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
After seven consecutive games with a negative Plus/Minus, Stephen Curry finally got back on track last game, pouring in 32 points and dishing out seven assists. He took 31 shots, including 18 3-point attempts plus a 39.9% usage rate, but Curry was able to reach 47.25 DraftKings points in a three-point loss to the Jazz. The Warriors traded for Jimmy Butler yesterday, which sent Andrew Wiggins and Dennis Schroder packing. Curry might attempt 40 field goal attempts tonight with his slate-high projected 35% usage rate.
Priced at $8,200, Curry is the perfect example of projected ceiling and value. With Wiggins and Schroder off the floor this season, Curry has a team-high +4.69% usage rate and a +5.04 DraftKings Plus/Minus (per our Trends tool). Curry will need to be excellent for the Warriors to come out of LA with a victory.
Value
Sticking with the Warriors backcourt, Brandin Podziemski with dual guard eligibility is the best value play on this six-game slate. He has the highest projected Plus/Minus by a wide margin and is drawing nearly 50% projected ownership. Since returning from injury, Podziemski has posted a positive Plus/Minus in seven-straight games and is coming off a game scoring over 45 DraftKings points in 40 minutes played.
Projected to start and play around 32 minutes tonight, Podziemski should easily exceed his salary-based expectations at his $4,400 price tag. He is a staple in cash games and a great value play in tournaments. The Warriors are 7.5-point road underdogs against the Lakers, but in their last meeting nearly two weeks ago, Podziemski scored 17 points in only 24 minutes. He is simply impossible to ignore in this situation.
Fast Break
James Harden currently leads all guards in projected ceiling despite coming off his second game all season scoring less than double-digit points. He has been a boom or bust fantasy producer recently, but this matchup sets him apart from the rest of his peers. The Clippers have the second-highest team total on the slate at 117.25 points. They have a 17-9 record at home and are 5.5-point home favorites against the fast-paced Pacers. Harden also has a points and assists double-double in six of his last nine games.
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
Anthony Edwards has 69+ DraftKings points in two of his last three games while averaging a career-high 26.9 points per game this season. Edwards continues to be a sharpshooter from long distance with a career-best 42.1% from downtown. He has the highest projected ceiling at the shooting guard position and is drawing less than 5% projected ownership. Edwards is a strong pay-up tournament contrarian play.
The Timberwolves and Rockets both rank in the top six of defensive rating this season. Their game total currently sits at a slate-low 214.5 points with the Timberwolves being 1.5-point home underdogs. Even in this difficult matchup, Edwards is averaging 26.5 points and 7.5 rebounds per game in their two previous meetings. Given his recent performances, Edwards is one of the best tournament plays on tonight’s slate.
Value
Another Warriors backcourt player to target is Buddy Hield. It has been a relatively disappointing first season for Hield, who is only averaging 11.7 points per game, which is his lowest total since his rookie season. His peripherals are also down, but Hield will be forced into a bigger role tonight with the absence of Andrew Wiggins and Dennis Schroder. With those two off the floor this season, Hield has posted a team-high +5.6 DraftKings Plus/Minus. At his $4,200 salary, Hield is another cheap value play to target.
Hield has the third-highest projected Plus/Minus and is coming off a ceiling game where he exceeded 30 DraftKings points. He scored 18 points last game while shooting a clean 50% from the field and 50% from distance. Hield will have plenty of opportunity to return a positive Plus/Minus in his 30 projected minutes.
Fast Break
Austin Reaves has been very efficient in his last two games for the Lakers. He has scored 20+ points in both games, while averaging 7.5 assists, 5.5 rebounds, and 45.9 DraftKings points per game during that time. He has shot 56% from the field, 50% from behind the arc, and a perfect 12-for-12 from the charity stripe. With Luka Doncic likely joining the team on Saturday and not tonight, this may be the last game for a while where Reaves is one of the premier options on the team. He is a great play in the mid-range.
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NBA DFS Small Forward Picks
Stud
Arguably, the biggest news on the slate is the status of Jrue Holiday. The Celtics have the highest implied team total on the slate at 120.5 points, and Holiday is questionable to play with a shoulder injury. It may not seem like a big deal, but Jayson Tatum has a team-high +3.27% usage rate and a +3.1 DraftKings Plus/Minus when Holiday is off the floor this season. That is a significant boost to an already elite player.
The Celtics are double-digit favorites against the Mavericks, who have lost three straight games, but may be getting Anthony Davis to play in his first game since the huge trade. Regardless if Davis plays or not, this is a matchup worth getting exposure to Tatum. He has posted a points and rebounds double-double in two of his last three games and would be an incredible pay-up option if Holiday is unable to suit up.
Value
Rui Hachimura has seen an uptick in his playing time and has put together three straight games scoring 20+ points and 32+ DraftKings points. His price tag has come up to $5,300, but Hachimura still has the fifth-highest projected Plus/Minus on the slate. He is projected to start and play 34 minutes, which will be more than enough time to pay off his salary. Hachimura is a fantastic value play in all formats tonight.
Hachimura has recorded a positive Plus/Minus in seven of his last nine games and has averaged 16.3 points, 5.3 rebounds, and 27.6 DraftKings points per game. This is the second straight season on the Lakers that Hachimura is shooting over 50% from the field and over 42% from behind the arc. With no true Lakers big man on the floor, Hachimura will get more scoring and rebounding opportunities again.
Fast Break
Leading the Clippers in scoring with a career-high 24 points per game, Norman Powell is having an incredible year. He is shooting 49.9% from the field and 43.4% from downtown. Most of his production comes from scoring the ball, and even though Kawhi Leonard is back, Powell has not slowed down with eight straight games scoring 20+ points. Still priced under $7,000 with guard and forward eligibility, Powell is a strong option in all lineup builds. He is a great way to get exposure to the Clippers offense.
NBA DFS Power Forward Picks
Stud
It is rare that a player has a higher projected ceiling than Nikola Jokic when he is on the slate, but that is the case tonight with Lakers’ forward LeBron James. With Anthony Davis gone and Luka Doncic waiting until Saturday to play, James has the highest projected ceiling on this six-game slate and the second-highest projected usage rate at 35%. Tonight will be the James’ show in a positive game environment.
Outside of Warriors’ value guard Brandin Podziemski, James is drawing the second-highest ownership on the slate at 38% and the second-highest projected Plus/Minus. He posted a massive 33-point, 12-assist, 11-rebound triple-double two games ago and will look to have another ceiling performance against the Warriors. James is the most popular player to target in the top pricing tier and is a great cash game play.
Value
Michael Porter Jr. has gone bonkers in back-to-back games for the Nuggets, scoring 36 and 39 points. He has added 19 total rebounds in those two games while shooting an absurd 62.2% from the field and 57.1% from behind the arc. Porter Jr. has averaged 60.6 DraftKings points per game in those back-to-back games. Priced in the mid-range at $6,400, Porter Jr. has the fourth-highest projected Plus/Minus tonight.
The Magic are a much more difficult matchup compared to the Pelicans, but they are allowing opponents to shoot 36.8% from downtown, which is tied for the sixth-highest in the league. If Porter Jr. can continue his sharpshooting, he can easily post another ceiling performance tonight. It helps that he has double-double upside after posting a double-double in two of his last three games. He is more than just a scorer.
Fast Break
Similar to Porter Jr., Naz Reid has posted back-to-back monster games for the Timberwolves. Reid scored 30 points against the Kings two games ago and then recorded a 22-point, 10-rebound double-double last game against the Bulls. In those two games, Reid shot 52.6% from the field and 47.4% from deep, accumulating an average of 49.9 DraftKings points per game. With power forward and center eligibility, Reid is an incredible mid-range option that is $100 less than Porter Jr. and drawing a similar ownership.
NBA DFS Center Picks
Stud
Nikola Jokic is $12,800 for the second straight game, but why is he drawing less than 5% ownership? If this ownership sticks or even remains under 10%, Jokic is my favorite tournament play on the slate. It does not matter the matchup; Jokic will dominate. He has scored 70+ DraftKings points in three straight games while averaging a massive triple-double with 31 points, 12.3 assists, and 11.7 rebounds per game.
The Magic are a difficult matchup for opposing big men. They are allowing 45.5 points per game in the paint, which is tied for the second-best in the league and ranks 11th in rebounding percentage. However, in their lone matchup this season, where the Nuggets won 113-100, Jokic stuffed the stat sheet with 20 points, 14 rebounds, 10 assists, three steals, and three blocks. He is my preferred pay-up option tonight.
Value
Both Warriors’ centers, Kevon Looney and Quentin Post, are viable for this six-game slate. They are two of the best value centers to target. Looney is $200 more expensive than Post and is drawing more ownership despite Post being projected for a higher usage rate and more playing time. Post is a rookie from Boston College who is coming off his third game this season, scoring double-digit points while also adding seven rebounds and three assists. He is my preferred option between the two, but both are great plays tonight.
The Lakers are starting Jaxson Hayes at center with not a lot of size behind him. They traded for Mark Williams after the Anthony Davis departure, but he is not playing tonight. The Lakers already rank 25th in rebounding percentage at 48.9%, making this a phenomenal matchup for both Looney and Post tonight.
Fast Break
One of the best matchups for opposing big men is the Pacers. They rank 25th in points allowed per game in the paint and 27th in rebounding percentage. That is music to the ears for Ivica Zubac, who is having the best year of his career. He is averaging a career-high 15.1 points and 12.6 rebounds per game while shooting 60.8% from the field. Zubac will be a popular mid-range option at his $7,200 price tag in this elite matchup. He will have no trouble dominating the Pacers frontcourt tonight.
