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
Playing on another back-to-back tonight, Luka Doncic has been dialed in recently with LeBron James still sidelined. In his last five games without James, Doncic is averaging a near triple-double: 30.4 points, 10.2 rebounds, 8.8 assists, 2.2 steals, and 63.3 DraftKings points per game. He has posted a positive Plus/Minus in four of those five games with an absurd 40% usage rate. Doncic is an incredible pay-up option tonight.
With James off the floor and playing on the Lakers, Doncic has a +6.61% usage rate increase and a +8.36 DraftKings Plus/Minus (per our Trends tool). Doncic is projected to lead the slate by a wide margin in usage rate at 37.8%. Even though his salary jumped to $12,700, exactly $1,000 more than the next closest player, it is still worth getting exposure to his ceiling. Keep an eye on his status to make sure he suits up.
Value
Former Lakers’ point guard D’Angelo Russell leads all guards in projected Plus/Minus with the second-highest on the entire slate. Nets’ star Cam Thomas is out for the year, and Cameron Johnson is out for tonight’s game, putting the ball in Russell’s hands more often. Without Thomas and playing against the Celtics in his last two games, Russell is averaging 14.5 points, 7.5 assists, and four rebounds per game.
Despite the Nets being 8.5-point road underdogs, this is a much more favorable matchup against the Pacers than the Celtics. The Pacers continue to be around league average in defensive rating, but play at a fast pace, which bodes well for opposing guards. Priced under $6,000 and projected to play close to 30 minutes, Russell is a strong value play in all formats. This is a great opportunity for a ceiling performance.
Fast Break
Damian Lillard has been disappointing in back-to-back games, but played the Lakers exactly one week ago and recorded a double-double with 22 points, 10 assists, six rebounds, and two steals, accumulating 51 DraftKings points. With a dip in salary to $8,500, Lillard is the second-most popular point guard option behind Russell. Looking to get back on track after two straight losses, the Bucks are road favorites against the Lakers tonight. Lillard is a boom-or-bust fantasy option, but his salary is simply too cheap to ignore.
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
Most of the headlines go to Doncic, but Austin Reaves has arguably stepped up more in the absence of James. The Lakers’ third option has averaged 27 points, 7.7 assists, 6.7 rebounds, and 52.1 DraftKings points per game. If Doncic were to sit this second leg of the back-to-back, Reaves would catapult to the best play on the slate. With Doncic and James a week ago, Reaves erupted for 37 points, 13 assists, eight rebounds, and four steals for 76 DraftKings points. He is a great play that could look even better tonight.
Reaves has the highest projected ceiling at the shooting guard position by three points and has posted a positive Plus/Minus in each of his last six games. In his last game against the Bucks, Reaves had a near double-double with 28 points and eight rebounds. The difficult matchup will not phase him in this spot.
Value
Bucks’ starting shooting guard Taurean Prince has been a valuable asset in his first year on the team. He is the perfect role player to pair along with two superstars. Prince does most of his scoring from behind the arc, where he is shooting a career-best 44.6%. Over 65% of his field goal attempts have come from distance this season. The Lakers defense ranks slightly above average in three-pointers allowed at 38.2 per game.
Not only has Prince been a sharpshooter, but he is playing heavy minutes lately in competitive games due to his defensive tenacity. He has recorded a steal in seven straight games. Projected to play 32 minutes tonight with a salary south of $4,000 is a cheap way to get exposure to the Bucks’ offense. It will not take much for Prince to return value. On this five-game slate, Prince is one of the best value plays available.
Fast Break
With both Zach LaVine and Domantas Sabonis out for the Kings, Malik Monk will be forced into a much larger role. He is projected to have a 26.4% usage rate tonight and is coming off back-to-back ceiling performances. Monk has stuffed the stat sheet the last two games, averaging 25 points, 7.5 assists, 4.5 rebounds, 2.0 blocks, and 1.5 steals per game while shooting 51.4% from the field and 53.3% from behind the arc. Priced just below $8,000 with dual guard eligibility, Monk is a fantastic option in all lineup builds.
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NBA DFS Small Forward Picks
Stud
Kings’ forward DeMar DeRozan is another player who will take advantage in the absence of LaVine and Sabonis. DeRozan is currently projected for the highest ownership on the slate at 33%. He has been slightly less efficient than Monk in the last two games, but still possesses a high ceiling without two starters on the floor. DeRozan is projected for a 28.5% usage rate, which presents a superb opportunity tonight.
The Kings are playing in the best game environment on the slate against the Bulls, DeRozan’s former team. This matchup has a slate-high 233.5 projected points with the Kings favored by seven points at home. They are implied for a slate-high 120 points against the Bulls, who are allowing 119.9 points per game, which is the second-highest in the league. This is an incredible matchup for DeRozan in this spot.
Value
Gary Trent is another Bucks’ value player who looks promising for tonight’s five-game slate. Trent is projected to play 26 minutes, which is more than enough to pay off his super cheap $3,500 price tag. In his first year with the Bucks, Trent is averaging double-digit points per game for the fifth straight season while shooting 41.5% from behind the arc. Similar to Prince, over 60% of his field goal attempts have come from long distance. Trent has made at least three three-pointers in four of his last five games.
With shooting guard and small forward eligibility, Trent is easy to fit into all formats. The Bucks are flooded with options in all pricing tiers, which makes them one of the best teams to target. Trent is drawing close to 20% projected ownership and has a positive Plus/Minus in five of his last eight games.
Fast Break
Jalen Brunson is out for at least another week, which provides a significant fantasy boost for Mikal Bridges. In his last six games without Brunson on the floor, Bridges is averaging 21.8 points and 34.8 DraftKings points per game, while shooting a remarkable 59.5% from the field. That is incredible for a non-center to shoot that well. The Hornets rank in the bottom 10 in defensive rating, while opponents have had more success on the perimeter than in the paint, making this a strong matchup for Bridges.
NBA DFS Power Forward Picks
Stud
Giannis Antetokounmpo is priced $1,000 cheaper than Doncic and has a slightly lower projected ceiling. They are the only two players priced over $10,000 tonight, and the public is giving more than double the ownership to Giannis than Doncic. Giannis is the clear-cut top pay-up option in cash games and is a great tournament play. Both of these studs are incredibly consistent, but the salary savings is difficult to ignore.
Giannis had no trouble in his last matchup against the Lakers a week ago, recording a near triple-double with 24 points, 12 rebounds, and nine assists in the Bucks 20-point victory. Despite this being a small five-game slate, there is plenty of value, even on his own team, to pay up for Giannis tonight. The Lakers interior defense is lacking after the Anthony Davis trade and will have no answer for the Greek Freak.
Value
Noah Clowney is the perfect boom-or-bust fantasy producer that is fantastic for tournaments. His recent production is a great example. In his last three games, Clowney has recorded games of 5.0, 16.25, and 30.75 DraftKings points. The crazy thing is his playing time has not fluctuated, but his production is all over the map. Which Clowney shows up is a complete guess, which makes him an elite tournament play.
Clowney has scored double-digit points in two of his last three games. Most of his production comes from scoring the ball, and fortunately for him, the Pacers are a great matchup for opposing teams. They are allowing 115.8 points per game, which is tied for the ninth-highest in the league. Clowney is projected to play 26 minutes and have a 20% usage rate, which is more than enough to pay off his $4,100 salary.
Fast Break
Draymond Green has been amazing for the Warriors recently, who have won 13 of their last 15 games. For Green specifically, he has recorded a positive Plus/Minus in 11 of his last 12 games. His price tag has not come up enough, which is why he is drawing 26% projected ownership. Green is arguably the best mid-range play on the slate. The Warriors are an astounding 14-point home favorites against the Raptors. Green has stuffed the stat sheet recently and will likely have another ceiling performance in this matchup.
NBA DFS Center Picks
Stud
Karl-Anthony Towns has struggled recently, but draws a significant boost without Brunson on the court. He has a team-high +5.77% usage rate and a +7.23 DraftKings Plus/Minus without Brunson and has averaged 26.2 points and 8.8 rebounds per game in his last five games. Towns has by far the highest projected ceiling among the center options, besides Giannis. He has a 30+% usage rate and is drawing close to 25% projected ownership. It will be difficult to get away from Towns even at his $9,700 price tag.
The Hornets have been a tough interior matchup for opposing big men, but Towns’ ability to stretch the floor has been beneficial in this spot. In his two games against the Hornets this year, Towns is averaging 23 points and 14 rebounds per game, while shooting 54.8% from the field and 40% from behind the arc.
Value
Drawing the highest projected Plus/Minus on the slate is Hornets’ backup center Jusuf Nurkic. He has only played 13 games since joining the Hornets, but has been very productive in his limited playing time. Nurkic is only projected for 16 minutes, but his price tag at $3,200 is way too cheap. Despite having Towns and Mitchell Robinson, the Knicks rank 22nd in points allowed in the paint at 49.7 per game.
Nurkic is the ideal player in a stars and scrubs lineup build. If Mark Williams struggles for any reason or gets into foul trouble against Towns, that will make Nurkic look even better. The risk/reward is amazing for a player with a 25% projected usage rate at $3,200. Nurkic is the best value available on the slate and is drawing around 22% projected ownership. He is a strong value in all lineup builds in this spot tonight.
Fast Break
The rest of the center options are mediocre at best, but Bulls’ center Nikola Vucevic should be able to take advantage of the Kings frontcourt without Domantas Sabonis in the lineup. Vucevic is coming off an incredible game against the Suns, recording 24 points, six rebounds, three blocks, and two assists, while shooting 10-for-17 from the field and 4-for-8 from behind the arc. Vucevic is a valuable option tonight. The Bulls have won five of their last seven games and remain in contention for a play-in tournament bid.
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