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Friday night presents an eight-game NBA slate, and below are some players I will be targeting at each position on DraftKings.
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Point Guard
Worth Paying Up For: Russell Westbrook, Washington Wizards vs. Cleveland Cavaliers, $12,800
DraftKings has brought Westbrook all the way up to a whopping $12,800, but this salary is still too low for arguably the greatest fantasy player of all time. At this price point, Westbrook needs to post 64 DKFP for five-times value. In his last ten, he is amassing 72.4 DKFP per game. Bradley Beal (hamstring) will remain out Friday, and the Wizards are still alive for the eight seed, after both the Pacers and Hornets lost last night.
With Beal off the court, Westbrook’s usage rate elevates by a team-high 5.6 percentage points, and the triple-double machine is guaranteed to score a minimum of 70 DKFP vs. the Cavs.
Best Bang For Your Buck: Malachi Flynn, Toronto Raptors at Dallas Mavericks, $6,000
Last night, the Raptors dressed ten players, but used an eight-man rotation. They absolutely want to lose their final two games of the season to improve their lottery stock, and I fully expect Nick Nurse to use the same exact game plan Friday night. Starting at point guard, Flynn logged 41.3 minutes Thursday against the Bulls, and finished with 33.5 DKFP.
He is contributing 33.6 DKFP per game when given nothing less than 35 minutes this season, and Flynn is a strong choice for both cash games and GPPs, based off sheer volume alone.
Set your DraftKings fantasy basketball lineups here: NBA $300K Shootaround [$100K to 1st]
Shooting Guard
Worth Paying Up For: Delon Wright, Sacramento Kings at Memphis Grizzlies, $8,200
Assuming De’Aaron Fox (health and safety protocols) remains away from the team, Wright will be a viable spend. Taking over for Fox as the Kings’ starting point guard in these past six, Wright has collected 44.1 DKFP per game. His playing time has been immense at 36.2 minutes per game, and this is an up-tempo spot for Wright, with the Grizzlies ranking 8th in pace this season.
Very few DFS players are going to pay up at shooting guard tonight, and Wright is an appealing way to play contrarian in GPPs.
Best Bang For Your Buck: Terance Mann, Los Angeles Clippers at Houston Rockets, $3,900
Editor’s note: Terance Mann (personal) has been ruled out tonight.
Both Paul George and Kawhi Leonard are “uncertain” for Friday after putting a beat down on the Hornets last night. The Nuggets can still catch the Clippers for the three seed and do own the tiebreaker between the two clubs, but I suspect the Clippers will opt to rest their two stars tonight, regardless.
This opens the door for Mann to see an expanded role in this favorable spot against the Rockets, who rank dead last in defensive rating across their last ten. In the two contests George and Leonard have missed since the Clippers traded away Lou Williams, Mann has produced 25.5 DKFP per game, making him a no brainer if the Clippers are without their top-two players tonight.
Small Forward
Worth Paying Up For: Luka Doncic, Dallas Mavericks vs. Toronto Raptors, $10,800
The Mavs are still fighting to secure the five seed and while there are real blowout concerns against the understaffed Raptors, Doncic is still without a doubt the top option at small forward. After scoring less than 40 DKFP in three straight, he bounced back with a 56.5 DKFP effort vs. the Pelicans on Wednesday.
Doncic will be at home tonight, where he has supplied 6.4 more DKFP per game this year, and while he isn’t rating as the greatest value, we can safely expect the superstar to exceed value against this G-League like Toronto roster.
Best Bang For Your Buck: Marcus Morris Sr., Los Angeles Clippers at Houston Rockets, $5,600
In the likely event that Leonard and George both get the night off, Morris will also be an excellent value to attack from the Clippers. In the six starts he has made sans the two All-Stars this season, Morris has been steady with 29.5 DKFP per game, mostly due to a notable 6.7 percentage point increase to his usage rate.
As long as he isn’t rested, Morris will be a safe bet for over 30 DKFP against this Houston club that is allergic to defense.
Power Forward
Worth Paying Up For: KJ Martin Jr., Houston Rockets vs. Los Angeles Clippers, $7,000
Christian Wood (ankle) has already been ruled out for the sixth straight contest, keeping Martin in a massive role for the tanking Rockets. Fresh off a 43.5 DKFP outing vs. the Lakers on Wednesday, Martin is generating 46 DKFP per game in these last five with Wood sidelined. The 20-year-old has received 39.8 minutes per game over this stretch, which is the highest on the team by a significant 7.5 minutes.
Clearly, this Houston coaching staff wants to develop Martin and give him as much run as possible, and there is no reason to suspect a role change for the rookie Friday night. Also, this should be a much friendlier matchup than usual, with Leonard and George most likely missing for the Clippers. Nevertheless, Martin very underpriced at $7,000, and is an excellent target for this slate.
Best Bang For Your Buck: Chimezie Metu, Sacramento Kings at Memphis Grizzlies, $4,300
Harrison Barnes (groin) is unlikely to play tonight, and Richaun Holmes may also be absent, after hurting his knee in Thursday’s loss in Memphis. With Barnes unavailable and Holmes only able to play 11 minutes Thursday, Metu garnered a career-high 34.2 minutes, lifting him to 28.75 DKFP.
The 24-year-old is now supplying 28.75 DKFP per game in his last three, and Metu would go from a very strong punt to near must-play if Holmes joins Barnes on the inactive list.
Center
Worth Paying Up For: Kelly Olynyk, Houston Rockets vs. Los Angeles Clippers, $8,200
In Wednesday’s two-point loss to the Lakers, Olynyk was in foul trouble, limiting him to only 25 minutes, but the former Celtic still filled up the stat sheet for 47 DKFP. Olynyk would have certainly saw right near 30 minutes if he avoided the foul issues, and his impressive campaign with the Rockets should continue Friday night.
In the seven Olynyk has played without Wood since being acquired by Houston, he has contributed 45.7 DKFP per game. Olynyk has legitimate 50 DKFP upside tonight and this higher price tag could make some DFS players hesitate, resulting in decently low ownership in GPPs.
Best Bang For Your Buck: Juan Toscano-Anderson, Golden State Warriors vs. New Orleans Pelicans, $5,000
Toscano-Anderson just inked himself a new two-year deal with the Warriors on Thursday, thanks to his tremendous play off the bench for the club. In his last seven, Toscano-Anderson has scored 28.75 DKFP in 30.9 minutes per game.
New Orleans has officially been eliminated from the playoffs, and with Zion Williamson (finger) already ruled out, and many more key names possibly joining him, the Pelicans should be a complete mess on the defensive end. The versatile Toscano-Anderson should thrive in this spot and effortlessly outproduce his salary.
Set your DraftKings fantasy basketball lineups here: NBA $300K Shootaround [$100K to 1st]
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I am a promoter at DraftKings and am also an avid fan and user (my username is Hunta512) 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 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.
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