Friday features a two-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
The Pistons have dropped three straight games and now face a win-or-go-home Game 6 vs. the Cavaliers in Cleveland. They’re listed as four-point underdogs in this contest, so they’ll need to pull off an upset to keep their season alive.
Offense has been an issue for the Pistons all season, with Cade Cunningham serving as their only reliable option. He carried them at points during the regular season, and he’s been even more active during the playoffs. He’s averaged 30.0 points and 7.7 assists per game, and he’s increased his usage rate to 33.4%.
Cunningham is coming off his best fantasy performance of the series in Game 5. He finished with 65.25 DraftKings points, and he logged more than 48 minutes in the overtime loss. Expect Cunningham to carry another massive burden on Friday, and he leads all point guards with 42 projected minutes in our NBA Models. He’s averaged 1.25 DraftKings points per minute over the past month, giving him the clear top ceiling projection at the position.
Value
Duncan Robinson was unable to go in Game 5 with a back injury, and he’s officially listed as questionable for Game 6. Daniss Jenkins moved into the starting lineup in place of Robinson in Game 5, and he ultimately logged more than 40 minutes. That made him one of the best values of the day, with Jenkins chipping in 33.0 DraftKings points at just $4,000.
Jenkins would undoubtedly be worth targeting if Robinson is out once again, but he’s had some value even with Robinson available this playoffs. He had at least 28.0 DraftKings points in the first two games vs. the Cavaliers, and he had 29.75 DraftKings points in the closeout win over the Magic. Finding value isn’t easy during the playoffs, but Jenkins stands out as a solid source of savings at just $4,900.
Fast Break
Is James Harden rewriting his playoff narrative? He’s turned in back-to-back big performances for the Cavaliers, including a team-high 30 points in Game 5. His salary hasn’t budged despite those outings, giving him a comparable ceiling to Cunningham at a solid discount. He leads the position with eight Pro Trends, and he ranks second among point guards in projected Plus/Minus.
De’Aaron Fox has been quiet for the Spurs in their series vs. the Timberwolves, posting a negative Plus/Minus in four of five games. That’s caused his salary to dip to $6,500, and he has plenty of buy-low appeal at that figure. Fox has still averaged 1.0 DraftKings points per minute over the past month, and he’s second on the team in usage rate during this series. He simply hasn’t shot the ball well, knocking down just 38.3% of his field goal attempts and 22.7% of his 3-pointers. With some better shooting numbers, he should be able to deliver plenty of value at his reduced price tag.
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
After two solid performances in Games 3 and 4, Anthony Edwards took a bit of a step back in Game 5. He posted just a 22.5% usage rate across his 39.2 minutes, and he finished with just 24.0 DraftKings points. Edwards is clearly still operating at less than 100% after returning extremely quickly from a left knee injury, but he’s doing his best to keep his team alive.
Perhaps some extra rest will help Edwards heading into Game 6. The Timberwolves last played on Tuesday, so he’s had two days off to heal. Edwards has also proved he’s capable of producing despite being banged up, racking up 48.0 and 62.5 DraftKings points in his two previous contests. The Timberwolves are facing elimination on Friday, so expect Edwards to be much more aggressive than he was in Game 5.
Value
With Edwards quiet in his last game, Ayo Dosunmu helped pick up the slack for the Timberwolves. He was second on the team in shot attempts, and he responded with 42.75 DraftKings points.
Dosunmu should be locked into a big workload in Game 6 with Donte DiVincenzo still out of the lineup. He’s currently projected for 31.5 minutes in our NBA Models, and that could be a conservative estimate. Dosunmu has averaged 0.99 DraftKings points per minute over the past month, so that should give him a solid chance to return value.
Fast Break
Stephon Castle doesn’t have the same raw upside as Edwards, but he might be the best pure value. He’s posted a positive Plus/Minus in four straight games, despite logging 27.1 minutes or fewer in two of them. Overall, he’s averaged an outstanding 1.12 DraftKings points per minute in this series, and he has the potential to play upwards of 40 minutes in a competitive contest. He ultimately ranks first at the position in projected Plus/Minus.
Donovan Mitchell was quiet for the Cavs in Game 5, with Harden taking over as the team’s top option. That said, Mitchell remains their most consistent source of scoring. He erupted for 43 points on a 41.6% usage rate in Game 4, and he scored at least 47.0 DraftKings points in three straight before Wednesday’s letdown. He’s expected to carry the least amount of ownership between him, Edwards, and Castle, making him an interesting pivot for tournaments.
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NBA DFS Small Forward Picks
Stud
Small forward is easily the weakest position on this slate, with no one priced above $6,300 on DraftKings. Ausar Thompson is the most expensive option, and he’s coming off a strong showing in Game 5. He didn’t do much as a scorer, finishing with just six points on 2-6 shooting, but he showcased his typical brilliance in the peripheral categories. Thompson racked up seven rebounds, five assists, four steals, and three blocks, bringing his tally to 35.25 DraftKings points in 40.6 minutes.
The big question with Thompson is how much he’ll play on Friday. He clearly benefited from Robinson’s absence in Game 5. Before that, his playing time had been trending in the wrong direction. He saw just 18.7 minutes in Game 4, and he was below 30 minutes in Games 2 and 3. Thompson ultimately has a strong ceiling if he does see the floor, but he also offers considerable downside. Robinson being out once again would greatly enhance his appeal.
Value
Jaden McDaniels has struggled to get going in this matchup vs. the Spurs, which isn’t exactly a shocker. San Antonio has arguably the best defense in the league, particularly on the interior. McDaniels has responded with a positive Plus/Minus just once in this series, and even that game just barely qualified. The Timberwolves are listed as 5.5-point underdogs in Game 6, so it figures to be another challenging evening for them on offense.
However, McDaniels has seen a significant price reduction since the start of the series. He checked in at $7,100 for Game 1, but he’s down to just $6,000 for Friday’s contest. McDaniels is projected for 38 minutes in our NBA Models, and he’s averaged 0.87 DraftKings points per minute over the past month. Players with comparable salaries and minute projections have historically averaged a Plus/Minus of +2.06 (per the Trends tool), and McDaniels leads all small forwards in projected Plus/Minus on this slate. That makes him a nice buy-low candidate.
Fast Break
Devin Vassell stands out as a low-ceiling, high-floor type of play at small forward. He’s scored between 21.75 and 33.25 DraftKings points in all five games in this series, and he’s projected for another 33 minutes in Game 6. Vassell isn’t an elite per-minute producer, but that should be enough for him to pay off his modest $5,200 salary. He trails only McDaniels at small forward in projected Plus/Minus.
While Vassell is the “safe” value, Max Strus is the wild card. He’s capable of lighting it up from deep when his shot is falling, just like he did in Game 5. He knocked down six 3-pointers in 36.2 minutes, propelling him to 38.5 DraftKings points. It was his third game with at least 31.75 DraftKings points in his last six, giving him a solid ceiling at $4,600.
NBA DFS Power Forward Picks
Stud
Evan Mobley has been vital in the Cavaliers’ past two wins. He’s scored at least 48.0 DraftKings points in both contests, and he’s produced in a variety of different ways. He’s averaged 18.0 points, 8.0 rebounds, 6.5 assists, 2.0 steals, and 4.0 blocks in those contests, so he’s managed to rack up fantasy points despite not being a featured part of the offense.
Mobley’s usage rate isn’t quite what you’d expect for a player in this price range, but he still owns the top ceiling projection at power forward. He leads the position in fantasy points per minute over the past month, so hopefully, he can continue to impact the game without the ball in his hands.
Value
The Timberwolves have leaned a bit more on Naz Reid as this series has progressed. He’s logged at least 30.6 minutes in three straight games, and he’s posted a positive Plus/Minus in two of them.
That’s not exactly a shocker. Reid is an excellent per-minute producer, so he should continue to thrive with 30+ minutes per game. His price tag has yet to fully reflect his increased role, making him one of the better pure values at the position.
Fast Break
Tobias Harris was remarkably consistent for the Pistons to start the playoffs, but he has struggled over the past two games. He’s just 12-36 from the field in those contests, and the Pistons are going to need more from him if they’re going to survive this series. The good news is that Harris still managed to post a positive Plus/Minus in Game 4 despite a subpar shooting night, so he has plenty of upside if he can turn things around for Game 6. He’s averaged 1.02 DraftKings points per minute over the past month, which trails only Mobley at power forward.
Julian Champagne is coming off a subpar Game 5, but he had posted a positive Plus/Minus in his four previous contests. He’s a solid per-minute producer, and he’s seen right around 30 minutes in most games in this series. He’s averaged a Plus/Minus of +3.66 with a comparable salary and minute projection, so he should be able to get back on track on Friday.
NBA DFS Center Picks
Stud
Victor Wembanyama returned from his Game 4 ejection with a vengeance on Tuesday. He racked up 18 points and six rebounds in the first quarter alone, and he ultimately finished with 62.25 DraftKings points in just 32.6 minutes of work. It’s crazy to think that he’s just 22 years old and only in his first playoff run.
Wembanyama has the top ceiling on this slate, and it’s not particularly close. He’s averaged an eye-popping 1.71 DraftKings points per minute over the past month, and he was among the best producers in fantasy during the regular season. He did that while playing less than 30 minutes a night, and Wembanyama has played closer to 40 minutes at times during the playoffs. It gives him an unreal ceiling, and he’s scored at least 62.25 DraftKings points in all three games with more than 26 minutes in this series. Wembanyama leads all centers in projected ceiling and projected Plus/Minus, and it’s hard to imagine building too many lineups without him.
Value
Jarrett Allen continues to produce for the Cavs during the playoffs. He saw a reduction in value during the regular season, but the team has leaned on him much more in the playoffs. He got up to 36.5 minutes in Game 5, and he’s logged at least 31 minutes in four straight games. He’s responded with a positive Plus/Minus in three of them.
There’s no reason to expect anything different in Game 6. He’s projected for another 32.5 minutes, and Allen has averaged 0.99 DraftKings points per minute over the past month. He doesn’t bring a ton of upside to the table, but he’s a great bet to return value. He ultimately ranks second at the position in projected Plus/Minus.
Fast Break
Is it time to close the book on Jalen Duren? Paul Reed stole meaningful minutes from him in Game 5, including all five of the center minutes in overtime. Duren was -16 in his 25 minutes, so it’s possible that Reed sees even more playing time moving forward. Reed has racked up 25.0 DraftKings points in back-to-back games, despite logging 17 minutes or fewer in both contests. That gives him a legit ceiling at $4,200 if you think he plays a bit more on Friday.
Rudy Gobert has done his best against Wembanyama in this series, and he’s ultimately been a solid producer for most of the postseason. He’s posted a positive Plus/Minus in six of his past nine games, and two of the exceptions were games where he played reduced minutes. If he can get back to around 30 minutes on Friday, he’ll have a chance to pay off his $5,800 price tag.
Pictured: Anthony Edwards
Photo Credit: Imagn
