Friday features a six-game main slate starting at 7 p.m. ET.
Let’s dive into some of the top plays on the slate using the FantasyLabs tools and projections.
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
Point guard doesn’t feature quite as much star power as usual on Friday. Each of the 14 priciest options on DraftKings owns a negative Plus/Minus projection in our NBA Models, so it’s a decent day to save some salary at the position.
However, Jalen Brunson has some appeal at $9,000. He’s racked up back-to-back double-doubles for the Knicks, finishing with 45.25 DraftKings points vs. the Thunder and 47.5 DraftKings points vs. the Raptors.
His matchup vs. the Nuggets on Friday should be a bit easier. Denver ranks 21st in defensive efficiency for the season, and this game features the highest total on the slate at 230.5 points.
The Knicks could also be without Josh Hart, who is currently listed as questionable. That would give Brunson a nice uptick in production. He’s seen a team-high +2.38% bump to his usage rate with Hart off the floor this season, resulting in an average of 1.24 DraftKings points per minute. Brunson leads all point guards with 37 projected minutes, so he checks a lot of boxes.
Value
Reed Sheppard has been a tremendous source of value for the Rockets of late. He’s posted an average Plus/Minus of +10.88 across his last 10 games, and he’s scored at least 39.75 DraftKings points in four of his last five. Sheppard is playing significantly more minutes than he did to start the season, and he’s averaged 1.17 DraftKings points per minute over the past month. That’s an appealing combination.
Sheppard’s price tag is up to $6,200 for Friday’s matchup vs. the Blazers, but that still represents a solid discount. It results in a 97% Bargain Rating, and he leads all point guards in projected Plus/Minus.
Fast Break
Dejounte Murray is back for the Pelicans after missing more than a calendar year, and he’s made an impact right out of the gates. He’s posted a positive Plus/Minus in his last three contests, and he’s eclipsed 40 DraftKings points in two of them. Murray has averaged an outstanding 1.34 DraftKings points per minute since joining the rotation, and he got up to just under 28 minutes in his last game. He’s another player who is simply too cheap at $6,400, resulting in a 95% Bargain Rating.
Dylan Harper is probably your best bet if looking for a true salary saver at point guard. He’s priced at just $4,500, but he’s scored at least 27.25 DraftKings points in three of his last five games. His playing time has trended down in recent outings, but he’s projected for 24 minutes Friday vs. the Clippers. He’s averaged 1.0 DraftKings points per minute over the past month, so that should be enough for him to return value.
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
Stud
The Spurs got remarkably lucky to win the lottery and secure Victor Wembanyama, but he’s far from the only potential superstar in San Antonio at the moment. Stephon Castle has also outproduced all expectations since being drafted fourth overall last season. He’s improved across the board after winning Rookie of the Year in 2024-25, averaging 16.4 points, 6.9 assists, and 4.8 rebounds in his sophomore season.
Castle has turned in back-to-back double-doubles, finishing with at least 36.75 DraftKings points in both contests. Overall, he’s averaged 1.26 DraftKings points per minute over the past month, which is an elite figure for his price tag. He ranks third in projected Plus/Minus and fifth in projected ceiling among Friday’s shooting guards, making him a nice combination of value and upside.
Value
Kris Murray is officially questionable for the Blazers with an illness, but he could be forced into a decent workload if he’s able to suit up. Deni Avdija is doubtful, and Murray has played at least 28.1 minutes in two of his last four games with Avdija sidelined.
Murray is currently projected for 26 minutes in our NBA Models, and that’s a lot of potential playing time for someone priced at just $3,700. Historically, players with comparable salaries and minute projections have averaged a Plus/Minus of +2.63 (per the Trends tool). Murray finished with 24.75 and 28.75 DraftKings points in his last two games with a comparable workload, and he ranks first at shooting guard in projected Plus/Minus.
Fast Break
Jalen Green has missed most of the season for Phoenix, but he’s suited up in each of their last seven games. He’s been a big part of their offense during that stretch, posting a 34.4% usage rate. His efficiency remains a massive negative – he’s shooting just 35.5% from the field and 26.3% from 3-point range this season – but he’s getting plenty of opportunities. Green has averaged 1.05 DraftKings points per minute over the past month, and if his shot is falling, he has the potential to fly past that figure.
Klay Thompson is another player who can thrive when his jumper is on. That was the case in his last outing, knocking down seven of 12 3-pointers and finishing with 35.0 DraftKings points. He doesn’t have the same level of upside as Green, but he’s available at a much cheaper price tag.
Be sure to check out all the pick’ems Sleeper has to offer with our Sleeper promo code.
NBA DFS Small Forward Picks
Stud
Kawhi Leonard is going to have to navigate a brutal matchup vs. the Spurs’ elite defense on Friday, but he stands out as the best option among the stud SFs. He’s taken on a massive offensive workload after the Clippers traded away James Harden and Ivica Zubac before the deadline. He’s averaged 1.51 DraftKings points per minute over the past month, and he’s responded with some huge fantasy performances. Leonard has two games with at least 62.5 DraftKings points across his last eight, and he had 45.5 DraftKings points in just 23.4 minutes in a blowout win his last time out.
Leonard will likely have to do significantly more if the Clippers are going to hang with the Spurs. He leads all SFs with 11 Pro Trends, while his $9,500 salary comes with an 86% Bargain Rating. He’s also projected for less than 10% ownership in our NBA Models, making him an interesting contrarian option for tournaments.
Value
Mikal Bridges has been hit or miss for the Knicks for most of the season, but there are reasons to believe in him on Friday. For starters, he’s coming off just under 40 minutes in his last outing. The Knicks leaned on him a little more than usual in a potential NBA Finals preview vs. the Thunder, and he could get a similar treatment vs. the Nuggets. That would be even more likely if Hart is forced to sit out.
Bridges has also seen a slight price reduction in recent games. He’s down to $6,000 on DraftKings, and he has historically posted a positive Plus/Minus with a comparable salary as a member of the Knicks. He ranks first at the position in projected Plus/Minus, so he’s a solid buy-low option.
Fast Break
Julian Champagnie has become a bigger part of the Spurs’ rotation in recent games. He’s responded with a positive Plus/Minus in five of his last six, and he cracked 30 minutes in the team’s most recent outing. Champagnie is projected for another 28.5 minutes on Friday’s slate, and he should be able to deliver excellent value if he approaches that figure. He’s averaged 0.95 DraftKings points per minute over the past month, and he’s historically averaged a Plus/Minus of +4.89 with a comparable salary and minute projection.
Brandon Miller provides comparable upside to the top small forwards on this slate at a slight discount. He’s available at just $7,700, but he’s averaged an outstanding 1.30 DraftKings points per minute over the past month. The only thing that has stopped him recently has been a lack of playing time. The Hornets have won six straight games by 15+ points, so they haven’t needed a ton from Miler in those contests. Once the team starts playing in more competitive games – they’re 7.5-point favorites vs. the Heat on Friday – Miller’s production should increase.
NBA DFS Power Forward Picks
Stud
Zion Williamson is in the midst of an “Iron Man” streak by his standards. He did miss a game last weekend, but he’s suited up in 36 of the team’s last seven games. With the Pelicans’ first-round pick headed to Atlanta for the 2026 NBA Draft, there’s no reason for New Orleans to get creative with Williamson’s playing time down the stretch. As long as he’s healthy enough to play, expect him to be out there.
Williamson hasn’t been quite as dominant as before, but he’s still averaged 1.19 DraftKings points per minute over the past month. He’s coming off 42.25 DraftKings points in his last outing, and he did that in under 29 minutes. He owns the top median and ceiling projections at power forward on Friday, making him a reasonable option at $7,900.
Value
Nothing that Andrew Wiggins does jumps off the page for fantasy purposes, but he’s been getting the job done more often than not recently. He’s posted a positive Plus/Minus in seven of his last 10 games, and two of the exceptions were blowouts in which he played reduced minutes. Wiggins is projected for 31 minutes Friday vs. the Hornets, and he’s averaged an excellent 1.15 DraftKings points per minute over the past month.
Wiggins is going to have to do more of the heavy lifting for Miami with Norman Powell sidelined with an injury. He’s seen a +1.67% bump to his usage rate with Powell off the floor this season, giving him a bit more appeal than usual. He owns the top Sim Labs optimal lineup rate among power forwards, and he’s third at the position in projected Plus/Minus.
Fast Break
Saddiq Bey has been a pretty consistent source of scoring for the Pelicans all season. His production has dipped a bit in recent games, but he’s still averaged 1.0 DraftKings points per minute over the past month. He continues to play 30+ minutes on a regular basis, and before a clunker in his last contest, he had posted a positive Plus/Minus in three of his previous four games.
OG Anunoby would be another potential beneficiary if Hart is ruled out. He’s coming off just under 38 minutes in his last outing, and while he hasn’t been particularly effective of late, he’s displayed plenty of upside in the past. He’s an interesting buy-low candidate.
NBA DFS Center Picks
Stud
Choosing between Wembanyama and Nikola Jokic isn’t easy, but Wemby gets the edge on DraftKings. He’s $2,000 cheaper than Jokic, and that’s too good a value to pass up. His $10,500 salary comes with a 99% Bargain Rating, and Wemby has been nearly as good as Jokic on a per-minute basis. He’s averaged 1.82 DraftKings points per minute over the past month, while Jokic is sitting at 1.85.
Wembanyama is coming off a monster performance vs. the Pistons on Thursday. He finished with 38 points, 16 rebounds, three assists, and five blocks, resulting in 76.0 DraftKings points. There’s always a chance that he sits on the second leg of a back-to-back, but as long as he’s in the lineup, he’s in contention for the top overall spot on the slate.
Value
Oso Ighodaro stands out as one of the best values of the day. He leads the entire slate in projected Plus/Minus, and he racked up 36.1 minutes as a member of the starting lineup on Thursday. He’s averaged 1.05 DraftKings points per minute over the past month, so he can do significant damage with that much playing time.
Even if Ighodaro moves back to the bench on Friday, he should remain a big part of the Suns’ rotation. He’s played at least 25.8 minutes in three straight games, and he’s currently projected for 28 minutes vs. the Pelicans. They’ve been a fantastic matchup for fantasy purposes all season, so Ighodaro should be able to keep the production rolling.
Fast Break
Kel’el Ware is another phenomenal value option at center. He’s played at least 28.6 minutes in three straight games, and he’s responded with 56.75, 39.25, and 36.75 DraftKings points. Ware has averaged 1.48 DraftKings points per minute over the past month, and his price has yet to reflect his increased workload. His $5,400 salary comes with a 93% Bargain Rating.
Isaiah Jackson is dirt cheap at $3,300, and he’s averaged 1.18 DraftKings points per minute over the past month. That means he doesn’t need a ton of playing time to potentially return value. He’s coming off 18.4 minutes in his last outing, and he’s projected for 19 minutes Friday vs. the Spurs.
Pictured: Kawhi Leonard
Photo Credit: Imagn
