There are eight NBA games on Friday’s slate including some notable matchups from both the playoff and draft odds perspectives.
The New York Knicks are the only team playing on the second night of a back-to-back following a frustrating loss to the Los Angeles Lakers last night. Jalen Brunson suffered a concerning-looking ankle injury and the team remains in Los Angeles to take on the Clippers tonight.
Injuries are a notable story at this stage of the season. Shai Gilgeous-Alexander, Jalen Williams, Norman Powell, Anthony Davis, Kyrie Irving, RJ Barrett, Lauri Markkanen and Victor Wembanyama headline the list of stars to miss tonight’s games. Thankfully, you can stay fully up to date on news at DraftKings Network.
On DraftKings Sportsbook, there are two double-digit favorites: Cavaliers -16 over the Hornets and Grizzlies -10 over the Mavericks. The other six games each hold spreads of seven points or fewer: Clippers -7 vs. Knicks, Nuggets -7 vs. Suns, Kings -6.5 vs. Spurs, Raptors -6 vs. Jazz, Timberwolves -5.5 vs. Heat and Thunder -2.5 vs. Trail Blazers.
Set your DraftKings fantasy basketball lineups here: NBA $300K Fadeaway [$100K to 1st]
Guard
Stud
Devin Booker, Phoenix Suns at Denver Nuggets ($8,800): The Phoenix Suns are an absolute mess right now and still trying to find a way to salvage the season. Devin Booker has stepped up his performance in recent games with him particularly taking on the challenge as a playmaker. On the season he is averaging 25.9 points, 6.9 assists and 4.0 rebounds per game, but his assists total has grown to 8.0 assists per game across the past month. Booker and the Suns will take on the Denver Nuggets tonight who have some concerns on the defensive end. On the season they rank 22nd in opponent points per game and 28th in opponent assists. Booker is averaging 43.9 FPTS per game, which ranks 21st in the league. He dropped 61.2 fantasy points just last week against the Pelicans as desperation has set in with his play. Count on Booker to continue to play with desperate energy and for the production to follow.
Other Options: James Harden ($9,800), LaMelo Ball ($9,500), Anthony Edwards ($9,400), Tyler Herro ($8,700), Donovan Mitchell ($8,600), De’Aaron Fox ($8,400), Ja Morant ($8,300)
Value
Miles McBride, New York Knicks at Los Angeles Clippers ($4,200): Jalen Brunson (ankle) has been ruled out for tonight’s game. Even when Brunson is available, Miles McBride plays a significant role on this Knicks team. The West Virginia product is averaging 9.0 points, 2.6 assists and 2.5 rebounds across his 23.7 minutes per game. McBride is one of the few names off the Knicks bench that Tom Thibodeau fully trusts and this will be further put on display tonight. His 18.9 FPTS per game ranks seventh on the Knicks, but expect his role to grow significantly without Brunson. New York is limited in their number of offensive creators with McBride expected to fill these shoes in a major way. He has tallied as many as 49.5 fantasy points in a game this season and expect a similar level of opportunity against the Clippers tonight.
Other Options: Ty Jerome ($5,100), Jaylen Wells ($4,700), Keon Ellis ($4,400), Amir Coffey ($4,100), Isaiah Joe ($4,000), Sam Merrill ($3,600)
Forward
Stud
Josh Hart, New York Knicks at Los Angeles Clippers ($8,100): Add Josh Hart to the list of players to see their role shift greatly with Brunson unavailable. While Brunson and Karl-Anthony Towns ($9,900) headline the production for the team, Josh Hart is the heart and soul of this roster. The Villanova product is averaging 14.5 points, 9.6 rebounds and 5.6 assists per game. He is averaging 39.1 fantasy points per game this season and has played just one game without Brunson thus far. Hart finished with 15 points, 14 rebounds and 12 assists in this matchup, which came out to 56.0 FPTS. Look for Hart to make the most of his additional on-ball opportunities and count on him to fill up the stat sheet tonight.
Other Options: Bam Adebayo ($9,200), Kevin Durant ($8,900), Miles Bridges ($8,300), Zach LaVine ($8,200), Evan Mobley ($8,100), Scottie Barnes ($7,900), Kawhi Leonard ($7,800)
Value
Brandon Clarke, Memphis Grizzlies at Dallas Mavericks ($4,300): The Memphis Grizzlies will travel to face the Dallas Mavericks, who have been hit with the injury bug as bad as any team in the league. This is especially evident at the big man position with Anthony Davis, Daniel Gafford, Dereck Livley III, P.J. Washington and Kai Jones each set to miss time. Look for this to open the door for a strong day from Brandon Clarke. The sixth-year NBA veteran is averaging 8.2 points and 5.1 rebounds in his 19.0 minutes per game. Jaren Jackson Jr. has been ruled out for tonight’s game, paving the way for expanded opportunity for Clark. Memphis will need to make up for the 22.7 points and 5.8 rebounds that Jackson Jr. provides. Look for Clark to benefit from the additional minutes due to the Grizzlies injuries and capitalize on the shorthanded Dallas roster. Count on him to outperform the 18.5 fantasy points he is averaging on the season and make his impact felt tonight.
Other Options: Nickeil Alexander-Walker ($4,300), Jabari Walker ($4,200), Kris Murray ($4,100), Vince Williams Jr. ($4,100), Royce O’Neal ($4,100), Amir Coffey ($4,100, Kessler Edwards ($4,000),
Center
Stud
Ivica Zubac, Los Angeles Clippers vs. New York Knicks ($7,700): The final matchup of the night’s slate will take place between the Los Angeles Clippers and New York Knicks. While Karl-Anthony Towns will headline this battle of the big man, Ivica Zubac is in the midst of a career season and has become a huge part of the Clippers’ production. Zubac is averaging a career-high 15.9 points and 12.5 rebounds per game which comes out to 39.3 FPTS per contest. This ranks eighth among all centers on the season. The Knicks have had some struggles defensively this season, ranking 13th in opponent points allowed, with Towns headlining the issues. Expect Zubac to have some success with James Harden ($9,800) continuing to create easy offensive opportunities for the big man as these two teams face off for the first time this season.
Other Options: Nikola Jokic ($12,300), Karl-Anthony Towns ($9,900), Bam Adebayo ($9,200), Evan Mobley ($8,100), Naz Reid ($7,600)
Value
Kenrich Williams, Oklahoma City Thunder vs. Portland Trail Blazers ($3,400): The Oklahoma City Thunder are set to take on the Trail Blazers tonight and are treating this like a bit of a rest day. Shai Gilgeous-Alexander is set to miss his second game of the season. In addition, Jalen Williams, Lu Dort, Cason Wallace and Isaiah Hartenstein have all been ruled out, while Chet Holmgren ($7,300; leg) has been downgraded to questionable. Someone must produce for this Thunder team and look for Kenrich Williams to make the most of his opportunity. The seventh-year big man is playing just 14.4 minutes per game, but has shown some nice flashes and has had better seasons in past years when minutes were not as difficult to come by. Deandre Ayton and Robert Williams III are each set to miss for the Trail Blazers, so look for the Thunder to have some success inside. Kenrich Williams is a more effective offensive creator than he sometimes gets credit for. He has tallied as many as 40.2 FPTS in a game already this season and look for him to be hungry to make the most of his chance tonight.
Other Options: Bismack Biyombo ($4,700), Jaylin Williams ($4,300), Sandro Mamukelashvili ($4,200), Mason Plumlee ($3,800), Trey Lyles ($3,700), Dean Wade ($3,700)
