but in their only meeting thus far, Gilgeous-Alexander erupted for 40 points while shooting 15-for-23 from the field. The matchup looks difficult on paper, but Gilgeous-Alexander has an incredibly high ceiling in any matchup.
Value
Jazz point guard Collin Sexton remains sidelined with an ankle injury, which provides a significant boost to Keyonte George‘s production. In last night’s 12-point victory over the Lakers, George posted a near triple-double with 20 points, 10 assists, and seven rebounds, accumulating 47.75 DraftKings points. He shot 7-for-12 from the field and posted his third 40-DraftKings point night in his last six games.
The Jazz are nearly double-digit home underdogs against the Clippers, who rank second in defensive rating this season. Even in a tough matchup, it is impossible not to get exposure to George, who currently has the highest projected Plus/Minus on the slate. Projected to start and play over 30 minutes, George will have more than enough time to pay off his $6,300 salary tonight. He is a strong value in all formats.
Fast Break
James Harden has the highest projected ceiling on the slate, mainly due to an elite matchup against the Jazz, who rank 28th in defensive rating at 118.4 per game. Kawhi Leonard and newly acquired Ben Simmons are both out, making Harden a strong play. He has posted a points and assists double-double in three straight games and has a great chance to accomplish that feat for a fourth consecutive game.
Kyrie Irving is one of the last healthy players standing for the Mavericks. Anthony Davis, Daniel Gafford, PJ Washington, and Dereck Lively are all out tonight. In his last two games without Davis on the floor, Irving has averaged 36 points, 8.0 rebounds, 3.5 assists, and 56.5 DraftKings points per game with a 32% usage rate. The Heat defense has been tough, but Irving has been dominant in his last two contests.
The last point guard-only eligible player who looks fantastic on this slate is Pelicans’ Jose Alvarado. He is drawing the most projected ownership at nearly 35%. Alvarado is coming off a near double-double with 18 points and nine assists last game, while shooting 7-for-15 from the field. Priced at $5,000, Alvarado is one of the best value plays to target, especially with the Pelicans’ Dejounte Murray out for the season.
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
Leading the slate with a 38.3% projected usage rate, Anthony Edwards has been extremely aggressive recently. Over his last four games, Edwards is averaging over 40 points and 7.3 rebounds per game with a massive 41.5% usage rate. His shooting numbers are also absolutely absurd. During that four-game stretch, Edwards has attempted 28.5 field goals, including 14.5 3-pointers and 12.8 free throws per game.
The Thunder have the best defense in the league by a comfortable margin, but will it matter that much when Edwards is attempting nearly 30 shots per game? He is projected for less than 15% ownership tonight, which makes him a strong pay-up contrarian option at his $9,600 price tag. Edwards is averaging a career-high 27.5 points per game this season and shooting a career-best 41.8% from behind the arc.
Value
When looking to go dumpster diving, it is hard not to gravitate to Clippers’ guard Kris Dunn. He is priced at $3,700 and has the fifth-highest projected Plus/Minus on the slate. Dunn suffered an unknown injury last game, so make sure to keep an eye on his status for tonight’s action. This is the last game before the All-Star Break, so there could be a ton of movement in starting lineups with most teams playing a back-to-back. However, if Dunn is able to suit up, he will benefit from the Clippers injuries and this elite matchup.
Dunn has been a menace defensively with 11 steals in his last four games, including five last night against the Grizzlies. He added a season-high 14 points while shooting a near-perfect 5-for-6 from the field and 4-for-4 from behind the arc. Make sure he is playing, but Dunn is a great value option in all lineup builds.
Fast Break
Jalen Green has posted a positive Plus/Minus in four straight games, and the Rockets are decimated with injuries. Fred VanVleet, Jabari Smith Jr., Tari Eason, and Steven Adams are all out tonight, which boosts the ceiling for Green. With those four off the floor this season, Green has a +1.89% usage rate increase and a +6.24 DraftKings Plus/Minus (per our Trends tool). Green is a fantastic mid-range option tonight.
The addition of Zach LaVine has forced Malik Monk to take a little bit of a backseat in the Kings offense. In the five games playing alongside each other, Monk is averaging 31.4 DraftKings points per game with a negative Plus/Minus in four of those five games. The Kings however have the highest implied team total on the slate at 122 points. At $7,700 with dual guard eligibility, Monk is still worth getting exposure to.
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NBA DFS Small Forward Picks
Stud
Trey Murphy benefits from the lack of forward star power on this five-game slate. The Pelicans have not won a game since the middle of January. They traded away Brandon Ingram, while Dejounte Murray and Herbert Jones are out for the season. Murphy has taken full advantage of this opportunity to showcase his skillset. In his fourth year in the league, Murphy is averaging a career-high across the board in points, rebounds, assists, steals, and blocks per game this season. His usage rate has also skyrocketed to 23.6%.
Recently, his numbers look even better. In his last seven games, Murphy is averaging 28.6 points, 5.3 assists, 5.1 rebounds, and 46.9 DraftKings points per game. In by far the best game environment on the slate with a 235.5-point game total, Murphy will be a priority at a weak small forward position tonight.
Value
Svi Mykhailiuk is averaging double-digit points per game for the first full season of his career. In his seventh season in the league, the journeyman forward has already played for eight teams. Mykhailiuk has stuck with the Jazz all season and has even started 11 of his 21 games played. Murphy is currently projected for the highest Plus/Minus at the small forward position, but Mykhailiuk is a close second.
Projected to play 27 minutes with a 24% usage rate, Mykhailiuk is a value worth targeting. He is $4,500 with shooting guard and small forward eligibility, making it easy to fit him into all lineup builds. Dating back to the middle of December, Mykhailiuk has scored double-digit points in 11 of his last 15 games. It will not take much for Mykhailiuk to pay off his salary, and he is a cheap way to get exposure to the Jazz.
Fast Break
Amen Thompson has been a little bit of a boom-or-bust fantasy producer recently, but when he pops, Thompson can post triple-doubles like he did last night. That was his second triple-double in his last six games. He stuffed the stat sheet with 18 points, 11 assists, 10 rebounds, two steals, and two blocks for 58 DraftKings points. With many Rockets players out tonight, it will likely be the Thompson show yet again.
With Kawhi Leonard ramping up his production, Norman Powell has taken the biggest hit. However, with Leonard out tonight on the second leg of a back-to-back, Powell has a great chance to get back to how he was playing before Leonard stole the show. He is still averaging a career-high 23.8 points per game this season, while shooting 49.6% from the field and 42.6% from deep. Powell is a great mid-range play.
NBA DFS Power Forward Picks
Stud
With power forward and center eligibility, Heat big man Bam Adebayo is in line for a ceiling performance tonight. For starters, Adebayo is coming off back-to-back massive double-doubles, averaging 24.5 points, 13.5 rebounds, four assists, and 51.1 DraftKings points per game. Secondly, the Mavericks are basically without every center on their roster. Anthony Davis, Daniel Gafford, Dereck Lively, and even Dwight Powell are all out tonight. Adebayo should absolutely feast on the Mavericks depleted interior in this spot.
The Mavericks are already a below-average rebounding and interior defensive unit. In their last three games with all of their injuries, they have allowed 60.7 points per game in the paint. Adebayo remains reasonably priced at $8,100 and also has greatly benefited from Jimmy Butler‘s departure to the Warriors.
Value
Staying in the same game, Mavericks’ Naji Marshall is going to have to play big tonight on the glass to keep Adebayo at bay. He has received extended run recently due to the injuries and is projected to play 30 minutes in this matchup. His salary has risen to $5,500, but Marshall has posted a positive Plus/Minus in five of his last six games. During that stretch, he is averaging 14.3 points and five rebounds per game.
Currently drawing a little over 20% projected ownership, Marshall should be a staple in cash games due to his consistency. He has recorded at least 22 DraftKings points in each of his last six games with an average of 27.4 DraftKings points per game. Marshall is also shooting 56.5% from the field during that time. With many injuries to the Mavericks’ frontcourt, Marshall looks like an incredible play in all formats.
Fast Break
Another value power forward worth targeting on this five-game slate is Clippers’ Amir Coffey. He has posted a positive Plus/Minus in three-straight games averaging 15.3 points and 20.7 DraftKings points per game during that time. Most of his fantasy production comes from scoring the ball, but Coffey has done that well recently. With dual forward eligibility and being priced under $4,000, Coffey is a strong value option tonight. He is a cheap way to get exposure to the Clippers 116.75-point team total.
NBA DFS Center Picks
Stud
Leading the league in rebounding for the third straight season is Kings’ center Domantas Sabonis. He is also averaging a career-high 20.4 points and 14.3 rebounds per game, while shooting a blistering 59.9% from the field and 45.8% from behind the arc. His assist totals have diminished, but Sabonis still has triple-double upside. Sabonis has recorded eight triple-doubles, which is tied for the third-highest in the league.
The Pelicans are one of the best matchups for opposing big men. They rank 29th in both rebounding percentage and points allowed per game in the paint. For the best rebounder in the league, it should not be surprising that Sabonis has absolutely dominated this matchup. In his three games against the Pelicans this season, he is averaging a massive double-double with 25 points and 17 rebounds per game while shooting 63% from the field. At 15% projected ownership, Sabonis is my favorite pay-up option tonight.
Value
Ivica Zubac leads all centers with the highest projected Plus/Minus. His price tag has remained in the mid-$7,000’s, but he has posted a positive Plus/Minus in three straight games and in six of his last eight contests. This is by far the best season of Zubac’s career. He is averaging a huge double-double with 15.3 points and 12.7 rebounds per game. Zubac is the most popular center option on this five-game slate.
The matchup against the Jazz on paper looks difficult for opposing big men, but it has not been for Zubac. In his three games against the Jazz frontcourt this season, Zubac is averaging 22.3 points and 12.5 rebounds per game, while shooting 72.7% from the field. The Clippers have the second-highest implied team total on the slate and are nearly double-digit favorites. This is a great spot to get Zubac exposure.
Fast Break
Alperen Sengun has recorded at least 44 DraftKings points in four of his last five games. The one game he failed to reach that mark was against the Raptors, where he was forced to leave after three minutes due to a back injury. He returned last night and didn’t miss a beat, recording a double-double with 17 points, 13 rebounds, and five assists. Sengun is second to Sabonis in projected ceiling at the center position but costs $1,000 cheaper. The Warriors have been a difficult interior matchup, but Sengun is simply too cheap.
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