Following a quiet three-game NBA slate last night, there will be a 13-game slate on Friday night. This brings great opportunity and value when building out your best DFS lineups due to the significant number of options.
While injuries have already taken a toll on several teams, we are in the very early stages of the season with plenty still to be seen. It also is worth monitoring the injury outlook of teams on the DK Live App.
DraftKings Sportsbook lists two games with spreads of 12+ points and four games holding a spread of four points or fewer. Expect some competitive basketball to be played across the board as the hierarchy of teams continues to be decided this season.
Set your DraftKings fantasy basketball lineups here: NBA $350K Friday 8’s [$100K to 1st]
Russell Westbrook, Denver Nuggets vs. Miami Heat ($6,600)
The Denver Nuggets have quietly gotten some nice production from Russell Westbrook to start this season. He has started three of the opening eight games and is averaging 12.4 points, 4.9 assists, and 4.0 rebounds per game in his 25.3 minutes per game. He ranks 84th among all players in fantasy scoring and is 20th among point guards.
With Aaron Gordon and Vlatko Čančar already out and Jamal Murray being labeled as questionable, there is opportunity for Westbrook to fill a significant role. He had his best performance of the season as a starter last game, finishing with 29 points, six assists and six rebounds (47.00 FPTS). His energy has provided a necessary spark in a few different games for this Denver team and this should be only the beginning.
Bilal Coulibaly, Washington Wizards vs. Memphis Grizzlies ($6,200)
The Washington Wizards are still early in their rebuild but have found something in Bilal Coulibaly. Last year’s seventh overall pick looks to have taken a notable step forward this season. After averaging 8.4 points, 4.1 rebounds and 1.7 assists as a rookie, Coulibaly is averaging 17.7 points, 5.8 rebounds and 2.5 assists per game this season. He also is shooting 44.0 percent on three-point attempts after connecting on 34.6 percent of these last year.
Coulibaly is averaging 30.9 fantasy points per game and Washington will continue to give him plenty of opportunities on the court. Expect Coulibaly to keep his streak of effective fantasy outputs as the Wizards face the Grizzlies on Friday.
Jusuf Nurkic, Phoenix Suns vs. Dallas Mavericks ($5,800)
The Phoenix Suns have put more Jusuf Nurkic’s plate to start the season. The Bosnian native is attempting a career-high 2.8 three-pointers per game and is averaging 10.5 points, 10.6 rebounds and 1.5 assists per game. His 28.3 fantasy points per game ranks 16th in fantasy production among centers. While he likely will not win or lose you the week, you could still get value by adding Nurkic to your DFS lineups.
Other Options – Alex Sarr ($5,400), Daniel Gafford ($5,100), Goga Bitadze ($5,000)
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I am a promoter at DraftKings and am also an avid fan and user (my username is seanbarnard) 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.
