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The NBA has 7 games on the slate for Friday night. We’ll be monitoring a few big injuries throughout the day, most notably Nikola Jokic (knee), who could be held out for the Denver Nuggets.
In NBA DFS, you can find quality value plays under $5K that can give you a quick 10 points off the bench, grab some rebounds, or stuff the stat sheet. It does not matter if you are playing a 50/50 or Double-Up contest, we are going to provide you with three players that you need to put in your lineup.
Jalen Brunson, Dallas Mavericks, $4,800
Early on in the season, new coach Jason Kidd has been employing a pretty deep rotation for the Dallas Mavericks. The Mavs shortened that up on Thursday night with a few players sidelined (Trey Burke, Sterling Brown, Boban Marjanovic). If that happens again, Brunson will be the 6th Man and get around 25-30 minutes in a competitive game. Also monitor the status of Nikola Jokic (knee). If Jokic sits, the Nuggets don’t have much size to fill the void at center. That could force more small ball lineups, which could lead to Kidd playing Brunson in the back court with Luka Doncic most of the game.
Chris Boucher, Toronto Raptors, $4,700
At this point, we’re still waiting for coach Nick Nurse to bump up Boucher’s minutes. We’ll see if that is Friday night vs. the Orlando Magic. Boucher started the season with his salary around the mid-$6K range. Now, it’s below $5K. If Boucher gets to 20 minutes, there’s an easy path to returning big value at this price point. The Toronto Raptors are also 8-point favorites. If this game gets out of hand, Boucher could see garbage time minutes.
Joe Harris, Brooklyn Nets, $4,500
The Brooklyn Nets have been in a funk and Harris has started the season slow. That hasn’t resulted in fewer minutes or a chance in usage. Harris has still played at least 28 minutes in every game this season. He’s taking 11.2 shots per game and has double-digit 3-point attempts in three of five games. The Pacers are allowing opponents to shoot over 40 percent from distance early in the season. Malcolm Brogdon is also out for Indy. Harris’ price has dipped from $5,800 to $4,500, so now is the time to get in.