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Saturday features a seven-game NBA slate, and the action on DraftKings gets underway at 8 p.m. ET. Let’s dive into some of the top options to consider at each position.
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Point Guard
Stud
EDITOR’S NOTE: Spurs PG Dejounte Murray (calf) has been ruled out vs. the Pacers.
Dejounte Murray, San Antonio Spurs vs. Indiana Pacers ($10,800) – Murray has had a fantastic season. He made his first All-Star team, and he’s averaged 20.7 points, 8.4 rebounds and 9.3 assists per game. Unsurprisingly, each of those marks represents a new career high.
Murray has been one of the best fantasy point guards all year, and he’s taken his game to another level recently. He’s increased his production to 1.49 DKFP per minute over the past month, and he’s scored at least 52.75 DKFP in five straight games. He’ll have a chance for another big performance vs. the Pacers, who rank 27th in defensive efficiency over their past 10 games. The Spurs are currently implied for 121.25 points, which is the top mark on the slate.
Other Options – Stephen Curry ($10,800), Tyrese Haliburton ($9,000)
Value
Tre Jones, San Antonio Spurs vs. Indiana Pacers ($3,500) – Sticking with the Spurs, Tre Jones is an appealing source of value. He’s priced at just $3,500, and he’s averaged a strong 0.90 DKFP per minute over the past month. He’s only expected to see around 20 minutes on Saturday, but that should still give him a chance to pay off his minimal price tag. The Pacers have been one of the worst teams in the league against opposing point guards this season.
Other Options – Jordan Clarkson ($4,700), Davion Mitchell ($3,400)
Shooting Guard
Stud
Fred VanVleet, Toronto Raptors @ Denver Nuggets ($8,000) – VanVleet recently missed four games for the Raptors, but he’s back in the lineup now. He’s suited up in each of the past two games, and he’s coming off 38 minutes in his last outing. His usage rate was down in that contest, but he has big upside with that much playing time moving forward. VanVleet has averaged 1.11 DKFP per minute this season, so he’s underpriced at just $8,000.
Other Options – Donovan Mitchell ($8,600), Klay Thompson ($7,000)
Value
Jordan Poole, Golden State Warriors vs. Milwaukee Bucks ($5,700) – Poole has played extremely well of late, returning value in each of his past five games. His playing time has also been up, which is not surprising given the Warriors’ current injury situation. They’re playing without Draymond Green, Andre Iguodala, Otto Porter and Gary Payton II, which should solidify Poole at around 32 minutes. He’s averaged 1.13 DKFP per minute over the past month, so he can do some damage with that much playing time.
Other Options – Lonnie Walker IV ($4,300), Duncan Robinson ($3,300)
Small Forward
Stud
EDITOR’S NOTE: Heat SF/PF Jimmy Butler (toe) has been ruled out vs. the Timberwolves.
Jimmy Butler, Miami Heat vs. Minnesota Timberwolves ($8,500) – Butler has spent plenty of time on the injury report of late, but he’s still suited up in most of the Heat’s contests. That includes Friday’s win over the Cavaliers, where Butler racked up 44.0 DKFP over 33.9 minutes.
Butler has been priced down to $8,500 on Saturday, and it’s hard not to like him at that price tag. Butler has exceeded salary-based expectations by an average of +3.49 with a comparable salary this season.
He also benefits from an excellent matchup vs. the Timberwolves. They’ve played at the third-fastest pace over their past 10 games, and the Heat are currently implied for 117.25 points. That represents a sizable increase from their season average of 109.5.
Other Options – Khris Middleton ($7,800), Anthony Edwards ($7,600)
Value
Josh Richardson, San Antonio Spurs vs. Indiana Pacers ($3,600) – Richardson is an interesting option on Saturday. He moved into the Spurs’ starting lineup in their last game, and he responded with 23.5 DKFP over 34.4 minutes. There’s no guarantee that he draws another start vs. the Pacers, but he would be a nice value at $3,600 if he does. Make sure to monitor the news heading into lineup lock.
Other Options – Devin Vassell ($5,200), Chris Duarte ($4,900)
Power Forward
Stud
Giannis Antetokounmpo, Milwaukee Bucks @ Golden State Warriors ($12,200) – Antetokounmpo has had another tremendous season for the Bucks, who enter Saturday’s matchup vs. the Warriors on a six-game win streak. Antetokounmpo has been a big reason for their success, scoring at least 62.75 DKFP in five of those contests. The only exception was a game where he played just 31.2 minutes in a blowout win.
A lack of minutes remains the only thing that can stop Giannis in fantasy. He’s averaged 1.90 DKFP per minute over the past month, so he’s a great bet to return value when he sees his usual workload. Saturday’s game vs. the Warriors features just a 1.5-point spread, so Vegas expects this to be a competitive contest. The total is also set at 236.5 points, which is the second-highest mark on the slate. Giannis is expensive, but very few players on this slate can match his upside.
Other Options – DeMar DeRozan ($9,500), Pascal Siakam ($8,900)
Value
Rui Hachimura, Washington Wizards @ Portland Trail Blazers ($3,200) – It’s been a bit of a lost season for Hachimura, who has played in just 25 games. He’s also averaged just 19.4 minutes per game, so it’s been a major step back for the former lottery pick.
However, he will have a chance to finish the year strong. He’s played at least 24 minutes in three of his past four games, and he’s averaged 0.92 DKFP per minute over the past month. That makes him a nice value at just $3,200.
Other Options – Jalen Smith ($5,600), Thaddeus Young ($3,400)
Center
Stud
Nikola Jokic, Denver Nuggets vs. Toronto Raptors ($12,100) – Jokic is the other mega stud on this slate, and he’s been on a massive heater recently. He’s coming off 54.5 DKFP in his last outing, and that represents his worst game by a significant margin. Prior to that, he had scored at least 75.25 DKFP in each of his previous three games.
Overall, Jokic has been comparable to Giannis on a per-minute basis of late, averaging 1.89 DKFP per minute over the past month. However, his matchup vs. the Raptors is significantly worse than Giannis’ on Saturday. The Nuggets are implied for approximately five fewer points, and the Raptors have been excellent against opposing centers this season.
Other Options – Bam Adebayo ($8,100), Rudy Gobert ($7,800)
Value
Isaiah Jackson, Indiana Pacers @ San Antonio Spurs ($5,000) – Jackson has carved out a solid role for the Pacers. He’s logged at least 22.3 minutes in three of his past four games, and he’s scored at least 27.75 DraftKings points in each of them. Jackson is an outstanding per-minute producer for his price tag, averaging 1.25 DKFP per minute, so he can pile up fantasy points quickly. He remains underpriced at just $5,000.
Other Options – Precious Achiuwa ($4,000), Daniel Gafford ($3,700)
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