Friday features a five-game main slate starting at 7:30 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
It’s been an up-and-down season for the Houston Rockets. They’re currently sitting in fourth place in the Western Conference, but they haven’t been playing their best basketball of late. They’re merely 16th in Net Rating over their past 15 games, and they’re coming off an embarrassing loss vs. the Nuggets in their last outing.
That said, they’re in a great spot to bounce back on Friday. They’re taking on the Pelicans, who have been a fantastic matchup this season. They rank 26th in defensive efficiency, and the Rockets are implied for a healthy 119.0 points in this contest.
Amen Thompson stands out as one of Houston’s best options. He’s currently projected for 37 minutes in our NBA Models, and he’s averaged 1.07 DraftKings points per minute over the past month. He’s also available at a discount on DraftKings, with his $7,800 price tag coming with a 95% Bargain Rating.
There’s also a chance that the Rockets are without Alperen Sengun on Friday. He’s currently listed as questionable, and Thompson has seen a +2.07% bump to his usage rate with Sengun off the floor this season. That’s the third-largest bump on the team, so he would carry more appeal than usual if Sengun is out of the lineup.
Value
The Pistons will be on the second leg of a back-to-back on Friday, but they didn’t have to work particularly hard on Thursday. They thumped the 76ers at home, and they’re listed as 16.5-point favorites tonight vs. the Grizzlies.
Marcus Sasser has started the past four games for the Pistons, and he’s had at least 23.25 DraftKings points in two of them. He’s projected for another 22.5 minutes on Friday, making him an interesting value target at just $3,900. Sasser hasn’t been particularly impressive on a per-minute basis this season, but players with comparable salaries and minute projections have historically averaged a Plus/Minus of +1.07 (per the Trends tool). Sasser leads all point guards in projected Plus/Minus, making him a solid value target.
Fast Break
Cade Cunningham is also worth consideration for the Pistons. He’s been their clear driving force on offense all season, and he’s averaged 1.51 DraftKings points per minute over the past month. That’s the top mark among Friday’s point guards. The Pistons’ 125.0 implied team total ranks second on the slate, and Cunningham should be a big part of their scoring outburst. He’s also projected for roughly 11% ownership, which increases his appeal for tournaments.
Dejounte Murray continues to stuff the stat sheet in his return from injury. He’s averaged 1.34 DraftKings points per minute, and he’s coming off 45.25 DraftKings points vs. the Raptors in his last outing. Murray will have to navigate a tough matchup vs. the Rockets, but he’s simply too cheap for how he’s played since joining the rotation.
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 Cavaliers have looked like legit contenders since acquiring James Harden from the Clippers. They’re fifth in Net Rating over their past 15 games, and they’re up to fourth place in the Eastern Conference standings. They’re just three games behind the Celtics for the No. 2 seed, and there’s still enough time for them to potentially pass them in the standings.
Donovan Mitchell has seen a slight downtick in production since the Harden acquisition, which is to be expected. However, he’s still averaged a very respectable 1.30 DraftKings points per minute over the past month.
He’s in a great spot to do some damage on Friday. He’s taking on the Mavericks, who rank 23rd in defensive efficiency over the past 15 games. The Cavaliers’ 125.0 implied team total is tied with the Pistons for the second-highest of the day, and Mitchell stands out as an elite pay-up option in Sim Labs. His optimal lineup rate checks in at roughly 37%, while his projected ownership is closer to 28%.
Value
Josh Hart is officially questionable for the Knicks after missing the team’s last game. However, if he’s able to return to the lineup, he stands out as a nice value target at $6,100. Hart has always been an excellent per-minute producer, and he’s averaged 0.99 DraftKings points per minute over the past month. He’s coming off 36.5 minutes in his last outing, and he’s projected for 29 minutes in a good matchup vs. the Pacers.
There’s also a chance that Hart is in the lineup without Karl-Anthony Towns. The big man is listed as questionable with a knee injury, and if there’s a spot to rest him, it’s vs. the tanking Pacers. Hart has averaged 1.05 DraftKings points per minute with Towns off the floor this season, so his absence would give Hart a slight boost in value. He ranks first at the position in optimal lineup rate, so make sure to monitor this situation for updates.
Editor’s note: KAT and Hart have been downgraded to doubtful.
Fast Break
Kevin Huerter is another potential punt play for Detroit. He hasn’t been particularly involved since being acquired before the deadline, but he’s been productive when he’s been on the floor. He’s averaged 0.90 DraftKings points per minute over the past month, and he’s coming off 28.0 DraftKings points in his last outing. He’s projected for 19 minutes vs. the Grizzlies, and he could see a bit more playing time than usual if the game turns into a blowout. Even if he doesn’t, he’ll have a chance to pay off his $3,700 salary.
Tari Eason has been mired in a tough spell for the Rockets, posting a negative Plus/Minus in six straight games. That’s caused his price tag to dip to $5,500, and he’s a strong buy-low option at that figure. Eason is projected for 30 minutes in our NBA Models, and he’s seen one of the largest usage bumps on the team with Sengun off the floor this season.
Be sure to check out all the pick’ems Sleeper has to offer with our Sleeper promo code.
NBA DFS Small Forward Picks
Stud
Sticking with the Rockets, Kevin Durant would be the team’s offensive focal point if Sengun is out of the lineup. Durant has seen a team-high +4.21% usage bump in that split this season, averaging 1.30 DraftKings points per minute. He remains one of the league’s most efficient high-volume scorers, so an uptick in shot attempts is extremely appealing for fantasy purposes.
Durant wasn’t really needed in the team’s last game, but he had 51.0 DraftKings points the game prior. He ranks third at the position in optimal lineup rate, and he has the second-best optimal lineup rate among high-priced players on the entire slate.
Value
The Cavaliers acquired Keon Ellis before the trade deadline, and he has immediately become an important role player for the squad. He’s posted a positive Plus/Minus in five of his past six games, and he’s coming off his best performance in his last outing. He finished with 33.0 DraftKings points in 31.1 minutes vs. the Magic, and he’s knocked down nine 3-pointers across his past two games.
Ellis has averaged 0.83 DraftKings points per minute over the past month, and he’s projected for another 27 minutes on Friday’s slate. He stands out as an elite value at just $4,000, resulting in a 97% Bargain Rating.
Fast Break
R.J. Barrett is coming off a down showing in his last game, but he had scored at least 36.0 DraftKings points in his three previous contests. Overall, he’s averaged 1.04 DraftKings points per minute over the past month, and he’s projected for 33 minutes Friday vs. the Suns. This game doesn’t stand out as a particularly appealing fantasy target – it has the lowest total on the slate at 218.5 – but Barrett seems underpriced at just $6,900.
The same goes for Jalen Green. He’s been a fantastic source of value recently, posting a positive Plus/Minus in five of his past six games. That includes a whopping 52.75 DraftKings points Thursday on the front end of a back-to-back. He’s averaged 1.18 DraftKings points per minute over the past month, giving him plenty of upside at $6,600.
NBA DFS Power Forward Picks
Stud
Power forward doesn’t stand out as a great position to pay up at on Friday. Only four players are priced at $7,500 or more, and all of them have negative Plus/Minus projections.
That said, Evan Mobley looks like the best of the bunch. He has the top optimal lineup rate of the quartet in Sim Labs, and he draws the best individual matchup vs. the Mavericks.
He should also continue to benefit from the absence of Jarrett Allen. He’s seen the largest usage bump on the team with Allen off the floor this season, and he’s also seen slight bumps to his rebound and assist rates. He’s coming off 45.75 DraftKings points sans Allen vs. the Magic on Wednesday, and his current matchup vs. the Mavericks is undoubtedly easier.
Value
Ron Holland has logged at least 25.2 minutes in back-to-back games, making him an interesting value option at just $3,800. Holland has averaged 0.93 DraftKings points per minute over the past month, so he doesn’t need a ton of playing time to rack up fantasy points. He owns the top projected Plus/Minus at power forward, and he’s second in that department on the entire slate.
Fast Break
It seems like Jabari Smith is never going to live up to his potential as the No. 3 pick in the 2021 NBA Draft. That said, he’s still a solid rotation player. He’s averaged 0.89 DraftKings points per minute over the past month, and he could see an uptick in playing time if Sengun is sidelined on Friday. He’s currently projected for 34 minutes in our NBA Models, and he’s averaged a Plus/Minus of +1.29 with a comparable salary and minute projection this season.
OG Anunoby has a wide range of outcomes for the Knicks. He dropped more than 63 DraftKings points four games ago, and he’s followed that up with at least 37.3 minutes in two of his past three games. There’s no guarantee he plays that much vs. the lowly Pacers, but he has some upside for tournaments.
NBA DFS Center Picks
Stud
If Towns is in the lineup vs. the Pacers, he could be looking at a big day. The Pacers don’t have much in terms of frontcourt presence, and Towns has averaged 1.42 DraftKings points per minute over the past month. He’s had at least 53.0 DraftKings points in two of his past three games, and he has the top ceiling projection at the position.
Value
Marvin Bagley has bounced around the league over the past few years, and he’s currently plying his trade for the Mavericks. That said, he’s been productive during his time in Dallas. He’s averaged 11.0 points and 8.4 rebounds in 10 games, and he’s posted a positive Plus/Minus in six of his past seven outings.
Bagley has averaged an excellent 1.14 DraftKings points per minute over the past month, and he’s projected for 24 minutes Friday vs. the Cavaliers. He’s priced at just $4,400 on DraftKings, resulting in a Bargain Rating of 86%. He ranks first on the slate in projected Plus/Minus, making him arguably the strongest value on the entire slate.
Fast Break
The Knicks are still being careful with Mitchell Robinson’s minutes, but he’s extremely effective when he’s on the floor. He’s averaged 1.11 DraftKings points per minute over the past month, so he doesn’t need a ton of playing time to potentially return value. He’s coming off 28.75 DraftKings points in his last contest, and he trails only Bagley in terms of projected Plus/Minus at the position.
If Sengun suits up, he could be worth some stud consideration vs. the Pelicans. He hasn’t been particularly impactful of late, which has caused his salary to dip to just $8,700. That results in an 86% Bargain Rating, and he ranks second at the position in optimal lineup rate.
Pictured: Amen Thompson
Photo Credit: Imagn
