Saturday Night NBA DFS at DraftKings is a small slate. It’s a small one, but it’s a good one. You will only need a few screens to enjoy all of the fantasy basketball action. Let’s dig into some research and make some DFS NBA picks, as we gear up for the three-game main slate that starts at 8 p.m. ET.
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Guard
Studs
Jalen Brunson, New York Knicks vs. Boston Celtics, $9,700 — Boston’s defense is one of the best in the NBA, but they didn’t look particularly sharp against competent offenses headed into the All-Star break. The weight of New York City is on Brunson’s shoulders. He’s carried it well, but there is still a long way to go. This moment will determine if Brunson is a star. He knows it. The Knicks have lost four of their last six games. Brunson’s fantasy output has plateaued at 50 DKFP. This is the time to step up. It’s a tall order, but is Brunson a superstar or not? Another point about 50 points. Brunson’s 45.5 DKFP on Thursday doesn’t sound special, but it was the fourth-most points on that full-sized slate.
Value
Jalen Suggs, Orlando Magic at Detroit Pistons, $4,800 — The expectations for NBA DFS value picks must be dialed down on a three-game slate. The bar is lowered. With fewer players in the pool, there are fewer value picks. That makes it sound like Suggs is a bad pick. That disclaimer is reserved for hedge life. Suggs is not a bad pick. The disclaimer goes in the first blurb in case people do not read further. Suggs is cheap, he plays 30 minutes a night and he has a soft matchup on Saturday night. He’s scored 25 DKFP or more in five of the last eight games.
Gary Harris, , Orlando Magic at Detroit Pistons, $3,900 — PG Markelle Fultz ($4,300) has been ruled out for Saturday. This means extra minutes in the back court for the Magic. Fultz was out on Thursday Feb. 22. Harris got the start and played 29 minutes. His 19 DKFP wasn’t efficient but it was good enough for a 6.3x return of value. He hit 5.2x in the game before that (Feb. 12) and 5.7x on Feb. 8. Harris doesn’t get a lot of minutes, but 25 minutes against Detroit at this price is worth a look on a small slate.
Forward
Studs
Jayson Tatum, Boston Celtics at New York Knicks, $10,300 — It’s time to put his money where his mouth is. Tatum told reporters that he is the best player in the NBA. On Saturday, he’ll have to back it up in the Mecca of Basketball. It’s a small slate, and all eyes will be on New York Saturday night. Before Boston blew out Brooklyn heading into the break and the Bulls out of the break, Tatum was making a strong case for being the best basketball player in the NBA. From Feb. 9 to Feb. 13, he scored 67.5, 58 and 75 DKFP. Fading the best could be a mess on a slate with less.
Value
Evan Fournier, Detroit Pistons vs. Orlando Magic, $3,600 — New York benched Fournier. They finally traded him in early February. Detroit might not be a dream spot, but at least Fournier is getting to play. On Feb. 13, the flexible Frenchman (multi-positional eligibility at shooting guard and small forward) scored 23.5 DKFP in 25 minutes off the bench. He followed with 20 DKFP in 26 minutes on Feb. 14. Last but not least, this is a rivalry game. Evan Fournier started his career with the Magic. Fournier was largely a disappointment on Thursday, but on a small slate, DFS players will have to go back to the well.
Ausar Thompson, Detroit Pistons vs. Orlando Magic, $5,500 — The rookie is breaking out in February. He’s hit 5x value or more in six of the eight games this month. In the other two contests he returned values of 4.8x and 3.4x. He’s played 27 minutes or more in every game in February. In the first game out of the break, he scored 37.25 DKFP with only a 14.4% usage rate — his lowest usage rate this month.
Center
Studs
Jalen Duren, Detroit Pistons vs. Orlando Magic, $6,900 — The Pistons closed the first half of the season on a five-game road trip. The first three contests were close games. Duren scored 47.75, 62 and 40 DKFP. The last two were blowout losses and Duren scored 19.5 and 29.25 DKFP. Can the Pistons hang with the Magic in the Motor City? Motown won’t matter. The Pistons are 4-24 on the road and 4-23 at home. Duren wasn’t great in the first game back, but he hit his floor and posted his customary double-double. More points and rebounds are always a possibility for the Pistons center.
Value
Jonathan Isaac, Orlando Magic at Detroit Pistons, $3,700 — The competition of value picks is less of a free-for-all on a small slate. It does not take a heroic effort or breakout point-per-dollar performance for a value pick to work in a lineup. Isaac is a no-go on normal slates. On short slates, he’s been a go-to. His name is frequently tossed around on these micro-slates. Isaac has returned 5x value or greater in eight of his last 10 games. He only played around 15 minutes per game on that run. That’s his normal run. The big man averages 1.1 fantasy points per minute. That’s great at this price. The question is, as it always is, will Isaac get enough minutes?
James Wiseman, Detroit Pistons vs. Orlando Magic, $3,200 — Isaiah Stewart is suspended, so frontcourt minutes are available in Detroit. The 2020 second-overall pick scored 16.75 DKFP on Thursday. That’s not great, but it can work on a three-game slate. On Feb. 13, he scored 33.75 DKFP in just 23 minutes. It’s risky, but Saturday is shaping up to be a stars-and-scrubs build. There are punts at every position. Wiseman is frequently a disappointment, but 20 minutes from a center at the near minimum is very appealing on a three-game slate.
Set your DraftKings fantasy basketball lineups here: NBA $300K Fadeaway [$100K to 1st]
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I am a promoter at DraftKings and am also an avid fan and user (my username is greenflagradio2) and may sometimes play on my personal account in the games that I offer advice on. Although I have expressed my personal view on the games and strategies above, they do not necessarily reflect the view(s) of DraftKings and do not constitute a representation that any particular strategy will guarantee success. All customers should use their own skill and judgment in building lineups. I may also deploy different players and strategies than what I recommend above. I am not an employee of DraftKings and do not have access to any non-public information.
