Saturday features a seven-game slate starting at 8 p.m. ET.
Let’s dive into some of the top plays using the FantasyLabs Tools and metrics.
Also, don’t forget that for large-field tournaments, you can utilize our Lineup Optimizer to effortlessly create up to 150 lineups, or use our Lineup Builder if you like to hand-build your lineups.
Note: Projections and Leverages Scores/Ratings may change throughout the day after this article is posted. The NBA DFS landscape changes quickly. Consult the Player Models directly for any updates as we get closer to lock.
Point Guard
Stud
Dejounte Murray has had a fantastic season. He made his first All-Star team, and he’s averaging 20.7 points, 8.4 rebounds and 9.3 assists per game. Unsurprisingly, each of those marks represent new career-highs.
Murray has been one of the best fantasy point guards all year, and he’s taken his game to another level recently. He’s increased his production to 1.49 DraftKings points per minute over the past month, and he’s scored at least 52.75 DraftKings points in five straight games. He’ll have a chance for another big performance vs. the Pacers, who rank 27th in defensive efficiency over their past 10 games. The Spurs are currently implied for 121.25 points, which is the top mark on the slate.
Value
Sticking with the Spurs, Tre Jones is an appealing source of value on DraftKings. He’s priced at just $3,500, resulting in a Bargain Rating of 88%, and he’s averaged a strong 0.90 DraftKings points per minute over the past month. He’s not expected to see a ton of playing time on Saturday – he’s currently projected for 21 minutes in our NBA Models – but that should still give him a chance to pay off his minimal price tag. Jones also owns an elite Opponent Plus/Minus of +7.78.
Fast Break
The Jazz are another team with an excellent matchup Saturday. They’re taking on the Kings, who rank sixth in pace and 21st in defensive efficiency over their past 10 games. They also have the potential to be without Bojan Bogdanovic for the second-straight game, while Mike Conley could rest on the second leg of a back-to-back.
If that happens, Jordan Clarkson would become an extremely appealing value option. He’s priced down across the industry, and he’s averaged 1.03 FanDuel points per minute over the past month.
Steph Curry has struggled this season after an electric first month, but he still has the potential for huge performances. He did that in his last game, finishing with 53.3 FanDuel points over nearly 38 minutes. He remains priced at a discount on FanDuel, where his $9,300 salary comes with a Bargain Rating of 92%.
Shooting Guard
Stud
Fred VanVleet recently missed four games for the Raptors, but he’s back in the lineup now. He’s suited up in each of the past two games, and he’s coming off 38 minutes in his last outing. His usage rate was down in that contest, but he has big upside with that much playing time moving forward. VanVleet has averaged 1.11 DraftKings points per minute this season, so he’s underpriced at just $8,000.
Value
Jordan Poole has played extremely well of late, posting a positive Plus/Minus in five straight games on DraftKings. His playing time has also been up, which is not surprising given the Warriors’ current injury situation. They’re playing without Draymond Green, Andre Iguodala, Otto Porter and Gary Payton II, which should solidify Poole at around 32 minutes. He’s averaged 1.13 DraftKings points per minute over the past month, so he can do some damage with that much playing time.
Fast Break
Duncan Robinson is priced at just $3,300 on DraftKings, resulting in a Bargain Rating of 93%. His playing time is a bit more questionable with the Heat roster at full strength, but he doesn’t need to play much to pay off that cheap of a price tag. He’s currently projected for 23 minutes in our NBA Models, and players with comparable salaries and minute projections have historically averaged a Plus/Minus of +2.23 (per the Trends tool).
Donovan Mitchell was mediocre for the Jazz on Friday, finishing with 37.4 FanDuel points over 34.9 minutes. However, he would continue to carry increased appeal if Bogdanovic and/or Conley are out of the lineup. He’s increased his usage rate by +2.2% with both players off the floor, resulting in an average of 1.36 FanDuel points per minute.
Small Forward
Stud
Jimmy Butler has spent plenty of time on the injury report of late, but he’s still suited up in most of the Heat’s contests. That includes Friday’s win over the Cavaliers, where Butler racked up 44.0 DraftKings points over 33.9 minutes.
Butler has been priced down to $8,500 on Saturday, and it’s hard not to like him at that price tag. Butler has posted an average Plus/Minus of +3.49 with a comparable salary this season (per the Trends tool).
He also benefits from an excellent matchup vs. the Timberwolves. They’ve played at the third-fastest pace over their past 10 games, and the Heat are currently implied for 117.25 points. That represents a sizable increase from their season average of 109.5.
Value
Josh Richardson is an interesting option on Saturday. He moved into the Spurs’ starting lineup in their last game, and he responded with 23.5 DraftKings points over 34.4 minutes. There’s no guarantee that he draws another start vs. the Pacers, but he would be a nice value at $3,600 if he does. Make sure to monitor the news heading into lineup lock.
Fast Break
C.J. Elleby stands out as one of the best value options at small forward on FanDuel. He’s priced at just $3,700, resulting in a Bargain Rating of 96%, and he’s posted a positive Plus/Minus in five of his past six games. He should continue to see a solid complement of minutes for the Blazers, who are extremely shorthanded.
Anthony Edwards is a bit more expensive than he was on Friday, but he’s still massively underpriced at $6,900 on FanDuel. He played nearly 34.5 minutes in his last outing, and Edwards has averaged 1.05 FanDuel points per minute this season. Edwards has been dominant with a comparable salary this season, averaging a Plus/Minus of +9.63 in 10 previous occurrences.
Power Forward
Stud
Giannis Antetokounmpo has had another tremendous season for the Bucks, who enter Saturday’s matchup vs. the Warriors on a six-game win streak. Antetokounmpo has been a big reason for their success, scoring at least 62.75 DraftKings points in five of those contests. The only exception was a game where he played just 31.2 minutes in a blowout win.
A lack of minutes remains the only thing that can stop Giannis in fantasy. He’s averaged 1.90 DraftKings points per minute over the past month, so he’s a great bet to return value when he sees his usual workload. Saturday’s game vs. the Warriors features just a 1.5-point spread, so Vegas expects this to be a competitive contest. The total is also set at 236.5 points, which is the second-highest mark on the slate. Giannis is expensive – especially on DraftKings at $12,200 – but very few players on this slate can match his upside.
Value
It’s been a bit of a lost season for Rui Hachimura, who has played in just 25 games. He’s also averaged just 19.4 minutes per game, so it’s been a major step back for the former lottery pick.
However, he will have a chance to finish the year strong. He’s played at least 24 minutes in three of his past four games, and he’s averaged 0.92 DraftKings points per minute over the past month. That makes him a nice value at just $3,200 on DraftKings.
Fast Break
Domantas Sabonis missed the Kings’ last game due to a suspension, and he posted a negative Plus/Minus in each of his five previous games. That’s caused his price tag to drop to just $8,400 on FanDuel, and he has some buy-low appeal at that salary. He’s historically posted an average Plus/Minus of +4.86 with a comparable price tag.
Bam Adebayo has PF eligibility on FanDuel, and he’s always an appealing option at that position. Power forward isn’t nearly as strong as center, and Adebayo has averaged 1.35 FanDuel points per minute over the past month. He was dominant on Friday, racking up 60.9 FanDuel points over 32.7 minutes in a win over the Cavaliers.
Center
Stud
Nikola Jokic is the other mega stud on this slate, and he’s been on a massive heater recently. He’s coming off 54.5 DraftKings points in his last outing, and that represents his worst game by a significant margin. Prior to that, he had scored at least 75.25 DraftKings points in each of his previous three games.
Overall, Jokic has been comparable to Giannis on a per-minute basis of late, averaging 1.89 DraftKings points over the past month. However, his matchup vs. the Raptors is significantly worse than Giannis’ on Saturday. The Nuggets are implied for approximately five fewer points, and Jokic owns an Opponent Plus/Minus of -4.69. That’s the worst mark at the position.
Value
Isaiah Jackson has carved out a solid role for the Pacers. He’s logged at least 22.3 minutes in three of his past four games, and he’s scored at least 27.75 DraftKings points in each of them. Jackson is an outstanding per-minute producer for his price tag, averaging 1.25 DraftKings points per minute, so he can pile up fantasy points quickly. He remains underpriced at just $5,000 on DraftKings, resulting in a Bargain Rating of 75%.
Fast Break
Daniel Gafford is another excellent value option on DraftKings. He’s priced at just $3,700, resulting in a Bargain Rating of 97%, and he’s increased his production to 1.13 DraftKings points per minute over the past month. He’s projected for 23 minutes Saturday in a great matchup vs. the Blazers.
Rudy Gobert posted a Plus/Minus of +13.52 on Friday, and he has the potential for another monster outing on Saturday. He’s taking on the Kings, who have been one of the best matchups in basketball for opposing centers. Gobert also remains priced at a discount at just $7,500 on FanDuel.
Photo Credit: Jeff Haynes/NBAE via Getty Images
Pictured: Giannis Antetokounmpo
