NBA DFS Picks: Top OwnersBox Plays for Friday (Feb. 23)

OwnersBox is one of the unique DFS sites that still has traditional daily salary cap contests in addition to their Lightning Lineups contests.

In Lightning Lineups, the OwnersBox app will provide three sets of lineups for a given sport and slate, each lineup with three players. From there, users pick which lineup they think will score the most points. If you don’t like the options, you can spin for new lineups.

Spin. Pick. Win. OwnersBox innovative Lighting Lineups format is the most electric way to play daily fantasy sports.

However, they also have a traditional DFS format, which will be the focus of this article.

For OwnersBox, you use four guards, four forwards/centers, and one Superflex.

Also, our OwnersBox promo code delivers new users a $500 sign-up offer. Their 100% deposit match of up to $500 is by far the best among DFS sites.

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.

Note: Projections 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 Guard Picks

Shai Gilgeous-Alexander ($9,500) vs. Washington Wizards

The NBA’s quick restart after the All-Star Break continues with 10 more games on Friday’s schedule, and of the 20 teams in action, 14 are playing for the second night in a row. Both the Thunder and the Wizards fall into that category when they meet in Oklahoma City. Shai Gilgeous-Alexander got off to a strong start after the break with 31 points and eight assists in a 22-point win over the Clippers.

SGA has scored at least 30 points in three straight games and 12 of his last 15. Over that stretch, he has averaged 31.3 points, 7.3 assists, 5.0 rebounds, and 1.9 steals per game. He is making a strong case for MVP as he leads his Thunder through a tough Western Conference battle for the top seed. After winning on Thursday, OKC is one game back of Minnesota for the top spot.

In Friday’s matchup with the Wizards, the Thunder have the highest implied team total on the slate. The matchup against Washington is a great one since they play at the fastest pace in the NBA and have the fourth-worst defensive rating in the league. SGA had 32 points, six rebounds, and five assists in their first meeting this season. He is the most expensive guard on the board by a wide margin but brings the highest Pts/Sal along with the highest ceiling, floor and median projection.

As long as the game doesn’t get too lopsided too early, he should be a strong pay-up play to build around.

Devin Vassell ($5,600) at Los Angeles Lakers

The Spurs have become a fun team to watch thanks to Victor Wembanyama, but don’t overlook the fact that Devin Vassell is also emerging as a strong fantasy play in the backcourt alongside the eye-catching young rookie. Vassell has the second-highest Pts/Sal at guard since his salary is still so low on OwnersBox. He has the 11th-highest ceiling projection but only the 20th-highest salary of the guards projected to play.

Vassell has scored 15+ points in 17 straight games after scoring 32 points in Thursday night’s loss to Sacramento. Over those 17 games, he has averaged 22.1 points, 4.8 assists, 4.1 rebounds, and 34.2 minutes per game with a usage rate of 24.7%, second on the team behind only Wemby.

Since Tre Jones returned to the starting lineup, Vassell has been able to play his more natural role and has been very productive while flashing a high ceiling, as he demonstrated Thursday. He did play 37 minutes to get his 32 points and seven assists, but as long as there are no Popovich shenanigans on the injury report, he should be ready to roll in a favorable spot against the Lakers. He had 36 points and six rebounds against Los Angeles in mid-December when the Spurs knocked off the Lakers in their most recent meeting.

Don’t forget to check out our NBA SimLabs Lineup Generator to create advanced DFS lineups using the power of simulation:

NBA DFS Forward/Center Picks

Anthony Davis ($8,300) vs. San Antonio Spurs

On the other side of that Spurs-Lakers game, Davis should be in a smash spot, especially if LeBron James (ankle) remains sidelined. Without LeBron on Thursday, AD had 27 points and 15 boards in an 18-point loss to the Warriors. In his seven games since returning from a two-game absence due to his own injury issues, Davis has averaged 24.9 points and 13.1 rebounds, 4.4 assists, and 3.3 blocks per contest.

Of all the forwards and centers on Friday’s slate, Davis has the highest ceiling median and floor projection and the second-highest Pts/Sal. He has better projections than both Giannis Antetokounmpo and Nikola Jokic, who each have significantly higher salaries than he does.

In the games he has played without LeBron this season, Davis has a 30.8% usage rate and has averaged 29.3 points and 12.2 rebounds per contest. Even if LeBron ends up playing, Davis will be a strong option to consider, but if LeBron is out, Davis needs to be locked in at his reduced price with an increased workload in this great matchup vs. the Spurs.

Evan Mobley ($5,800) at Philadelphia 76ers

Mobley is also a very strong value as the Cavs travel to Philly to finish their back-to-back with a matchup against the Sixers. Coming out of the All-Star break, coach J.B. Bickerstaff said that Mobley would have no restrictions going forward after ramping back up after an extended absence due to a knee injury. Mobley came out of the break with a strong showing of 14 points, eight rebounds, and six assists in 34 minutes against the Magic on Thursday.

His salary hasn’t adjusted to his full workload yet, so he’s still under $6,000 on Friday night’s slate. His affordable salary and strong projections put him in the top five in Pts/Sal at the position and should make him a strong fit on almost any roster construction.

The third-year big man has been very consistent since returning from injury, averaging 16.8 points, 10.3 rebounds, and 3.1 assists in his last eight games. In that span, he only averaged 27.8 minutes per game, so if he regularly plays 30+ minutes, he should have an even higher ceiling. The short-handed Sixers should be a good matchup for him to continue his steady mid-tier salary production on Friday. He also brings a very high ceiling with the potential of a double-double in expanded minutes and usage.