Following a few afternoon contests to get the day started, the NBA has a seven-game main slate on DraftKings this Saturday night. The Hawks, Thunder, Suns, Spurs, and Wizards are each finishing a back-to-back, but none of the teams on the main slate are playing again on Sunday, although there are three NBA games in the afternoon before the Super Bowl. Plenty of question marks still exist due to injuries and new trade arrivals, but there are already some strong plays that stand out on Saturday’s schedule.

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 Leverages 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

The Hawks knocked off the Bucks on Friday night, and they’ll look to get another big win on Saturday when they visit the Wizards in an excellent matchup for just about everyone on the roster. Trae Young has the highest ceiling projection of all point guards in our projections, even though he’s much cheaper than Shai Gilgeous-Alexander. He should be able to take advantage of the matchup and post another huge statline.

Young also has the highest Projected Plus/Minus of all point guards since he’s expected to outproduce his price point by such a significant margin. He has three double-doubles in his last five games and fell just one assist short of a fourth double-double. He poured in 24 points to go with seven assists on Friday and finished with 42.25 DraftKings points.

While he has become a regular on the injury report as probable due to Achilles tendinitis, he continues to post strong numbers while playing through the injury. He always gets plenty of usage as well, which gives him a very high ceiling in any matchup, especially one this favorable. The Hawks have played at the fastest pace in the NBA over the last 15 games, and the Wizards also rank in the top 10 in pace over that span. The Wizards have also allowed the most points per game this season and the second-most fantasy points to opposing point guards.

Value

One of the exciting new features this season on FantasyLabs is our partnership with ShotQuality. In the ShotQuality projections, Josh Giddey has the highest Projected Plus/Minus at point guard, as he and the Bulls host the Warriors on Saturday night.

Giddey has stepped into a larger role for the Bulls after the trade of Zach LaVine to the Kings. With LaVine off the floor, Giddey’s usage has increased from 20.6% to 23.2%, and he has produced 1.26 DraftKings points per minute in that situation.

In six of his last nine games, Giddey exceeded salary-based expectations. He had a big 20-point, 10-rebound double-double last Sunday in Detroit, earning 46.5 DraftKings points and giving him 15 double-doubles in his 48 games this season. He followed that up with 42.75 DraftKings points on Tuesday against the Heat but cooled off a little with 31.5 DraftKings points against the Timberwolves.

Giddey should be busy again on Saturday against Golden State, and he has a great ceiling at his salary just over $7,000.

Fast Break

Jalen Brunson and the Knicks host the Celtics Saturday night, and Brunson’s salary is still under $9,000 even though he brings an elite ceiling. He has scored at least 25 points and finished with over 43 DraftKings points in four of his last six games with three double-doubles during that span. Like Young and Giddey, Brunson will carry most of the workload for his team, so he brings a very high ceiling.

The Celtics ruled out Jrue Holiday (shoulder) for a second straight game, which could open up more playing time for Payton Pritchard, who is coming off his big game on Thursday in a loss to the Mavs. Pritchard got extra run in the fourth quarter and finished with 21 points and 40 DraftKings points in his best performance in several weeks. Pritchard will have the opportunity to step up off the Celtics’ bench again on Saturday, so consider him as a mid-range option against New York.

Without Kevin Durant (ankle), Bradley Beal (toe), and Vasilije Micic (recently traded) on Friday night, the Suns turned to Tyus Jones, who answered with a big game against the Jazz. He finished with 16 points, six rebounds, six assists and 37.5 DraftKings points in his 38 minutes of the Suns’ overtime win. The Suns-Nuggets game starts later than the rest of the games on the slate, but if Durant and Beal are both ruled out, Jones brings good potential upside from his salary just over $4,000 in an expanded role.

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

In that favorable spot against the Wizards, Dyson Daniels has the highest Projected Plus/Minus of all shooting guard in both the FantasyLabs projections and the ShotQuality projections. Daniels has been an excellent addition for the Hawks this year after coming over in the trade for Dejounte Murray.

The 23-year-old from Australia is averaging 13.8 points, 5.4 rebounds, 4.0 assists, 3.0 steals, and 33.8 DraftKings points per game on the season, but lately he has been even better, producing 40.8 DraftKings points per game over his last nine contests. He has at least seven assists and 40 DraftKings points in each of his last three games and had a double-double in Friday night’s win over the Bucks.

Daniels is always active on both ends of the floor and contributes excellent counting stats, and he is showing he can also contribute on a nightly basis with both points and assists that give him a very high ceiling.

Value

The Wizards shuffled their roster with multiple trades at the NBA Trade Deadline, but one player who seems to be a big winner is Bilal Coulibaly, who has continued to carry huge workloads, as the Wizards try to give their younger players room to grow. Coulibaly is just 20 years old in his second NBA season but is showing he’s ready to carry the load. On Saturday against Atlanta, he has the second-highest Projected Plus/Minus at the position in the ShotQuality projections, behind only Daniels.

Coulibaly has exceeded salary-based expectations in seven of his last 10 contests, averaging 31.1 DraftKings points per contest. He has over 35 DraftKings points in each of his last three games, including a triple-double against the Nets on Wednesday that earned him 47.5 DraftKings points.

On Friday against the Cavs, Coulibaly played 42 minutes and finished with 16 points, six rebounds, and 35.5 DraftKings points. Getting him under $6,000 while he’s carrying such a heavy workload in a great pace-up spot against the Hawks makes him a great value option with a very high ceiling on Saturday.

Fast Break

The Spurs have given De’Aaron Fox control of their offense and the star point guard has looked very strong in his first two games with San Antonio, producing 57.75 DraftKings points against the Hawks and 42.5 DraftKings points against the Hornets. The Spurs came up just short on Friday night with Fox’s potential game-winner released just after the buzzer. It is a tough matchup against the Magic on the quick turnaround to finish the back-to-back, but Fox still brings a high ceiling at the controls of the Spurs’ offense.

Fox’s new teammate Stephon Castle is also having a breakout stretch that deserves attention even though he’s also in that tough matchup against Orlando. Castle has exceeded salary-based expectations in eight of his last 10 contests and had a career-high 33 points off the bench on Friday in Charlotte. He finished that game with 40.5 DraftKings points, showing he can thrive alongside Fox as part of the new Spurs’ core.

The FantasyLabs projections give Buddy Hield the second-highest Projected Plus/Minus at shooting guard, while he checks in third in the ShotQuality projections at the position. Hield had 18 points and 30.75 DraftKings points against the Jazz followed by 14 points and 28.75 DraftKings points against the Lakers in his two games earlier this week. The Warriors are expected to get Jimmy Butler ($8,000) in the mix on Saturday, which could impact Hield’s role in the rotation, but the veteran guard will continue to have boom-or-bust upside due to his streaky nature as a shooter.

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NBA DFS Small Forward Picks

Stud

While Jayson Tatum has the highest median, ceiling, and floor projections at small forward in both sets of projections, Franz Wagner isn’t far behind him and comes with a salary that is $1,500 lower. Wagner has a much better Projected Plus/Minus and should be a better value at just over $8,000. He has the highest Projected Plus/Minus of all small forwards in the FantasyLabs projections and the third-highest at the position using the ShotQuality projections.

Wagner and the Magic have the third-highest pace differential on the slate as they face the Spurs, so it’s a good spot to target the 23-year-old forward. Since returning from injury, Wagner has played eight games, averaging 26.0 points, 4.6 rebounds, 3.3 assists, and 38.8 DraftKings points per game. His best game since returning came last Saturday in Utah, where he went off for 37 points and 51 DraftKings points.

On Thursday, Wagner had a down game against the Nuggets, finishing with just 30.5 DraftKings points in 30 minutes, but that game was the second night of a back-to-back. He should be able to bounce back against the Spurs, as the Magic continue to try and climb the Eastern Conference standings to potentially move out of the Play-In Tournament.

Value

Kyshawn George has the highest Projected Plus/Minus of all small forwards in the ShotQuality projections and is another young Wizards player getting expanded playing time. He could eventually get squeezed a bit if Khris Middleton (ankles, trade) comes back at full strength, but currently, that seems like a long way away. In the short term, George should continue to get plenty of playing time and potential usage.

George was a first-round pick in the 2024 NBA Draft, and the 21-year-old has started the last eight games for Washington, averaging 26.6 minutes per contest. He hasn’t always posted great numbers but has been trending in the right direction, especially lately. On Wednesday, George had 17 points and 36.25 DraftKings points against the Nets, and he followed that up on Friday against the Cavs with 17 points and 33.25 DraftKings points.

With Kyle Kuzma now in Milwaukee, George should have the space to step into a more active role, especially if Alexandre Sarr (ankle) and Justin Champagnie (ribs) miss Saturday’s game after missing Friday’s loss to Cleveland.

Fast Break

Even though Tatum continues to battle knee soreness, he always brings a high ceiling. Jaylen Brown is actually a better value, though, since he also brings plenty of upside and comes cheaper. Brown had a team-high 25 points even though the team struggled Thursday in their loss to Dallas. Brown has scored at least 20 points in six of Boston’s last seven games, with over 40 DraftKings points in six of his last nine.

After the LaVine trade, Coby White is another member of the Bulls who gets more usage and potential upside. He has added small forward eligibility on DraftKings as well, which gives him more flexibility in roster builds. White has scored 20+ points in four straight games with over 29 DraftKings points in three of his last four. He has a top-three Projected Plus/Minus at small forward in both sets of projections.

Without Durant and Beal, Grayson Allen stepped up for the Suns on Friday night, producing 48.25 DraftKings points in a home win over the Jazz. He totaled 21 points, seven rebounds, six assists, and two steals in his 36 minutes and hit the game-tying shot to force overtime. Allen has a top-five Projected Plus/Minus at small forward in both sets of projections coming into the day, but his workload does depend on whether Beal or Durant are ready to return.

NBA DFS Power Forward Picks

Stud

The Grizzlies play at the fastest pace in the NBA this season, and their matchup with the Thunder has the highest point total on Saturday’s main slate. Jaren Jackson Jr. has the second-highest ceiling projection at power forward in the ShotQuality projections and the third-highest in the FantasyLabs projections. He’s relatively affordable at just over $8,000 but brings a very high ceiling.

JJJ has scored at least 30 points in each of his last three games, earning 49.75, 51.5, and 47.75 DraftKings points in the Grizzlies’ three wins. He only played 28 minutes on Wednesday in Toronto but finished with 32 points, five boards, and one blocked shot on his way to 47.75 DraftKings points.

The Thunder got Chet Holmgren ($7,700) back on Friday night, but it isn’t clear if he’ll be available for the second night of OKC’s back-to-back. If not, the matchup will be even more favorable for Jackson against the smaller Thunder forwards. Jackson struggled badly in his first matchup with OKC this season, shooting just 3 of 17, but he comes in with much better form into what should be a high-scoring rematch this Saturday.

Value

Reigning Sixth Man of the Year Naz Reid has enjoyed his promotion to the starting five, and he should continue to get extra playing time with Julius Randle (groin) out. Reid has the highest Projected Plus/Minus at power forward in the FantasyLabs projections, as his Timberwolves host the Trail Blazers in another nice Western Conference matchup on Saturday night.

Reid started the last four games for the Wolves, but he had to leave the first of those games with a right finger sprain. In his three games since then, he has been excellent and exceeded salary-based expectations.

He played 40 minutes in the first of those games against the Kings and racked up 30 points and 47.25 DraftKings points. He followed that by playing 36 minutes in each of his last two games with a double-double in each contest. He had 52.5 DraftKings points against the Bulls and 44.25 DraftKings points against the Rockets.

In this favorable matchup against Portland, Reid is a great mid-range play under $7,000 and allows added flexibility with his power forward and center eligibility.

Fast Break

With Jamal Murray (knee, questionable) in and out of the lineup lately and Russell Westbrook (hamstring) out, Michael Porter Jr. (hamstring, questionable) has been excellent for Denver lately. However, he now has an injury status of his own. He has played all 52 games for the Nuggets this season, averaging 33.5 DraftKings points in 33.2 minutes per game, but in each of his last three games, he has 30+ points and 40+ DraftKings points. If Porter plays, he’ll be a strong mid-range option against the Suns. If he doesn’t, Christian Braun and Aaron Gordon will be good value plays with high ceilings while picking up his workload.

The ShotQuality projections give Ayo Dosunmu the third-highest Projected Plus/Minus at power forward. He has been more active since the departure of Zach LaVine via trade, and he played 36 minutes on Wednesday in a loss to the Timberwolves. He had 11 points and four assists for 20.5 DraftKings points in that contest but showed his higher ceiling with 41.5 DraftKings points in the previous game against the Heat. His home matchup against the Warriors is a pretty favorable one, so give the multi-category producer a look if you’re shopping in the middle range. Patrick Williams is a lower-cost option at forward for the Bulls who also brings good upside with more work coming his way.

In both sets of projections, Al Horford has the second-highest Projected Plus/Minus at power forward. He comes very affordably under $4,000 and will likely move into the starting five again in place of Holiday. He had a double-double of 13 points and 10 rebounds that earned him 33.0 DraftKings points in a start against the Cavs on Tuesday but didn’t get much going in another start on Thursday.

NBA DFS Center Picks

Stud

As is usually the case whenever the Nuggets are on the schedule, Nikola Jokic is at the top of just about all the projections. The Joker has the highest median, ceiling, and floor projections on the entire slate in both sets of projections. His salary has climbed all the way to $12,800, but he continues to actually be a good value since he keeps delivering huge numbers.

Jokic has three triple-doubles in his last four games and has exceeded his lofty salary-based expectations in each of his last five games. He had 28 points, 12 assists, 10 rebounds, and 66.5 DraftKings points against the Magic on Thursday after posting 70 and 70.5 DraftKings in back-to-back wins over the Pelicans.

On Saturday, there is plenty of uncertainty around him on the Nuggets roster, but he has been such an incredible fantasy option that he’s still the top pay-up play since no matter who is with him, he posts impressive numbers across the box score.

Value

The Wizards have allowed the second-most fantasy points per game to opposing centers this season, and on Saturday, they could be very shorthanded at the position after trading Jonas Valanciunas. Alexandre Sarr (ankle) has missed five straight games, and if he’s unable to return, it will be Richaun Holmes and Tristian Vukcevic once again in the middle. While those two options do bring value, the top Projected Plus/Minus at the position in both sets of projections comes from Onyeka Okongwu, who should dominate in this matchup.

Okongwu has started the last 11 games for the Hawks, and over his last 14 games, he has averaged 37.1 DraftKings points per game on 15.1 points and 10.6 rebounds per contest. He had 30 points, 12 rebounds, and 57 DraftKings points against the Spurs on Wednesday, so he brings a very high ceiling and a very solid floor into this smash spot Saturday night.

The Hawks stack will be a popular one, but using Daniels and Okongwu at their salaries is almost too good to pass up.

Fast Break

Karl-Anthony Towns had been having a slow stretch before breaking through with a monster 27-point, 20-rebound performance against the Raptors on Tuesday. He had 58.5 DraftKings points in that effort, his first game with 50+ DraftKings points in two weeks. He is listed as probable for Saturday’s matchup with the Celtics, but as long as he plays, he has a ceiling worth considering if the game is competitive throughout.

On the other side of that matchup, Kristaps Porzingis had exceeded salary-based expectations in four straight and six of his last seven before struggling on Thursday in Boston’s big loss to Dallas. He sat most of the fourth quarter in that contest as a result of the score, but he should be ready for a full workload as he returns to Madison Square Garden on Saturday.

If you need a cheap play at center, Jalen Smith has exceeded salary-based expectations in nine straight games off the bench for the Bulls. He has the third-highest Projected Plus/Minus in the FantasyLabs projections at center, and he makes a solid punt play under $4,000.