Sandwiched between a light night on Thursday and only two games Saturday to make room for the Final Four, the NBA brings a massive, 13-game slate this Friday. The Nuggets and Celtics are playing the second game of a back-to-back, while only the Clippers are playing the first game of a back-to-back set.
With so many teams resting stars for the postseason, shutting players down and trying to evaluate options for next season, it’s vital to keep up with the news throughout the day. Thankfully, there’s an easy way to do that by following @dklive on Twitter and downloading the DK Live app.
With so much uncertainty, the odds and lines on DraftKings Sportsbook are very fluid, but early indicators point to the Nets-Hawks and Warriors-Spurs matchups as some of the best game environments with over/under of at least 240.
Set your DraftKings fantasy basketball lineups here: NBA $200K Shootaround [$50K to 1st]
For up-to-the-minute news, analysis and lineups, download the DK Live app. You also can follow DK Live on Twitter @dklive.
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Guard
Studs
Ja Morant, Memphis Grizzlies vs. Los Angeles Clippers ($10,100) – Morant took Tuesday off but seems to be fully ramped back up after his eight-game suspension. He also came off of the bench for a couple of games but looked “All Systems Go” in a massive 36-point game Wednesday. That was the first game in this back-to-back against the Clippers, and Ja tacked on nine assists in that game for 57.5 DKFP. Since returning, he has produced 1.49 DKFP per minute with a 37.1% usage rate. In what should be a competitive and high-scoring game environment, getting the engine that makes Memphis go is a great place to begin building your time Friday.
Shaedon Sharpe, Portland Trail Blazers vs. Sacramento Kings ($7,900) – To complete another Western Conference two-game set, the Blazers will host the Kings for a second straight game on Friday night. On Wednesday, Sharpe played a massive 45 minutes although his team lost by 40 points. He finished with 30 points, seven assists and seven rebounds for 52.75 DKFP. The 19-year-old rookie is locked into a big workload with all the players the Blazers are missing and resting. He jumped into the starting lineup five games ago and has produced 1.02 DKFP per minute with a 26.4% usage rate. He has at least 24 points and at least 34 DKFP in four of his past five games and should easily return good value at this price while also bringing a truly elite ceiling, which is unusual for a player with a salary under $8K
Other Options - Josh Giddey ($8,700), Mikal Bridges ($7,800)
Value
Isaiah Joe, Oklahoma City Thunder at Indiana Pacers ($5,300) – Yo, Jo! If you’re shopping for value this is the place to go! (Sorry, filling in for my man Stan on NBA Targets has brought out the rhyming in me). Joe does bring great potential in this matchup, though, since the Thunder could be without Shai Gilgeous-Alexander ($10,000; ankle) again, although opening up opportunities for the third-year guard from Arkansas to step up. Joe has started each of the last three games for OKC with 12 field goal attempts or more in each contest and a stout 23.4% usage rate. He averaged 32.25 DKFP per game and 1.03 DKFP per minute in those three contests with a ceiling game of 33 points and 39.5 DKFP in a similar game environment against the Hornets on Tuesday.
Other Options - Bruce Brown ($4,700), Patrick Beverley ($4,300)
Forward
Studs
Kristaps Porzingis, Washington Wizards vs. Orlando Magic ($9,500) – Without Bradley Beal (knee) and Kyle Kuzma (ankle), the Wizards have been riding the unicorn especially hard the past few games. He should be in a good spot to keep the magical production rolling in this soft matchup against Orlando. In his seven most recent contests, Porzingis posted at least 40 DKFP six times while averaging 24.9 points and 45.2 DKFP. During that span, he has a 30.3% usage rate and has produced 1.45 DKFP per minute. He’s fresh off his best performance of the stretch as well, coming off 32 points, 13 boards and six assists for 64.25 DKFP against the Celtics on Tuesday.
Keldon Johnson, San Antonio Spurs at Golden State Warriors ($7,500) – The Spurs continue to spin their rotation at a dizzying rate, but Johnson isn’t on the injury report for Friday’s matchup with the Warriors. Zach Collins (foot) and Jeremy Sochan (knee) are already ruled out while Devin Vassell ($6,100; knee) is questionable. If he joins Collins and Sochan as out while Johnson plays, it could end up being a great spot for Johnson to soak up a ton of usage in an up-tempo environment. While he has sat out six of the Spurs’ last 11 games, he has played over 30 minutes in the five games in which he has been active and scored at least 21 points in each contest while averaging 43.9 DKFP per game and 1.27 DKFP per minute. Without Sochan, Collins and Vassell on the floor during those five games, he has a team-high 35.4% usage rate.
Other Options - Kawhi Leonard ($9,900), Talen Horton-Tucker ($7,900)
Value
Trendon Watford, Portland Trail Blazers vs. Sacramento Kings ($5,900) – Watford missed the past two games with a sprained ankle and is questionable for this contest. Even with the injury issue, though, his ceiling and value are both outstanding. Before suffering the injury, he had averaged 0.96 DKFP per minute over his previous seven games, highlighted by a double-double against the Celtics at the start of that run and a massive game against the Jazz that resulted in 45.75 DKFP. Watford and Sharpe flow nicely together and bring a nice correlation if you stack them against Sacramento.
Other Options - Kevin Knox II ($5,000), Josh Okogie ($4,400)
Center
Studs
Joel Embiid, Philadelphia 76ers vs. Toronto Raptors ($11,100) – Embiid missed a game earlier this week but returned on Wednesday with 25 points and nine boards against the Mavs. He’s been on fire this month, averaging 56.0 DKFP on 35.0 points and 9.3 rebounds per contest. His production rate of 1.68 DKFP per minute this month is off the charts and gives him an incredibly high ceiling if he decides to take over against Toronto.
Other Options - Brook Lopez ($7,000), Jonas Valanciunas ($7,600)
Value
Sandro Mamukelashvili, San Antonio Spurs at Golden State Warriors ($5,000) – It looks like it sets up to be a Mamu night without Collins and Sochan. Each of the last three times Collins has sat, Mamukelashvili jumped into the lineup, producing 22.75, 37.25 and 20.25 DKFP. Whether Collins is active or not, the 23-year-old has averaged 25.8 minutes per game with a 20.3% usage rate over his eight most recent games. He has averaged 1.03 DKFP while averaging 11.9 points, 7.1 rebounds and 3.1 assists per contest. He’s had a couple of ceiling games during that run, including on Wednesday, when he had 17 points, eight boards, five assists and 34 DKFP points against the Jazz.
Other Options - De’Andre Jordan ($3,000) if Jokic sits.
Set your DraftKings fantasy basketball lineups here: NBA $200K Shootaround [$50K to 1st]
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I am a promoter at DraftKings and am also an avid fan and user (my username is z.thompson) and may sometimes play on my personal account in the games that I offer advice on. Although I have expressed my personal view on the games and strategies above, they do not necessarily reflect the view(s) of DraftKings and do not constitute a representation that any particular strategy will guarantee success. All customers should use their own skill and judgment in building lineups. I may also deploy different players and strategies than what I recommend above. I am not an employee of DraftKings and do not have access to any non-public information.