Friday features a nine-game main slate starting at 7 p.m. ET.
Also, don’t forget that for large-field tournaments, you can utilize our Lineup Optimizer to effortlessly create up to 300 lineups or use our Lineup Builder if you like to hand-build your lineups.
You can also use our SimLabs Lineup Generator, a tool that creates the most user-friendly lineup generation process.
Note: Projections and Leverage Scores/Ratings may change throughout the day after this article is posted. The NBA DFS landscape changes quickly.
Consult the NBA Player Models directly for any updates as we get closer to lock.
NBA DFS Point Guard Picks
Stud
The Celtics are expected to be without Jaylen Brown on Friday, who is currently listed as doubtful. That’s going to open up a ton of additional opportunities for the rest of the roster. Brown has put together the best season of his career with Jayson Tatum on the sidelines, averaging 29.4 points per game with a 36.6% usage rate. He’s going to deservedly earn some MVP and first-team All-NBA consideration for the work he’s done.
With Brown not available, Payton Pritchard has the potential to provide stud-like production at a slight discount. He’s seen a massive +7.57% bump to his usage rate with Brown off the floor this season, resulting in a team-best 1.26 DraftKings points per minute. That represents a pretty massive increase from his average of 0.98 DraftKings points per minute over the past month.
Pritchard is currently projected for 34 minutes in our NBA Models, which gives him massive appeal vs. the lowly Kings. He leads the entire slate in projected Plus/Minus, and he’s popping in the Sim Labs optimal lineup at a nearly 60% clip.
Value
Sticking with the Celtics, Anfernee Simons should also see a boost in responsibilities. His playing time is a bit more volatile than Pritchard’s, but he’s projected for 26 minutes on Friday’s slate. Simons has seen a +4.93% bump to his usage rate with Brown off the floor this season, resulting in an average of 0.99 DraftKings points per minute. He ultimately ranks third at the position in projected Plus/Minus, trailing only his two more expensive backcourt mates.
Fast Break
Egor Demin is another potential value option at point guard. He’s had the opportunity to play a bit more in recent games, logging 28.6 and 31.2 minutes in his past two outings. He’s responded with a positive Plus/Minus in both contests, and he’s projected for another 29 minutes on Friday’s slate. Demin also draws an elite matchup vs. the Jazz, who rank dead last in defensive efficiency and second in pace.
Luka Doncic is officially questionable for the Lakers after turning his ankle on the Cavaliers’ stupid elevated court in their last game. He was limited to just 29.8 minutes in that contest, and he snapped a streak of four straight games with at least 64 DraftKings points. If Doncic is able to go, he’s in a great spot to start a new streak on Friday. The Lakers are taking on the Wizards, and they lead the slate with a 119.5-point implied team total. Doncic has the top ceiling projection at point guard by nearly 15 points, and he’s not expected to garner nearly as much ownership as usual.
Don’t forget to check out our NBA SimLabs Lineup Generator to create advanced DFS lineups using the power of simulation:
NBA DFS Shooting Guard Picks
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Derrick White is the other elite backcourt option to consider for the Celtics on Friday. He’s actually seen the biggest usage bump on the team with Brown out of the picture this season. He’s seen a +8.56% increase in that split, resulting in an average of 1.20 DraftKings points per minute. White is at just 1.0 DraftKings points per minute over the past month, so that’s a significant increase.
White ultimately ranks first among shooting guards in projected Plus/Minus, and he trails only Donovan Mitchell in ceiling projection. The gap between the two players is pretty slim, despite White checking in at a discount of more than $2,000. It makes him the clear top choice if paying up at the position.
Value
Cam Thomas has been back for the Nets for roughly a month, but the team is still taking it very easy on him from a minutes standpoint. He’s been capped in the low-20s for most of that stretch, though he did get to 25 in his last outing. That’s his best mark since returning from injury, and he’s projected for another 24.5 minutes on Friday’s slate.
Thomas has also seen a massive price reduction since coming back. He’s down to just $4,700 for his matchup vs. the Jazz after being priced as high as $6,700 earlier this month. It makes Thomas a prime buy-low target.
At his best, Thomas is capable of racking up points in bunches. He hasn’t exactly produced at that level since returning – he’s averaged just 0.82 DraftKings points per minute over the past month – but there’s no reason he can’t improve on that figure moving forward. He’s still posted a usage rate of just under 30% since rejoining the rotation, but he’s knocked down just 35.9% of his field goal attempts during the month of January. With some better shooting production, Thomas should be able to provide nice value at his reduced salary.
Fast Break
The Warriors are still trying to figure out life without Jimmy Butler. They’ve been linked to a Giannis Antetokounmpo trade, but for the time being, they’re going to need to get more from guys like Brandin Podziemski. He’s coming off 35.0 DraftKings points in 28.3 minutes in his last outing, and he’s the type of player who can easily average better than a fantasy point per minute. His matchup vs. the Pistons on Friday isn’t ideal, but $6,000 is too cheap for him with Butler and Jonathan Kuminga sidelined.
The Grizzlies are still playing without Ja Morant, so Cedric Coward should continue to see a few more minutes and shot attempts. He’s been excellent on a per-minute basis of late, averaging 1.14 DraftKings points per minute over the past month. He also gets an excellent matchup against the Pelicans on Friday, and this game features the day’s largest total at 233.5 points.
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NBA DFS Small Forward Picks
Stud
How are the Suns doing it? Despite losing Kevin Durant and Bradley Beal this offseason, the team has been markedly better than it was the past two years. They managed to pick up a win over the Pistons on Thursday, despite Devin Booker missing the game with an injury. They have the seventh-best record in the Western Conference at 29-19, and the coaching staff and veteran leadership in the locker room deserve a lot of the credit.
The team will be on the second leg of a back-to-back on Friday, so we’re still waiting on their official injury report. However, if the team is without Booker once again, Grayson Allen would deserve some stud consideration.
Allen has been phenomenal for the Suns of late. He’s posted an average Plus/Minus of +6.50 over his past 10 outings, and he’s posted a positive Plus/Minus in all but one contest. That includes 38.25 DraftKings points vs. the Pistons on Thursday.
Allen’s price tag has jumped up to $7,000 for Friday’s matchup vs. the Cavaliers, but he owns the second-highest ceiling projection at the position in our NBA Models. He ranks fourth among SFs in projected Plus/Minus, making him a nice combination of value and upside.
Value
It’s hard to look past Herb Jones at just $4,400. Jones hasn’t been particularly exciting for fantasy purposes this season, but he’s currently projected for 28 minutes in our NBA Models. That’s a lot of playing time for a pretty reasonable salary, and players with comparable marks in both areas have historically averaged a Plus/Minus of +2.03 (per the Trends tool). Add in a plus matchup vs. the Grizzlies, and Jones stands out as one of the best values at the position.
Fast Break
Jaylon Tyson continues to break out in his second professional season. Not much was expected of him coming into this season, but he’s averaged 13.8 points, 5.6 rebounds, and 2.3 assists across 28.0 minutes per game. He’s had the opportunity to play more than expected with the Cavaliers dealing with plenty of injuries, and he’s taken full advantage. The Cavs are currently without Evan Mobley and Darius Garland, and Tyson has increased his production to 1.14 DraftKings points per minute with both guys off the floor this season. He had 39.5 DraftKings points in that situation vs. the Lakers on Wednesday, and there’s no reason he can’t return value once again vs. the Suns.
Dillon Brooks would also deserve consideration for Phoenix if Booker is out again. He’s coming off 40 points sans Booker on Thursday, finishing with a whopping 61.5 DraftKings points vs. the Pistons. He’s priced a bit cheaper than Allen, but he has arguably a bit more upside: he’s scored at least 39.25 DraftKings points in three of his past six games.
NBA DFS Power Forward Picks
Stud
Zion Williamson may never live up to the hype that he carried into the NBA, but he’s still a quality player when he’s healthy enough to suit up. He’s averaged 1.25 DraftKings points per minute over the past month, and his playing time is trending in the right direction. The Pelicans have been careful with his minutes for most of the year, but he’s logged at least 33.1 minutes in three straight contests. As a result, he’s finished with at least 45.5 DraftKings points in two of them.
Williamson is projected for another 33 minutes on Friday’s slate, making him the clear top choice if paying up at power forward. He’s priced at just $7,800, and he has plenty of upside at that figure. His ceiling projection is comparable to guys like LeBron James, Scottie Barnes, and Domantas Sabonis, all of whom are more expensive.
Value
Danny Wolf is coming off a poor showing in his last outing, but he did play more than 27.5 minutes. That bodes well for his outlook moving forward. Wolf has averaged 0.97 DraftKings points per minute over the past month, so he should produce better results with comparable workloads in the future. Wolf had 33.25 DraftKings points in 25.9 minutes vs. the Clippers over the weekend, and he’s projected for another 24 minutes Friday vs. the Jazz.
Fast Break
Saddiq Bey has been remarkable for the Pelicans this season. He missed all of last year while recovering from an ACL tear, but he’s picked up basically right where he left off. He’s averaging 15.9 points per game, and he’s been even better of late for fantasy purposes. Bey has scored 46.25, 47.5, and 52.0 DraftKings points in his past three outings, yet he remains priced at a discount at $6,000. It results in a 92% Bargain Rating on DraftKings, which is tied for the top mark at power forward.
The Jazz are going to provide plenty of value in the frontcourt on Friday. They’ve already ruled out Lauri Markkanen, Jusuf Nurkic, and Kevin Love, in addition to all the guys they were already missing. That should keep Kyle Anderson firmly in the rotation. He’s had at least 22.75 DraftKings points in back-to-back games, and there’s no reason he can’t do it again vs. the Nets.
NBA DFS Center Picks
Stud
It has been a disappointing year for most of the Grizzlies, including Jaren Jackson Jr. He’s averaging more than three fewer points per game than he did last season, despite playing more minutes per night. As a result, he’s averaged a -4.91 Plus/Minus on DraftKings for the year.
However, Jackson has started to show some signs of life of late. He’s scored 26 points in two of his past three games, and he’s had at least 42.0 DraftKings points in both contests. That includes a whopping 57.0 DraftKings points vs. the Pelicans over the weekend.
Jackson will get another matchup vs. New Orleans on Friday, and with the team currently dealing with multiple injuries, the stage is set for another big performance. He has the top ceiling projection at center despite just the fifth-highest price tag, and his optimal lineup rate is close to 30%.
Value
Kyle Filipowski is arguably Utah’s most appealing big man target on Friday. Filipowski was a per-minute monster as a rookie, and while he hasn’t been quite as good in his second year, he still brings plenty of upside to the table. He’s currently projected for 28 minutes in our NBA Models, and Filipowski has historically averaged a Plus/Minus of +4.47 with a comparable minute projection. He’s increased his production to 1.10 DraftKings points per minute with Markkanen and Nurkic off the floor this season, and he leads all centers in projected Plus/Minus.
Fast Break
Jock Landale is coming off a poor performance on Wednesday, but he had been producing at an elite rate before that contest. He’s averaged 1.16 DraftKings points per minute over the past month, and he should continue to see an uptick in playing time with Zach Edey, Brandon Clarke, and Santi Aldama all out of the lineup. He’s projected for 26 minutes Friday vs. the Pelicans, which should be enough to potentially pay off his $6,000 salary.
Jarrett Allen was only needed for 24.1 minutes vs. the Lakers on Wednesday, but that was enough to post a positive Plus/Minus. He’s seen a bump in production with Mobley off the floor dating back to last season, so he has more appeal than usual vs. the Suns. He should see significantly more playing time if Friday’s game is more competitive: he’s projected for 31.5 minutes in our NBA Models.
Pictured: Payton Pritchard
Photo Credit: Imagn
