The NBA Cup version of the Final Four is set for this Saturday, with the two semifinals taking place in Las Vegas to determine who will advance to Tuesday’s NBA Cup Championship. The Magic and Knicks start the action on Saturday at 5:30 p.m. ET, followed by the Spurs and Thunder at around 9:00 p.m. ET. The four teams each won their quarterfinal game earlier this week and had the last day or two off to get rested and ready. We already know of a few key injury absences, but the big news on the injury report is that the Spurs look like they’ll get back Victor Wembanyama (calf), who is probable after missing 12 straight games with a strained left calf.
Let’s dive into some of the top plays on the slate using the FantasyLabs tools and projections.
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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
On the entire slate, Shai Gilgeous-Alexander has the highest median, ceiling, and floor projections of any player on the board. He’s also very expensive with a salary over $10,000, but his play to this point in the season deserves his hefty price tag.
SGA is averaging 52.8 DraftKings points per game and 1.6 DraftKings points per minute this season, and he has been very consistent while powering the Thunder to their impressive 24-1 start to the year. He has actually played limited minutes very often this season since the Thunder have been blowing people out, but when called upon to carry the load in closer games, he has risen to the challenge.
Gilgeous-Alexander has over 25 points in nine straight games and has at least 48 DraftKings points in eight of those contests. The Spurs have been a favorable matchup for point guards, but this will be the first head-to-head meeting between these teams this season. If you have the salary available, SGA is a great play to build around as one of the top fantasy studs in the NBA.
He should be lined up for a heavy workload again on Saturday, especially since the Thunder have unfinished business after losing in last season’s NBA Cup Championship game. SGA and the Thunder have the highest implied team total on the board according to our Vegas Dashboard.
Value
Magic guard Anthony Black has the highest Plus/Minus projection of the entire slate on Saturday. Black has exceeded salary-based expectations in 11 of his last 12 games, with an average Plus/Minus of +7.39 per contest. He has averaged 32.0 fantasy points per game during that span and has become a key value guard to build around.
Black has posted over 27 DraftKings points in seven of his last eight games, with double-digit points in each of those seven games. His best game of that stretch came against the Bulls, when he had 22 points, nine rebounds, and 42.2 DraftKings points on Dec. 1.
With Franz Wagner (ankle) expected to miss multiple weeks, Black will likely get a chance to stay in the starting lineup after moving into the starting five on Tuesday for the quarterfinal game against the Heat. He’s still underpriced for this matchup against the Knicks, so make sure to consider playing him even though he’s likely to be a very popular play.
Fast Break
Jalen Brunson has shown a flair for the dramatic, and he typically steps up when the lights are at their brightest. He posted 48.2 DraftKings points against the Raptors on Tuesday in the quarterfinals and has over 41 DraftKings points in four straight games, including a game against the Magic, when he posted 45.5 DraftKings points. He had 55.2 DraftKings points earlier this season against Orlando. He’s almost $2,000 cheaper than SGA, so if you need salary for other spots, Brunson can be a solid, playoff-proven alternative.
Another cheaper option to build around is Jalen Suggs, who has the second-highest Projected Plus/Minus at point guard behind only his teammate Anthony Black. Suggs helped get the Magic past the Heat on Tuesday, and he’ll have to help carry more of the offense without Wagner.
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 Magic got their quarterfinal win on Tuesday behind a huge game from Desmond Bane, who has the top median, ceiling, and floor projections in both the FantasyLabs projections and the ShotQuality projections.
Bane had 37 points, six rebounds, five assists and 56.5 DraftKings points in that huge game, and he has shown he can carry more of the offense when his other key teammates are out. He helped the team navigate Paolo Banchero’s absence, and he looks ready to do the same for Wagner’s injury.
While he usually stuffs the stat sheet with strong non-scoring numbers, he has also scored exactly 37 points in three of his last six games. In his three games against the Knicks this season, he has 32.5, 40.75, and 41.5 DraftKings points. While his salary did bump up a little bit after his big game Tuesday, he’s still under $8,000, making him a solid higher mid-range play with an elite ceiling.
Value
In the ShotQuality projections, Spurs rookie Dylan Harper has a top-four Plus/Minus projection at both point guard and shooting guard. Harper has an affordable salary under $5,000 but has shown a very nice value upside, exceeding salary-based expectations in four of his last five games.
The No. 2 overall pick from the 2025 NBA Draft missed most of November with a calf strain, but he has been solid since returning, with double-digit points in six of his last seven games and over 25 DraftKings points in three of his last five games.
Harper will face a tough test in the second unit against the Thunder, but he’s getting enough playing time to be a solid value play with good upside, as he continues to transition to the NBA and establish himself as another key part of San Antonio’s exciting young core.
Fast Break
Josh Hart has the second-highest projections behind Bane across the board and has been getting more work since joining the starting lineup nine games ago. The Knicks have gone 8-1 with him in the starting five, and he has produced 16.4 points, 9.6 rebounds, 5.7 assists, and 2.0 steals in 35.3 minutes per game. He’s averaging 42.4 DraftKings points per game in those nine games and has exceeded salary-based expectations seven times, including last Sunday against Orlando, when he posted a 17-point, 12-rebound double-double to earn 42.5 DraftKings points.
Stephon Castle has been excellent since returning from his injury and led the Spurs past the Lakers on Wednesday to secure this spot in the semifinals. He had 30 points, 10 rebounds, six assists, and 52.5 DraftKings points in that victory and brings elite upside like that to this matchup as well. It’s a tough task to take on the Thunder’s swarming defense, though, and with Wemby back in the mix, Castle’s usage could take a slight hit, which keeps him from being the top shooting guard play of the night.
With Miles McBride (ankle) and Landry Shamet (shoulder) out, Jordan Clarkson is one bench bargain who could get more run and produce good value. He is very boom or bust, so he’s best left for GPP lineups where his risk is acceptable to get his ceiling.
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NBA DFS Small Forward Picks
Stud
Thunder small forward Jalen Williams missed 19 games this season, but he has quickly reestablished himself as a top secondary scorer behind SGA and stands out as the top pay-up play at small forward on Saturday’s small slate.
Williams has at least 15 points in five straight games, and he brings the top median, ceiling, and floor projections at small forward. He hasn’t had to play huge minutes since the Thunder are blowing everyone out, but he has been very effective when he’s on the floor, producing 36.6 DraftKings points per game and 1.31 DraftKings points per minute this season.
He is a little pricey at $8,000, but he could be a nice source of pay-up leverage since he comes in a little under the radar due to his minutes being managed after his return. Williams has proven he can step up when called upon, and he has a high ceiling if he steps up Saturday in the later game.
Value
Another small forward option with the potential to step up and deliver a clutch game on the big stage is Mikal Bridges of the Knicks. Bridges has the highest Plus/Minus projection of all small forwards in the ShotQuality projections and the second-highest Plus/Minus projection at the position in the FantasyLabs projections.
Bridges offers a significant salary break from Williams ($1,400 lower), and he has been more consistent over the long haul this season since he has been healthy. Bridges has exceeded salary-based expectations in four of his last six games, including Sunday against the Magic and Tuesday in Toronto for the quarterfinals.
He had 34.75 DraftKings points in Tuesday’s win on 15 points, five rebounds, four assists, and two steals. Bridges has scored double-digit points in 23 of his 24 games this season and recorded a steal in 15 straight games.
If you don’t have the salary cap space to get Williams, Bridges’ projections indicate he’ll be a better value option to build around from the middle of the salary structure.
Fast Break
When Castle and Wembanyama were out, Keldon Johnson stepped into a key role for the Spurs. His production could dip a little bit with their return, but his salary is affordable under $5,000, and he has the second-highest Plus/Minus projection at small forward in the ShotQuality projections for Saturday.
The Thunder won’t have Isaiah Joe (knee) in their second unit for a fourth straight game on Saturday. Without him, Aaron Wiggins and Alex Caruso have slightly more value potential as they pick up his usage in the second unit.
NBA DFS Power Forward Picks
Stud
Without Wagner, Paolo Banchero will have to pick up the slack for Orlando alongside Desmond Bane if the Magic want to power past the Knicks and have a shot in the NBA Cup Championship. Of the top options at the position, Banchero has the best Plus/Minus projection by a wide margin.
He’s still working his way back to full strength following a 10-game absence due to a groin strain, which coincidentally happened against the Knicks back on Nov. 12. Banchero has quickly ramped up his minutes from 20 to 24 to 32 for the team’s quarterfinal win over Miami. He’ll likely continue to step into more work and be a solid play against the Knicks on Saturday.
The projections both have him playing about 33 minutes on Saturday but indicate that he’ll be able to exceed salary-based expectations with extra usage available in Wagner’s absence.
Banchero is tied for the most Pro Trends matched on the entire slate, and he’s the only power forward that matches nine of those Pro Trends on Saturday’s slate.
He brings a little extra risk since he’s just coming back from injury, but he also brings a lot of upside and leverage on Saturday night with a high ceiling.
Value
Banchero’s teammate Tristan da Silva has the highest Plus/Minus projection at both small forward and power forward in the FantasyLabs projections for Saturday. He’s a bargain at just under $4,000, and he is expected to be part of the team’s solution to Wagner’s absence.
While Banchero was out, the second-year forward stepped into the starting lineup, but he’s returned to the bench for the last three games. He still played significant minutes in the second unit, and on Tuesday, he played 28 minutes against Miami even though he came off the bench.
In that game, da Silva had 11 points, seven rebounds, and 22.2 DraftKings points in the second unit, and if he’s in a similar role against the Knicks on Saturday, he could be one of the key bargains you need to unlock significant salary to spend on the stars. He hasn’t fared well against the Knicks this season, but the FantasyLabs projections point to a nice value bounce-back performance for him in this matchup in Las Vegas on Saturday night. He can be part of a solid Magic value stack that is built to take advantage of Wagner’s vacated minutes and usage.
Fast Break
If you don’t want to take the extra risk of rolling with a bargain play in da Silva, OG Anunoby has the highest Plus/Minus projection at the position in the ShotQuality projections, where he has the third-highest Projected Plus/Minus on the entire slate. Anunoby missed nine games with a hamstring injury, but he has looked solid in his three games since returning, and he especially stepped up against the Magic, producing 21 points, seven rebounds, and 38.2 DraftKings points in their meeting last Sunday. He’s a strong mid-range target at power forward if you want to avoid the extremes of Banchero and da Silva.
At the top end of the salary structure, Chet Holmgren has gotten off to a strong start for the Thunder, producing 35.8 DraftKings points per game and 1.23 DraftKings points per minute in his 21 games this season. Chet vs. Wemby will be awesome to watch on Saturday night, and after posting over 40 DraftKings points in his last two games, Holmgren should have the momentum against the potentially rusty Wembanyama on Saturday night.
NBA DFS Center Picks
Stud
The highest ceiling, median, and floor projection at center on this slate doesn’t come from Chet or Wemby, but from the other matchup where Karl-Anthony Towns will look to light up the Magic’s frontcourt. He didn’t play against them last Sunday due to left calf tightness, but he was able to return on Tuesday against the Raptors and play 31 minutes in the quarterfinals. He had 14 points, 16 rebounds, and 43 DraftKings points, so he didn’t seem to be limited by the injury.
KAT has averaged an impressive 22.1 points and 12.0 rebounds per game this season, producing 46.0 DraftKings points per game and 1.39 DraftKings points per minute in his 23 games this season.
He was held under 40 DraftKings points in both of his matchups against the Magic earlier this season, but he still has a massively high ceiling if he’s back to near 100% on Saturday night. He showed how dominant he can be, putting up 35 points and 71.5 DraftKings points against the Hornets a few games ago, and he has that kind of slate-breaking potential in this matchup as well.
Value
As they have been elsewhere, the Magic have the top value plays at center this Saturday as well. Wendell Carter Jr. and Goga Bitadze have the top Plus/Minus projections at the position in both sets of projections. Carter actually has the highest Projected Plus/Minus on the whole slate in the ShotQuality projections, edging out his teammate Anthony Black (discussed above).
Carter is coming off a nice 14-point, 10-rebound double-double in the quarterfinals, when he earned 37.5 DraftKings points against Miami. Carter can be a volatile option and has struggled against the Knicks, but there’s no denying his intriguing value potential if he gets the playing time like he did on Tuesday.
Bitadze has exceeded salary-based expectations in seven of his last nine games and comes as a bargain option off the bench. He has at least 19 DraftKings points in four of his last five games, with only his matchup against the Knicks last Sunday as a letdown during that span.
Both Magic bigs have value potential, but they do come with some risk since the matchup is a tough one against the Knicks’ interior
Fast Break
With his huge salary of $11,000, Victor Wembanyama is extremely risky in his return. He obviously brings a high ceiling, but after such an extended absence, it’s hard to justify spending that much salary on him since he could be working on a minutes limit or dealing with some rust. He will likely have extremely low ownership since he’s the most expensive play on the slate, but it’s hard to see him delivering good value at such an expensive salary.
The Thunder get their big man back too, since Isaiah Hartenstein isn’t on the injury report after a six-game absence due to a right soleus strain. He’s more affordable at $6,400, but he is still hard to trust in his first game back. He anchors the defense and chips in solid non-scoring numbers, but IHart isn’t usually the go-to option in the Thunder’s offense, especially now that Williams is back in the mix.
