After a massive Friday night of NBA Cup action, DraftKings has a nice four-game slate of games on Saturday night, highlighted by a showdown between Luka Doncic and the Lakers against Giannis Antetokounmpo and the Bucks in Milwaukee. The Hornets, Lakers, Bucks, and Timberwolves are playing for a second day in a row, so be sure to keep a close eye on the injury reports as they come out. One key name already on the injury report is Nikola Jokic (wrist), who is questionable, and his availability will be a key to monitor as well. Be sure to check back for updates to our models as things change throughout the day.
Let’s dive into some of the top plays on the slate using the FantasyLabs tools and projections.
Also, don’t forget that for large-field tournaments, you can utilize our Lineup Optimizer to effortlessly create up to 300 lineups or use our Lineup Builder if you like to hand-build your lineups.
You can also use our SimLabs Lineup Generator, a tool that creates the most user-friendly lineup generation process.
Note: Projections and Leverage Scores/Ratings may change throughout the day after this article is posted. The NBA DFS landscape changes quickly.
Consult the NBA Player Models directly for any updates as we get closer to lock.
NBA DFS Point Guard Picks
Stud
Luka Doncic has the top median, ceiling, and floor projection at point guard and the highest median and ceiling projection on the entire slate. He has been carrying more usage than any other player in the NBA with LeBron James (sciatica) out.
Doncic is averaging 33.7 points per game and has a double-double in four of his last six games. During that stretch, he had a triple-double against the Heat with 66 DraftKings points and a 35-point performance against the Spurs that earned him 81.2 DraftKings points.
Last night against the Pelicans, he played 40 minutes but needed “only” 24 points and 12 assists for 58.2 DraftKings points to lead the Lakers past the Pelicans. As long as he’s ready to go for the second night of the back-to-back, he should be ready to deliver another huge night on Saturday in Milwaukee in a fascinating matchup with emerging star Ryan Rollins and the Bucks.
Value
In the ShotQuality projections for Saturday, Pacers point guard Andrew Nembhard has the second-highest Plus/Minus projection of all point guards. He is helping carry more of the load for the Pacers, who are dealing with multiple injuries with Aaron Nesmith (knee) joining Bennedict Mathurin (toe), Quenton Jackson (hamstring), Obi Toppin (foot), and, of course, Tyrese Haliburton (Achilles) on the sidelines.
Nembhard missed seven games with a shoulder injury that he suffered on opening night, but he has been very solid in his four games since returning to action. He has 20+ points in three of his four games and has averaged 6.8 assists as well. He has at least 34 DraftKings points in each of his last three games.
He and the Pacers have been off since Thursday, when he had 21 points, eight assists, and 34.5 DraftKings points in just 27 minutes in a blowout loss to Phoenix. If the Pacers can keep Saturday’s home game with the Raptors close, Nembhard has a high ceiling as one of the key pieces of the Pacers’ attack. The game has the second-highest point total on the board, according to our Vegas Dashboard.
Fast Break
Thunder point guard Shai Gilgeous-Alexander has been outstanding while guiding the defending champs to a 12-1 start and is in a great spot against the Hornets. Charlotte played an overtime game last night against the Bucks, while OKC has been off since Wednesday. SGA has at least 53 DraftKings points in three straight games and five of his last six, and he hasn’t even had to play maximum minutes lately since games have been getting lopsided, but he keeps putting up outstanding numbers, averaging 32.5 points, 6.6 assists, and 5.6 rebounds in his 34 minutes per game.
Rollins is a great mid-range play against Luka in Milwaukee. He has exceeded salary-based expectations in eight of his last 10 games and is averaging 17.5 points, 5.5 assists, 4.0 rebounds, and 1.7 steals per game in his 13 contests. He has been even better over his last five games with 19.4 points, 5.4 assists, 5.0 rebounds, and 1.4 steals in 32 minutes per game. He posted over 35 DraftKings points in five straight games after finishing with 20 points, eight rebounds, and four assists against the Hornets on Friday, and at only $6,300, he’s a great option.
The Nuggets already ruled out Cameron Johnson (bicep) and Christian Braun (ankle) in addition to Jokic being uncertain, so Denver will have plenty of value options on the board. Bruce Brown has the highest Projected Plus/Minus at point guard in both sets of projections since he could move into the starting lineup, and he usually contributes in multiple categories.
Don’t forget to check out our NBA SimLabs Lineup Generator to create advanced DFS lineups using the power of simulation:
NBA DFS Shooting Guard Picks
Stud
Even though he isn’t as expensive as the four megastars with salaries over $10,000, Anthony Edwards brings an elite ceiling every time the Timberwolves play. He has the highest median, ceiling, and floor projections at shooting guard in both sets of projections and can be a very solid play to build around as his Wolves host the banged-up Nuggets.
Edwards has scored at least 26 points and produced at least 44 DraftKings points in each of his last four games, and he led the Wolves to a 14-point win on Friday against the Kings. While his non-scoring numbers have been inconsistent since his return from a four-game absence due to a hamstring injury, he has consistently poured in enough points to be a strong play at this price point. As he settles into more of a rhythm with his rebounds and assists, he’ll have an even higher ceiling as well.
Against the Nuggets, Edwards has a great track record, scoring at least 29 points in each of their last four meetings. In his most recent matchup against them, he had 34 points, 10 boards, and eight assists in a double-overtime thriller. While he may not quite get to that level, he’ll be a solid play to build around on Saturday at this price since he brings such a high ceiling.
Value
The Thunder have been without Jalen Williams (wrist) all season, so options like Isaiah Joe have had to step into a more active scoring role. Joe has the third-highest Plus/Minus projection at shooting guard in the FantasyLabs projections and has proven that he can go off for big games in the right matchups.
On Wednesday against the Lakers in his most recent contest, Joe poured in 21 points in 34 minutes and finished with 36.5 DraftKings points. The veteran sharpshooter takes enough threes to always have good upside, and he has at least 24 DraftKings points in five of his eight games this season.
He’s averaging 16.3 points per game in his expanded role this season. While breakout producer Ajay Mitchell has been excellent, his salary is all the way up to $6,600, while Joe’s has stayed low enough to make him a good value.
Fast Break
Austin Reaves had 31 points against the Pelicans on his way to 49.5 DraftKings points on Friday. He seems fully past his groin injury that cost him three games earlier this month and has over 45 DraftKings points in two of his three games since returning and eight of his 10 games overall.
Depending on exactly whom the Hornets have available for the second night of their back-to-back, Tre Mann could be a very solid mid-range target against his former team, the Thunder. Mann is averaging 21.4 DraftKings points per game this season, but he has popped for over 25 DraftKings points in four of his last seven games, including 42.8 DraftKings points against the Heat.
Hornets guard Sion James has the highest Plus/Minus projection of the options at shooting guard under $4,000 outside of Denver. Even with LaMelo Ball playing, James had a big game with 12 points, seven rebounds, five steals, three assists, and 35.2 fantasy points. James could be in for a big workload again Saturday and be an excellent value.
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NBA DFS Small Forward Picks
Stud
Rookie Kon Knueppel has been a key contributor for Charlotte with lots of upside and steady production so far this season. He has the highest Plus/Minus projection of all small forwards on Saturday’s slate in the ShotQuality projections, along with the second-highest median, ceiling, and floor projections, behind only Pascal Siakam, whose salary is almost $3,000 higher.
Knueppel had a career-high 32 points in Friday night’s overtime loss to Milwaukee and is now averaging 17.9 points, 6.1 rebounds, 2.8 assists and 0.8 steals across his first 12 games. He has done most of his work without LaMelo Ball and Brandon Miller, but he’s quickly established himself as a key part of the Hornets’ core going forward.
He could end up carrying a lot of the offense if Ball sits on the second night of the back-to-back or even if the star point guard remains in a limited role as he was on Friday.
Value
With Johnson and Braun out, Tim Hardaway Jr. will likely enter the starting lineup for the first time this season on Saturday. In the FantasyLabs projections, he has the highest Projected Plus/Minus at the position, while in the ShotQuality projections, he’s second behind Knueppel.
Hardaway typically brings a little more scoring upside than Brown, and he already posted at least 12 points and at least 20 DraftKings points in three of his last five games. On the season, he’s producing 11.0 points, 1.8 rebounds, 1.6 assists, and 17.8 DraftKings points in 23 minutes per game.
With more minutes and usage potentially in store in this matchup in Minnesota, Hardaway could end up being an elite value play. If Jokic is limited or ultimately ruled out, Hardaway could help cover some of the scoring and is a nice fit alongside Jamal Murray, who would likely pick up the majority of the workload.
Fast Break
Pascal Siakam does have the highest ceiling, median, and floor projections at small forward and should be motivated against his former squad, the Raptors. He has been below salary-based expectations in four straight and six of his last seven, so he’s best used in GPPs, where his high ceiling is worth the risk of him underperforming in a blowout.
Timberwolves forward Jaden McDaniels was in and out of the game last night and had to go to the locker room with three different injuries. He came back each time and played 31 minutes in the Wolves’ win over the Kings. He only had 13 points and 20.5 DraftKings points, but he has been taking his game to another level this season, and if he’s healthy for this matchup against Denver, he’ll be a good play. He has averaged 31.1 DraftKings points per game, and he had over that average in four of five games before his limited production on Friday. If he’s good to go Saturday, he brings good upside for a player under $6,000. He has the third-highest Plus/Minus projection at small forward in the ShotQuality projections.
Aside from Hardaway, the best bargain small forward in the projections is Jaylen Clark, who has played a consistent role off the Timberwolves’ bench and brings good upside if the game gets lopsided in either direction or the Timberwolves opt to rest players on the second night of their back-to-back.
NBA DFS Power Forward Picks
Stud
Of the four highly-priced megastars on Saturday’s slate, Giannis Antetokounmpo is my favorite to build a lineup around. He has the highest median, ceiling, and floor projection on the slate in the FantasyLabs projections and the best Projected Plus/Minus of the high-priced players in both sets of projections.
Like Luka, he had a heavy workload on Friday, but he did most of his fantasy work with his assists. He ended up with 25 points, 18 assists, seven rebounds, two steals, and one block while totaling 64.75 DraftKings points in 40 minutes in his team’s win over the Hornets.
For the season, Giannis has a sky-high 34.8% usage rate, ranking second in the NBA behind only Luka’s 35.9% usage rate among all players with more than two games played. Giannis is putting up an elite 1.92 DraftKings points per minute in his eight games on main slates and is averaging 62 DraftKings points per game by producing 32.6 points, 11.5 rebounds, and 7.3 assists per game.
He always seems to post great numbers against the Lakers, averaging 33.4 points, 11.6 rebounds, and 6.5 assists in his last 10 matchups against them. He typically gets up for key matchups like this at home in Milwaukee, and he should be set up to put on a show on Saturday.
Value
In both sets of projections, Jeremiah Robinson-Earl has the highest Projected Plus/Minus at power forward. The veteran has added some key depth for the Pacers this year, playing 19.4 minutes per game and moving into the starting five for his last two contests.
With Nesmith out, he could be even more productive in a larger role on Saturday. He has scored at least six points in five straight games and has posted a pair of double-doubles with 29 and 32.2 DraftKings points in those two games.
While he doesn’t have a super-high ceiling, he has played meaningful minutes and is a great value under $4,500 with both power forward and center eligibility.
Fast Break
As a complementary option to Edwards, Julius Randle has been outstanding this season for Minnesota, exceeding salary-based expectations in 11 of his 12 games. He is averaging 25.4 points, 7.5 rebounds, 6.1 assists, and 47.5 DraftKings points per game. On Friday against the Kings, Randle posted a 26-point, 11-board double-double, finishing with 50.75 DraftKings points. He has over 45 DraftKings points in seven of his last eight games.
Friday night against the Hornets, Kyle Kuzma had a season-high 60 DraftKings points on 29 points, 10 rebounds, four steals, and five assists. He hasn’t consistently been so involved, but his volatility makes him a good fit for GPPs since he always brings a high ceiling. He’ll also be taking on his former team, which might give him some extra motivation to build on his momentum Saturday.
Besides Robinson-Earl, Peyton Watson is another value forward with good upside to consider. He could help pick up some of the time due to all the injuries in Denver, although that could lead to some interesting oversized lineups.
NBA DFS Center Picks
Stud
Aside from Jokic, who is questionable, Isaiah Hartenstein has the highest ceiling, median, and floor projections of all the centers on Saturday’s slate. Hartenstein and the Thunder are in a great matchup against the Hornets, and he has a high ceiling if he gets his full typical workload.
In his last two games, Hartenstein played limited minutes in blowout wins, but before that, he had three straight double-doubles, highlighted by a 33-point, 19-rebound game against the Kings that earned him 69.75 DraftKings points.
He has a ceiling like that against the Hornets if he is the focus of the Thunder’s offense, but he is a volatile option as well since OKC has so many good offensive contributors right now.
Value
Even with Jokic in the projections, his backup Jonas Valanciunas has the second-highest Plus/Minus projections at center in the FantasyLabs projections and the third-highest in the ShotQuality projections. If Jokic is out, Valanciunas will likely get a spot start and be a must-play, but even if Jokic plays, Big V could end up a great bargain.
Valanciunas has produced an elite 1.41 fantasy points per minute this season but has played very limited time behind Jokic. He has played under 20 minutes in each contest and is averaging only 13 minutes per game.
Even in that limited work, he has contributed 8.9 points, 4.8 rebounds, and 17.9 fantasy points per game. If he moves into a starter’s role, he’ll be outstanding, but even if he just plays 20-25 minutes, he’ll be a top value to build around.
Fast Break
Jakob Poeltl and the Raptors are in a great matchup against the banged-up Pacers, and Poeltl is finally starting to look healthy. He’s averaged 9.8 points, 7.1 rebounds, and 23.7 DraftKings points in his eight games, but he has at least 12 points in three straight games with over 30 DraftKings points in each contest. He has a season-high 20 points and 37.25 DraftKings points against the Cavs on Thursday.
On Friday, Charlotte was without rookie center Ryan Kalkbrenner (personal), allowing Moussa Diabate to step in and play a massive 43 minutes. He finished with a strong double-double of 15 points, 11 rebounds, and 33.25 DraftKings points. Diabate has at least 29 DraftKings points in three of his last four games and is averaging 1.14 DraftKings points per minute on the season.
