For the first NBA slate of 2025, DraftKings’ main slate for Wednesday features the first six games of the night. The NBA Player Models are the base of our NBA product here at FantasyLabs. They house our projections for each player, but that’s just the beginning of what you’ll find inside. You’ll also find our Trends and On/Off tool, Vegas Dashboard, and so much more.
Let’s dive into our models for NBA DFS, going position by position, looking at guys with some of the best projections and players standing out as values with our predictive Projected Plus/Minus metric.
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 teams.
You can also use our SimLabs Lineup Generator, a tool that creates the most user-friendly lineup generation process.
Note: Projections, Ownership projections, and Leverage Scores/Ratings may change throughout the day as news comes out after this article is posted. Consult the Player Models directly for any updates.
NBA DFS Point Guard Picks
Top Ceiling: Josh Giddey at Washington Wizards – $7,700
Zach LaVine (toe) is listed as questionable for tonight, but there is a strong chance he will be out after he was quickly scratched from the Bulls lineup Monday. If LaVine is inactive again, as expected, Giddey will be one of the best targets on the slate. The guard recorded a double-double worth 40 DraftKings points vs. the Hornets on Monday with LaVine missing, and with the shooting guard off the floor this season, Giddey is scoring 1.4 DraftKings PPM, thanks to his usage and assist rates increasing 2.0 and 6.0 percentage points, respectively.
Ranking fourth in pace and 29th in defensive efficiency, the Wizards are the best possible matchup Giddey could ask for and this game’s total is the highest on the slate by nearly 10 points (237.5 points). In this spot, Giddey should score nothing less than 40 DraftKings points if LaVine is out.
Top Value: D’Angelo Russell at Toronto Raptors – $5,100
Russell will be available for the Nets tonight for the first time since being traded to the team Sunday and the guard should find himself with a huge role right out the gate. In addition to Shake Milton and Dorian Finney-Smith going to the Lakers in exchange for Russell, the Nets traded Dennis Schroder to the Warriors a few weeks ago, and last, but not least, their top scorer in Cam Thomas will be rested tonight.
Playing alongside LeBron James and Anthony Davis, Russell averaged a 22% usage rate with the Lakers this season and he has the potential to see a usage rate near 30% tonight with the Nets so short on offensive talent. Russell has produced 0.9 DraftKings PPM in Los Angeles this season, and our ShotQuality projections are slating him for 30 minutes tonight against a Raptors team that ranks fifth in pace and 26th in defensive efficiency. Starter or reserve, Russell should destroy his cheap salary in this situation and is a core play for this six-game slate.
Don’t forget to check out our NBA SimLabs Lineup Generator to create advanced DFS lineups using the power of simulation:
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NBA DFS Shooting Guard Picks
Top Ceiling: Jalen Suggs at Detroit Pistons – $8,300
Suggs boasts a top-three ceiling on the slate in our ShotQuality projections and is one of the best spends this difficult slate has to offer. The guard exited his last start early with a wrist injury but practiced Tuesday and is probable to play tonight vs. the Pistons, who rank 19th in defensive efficiency and 12th in pace. This is a huge pace increase for Suggs and this Magic team that ranks dead last in pace, and he should thrive as Orlando’s top option in this spot.
Paolo Banchero and Franz Wagner both remain sidelined with oblique injuries and with those two players off the floor this season, Suggs leads the Magic with a 32.5% usage rate, which is a 4.5 percentage point lift from his average, via the On/Off Tool.
Top Value: Coby White at Washington Wizards – $6,900
Just like Giddey, White will be a no-brainer if LaVine is out again. With the shooting guard inactive Monday vs. the Hornets, White was one assist shy of a triple-double and erupted for 51.5 DraftKings points across 40.5 minutes. This is the most playing time the veteran has received this season, and White will likely approach 40 minutes again if LaVine remains sidelined.
White’s usage increases by 3.4 percentage points to a team-high 26.9% with LaVine off the floor this season, and he scores 1.1 DraftKings PPM via the On/Off Tool. In this ultimate matchup vs. the Wizards – the Bulls carry the highest implied team total on the slate at 121 points – White will effortlessly beat his salary if LaVine is unavailable.
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NBA DFS Small Forward Picks
Top Ceiling: Josh Hart vs. Utah Jazz – $7,300
Hosting the Jazz and their league-worst defense, the Knicks present the second-highest implied team total on the slate (120.75 points), and Hart is a great way to attack New York. The veteran is coming off a massive triple-double worth 66.75 DraftKings points vs. the Wizards, marking the third time he has last four starts he has topped 40 DraftKings points. Hart is shooting a career-high 58% from the field this season, and he is amassing 1.0 DraftKings PPM.
The Knicks are favored by 13 points tonight, but Hart has been terrific when New York has been a double-digit favorite this season, averaging 40 DraftKings PPG (six games), via the Trends Tool.
Top Value: Dillon Brooks vs. Dallas Mavericks – $5,200
Brooks has been awesome with 38.3 DraftKings PPG in his last three starts, and the Rockets should lean on him heavily tonight with Amen Thompson suspended. The wing is averaging 11.9 points in 27.5 minutes per game this season, so Thompson’s absence creates a large void, and Brooks should approach 40 minutes in this tight 5.5-point spread vs. the Mavericks.
Brooks finished with 28 DraftKings points across 40 minutes in his first matchup with Dallas back in October, and he has even better upside this time around with Thompson missing from the picture. In our ShotQuality projections, Brooks is the No.1 forward value on the slate.
NBA DFS Power Forward Picks
Top Ceiling: Cameron Johnson at Toronto Raptors – $7,600
Johnson has a ceiling worth perusing in GPPs in this prime matchup with the Raptors. When these two clubs just met a few weeks ago, Johnson went off for a season-high 61 DraftKings points. Thomas was also out for this game and while this time around Russell will be available for the Nets, Johnson should still see a large usage rate as one of Brooklyn’s top options.
With Thomas off the floor this season, Johnson’s usage rises 3.0 percentage points to 25%, and he generates 1.1 DraftKings PPM. In our ShotQuality projections, Johnson’s ceiling is near 50 DraftKings points.
Top Value: Herbert Jones at Miami Heat – $5,400
Jones has been a key piece for the depleted Pelicans as of late, scoring 28 DraftKings points in 33 minutes per game in his last five. Jones is averaging a terrific 2.5 defensive stats per game, and his prowess on that side of the ball is helping him produce 0.8 DraftKings PPM this season.
Ranking 10th in defensive efficiency, the Heat aren’t an ideal matchup, but Jones is underpriced for his huge role and is one of the safest, cheap values on the slate.
NBA DFS Center Picks
Top Ceiling: Karl-Anthony Towns vs. Utah Jazz – $10,400
Facing this Jazz defense that ranks dead last in efficiency, Towns brings the highest ceiling on the slate by a solid gap in our ShotQuality projections. The big man is coming off back-to-back outings of over 50 DraftKings points, and Towns has been a tremendous fantasy asset with the Knicks this season, providing 1.5 DraftKings PPM, which is a huge difference from the 1.2 DraftKings PPM he averaged with Minnesota last season.
Towns is shooting a career-best 55% from the field with a 27.8% usage rate this season. Furthermore, he is leading the Knicks with a 22.6% rebound percentage, which is also the highest rate he has seen in his career. As noted above, New York presents the second-highest implied team total on the slate (120.75 points), and for the five occasions Towns has played behind an implied team total of at least 120 points this season, he has destroyed his opponents for 58.2 DraftKings PPG, via the Trends Tool.
Top Value: Goga Bitadze at Detroit Pistons – $6,900
Bitadze is one of the best targets on the board at this price tag. The center has been excellent with Banchero and Wagner out for the last eight, producing 38.3 FPTS in 29.6 minutes per game. Overall, with Banchero and Wagner off the court this season, Bitadze’s usage rises 1.9 percentage points to 17.9%, and he leads the Magic with 1.3 DraftKings PPM, via the On/Off Tool.
Playing way up in pace vs. the Pistons, Bitadze should notch his fourth straight double-double and is a threat for over 40 DraftKings points.
