The NBA is offering up a sizable slate of basketball on Friday. There are nine games to choose from starting at 7:00 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 $300K Shootaround [$100K to 1st]
Point Guard
Stud
Stephen Curry, Golden State Warriors vs. Washington Wizards ($9,900) – Tonight’s game between the Warriors and Wizards should be fantastic from a fantasy perspective. The Wizards have played at the fastest pace in the league, and the Warriors rank second in that department. The total on this game currently sits at 239.5 on DraftKings Sportsbook, which is the top mark on the slate by more than 10 points.
Curry should be able to do some damage in this matchup. He’s coming off a massive performance in his last game, finishing with 41 points vs. the Bucks, and the Wizards rank just 26th in defensive efficiency.
Other Options – Russell Westbrook ($11,000), Trae Young ($9,200)
Value
Coby White, Chicago Bulls @ Atlanta Hawks ($4,300) – White is coming off the bench for the Bulls at the moment, which has caused his price tag to absolutely plummet. He’s seen a price decrease of $2,000 over his past 10 games, which makes him an interesting buy-low target vs. the Hawks. He’s still managed to return value over his past two games thanks to his average of 0.93 DKFP per minute this season, and the Hawks are not a scary matchup for point guards.
Other Options – Cole Anthony ($5,200), Brad Wanamaker ($3,200)
Shooting Guard
Stud
Editor’s Note: Clippers SG Paul George (rest) has been ruled out for tonight’s game vs. the Rockets.
Paul George, Los Angeles Clippers vs. Houston Rockets ($8,200) – George has posted excellent performances in his past two games, finishing with at least 52.75 DKFP in both, yet his salary hasn’t budged for tonight’s matchup vs. the Rockets. $8,200 is an extremely fair price tag for him, and the Rockets have played at the fourth-fastest pace this season. There is some blowout concern in this matchup – the Clippers are favored by 12 points on DraftKings Sportsbook – but George has excellent upside if this game stays competitive.
Other Options – Zach LaVine ($7,800), Terrence Ross ($6,300)
Value
Dillon Brooks, Memphis Grizzlies @ New York Knicks ($5,300) – The Grizzlies are an interesting team on today’s slate. On one hand, they have a brutal matchup vs. the Knicks. They’ve played at the slowest pace in the league this season, and they also rank fourth in defensive efficiency. On the other hand, they’re likely going to be without three rotation players in Brandon Clarke, Justise Winslow, and De’Anthony Melton.
Brooks is someone where the increased playing time likely outweighs the poor matchup. He’s averaged 0.96 DKFP per minute this season, and he should see upwards of 30-32 minutes in this contest.
Other Options – Seth Curry ($4,400), John Konchar ($3,300)
Small Forward
Stud
Jaylen Brown, Boston Celtics vs. Minnesota Timberwolves ($8,000) – The Celtics are another team with a favorable matchup on Friday. The Timberwolves rank just 27th in defensive efficiency this season, and the Celtics’ implied team total of 118.0 ranks second on the slate.
Brown is coming off 58.0 DKFP in his last outing, and he should continue to benefit from the absence of Evan Fournier. He’s still out of the lineup due to health and safety protocols, which opens up a few additional minutes for Brown on the wing.
Other Options – Kawhi Leonard ($9,400), Kelly Oubre Jr. ($6,300)
Value
Miles Bridges, Charlotte Hornets @ Milwaukee Bucks ($5,500) – The Hornets are playing without LaMelo Ball and Gordon Hayward at the moment, which has allowed Bridges to move into the starting lineup. He’s coming off nearly 36.5 minutes in his last outing, and Bridges has averaged 0.88 DKFP per minute this season. He’s simply too cheap at $5,500.
Other Options – Avery Bradley ($3,700), Damion Lee ($3,300)
Power Forward
Stud
Giannis Antetokounmpo, Milwaukee Bucks vs. Charlotte Hornets ($10,800) –
Editor’s note: Bucks PF/C Giannis Antetokounmpo (knee) and PG/SG Jrue Holiday (knee) have both been ruled out tonight vs. the Hornets.
Antetokounmpo’s status is obviously a massive factor on today’s slate. He’s missed the Bucks’ past two games, and his absence on Friday would open up a bunch of value for the rest of the team. Guys like Jrue Holiday ($8,400), Khris Middleton ($8,100), and Bobby Portis ($5,700) would all warrant consideration in that situation.
If Antetokounmpo is active, then he becomes a very interesting option. People will be hesitant to roster his in his first game following an injury absence, and targeting Giannis at lower ownership is always appealing in tournaments. He carries arguably the highest ceiling every time he’s on the slate given his average of 1.69 DKFP per minute.
Other Options – Jayson Tatum ($9,000), Draymond Green ($6,700)
Value
Jalen McDaniels, Charlotte Hornets @ Milwaukee Bucks ($3,300) – This slate doesn’t have a ton of appealing punt plays at the moment, but McDaniels stands out for the Hornets. He seemingly came out of nowhere to log 31.9 minutes in his last outing, and he ultimately responded with 38.5 DKFP. There’s no guarantee that he sees that much playing time again vs. the Bucks, but McDaniels doesn’t need a ton of playing time to pay off his current salary. He’s averaged 0.83 DKFP per minute this season, and he’s increased that figure to 1.06 over the past month.
Also, be very careful if you do roster McDaniels today on DraftKings. His brother Jaden plays for the Timberwolves, so make sure to plug the correct one into your lineup. Jaden has been the more relevant fantasy option so far this season, so you may accidentally select him out of habit if you’re not careful.
Other Options – Kyle Anderson ($5,900), Marcus Morris ($4,800)
Center
Stud
Wendell Carter Jr., Orlando Magic vs. Indiana Pacers ($6,000) – Carter Jr. isn’t exactly priced like a stud at $6,000, but he has a chance to be one of the best options at the position. He’s averaged a stout 1.15 DKFP per minute this season, and he’s played at least 31 minutes in three of his past four games.
Other Options – Nikola Jokic ($10,500), Jonas Valanciunas ($7,100)
Value
Cody Zeller, Charlotte Hornets @ Milwaukee Bucks ($4,400) – Zeller is coming off a huge performance in his last outing, finishing with 38.5 DKFP over 28.1 minutes. He’s averaged 1.11 DKFP per minute over the past month, and he has the chance to provide a cheap double-double at just $4,400.
Other Options – Nerlens Noel ($4,300), Onyeka Okongwu ($4,000)
Set your DraftKings fantasy basketball lineups here: NBA $300K Shootaround [$100K to 1st]
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