The NBA has a dozen teams in action on Saturday, with three early games and three games on the main NBA DFS fantasy basketball slate on DraftKings. That main slate tips off at 7:30 p.m. ET. Of the six teams on the night slate, four are finishing a set of back-to-back games after playing on Friday. The Hawks, Bulls, Grizzlies, and Jazz are each playing for a second night in a row, so be sure to keep an eye out for their injury reports since they could dramatically change the slate by resting players. Making the right last-minute adjustments will again be critical to success on Saturday, but coming into the day, some standout options are already popping in our projections.
Let’s dive into some of the top plays on the slate using the FantasyLabs tools and projections.
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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
In the FantasyLabs projections, Josh Giddey has the highest median, ceiling, and floor projections at point guard. He has the second-highest median, ceiling, and floor projections on the entire slate, and if you’re looking to pay up for a point guard with an extremely high ceiling, Giddey is a great place to start your lineup.
Giddey had a down game on Friday against his former team, the Thunder. He finished with only five points and 27.75 DraftKings points in 33 minutes. He played both games of the team’s most recent back-to-back, following a disappointing showing against the Raptors, but he had 49 DraftKings points the next night against the Cavaliers. In that game against Cleveland, he had nine points, 19 assists and six rebounds, and he followed it up with two games over 50 DraftKings points before his disappointing total on Friday.
Earlier this month, before the down game against the Raptors, Giddey reeled off four straight games of over 60 DraftKings points, and that potential is definitely within the realm of possibility on Saturday as he faces the Grizzlies in an extremely favorable matchup. Memphis has been without Ty George for the last two games (more below), which could leave Giddey in an even stronger spot.
In this same matchup about two weeks ago, Giddey had 16 points, 15 rebounds, 13 assists and 64.75 DraftKings points to lead the Bulls to a 132-107 win at home. He’ll look to post similar numbers in this rematch.
Value
Without Jerome, the Grizzlies have turned to rookie Walter Clayton Jr. to play a bigger role, and Clayton has the highest Plus/Minus projection of any point guard on Saturday night’s slate on the other side of that Bulls-Grizzlies matchup.
Clayton joined the Grizzlies in the Jaren Jackson Jr. trade from the Jazz, and he has played 18 games for his new team, averaging 8.8 points, 5.6 assists, and 2.1 rebounds in 24.7 minutes per game. He has flashed the upside that made him the No. 18 overall pick in the NBA Draft, but he hasn’t been consistent enough to force his salary to climb higher.
On Friday night, he played 23 minutes and had 12.5 DraftKings points in that tough matchup with the Thunder. In his three games before that, he was more productive, with 10+ points and 23+ DraftKings points in each of those three games. With his salary at $4,400, that’s solid value return if he is around that level on Saturday.
The last time he faced the Bulls, he had 12 points, seven assists, and 26.5 DraftKings points in 26 minutes. If Jerome remains out Saturday, Clayton should get enough minutes to make an impact at this bargain salary, with his teammate Javon Small a good value option as well.
Fast Break
The Hawks have been getting solid point guard play from Nickeil Alexander-Walker, who has been very steady, with 20+ points in three straight and seven of his last eight games. In his 13 games this month, NAW is averaging 35.9 DraftKings points on 22.8 points per game. He could have a big workload depending on whom the Hawks play or sit on the second night of their back-to-back. His Hawks have the highest implied team total on the board this Saturday, according to our Vegas dashboard.
Without Russell Westbrook (toe), Devin Carter has gotten more playing time for the Kings and has stepped up to exceed salary-based expectations in four straight games. He had 14 points and 24.75 DraftKings points on Thursday and has at least 14 points in four straight games, with a high of 24 points and 37.2 DraftKings points against the Pacers. The uptempo matchup expected against the Hawks gives Carter a high ceiling, especially if Kilian Hayes (finger) also misses the game.
The Jazz have been without Isaiah Collier (hamstring) for the last five games and Keyonte George (hamstring) for the last eight. If both remain out Saturday against the Suns, Elijah Harkless will continue to carry a heavy workload (more below) with Kennedy Chandler chipping in meaningful minutes as well. Since joining the Jazz on a 10-day contract on March 20, Chandler has played four games and is averaging 15.5 points, 7.0 assists, and 32.9 DraftKings points per contest.
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
When breaking down a slate, it can be helpful to have a second perspective, and one way to get that is by adding the ShotQuality projections to your models. In the ShotQuality projections, Elijah Harkless has the highest ceiling projection at shooting guard and the second-highest median and floor projections. He’s still only $6,000 and brings a very high ceiling given his hefty workload.
Over the last seven games, Harkless has averaged 29.1 DraftKings points in 31.7 minutes per contest with 12.6 points, 4.9 assists, 3.1 rebounds, 2.0 steals, and 1.6 three-pointers per game. He played a massive 41 minutes in the team’s narrow loss on Friday night to the Nuggets. He struggled from the field, going just 4 for 16, but he still got plenty of work, which is a good sign that he’ll continue to carry the workload in Saturday’s matchup with the Suns.
The Jazz could surprise us with the injury report, but as long as Harkless is available and George and Collier remain out, he should be in a good spot to produce on Saturday. In the ShotQuality projections, Harkless has the second-highest Plus/Minus projection at shooting guard.
Value
CJ McCollum has the third-highest Plus/Minus projection of all shooting guards and the second-highest of all point guards in the FantasyLabs projections. The veteran has been a huge pickup for the Hawks since coming over in the Trae Young deal, and he is in a great matchup to keep things rolling against the Kings.
McCollum had 21 points and 31.75 DraftKings points on Friday in a loss to the Celtics after posting 38.25 DraftKings points and carrying the team to a win in Detroit over the Pistons on Wednesday. He exceeded salary-based expectations in five straight games before coming up just short on Friday.
Against the Kings, he and the Hawks should be able to bounce back with a huge game, but keep an eye on their injury report to see if McCollum will end up with more work or maybe even rest since it is the second game of a back-to-back set.
Fast Break
Devin Booker has the highest median, ceiling, and floor projections at shooting guard in the FantasyLabs projections, but he seems a little overpriced. He has come up short of salary-based expectations with under 40 DraftKings points in four straight games, but his salary is still over $9,000. If he gets the usage, he has the ceiling to be a great GPP option, but the risk of a blowout against the shorthanded Jazz makes him risky.
The Grizzlies have given Javon Small big minutes lately, and the 23-year-old guard has been very effective, averaging 14.8 points, 4.3 rebounds, 4.3 assists, and 28.9 DraftKings points over his last nine games. Small should help carry the load again on Saturday against Chicago after missing the matchup a few weeks ago.
Isaac Okoro is a bargain play worth considering with the best Plus/Minus projections of all shooting guards under $4,500 in the ShotQuality projections. Okoro has only played two games after missing seven games with a knee injury. He played 23 and 31 minutes in his two games since returning, contributing 20.5 and 28.5 DraftKings points. If he’s cleared to play on the second night of the back-to-back, he brings very nice upside at just $4,200.
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NBA DFS Small Forward Picks
Stud
The FantasyLabs projections give Jalen Green the highest median, ceiling, and floor projections at small forward, as his Suns take on the Jazz. Green has been very aggressive for the Suns lately, averaging 23.1 points on a whopping 18.9 shot attempts per game. While he isn’t always efficient, that hefty workload gives him a high ceiling against Utah.
Green had 50+ DraftKings points in back-to-back road games in Indiana and Toronto earlier this month but has struggled a little more in his six games since then, finishing with fewer than 40 DraftKings points in each of those six contests.
He is a pricey option at almost $8,000, but if you have the salary available, he brings lots of upside for the Suns, who are quite rested compared to the rest of the teams on the slate since they haven’t played since Tuesday’s loss to the Nuggets.
Value
Cam Spencer has the highest Plus/Minus projection on the entire slate in both the ShotQuality and FantasyLabs projections. His positional flexibility to slide to either guard or forward makes him fit in just about any roster construction with his affordable $4,600 salary.
Spencer is coming off a huge double-double on Friday, when he had 11 points, 10 assists, three steals, and a block for 40.25 DraftKings points against the Rockets. He had posted a pair of down games before that, with no points against the Hornets and only one point against the Spurs earlier this week. He still turned in decent non-scoring numbers, but his point production was so low it held him back.
On Friday, he was more involved in the offense and should be once again if Jerome and Jahmai Mashack (ankle/nose) remain out on Saturday. Spencer’s non-scoring numbers are consistent, and when he puts points on the board as well, he has a very high ceiling.
Fast Break
Matas Buzelis has been remarkably consistent given the turmoil around him in the Bulls’ rotation this season. He has a great matchup against the Grizzlies on Saturday night and had 29 points and 47.2 DraftKings points against them when they met two weeks ago. Buzelis fell just one board short of a double-double on Friday and brings a high ceiling at his hefty price tag on Saturday.
Ace Bailey also has a high ceiling but a big price tag, with his salary over $8,000. He had over 50 DraftKings points in three straight games for Utah just over a week ago, but he calmed down with only 33.75 and 24.75 DraftKings points in their two most recent games. He has an extremely high ceiling with heavy usage as the Jazz look to let their rookie learn on the job, but he is also inconsistent, as is the case with most players in their first year in the NBA.
The Bulls are giving Collin Sexton plenty of work when he’s healthy, especially with Anfernee Simons out. The veteran had 22 points and 34.75 DraftKings points against the Thunder on Friday, and he has exceeded salary-based expectations in three straight games. If he plays the second night of the back-to-back, he’ll be a solid mid-level value play.
NBA DFS Power Forward Picks
Stud
In both sets of projections, Jalen Johnson has the highest median, ceiling, and floor projections on the entire slate. Johnson is also the most expensive player on the board, though, and he has a slightly negative Plus/Minus.
He posted 51 DraftKings points on Friday in his Hawks’ loss to the Celtics, finishing with 29 points, six rebounds, and six assists. He was even better with 55 DraftKings points on 27 points, 12 assists, and eight rebounds on Wednesday against the Pistons.
Johnson has 50+ DraftKings points in seven of his last nine games, averaging 52.5 DraftKings points per game over that span. He had two triple-doubles in that time and is always a threat to go off and break the slate.
He’s in a great spot against the Kings, and if he’s able to play on the second night of the team’s back-to-back, he makes sense to consider as a pay-up play with an extremely high ceiling.
Value
In the ShotQuality projections, GG Jackson has the second-highest Projected Plus/Minus on the entire slate behind only his teammate Cam Spencer. Jackson has huge upside at power forward, but he has been a little boom or bust while picking up so much work since the Grizzlies traded Jaren Jackson Jr. and lost so many members of the frontcourt to injury.
Jackson showed his ceiling with 20 points and 39.25 DraftKings points on Wednesday against the Spurs, but he only managed 14 points and 20.5 DraftKings points on Friday in 30 minutes against the Rockets.
In his current role, the points are typically there for Jackson, but sometimes his non-scoring numbers disappear. He brings good upside against the Bulls, whom he did not face a few weeks ago, and as long as he remains the starter with so much scoring responsibility, he’ll be a good value play.
Fast Break
Jackson’s teammate, Taylor Hendricks, has the highest Projected Plus/Minus at power forward in the FantasyLabs projections and the second-highest in the ShotQuality projections. Hendricks was also part of the Jackson trade along with Clayton, and the 22-year-old forward has shown nice upside. He has been held to single-digit scoring in three straight games, but he had 16 points and 24.25 DraftKings points against the Bulls in their last meeting.
After missing a week with left knee soreness, Royce O’Neale came back to the Suns’ rotation on Tuesday with 17 points, five rebounds, three assists, three blocks, and 38.25 DraftKings points. He’s in a smash spot against the Jazz, who have been the best matchup in the NBA for forwards.
For the Bulls, Leonard Miller has exceeded salary-based expectations in seven of his last nine games, producing 27.2 DraftKings points on 14 points and 7.3 rebounds per game. Miller came to the team from the Timberwolves as part of the trade for Ayo Dosunmu, and the 22-year-old player from Canada has shown a lot of potential in his expanded role in Chicago.
NBA DFS Center Picks
Stud
Saturday’s slate is thin on elite center options, but Onyeka Okongwu is a strong play for the Hawks against the Kings, and he comes at a reasonable salary under $7,000. He has the highest median, ceiling, and floor projections at the position in the FantasyLabs projections and also the best Plus/Minus projections of the centers over $5,500 in both sets of projections.
Okongwu played big minutes in Boston, coming up just short of a double-double with eight points and nine rebounds in 38 minutes on his way to 22.25 DraftKings points. He has had a few down games recently, which is why his salary has dipped a bit, but he gets a great matchup against the Kings on Saturday.
Both sets of projections expect a bounce-back performance from Okongwu, especially since Sacramento gives up the second-most fantasy points per game to opposing centers in the entire NBA. If you’re paying up for a center, he’s probably the best option on the board.
Value
In both sets of projections, the only center with a salary over $5,000 who has a positive Plus/Minus projection on Saturday’s slate is Oso Ighodaro of the Suns. Ighodaro has been filling in for the injured Mark Williams and has started 12 straight games for Phoenix.
Ighodaro has averaged 26 DraftKings points per game in his 13 contests in March, producing 9.7 points and 4.8 assists in 29.1 minutes per game. He has been trending up lately, exceeding salary-based expectations in six straight contests and posting 40 DraftKings points in one of those games in a strong showing against the Timberwolves.
While he doesn’t have the upside of the most expensive plays with his lower usage, he does have great value potential and makes sense as a strong and steady mid-range play at $5,200, especially in a very favorable matchup against the Jazz.
Fast Break
Rookie Maxime Raynaud is the most expensive center option on the board this Saturday, but he has had back-to-back down games against the Hornets and Magic coming into his matchup with Okongwu and the stout Hawks’ interior defense. He still has high upside, but he is risky at his salary.
With Jalen Smith (calf) out for the season, Nick Richards and Guerschon Yabusele will fill in at center for the Bulls. Richards is uncertain after missing Friday’s game with an elbow sprain, and Yabusele and Leonard Miller (discussed above) would likely take on more work if Richards is out as well.
On the other side of that matchup, Olivier-Maxence Prosper has a strong Plus/Minus projection for the Grizzlies and is coming off an impressive 31-point game on Friday. He had a total of 48.75 DraftKings points against the Rockets after posting between 19 and 30 DraftKings points in 11 straight games. The youngster has high upside in his role for the Grizzlies, but could have some regression after going off in the first half of the team’s back-to-back.
