Friday features a three-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
We have three more Game 6s scheduled for Friday, and the Pistons will be looking to stave off elimination for the second straight game. They were able to win Game 5, but they’ll need two more wins to complete the comeback vs. the Magic. This game will be played in Orlando, but the Pistons are still listed as 3.5-point road favorites.
Cade Cunningham was brilliant for Detroit in Game 5. He finished with 45 points and 59.0 DraftKings points, and the team will likely need another monster effort to keep them alive on Friday. Their offense has struggled to score all series, with Cunningham their only real threat. Cunningham has posted a 36.1% usage rate during the playoffs after sitting at just 30.5% during the regular season.
Cunningham logged more than 43.5 minutes in Game 5, and he should be looking at another monster workload in Game 6. He leads all of Friday’s point guards with an average of 1.29 DraftKings points per minute over the past month, which is an appealing combination. He owns the top ceiling projection on the entire slate, albeit at an expensive price tag.
Value
On the other side of that matchup, the Magic are going to have to overcome an injury to Franz Wagner. That’s nothing new for them. They’ve played most of the season without Wagner, so they know how to survive without him.
Anthony Black should be one of the biggest beneficiaries. He got all the way up to 39.1 minutes with Wagner exiting early in Game 5, and he responded with 36.25 DraftKings points. He’s projected for another 34 minutes on Friday, and it’s tough to pass up that much playing time at just $4,700. Players with comparable salaries and minute projections have historically averaged a Plus/Minus of +2.88 (per the Trends tool), and Black is better than the typical producer in this price range on a per-minute basis. He’s averaged 0.93 DraftKings points per minute over the past month, so he can make the most of his expanded workload.
Black leads the entire slate in projected Plus/Minus, making him an obvious choice in the backcourt. He’s going to command massive ownership, but he’s a really tough fade.
Fast Break
The Raptors were already without Immanuel Quickley this postseason, and now Brandon Ingram is doubtful for Game 6. It leaves the team without two of its top four offensive options. Jamal Shead should be one of the biggest beneficiaries. He’s coming off 33.7 minutes and 34.25 DraftKings points in his last outing, and he’s averaged 0.95 DraftKings points per minute with Ingram and Quickley off the floor this season. If he sees another 30+ minutes, he’s a great bet to return value.
The Raptors have won two straight vs. the Lakers, but they still need two more wins to pull off the historic comeback. Kevin Durant is doubtful once again for Game 6, so they will likely be without their top offensive player once again. That should result in another monster workload for Amen Thompson. He’s currently projected for 43 minutes in our NBA Models, which is the top mark on the slate. He’s failed to return value in back-to-back games, but he still has massive upside.
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
With Wagner on the shelf, Desmond Bane is another player who should see a boost in value for the Magic. While Bane hasn’t had the impact that many were expecting on the Magic’s offense overall, he has been at his best with Wagner off the floor. He’s seen the second-largest usage bump on the team in that split, resulting in a slight bump to his fantasy production.
Bane has failed to return value in back-to-back games, but he’s shot just 13-33 from the field in those contests. Bane shot 48.4% during the regular season, so he’s due for a pit of positive regression in that department. He ultimately has the second-highest ceiling projection at shooting guard, and he stands out as a better pure value than the more expensive Donovan Mitchell.
Value
The Rockets continue to lean heavily on a small group of players without Durant. That includes Reed Sheppard. The second-year player hasn’t always had the trust of the coaching staff in Houston, but he has put together some excellent fantasy performances during the playoffs. He’s posted a positive Plus/Minus in all four games without Durant, and he’s averaged just under a fantasy point per minute over the past month.
Sheppard’s price tag has climbed to $6,200 for Game 6, but he still stands out as a solid value at that figure. He’s projected for another 35 minutes on Friday, and he trails only Black in projected Plus/Minus in the backcourt.
Fast Break
Ja’Kobe Walter is another player who will be asked to step up for the shorthanded Raptors. He was able to answer the call in Game 5, finishing with 37.25 DraftKings points in just under 35 minutes. He’s averaged 0.90 DraftKings points per minute with Ingram and Quickley off the floor this season, and he’s projected for another 35 minutes in Game 6. That’s enough to make him a strong value target at $4,200.
Mitchell has really struggled to get going in this matchup vs. the Raptors, posting a negative Plus/Minus in three straight games. Still, he’s a proven playoff performer, averaging nearly 28 points per game in the postseason for his career. His price tag has come down slightly since the start of this series, and the abundance of injury value on this slate makes his $8,500 salary much more palatable than usual.
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NBA DFS Small Forward Picks
Stud
R.J. Barrett has entered stud territory for the Raptors. He’s been playing some of the best basketball of his career in this series, posting a positive Plus/Minus in four straight games. He’s had a usage rate of at least 27.1% in three straight contests, and he’s scored at least 48.5 DraftKings points in two of them.
With Ingram now out of the picture, Barrett is going to have to take on an even larger role. He owns the second-largest usage rate on the squad with Ingram and Quickley off the floor this season, and he’s averaged 1.18 DraftKings points per minute in that split. He ultimately owns the highest ceiling projection at small forward, and he ranks first at the position in projected Plus/Minus as well. It’s tough to pass up that combination.
Value
Ausar Thompson has been inconsistent vs. the Magic, just like he has for much of his NBA career. He still can’t shoot a lick, so the vast majority of his production comes in the peripheral categories. That gives him a wide range of outcomes.
That said, the highs for Thompson are pretty darn high. He finished with 45.25 DraftKings points in his last outing despite scoring just six total points. He had 15 rebounds, six assists, and five steals, which more than made up for his lack of scoring production.
While he likely won’t be that active in the other areas on Friday, he could certainly improve upon his scoring figure. He also had 45.0 DraftKings points in Game 3, and he got to 17 points in that outing. Overall, no SF on this slate has been better on a per-minute basis over the past month, and he’s projected for 34 minutes.
Fast Break
Max Strus saw 27.3 minutes in Game 5, which was his highest mark of the series. He failed to return value in that contest, but it’s a positive development for his outlook overall. He’s averaged a respectable 0.82 DraftKings points per minute over the past month, and he’s projected for another 27.5 minutes in Game 6. If he continues to see that much playing time, it’s only a matter of time before he posts a good game.
Does Marcus Smart have anything left in the tank? That’s an important question for the Lakers, who are searching for one more win to close out their series vs. the Rockets. He was masterful in the first three games of this series, finishing with 33.5, 51.0, and 56.0 DraftKings points, before falling off a cliff for the past two. The good news is that Smart still played 36.7 minutes in Game 5, even with Austin Reaves returning to the lineup. Smart has averaged 1.09 DraftKings points per minute over the past month, so it’s possible he puts together another big game on Friday.
NBA DFS Power Forward Picks
Stud
Like Barrett, Scottie Barnes has been fantastic for the Raptors and fantasy players during the postseason. He’s posted a positive Plus/Minus in four straight games, and he’s had at least 49.25 DraftKings points in three straight. He’s producing in every category across the board, averaging 24.0 points, 8.0 assists, 5.4 rebounds, 1.6 blocks, and 1.0 steals through the first five games.
Barnes is set for an even bigger role with Ingram sidelined for Game 6. He’s seen a +4.87% usage bump with Ingram and Quickley off the floor this season, and he’s averaged 1.52 DraftKings points per minute in that split. That’s a massive increase from his average of 1.25 DraftKings points per minute over the past month.
If Barnes can get to that level on Friday, he has the potential to be one of the best options of the day. His price tag has come up to $8,800 on DraftKings, but that still stands out as a clear value. It results in a 98% Bargain Rating, and Barnes owns the top projected Plus/Minus at power forward.
Value
Tobias Harris continues to turn in steady production for the Pistons. He hasn’t always been the most reliable option during the postseason, but he’s posted a positive Plus/Minus in all five games vs. the Magic. He’s had at least 38.5 DraftKings points in three of his past four, and his usage rate hit 30.0% in his most recent contest. The Pistons simply need players who can score the ball besides Cunningham, and Harris remains their best bet.
His salary is up to $6,600, but Harris should still be able to pay off that figure. He’s averaged 1.09 DraftKings points per minute over the past month, and he owns the top Sim Labs optimal lineup rate at power forward.
Fast Break
There is no shortage of studs to consider at power forward. In addition to Barnes, Paolo Banchero and LeBron James both have merit on this slate. Of the two, Banchero seems like the stronger target. He’s seen the largest usage bump on the team with Wagner off the floor this season, and he’s coming off 70.75 DraftKings points in his last outing. He also had 64.5 DraftKings points two games ago, so he’s getting better as the series has progressed.
Jabari Smith is another member of the Rockets carrying a massive workload at the moment. He’s played at least 39.1 minutes in all five playoff contests, and he’s been at 41.5 minutes or more in four of them. He’s responded with a positive Plus/Minus in each contest, including at least 37.0 DraftKings points in three straight. He was arguably the team’s best player in their last outing, finishing with an efficient 22 points and 41.25 DraftKings points. There’s no reason he can’t do it again, and he has eligibility at both PF and C.
NBA DFS Center Picks
Stud
Alperen Sengun is coming off back-to-back subpar games, but he remains the clear top stud at center on Friday’s slate. There simply aren’t a ton of big men who are capable of doing what Sengun can on offense. Even with his production slightly down of late, his average of 1.21 DraftKings points per minute over the past month is still the top mark among Friday’s centers.
Sengun is projected for another 40 minutes on Friday, and he owns the top ceiling projection at the position. He’s already had one game with 70+ DraftKings points in this series, and he averaged 1.33 DraftKings points per minute with Durant off the floor during the regular season.
Value
Collin Murray-Boyles finally disappointed fantasy players in his last game. He finished with just 22.75 DraftKings points in 25.5 minutes, resulting in his first negative Plus/Minus of the playoffs. He had just a 9.4% usage rate in that contest, which was well below his 23.3% mark during his first four playoff outings.
There’s no reason to expect a repeat on Friday. If anything, Murray-Boyles should see an increase in usage with Ingram out of the picture. He saw a +6.72% usage bump with Ingram and Quickley off the floor during the regular season, and he averaged 1.28 DraftKings points per minute in that split. As long as his playing time stays consistent, Murray-Boyles should be able to bounce back.
Fast Break
DeAndre Ayton is coming off his best game as a Laker during the playoffs in Game 5. He finished with 18 points and 17 rebounds, good for 44.25 DraftKings points. He also saw 38.2 minutes in that contest, which was a big uptick from the start of the series. If that’s not a one-game outlier, he could be a nice source of value on Friday.
Jalen Duren continues to struggle in the postseason, and his salary has absolutely plummeted. He’s down to just $6,700 for Game 6 after sitting at $8,000 for Game 2. It’s hard to have a ton of faith in Duren at the moment, but he has some buy-low appeal at that figure. He’s been so consistently good all season, and he’s averaged a Plus/Minus of +6.50 in 10 games with a comparable salary.
Pictured: R.J. Barrett (left) and Scottie Barnes (right)
Photo Credit: Imagn
