Saturday’s NBA slate is on the smaller side, but it should be a good one. There are five games to choose from, and the main DraftKings slate gets underway at 7 p.m. ET. Let’s dive into some of the top options to consider at each position.
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Point Guard
Stud
LaMelo Ball, Charlotte Hornets vs. Miami Heat ($9,300) – Ball struggled with foul trouble in his last outing, which limited him to just 25.0 DKFP over 31.8 minutes. However, he had scored at least 49.5 DKFP in three of his previous four games. His poor showing on Friday has caused his price to dip slightly to $9,300 for Saturday’s matchup vs. the Heat, and he has some appeal at that reduced price tag. He’s averaged 1.38 DKFP per minute this season, which is the top mark among Saturday’s point guards by a sizable margin.
Other Options – Anfernee Simons ($6,600), Tyler Herro ($6,200)
Value
Tre Mann, Oklahoma City Thunder @ Sacramento Kings ($4,100) – The Thunder stand out as a prime source of value on Saturday. They’re still playing without Shai Gilgeous-Alexander, and they own a fantastic matchup vs. the Kings. They rank ninth in pace and 29th in defensive efficiency, giving the Thunder much more offensive upside than usual. Their implied team total of 105.0 is still the lowest mark on the slate, but it’s four points higher than their season average.
Mann stands out as a nice value in the backcourt. He’s racked up at least 32.0 minutes in back-to-back games, and he’s expected to see a similar workload on Saturday. Mann is very affordable at $4,100, and players with comparable salaries and minute expectations have historically been excellent investments.
Other Options – Davion Mitchell ($5,300), Aaron Holiday ($3,000)
Shooting Guard
Stud
C.J. McCollum, Portland Trail Blazers vs. Milwaukee Bucks ($8,200) – McCollum stands out as a viable stud option at a weak shooting guard position. He’s failed to return value in three straight games, but he continues to play a boatload of minutes. He’s racked up at least 38.1 minutes in two of those contests, but he has been plagued by some poor shooting numbers. With some positive shooting regression, he should be able to pay off his current price tag.
Other Options – Josh Giddey ($7,600), Terry Rozier ($7,200)
Value
Ty Jerome, Oklahoma City Thunder @ Sacramento Kings ($3,300) – Jerome is another potential value option for the Thunder on Saturday. He’s not expected to see quite as much playing time as Mann, but he’s significantly cheaper than Mann at just $3,300. Jerome has also been an excellent per-minute producer this season, averaging 0.86 DKFP per minute. He’s returned value in five straight games, and he’s coming off 27.75 DraftKings points in his last outing.
Other Options – Malik Monk ($6,000), Immanuel Quickley ($3,700)
Small Forward
Stud
Lu Dort, Oklahoma City Thunder @ Sacramento Kings ($6,400) – If you’re looking for a slightly more expensive way to target the Thunder, Dort stands out as your best bet. He’s taken on a larger scoring role with Gilgeous-Alexander out of the lineup, which has been a massive boost to his fantasy stock. He’s returned value in five straight games, and he’s had two performances of at least 46.5 DKFP. Overall, he’s increased his usage rate by +3.9% and his assist rate by +5.3% in seven games without Gilgeous-Alexander, resulting in an average of 0.95 DKFP per minute.
Other Options – Khris Middleton ($7,900), Miles Bridges ($7,800)
Value
C.J. Elleby, Portland Trail Blazers vs. Milwaukee Bucks ($3,000) – Elleby got some burn for the Blazers in their last outing, and he responded with 22.5 DKFP over 26.7 minutes. There’s a chance he could get an extended look following the Powell trade, especially if Eric Bledsoe, Justise Winslow and Keon Johnson are not available to make their team debut. Elleby has averaged a respectable 0.81 DKFP per minute this season, so he’s capable of taking advantage of an expanded workload. He’s priced at the absolute minimum, giving him the potential to be one of the best values of the day.
Other Options – Kelly Oubre ($5,200), Kentavious Caldwell-Pope ($3,700)
Power Forward
Stud
Giannis Antetokounmpo, Milwaukee Bucks @ Portland Trail Blazers ($12,100) – There are plenty of viable value targets on Saturday, which makes paying up for Antetokounmpo a stronger option than usual. Giannis is very expensive, but no one on this slate can match his upside. He’s averaged a ridiculous 1.83 DKFP per minute over the past month, and he’s coming off a 75.75-point triple-double in his last outing.
He also draws an elite matchup vs. the Blazers. They rank 28th in defensive efficiency, and the Bucks’ implied team total of 119.5 points is tops on the slate by a sizable margin. The only real concern is that this game turns into a blowout, with the Bucks currently listed as 10.5-point favorites.
Other Options – Julius Randle ($8,700), Gordon Hayward ($5,900)
Value
Darius Bazley, Oklahoma City Thunder @ Sacramento Kings ($4,300) – Bazley stands out as the preferred option for the Thunder at power forward. Bazley has averaged 0.86 DKFP per minute this season, and he’s seen a nice spike in playing time of late. He’s played at least 35.6 minutes in back-to-back games, and he’s expected to see a similar workload on Saturday.
Other Options – Jae Crowder ($4,000), Kenrich Williams ($3,700)
Center
Stud
Anthony Davis, Los Angeles Lakers vs. New York Knicks ($10,100) – Davis has played in each of the past five games for the Lakers, and he’s back to playing big minutes. He’s racked up at least 36.6 minutes in his past three contests, and he should continue to carry a larger usage rate than usual sans LeBron James. Davis has increased his usage rate by +4.1% with LeBron and Carmelo Anthony off the court this season, resulting in an average of 1.40 DKFP per minute.
Other Options – Jusuf Nurkic ($8,100), Bobby Portis ($6,100)
Value
Mamadi Diakite, Oklahoma City Thunder @ Sacramento Kings ($3,000) – We conclude our tour of the Thunder with Diakite. The big man from Virginia has been used sparingly during his first two NBA seasons, but he was given the chance to play big minutes in the Thunder’s last game. He logged 30.4 minutes vs. the Blazers on Friday, and he responded with 29.25 DKFP. Diakite is expected to see a similar workload on Saturday, making him an outstanding value option at the absolute minimum.
Other Options – Mason Plumlee ($5,100), JaVale McGee ($3,500)
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