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This article aims to highlight some of the best NBA DFS Plays at every position for your cash game lineups. Keep in mind that the following player write-ups were constructed earlier in the day, and sometimes injury/rest situations can alter the fantasy landscape. Monitoring our NBA News & Headlines Feed throughout the day will keep you in the loop while giving you the subsequent DFS consequences of each information piece.
We’ll take a look at Friday’s seven-game slate starting at 7:00 ET.
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POINT GUARD
Trae Young – Atlanta (vs. San Antonio) - DK: $9,900 / FD: $9,000 / Yahoo: $41
Young has taken root as one of your consistent star point guards dating back to the 2020-21 playoffs. Young is putting up outstanding numbers against even the toughest defensive-minded opponents (like Dallas, Phoenix and Toronto recently) as well as the more favorable matchups (like Indy on Tuesday night). Tonight, the Hawks get the advantage of a pace bump vs. San Antonio as well as their favorable DvP to point guards and overall (ninth-most fantasy points allowed this season). Young has double-doubled in four of his last five games, and should continue to reach value in this great game environment.
Also Consider: LaMelo Ball, Darius Garland, Dejounte Murray, Marcus Smart
SHOOTING GUARD
Hamidou Diallo – Detroit (vs. Charlotte) - DK: $4,600 / FD: $5,700 / Yahoo: $19
Diallo is a cheap way to get exposure to another great game. The total on this one is 226.5 points and the Hornets give up the fifth-most fantasy points to their opponents, including the third-best DvP to SGs. Both of these teams are fantasy friendly, with atrocious rebounding rates and fast pace of play. Diallo probably won’t make or break this slate, but he has been returning good value for the price in four straight games.
Also Consider: Donovan Mitchell, Caris LeVert, Jaylen Brown, Zach LaVine, Terry Rozier, Josh Giddey
SMALL FORWARD
Devin Vassell – San Antonio (at Atlanta) - DK: $4,000 / FD: $4,900 (SG) / Yahoo: $19
It’s been rarer to see an over/under over 230 points this season, but we have one here. The Hawks are pretty heavy favorites, but the Spurs are now down a guard since they sent Derrick White to Boston. Vassell should be viewing this as an opportunity to seize and hold a more valuable spot in the wing rotation. He did so on Wednesday, breaking out of a shooting slump to score 18 points with three rebounds, three assists and two steals. I think his 25-30 MPG are secure at least for tonight and am rooting for him to get up another 30-plus fantasy point game.
Also Consider: Furkan Korkmaz, Malik Beasley (depending on all the questionable players), Kelly Oubre, Kenrich Williams
POWER FORWARD
Tobias Harris – Philadelphia (vs. Oklahoma City) - DK: $8,300 / FD: $8,100 / Yahoo: $31
There are a lot of power forwards I like tonight, but Harris continues to fit the way I’m building on all three sites. It’s an obviously good matchup, with the biggest red flag being the risk of a blowout. Fortunately for Harris, the 76ers are a bit shorthanded tonight and his salary/production are pretty blowout-proof. You’re not going to get the upside than Embiid offers but you’re not going to blow your salary budget either. He’s a solid, safe 35-40 fantasy points.
Also Consider: DeMar DeRozan, Miles Bridges, Jarred Vanderbilt, Jerami Grant, Evan Mobley, Darius Bazley, John Collins, Keldon Johnson
CENTER
Clint Capela – Atlanta (vs. San Antonio) - DK: $5,300 / FD: $6,100 / Yahoo: $21
Capela’s salary has really fallen and I’m eager to get him into lineups coming off a much better game and in a fantastic matchup before it starts going back up. I won’t belabor the game factors beyond reiterating my love for starting centers vs. the Spurs. Capela himself put up 46 fantasy points against them earlier this season, although his minutes were much higher back then. He feels like a cheaper Robert Williams tonight, especially on DraftKings, and gets a better matchup too.
Also Consider: Nikola Jokic, Joel Embiid, Nikola Vucevic, Karl-Anthony Towns, Goga Bitadze
Additional Notes
Furkan Korkmaz (G/F – PHI) has been awful, but his salary reflects that and as noted above, the 76ers are going to be shorthanded without Harden or Curry (possibly Maxey as well). He has been inconsistent when given these kinds of opportunities, but the matchup with OKC is pushing me toward taking the risk.
Jarred Vanderbilt (PF – MIN) on the other hand, is a consistent mid-range play at PF that might help you save some salary if you’re not into playing Harris tonight. There’s a lot to like about this game, from the possibility of the Timberwolves being very short-handed and opening up some extra value, to the 240-point total. It’s also expected to be a fairly close game, good for both sides.
Nikola Vucevic (C – CHI) Given the high total here tonight, I’m fine with paying up for the Bulls’ star players. Vucevic was listed as questionable but is expected to play tonight, possibly with lower rostership given the injury tag near his name. He’s pricey, but still a big discount from Embiid or Jokic.
