For Saturday night, there are seven NBA games to attack, and DraftKings continues to offer huge tournaments for DFS players. Below are some of my favorite targets at each position.
Set your DraftKings fantasy basketball lineups here: NBA $300K Shootaround [100K to 1st]
Point Guard
Stud
Donovan Mitchell, Utah Jazz vs. Sacramento Kings, $8,800
With Jordan Clarkson ($5,800; doubtful, ankle) out and not stealing any usage from Mitchell, the All-Star posted 50.25 DKFP against the Blazers on Thursday night. This was Mitchell’s second consecutive effort of over 50 DKFP and the eighth time he has exceeded the threshold in his 17 starts since the beginning of March. Clarkson will be absent again Saturday, and this is one of the premier matchups in the league for Mitchell, going against the Kings and their league-worst defense.
The shooting guard leads the Jazz with a 34.3% usage rate when Clarkson is missing and Mitchell’s ceiling is worth perusing tonight, even with the Jazz as such heavy favorites (Utah -11.5 on DraftKings Sportsbook).
Other Options: Russell Westbrook ($10,900, better if Bradley Beal is out), Stephen Curry ($10,100), Chris Paul ($8,000), John Wall ($7,900, if active), Kyle Lowry ($7,200, if active)
Value
Cory Joseph, Detroit Pistons vs. Portland Trail Blazers, $4,000
In the absences of Jerami Grant (out, knee) and Mason Plumlee ($5,700; questionable, concussion), Joseph was inserted into the starting lineup and stepped up in a big way, setting a new season high with 40.75 DKFP in 32 minutes Thursday night against the Kings. Grant has already been ruled out and it seems unlikely Plumlee will be able to return tonight when the Pistons face the Trail Blazers.
Joseph has chipped in with a very solid 1.13 DKFP per minute sans these two starters, and the Blazers have been a plus spot for point guards all season long, surrendering the sixth-most DKFP per game to the position. The veteran has scored at least 20 DKFP in seven of his first nine games as a member of the Pistons, and over five-times value is a likely outcome for Joseph if he remains a starter Saturday.
Other Options: Malachi Flynn ($5,300, if Lowry is out), Killian Hayes ($3,700)
Shooting Guard
Stud
Devin Booker, Phoenix Suns vs. Washington Wizards, $8,900
The Wizards are a near perfect matchup for Booker. Thus far in 2020-21, Washington ranks 26th in defensive efficiency and first in pace. Plus, they are playing their second game in two nights after visiting the Warriors on Friday, and the Wizards are giving up a huge 121.4 points per game the last five times they have been on the second leg of a back-to-back.
In strong form, scoring 46.9 DKFP per game in his past five starts, Booker is an appealing high-upside option to attack in GPPs, with most DFS players not electing to pay up at shooting guard for this seven-game slate.
Other Options: CJ McCollum ($7,700)
Value
Joe Ingles, Utah Jazz vs. Sacramento Kings, $5,400
Not having to share the second unit with Clarkson, who is the heavy favorite to win the Sixth Man of the Year award on DraftKings Sportsbook, is a big deal for Ingles as a fantasy player. With Clarkson missing Thursday, Ingles saw his playing time elevate to 35 minutes off the bench. This is a huge upgrade from the 26.4 minutes per game the 33-year-old has been averaging this season, and this is obviously a juicy spot for him against defensively-challenged Kings.
Over 30 minutes of action has translated to 31.9 DKFP per game for Ingles this year, and he is a safe mid-tier target at this reasonable cost.
Other Options: Raul Neto ($3,800, if Bradley Beal is out)
Small Forward
Stud
Kelly Oubre Jr., Washington Wizards vs. Houston Rockets, $6,200
There are no high-end small forwards that I want to pay up for tonight, and Oubre Jr. is most likely the highest I will go at the position. The versatile wing has been producing strong numbers recently, and it has been mostly due to Steve Kerr giving him much bigger minutes. Oubre Jr. has logged 37 minutes in three straight starts, equating to a great 39.4 DKFP per game.
In his previous 10 games, the forward only scored 26.4 DKFP per game with 30.4 minutes per night. Assuming this new trend continues and Oubre Jr. gets into the 35-to-40 minute range again Saturday, exceeding five-times value should be an easy task against this struggling Rockets defense. In their past 10 games, Houston ranks 24th in defensive rating.
Other Options: Kyle Kuzma ($7,100, if active)
Value
Saddiq Bey, Detroit Pistons vs. Portland Trail Blazers, $4,700
Grant’s absence led to 35 minutes for Bey on Thursday night. He tallied 23.5 DKFP against the Kings, and should be in line for an increased role again tonight, no matter the status of Plumlee. Above 30 minutes is a reasonable expectation for the rookie, and Bey is amassing 26.7 DKFP per game in the 19 instances he has obtained a minimum of 30 minutes this year.
Combine this type of opportunity with a date with a Blazers defense that ranks second-to-last in the NBA defensive rating, and Bey is rating as one of the better forward values on the slate.
Other Options: Hamidou Diallo ($5,000), Royce O’Neale ($3,900)
Power Forward
Stud
OG Anunoby, Toronto Raptors vs. Cleveland Cavaliers, $6,600
After being ejected vs. the Lakers this past Tuesday night, Anunoby got back to his full role Thursday, handling a huge 41 minutes, resulting in 33 DKFP against the Bulls. Lowry may make his return tonight, but Fred VanVleet (hip) is still out, and Anunoby has been heavily relied on since the Raptors traded away Norman Powell ($5,500) at the deadline. When we exclude him getting tossed against Los Angeles, Anunoby has generated 35.4 DKFP in 35.5 minutes per game in these first seven games since Powell was sent to Portland.
Clearly his salary has yet to adjust to this recent production, and Anunoby should provide value against this average Cavs defense tonight (20th in efficiency this season).
Other Options: Pascal Siakam ($8,400), Draymond Green ($7,100)
Value
Kevin Love, Cleveland Cavaliers vs. Toronto Raptors, $6,100
Opposite of Anunoby, Love is also standing out as an appealing target tonight. The veteran has been slowly eased back into action, but looked great on Thursday night, recording a season-high 40.75 DKFP in the blowout win over the Thunder. Love’s minutes total was only at 23 in this game, but he would have seen 25-to-30 minutes if Cleveland didn’t run away with this victory. This was his fourth game back from the calf injury, and in the previous three, his minutes increased each night, to a season-high 26 in his previous start before Thursday.
The Cavs have earned back-to-back wins with Love in the lineup, and he should see enough time tonight against the underwhelming Raptors to produce value. The former All-Star is collecting 1.15 DKFP per minute this season, and opposing power forwards are exposing Toronto for DKFP at the ninth-highest rate in the league.
Other Options: Kelly Olynyk ($6,200), Dean Wade ($4,800), Taurean Prince (4,600)
Center
Stud
Rudy Gobert, Utah Jazz vs. Sacramento Kings, $8,000
Gobert bullied the Blazers for 49 DKFP on Thursday night, and brings similar upside tonight against the Kings. No club in the NBA is yielding more points in the paint this year than Sacramento, and Gobert has been an absolute force with 40.2 DKFP per game in his past 10.
This is an eruption spot for the two-time defensive player of the year, and per usual, I highly doubt many DFS players will be on Gobert tonight. March 18, which is 12 games ago, marks the last time that the center has seen a DraftKings main GPP ownership above 10%.
Other Options: Joel Embiid ($10,000)
Value
Isaiah Stewart, Detroit Pistons vs. Portland Trail Blazers, $4,500
The Pistons have listed Plumlee as questionable, but it’s hard to imagine he will be out of concussion protocol tonight after just suffering his head injury this past Wednesday. With the center out of the lineup on Thursday, Stewart took his spot in the starting five and had the best performance of his rookie season, collecting a 16-point and 13-rebound double-double vs. the Kings, good for 42.25 DKFP.
Stewart got up all the way up to 32.3 minutes in that tilt, which is the most he has seen so far as a pro. Considering his efforts were a vital part to Detroit earning the win on Thursday, we should see a heavy dose of the rookie again on Saturday, with Grant missing his second straight, and assuming the likely situation unfolds of Plumlee being inactive. After facing the defensively inept Kings two nights ago, this is another beautiful spot against the Blazers, who are allowing the seventh-most DKFP per game to opposing centers. Stewart is producing 26.1 DKFP whenever he has cracked 25 minutes this year, and will be a no-brainer value play tonight if Plumlee is unavailable.
Other Options: Deandre Ayton ($6,700), Andre Drummond ($6,500), Robert Covington ($5,700), Isaiah Hartenstein ($5,000),
Set your DraftKings fantasy basketball lineups here: NBA $300K Shootaround [100K to 1st]
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