The NBA is offering up a solid slate of basketball on Friday, with nine different games to choose from. The DraftKings slate starts at 7:30 p.m. ET, so let’s break down some of the top studs and values at each position to help you build your DraftKings lineups.
Set your DraftKings fantasy basketball lineups here: NBA $500K Fadeaway [100K to 1st]
Point Guard
Stud
Kyle Lowry, Toronto Raptors vs. Houston Rockets ($7,000) – Lowry doesn’t typically garner a ton of “stud” consideration, but he’s simply too cheap at just $7,000. He returned from a three-game absence on Wednesday and finished with 49.25 DKFP over 35 minutes. He didn’t appear to be limited in any capacity in that contest, so expect him to play his usual number of minutes today vs. the Rockets. Lowry has historically exceeded salary-based expectations by more than three points with a comparable price tag, so he’s an excellent value.
Other Options – Damian Lillard ($10,100), De’Aaron Fox ($7,700)
Value
Dennis Smith Jr., Detroit Pistons vs. Sacramento Kings ($4,600) – Smith Jr. has split the point guard minutes with Saben Lee ($4,300) since Delon Wright went down with an injury, and both players are excellent options today vs. the Kings. That said, I’ll give the slight edge to Smith. He saw four more minutes than Lee in their last contest, and Smith has the ability to rack up fantasy points in bunches. He’s averaged 0.97 DKFP per minute over the past month, and he should have no problems against the Kings’ league-worst defense.
Other Options – Theo Maledon ($4,500), Saben Lee ($4,300)
Shooting Guard
Stud
Shai Gilgeous-Alexander, Oklahoma City Thunder vs. Atlanta Hawks ($8,800) – Shooting guard doesn’t seem like the best position to pay up at tonight, but Gilgeous-Alexander is probably your best option. He’s increased his production to 1.29 DKFP per minute over the past month, and he’s coming off more than 38 minutes in his last outing. That combination of volume and efficiency is appealing, albeit in a mediocre spot vs. the Hawks.
Other Options – Paul George ($8,600), Victor Oladipo ($7,400)
Value
Buddy Hield, Sacramento Kings @ Detroit Pistons ($5,800) – Buying low on talented players is typically a smart decision in NBA DFS, and Hield fits that description on today’s slate. He’s been priced as high as $7,000 during the month of February, but he’s down to just $5,800 for tonight’s matchup vs. the Pistons. Detroit ranks merely 20th in defensive efficiency, so Hield has a bit more scoring upside than usual, as well.
Other Options – Andrew Wiggins ($6,200), Luguentz Dort ($4,800)
Small Forward
Stud
Gordon Hayward, Charlotte Hornets @ Golden State Warriors ($6,700) – Hayward is another player I’m looking to buy-low on today. He’s been priced down to just $6,700, which is about as low as he’s been all season. Hayward has averaged nearly 37.5 DKFP per game this season, so he has the potential to provide massive value at this price. The Warriors are also an excellent matchup since they play at the second-fastest pace in the league, and the total on that game is a slate-high 232.5 on DraftKings Sportsbook.
Other Options – LeBron James ($10,700), Kawhi Leonard ($9,100)
Value
Danilo Gallinari, Atlanta Hawks @ Oklahoma City Thunder ($5,000) – We’ve been waiting for the Gallinari breakout game for a while now, and it finally happened Wednesday vs. the Celtics. He finished with 55.5 DKFP thanks to 38 points and 10 3-pointers. We shouldn’t expect a repeat performance tonight vs. the Thunder, but there’s no reason he can’t pay off his current salary. Gallo has averaged 0.93 DKFP per minute this season, and he could see a few additional minutes if Cam Reddish is forced to miss his third straight game.
Other Options – Royce O’Neale ($4,700), Cameron Johnson ($3,500)
Power Forward
Stud
Editor’s Note: Raptors PF/C Pascal Siakam (health protocols) has been ruled out for tonight’s game vs. the Rockets.
Pascal Siakam, Toronto Raptors vs. Houston Rockets ($7,900) – Siakam is a very similar option to Lowry on tonight’s slate. He might not have the highest ceiling among the stud options, but he’s simply too cheap at his current salary. He’s coming off a dreadful performance in his last outing, but he’s scored at least 42.0 DKFP in five of his previous six games. This is a prime buy-low opportunity.
Other Options – Jayson Tatum ($9,300), Jerami Grant ($7,300)
Value
Darius Bazley, Oklahoma City Thunder vs. Atlanta Hawks ($5,200) – The theme of the day is “buy low”. Bazley is another player that qualifies. He’s seen a price decrease of $1,000 over the past five games, but nothing has fundamentally changed about his role. The only thing that hasn’t happened for Bazley recently is he hasn’t made any shots: He’s shot just 29% from the field over his past four games. He should be able to return value easily with some positive shooting regression, and he should see a slightly larger workload than usual with Al Horford out of the lineup for rest.
Other Options – Harrison Barnes ($5,500), Kenrich Williams ($3,500)
Center
Stud
Clint Capela, Atlanta Hawks @ Oklahoma City Thunder ($7,800) – Capela was limited to 27.25 DKFP in his last outing, but he played just 21.4 minutes in a blowout win. He should return to his normal workload tonight, and that would give him a great chance at returning value. He’s averaged 1.33 DKFP per minute this season, and he should be able to find success against the Thunder without Horford.
Other Options – Rudy Gobert ($7,200), Mason Plumlee ($6,500)
Value
Mike Muscala, Oklahoma City Thunder vs. Atlanta Hawks ($3,600) – Muscala and Isaiah Roby ($4,900) have split the center minutes pretty evenly when Horford has sat recently, with Roby being the one who enters the starting lineup. However, I think Muscala is the stronger option today given the difference in salary. Both players have produced at a similar level on a per-minute basis over the past month, so I will grab the discount with Muscala.
Other Options – Richaun Holmes ($5,900), Isaiah Roby ($4,900)
Set your DraftKings fantasy basketball lineups here: NBA $500K Fadeaway [100K to 1st]
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