The people have been begging for more NBA Cup action, and they’ll get it on Friday, as the league offers up nine matchups this evening.
Seven of those nine are included in DraftKings’ featured NBA DFS slate. Let’s break things down and make a couple picks on the hardcourt.
Set your DraftKings NBA DFS lineups here: NBA $300K Friday 8’s [$100K to 1st]
PG Shai Gilgeous-Alexander, Oklahoma City Thunder at Memphis Grizzlies, $10,200
At this point, I think you’re just rolling with the reigning MVP until his price tag gets up above $11,000. The Thunder have been ravaged by injures early on in 2026-27, with Chet Holmgren (knee), Jalen Williams (leg) and Cason Wallace (shoulder) all having been ruled out for significant stretches of time. That’s left a lot of slack for SGA to pick up, but the All-NBA guard has managed extremely well in Oklahoma City’s last two contests, averaging 42.5 points, 8.0 assists and 63.9 FPTS. Gilgeous-Alexander’s usage rate in those games? 44.2% and 45.9%, respectively. If SGA is going to be operating with that level of volume, he’s automatically viable on any slate or in any matchup. It’s that easy.
SG/SF RJ Barrett, Toronto Raptors at Milwaukee Bucks, $7,300
Let me just start by saying, overall, RJ Barrett is better and more consistent than you think. The former third-overall pick has scored at least 20 points in seven of his eight starts this season, and he’s exceeded 40 FPTS four times. He’s second on the Raptors in points per game (20.9), third in rebounds per game (6.0) and fourth in assists per game (3.9). He’s so, so solid. Now, let’s talk about Barrett specifically in the context of Friday night. Toronto is playing Milwaukee. The Bucks come into this evening sitting 27th in defensive rating (118.1) and second in pace (103.5). It’s a dream matchup. On top of that, the Raptors will be without Kawhi Leonard (knee), and could also be missing one or both of Scottie Barnes ($8,800; adductor) and Immanuel Quickley ($6,800; hamstring), who are questionable. There’s a path to a huge performance here.
SG Grayson Allen, Charlotte Hornets vs. Boston Celtics, $5,100
I mean, someone has to score for the Hornets, right? Allen’s actually having a very solid start to the season as Charlotte’s sixth man, averaging 15.7 points per game and doing so while shooting 49.2% from three-point range. Allen’s also been heating up in the last week, exceeding the 20-point plateau and the 35-FPTS mark in two of his last three contests. This is a less than ideal matchup against the Celtics, but with Kon Knueppel (hamstring) back on the injured list, Dennis Schroder (thigh) ruled out, and Coby White ($6,000) still seemingly under a minutes restriction; Allen has a prime opportunity to be a high-volume option for the Hornets’ backcourt. At this modest price point, he’s very much in the pool of value assets I’m utilizing on this slate.
