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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 12-game slate starting at 7:00 ET.
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POINT GUARD
Cameron Payne – Phoenix (vs. Chicago) - DK: $7,100 / FD: $7,000 / Yahoo: $27
We’re back with another huge NBA slate on top of another action-packed day of NCAA tournament games. With a lot of teams’ options very much up in the air this morning, I’m going to recommend building with some caution, and leaving yourself the flexibility to adjust to a more stars and scrubs style lineup if the later news indicates. Some of the key targets to watch for are listed below.
At the point, Payne stands out as a solid play in a great game environment. This game should be high-scoring and fairly close, indeed a possible finals preview! Since his second game back after an extended injury break in Jan-Feb, Payne hasn’t missed a beat, averaging over 30 MPG and scoring at least 30 fantasy points in every contest. If you open up some salary with a great value guard, you might consider upgrading from Payne to Dejounte Murray, who is also in a great game environment against the Pelicans and like Payne, puts up such consistent (though higher quality) numbers that he’s always someone I’m trying to roster.
Also Consider: Luka Doncic, Davion Mitchell, Dejounte Murray, Tyrese Maxey, Brandon Williams, Goran Dragic, Devonte’ Graham, Kevin Porter Jr.
SHOOTING GUARD
Desmond Bane – Memphis (at Atlanta) - DK: $6,800 / FD: $6,700 / Yahoo: $23
Bane would get an obvious bump if Morant were ruled out, but even if Morant plays, Bane is in an excellent spot tonight. Scoring at least 36 fantasy points in five of his last six games, Bane and the Grizzlies take on the Hawks in what Vegas has as one of the highest scoring games of the slate (237.5 point over/under). The Grizzlies are modest road favorites, and Atlanta’s 27th ranked defense should allow Bane to score at will. He’s made at least two three pointers (usually more) in seven straight games, and is capable of picking up some ball-handling duties if Morant is out tonight. He’s an all-around safe play with upside in a top-tier game environment.
Also Consider: James Harden, CJ McCollum, Gary Trent Jr., Devin Booker, Tyler Herro, Jordan Clarkson, Kevin Huerter
SMALL FORWARD
Kevin Durant – Brooklyn (vs. Portland) - DK: $10,500 / FD: $11,000 / Yahoo: $52
A lot of top stars are questionable tonight, but not Durant. He should be the cornerstone of the Nets attack on Portland tonight, and given that the Nets are 14-point favorites, Vegas thinks that will work well for them. Portland is one of the league’s best forward matchups for DFS and gives up the fourth-most fantasy points to opponents overall. Durant is cheaper enough than Nikola Jokic, and is in a favorable enough spot that he’s my easy choice to spend on tonight.
Also Consider: Jayson Tatum, Mikal Bridges, RJ Barrett, Buddy Hield, Marcus Morris
POWER FORWARD
Jalen Smith – Indiana (at Houston) - DK: $5,700 / FD: $6,100 / Yahoo: $16
This is the game with the highest point total and closest spread. Both teams are atrocious defensively, and you should look here when in doubt about a last roster spot. Players at multiple price points on both teams should shine, including Smith. Houston plays at the second-fastest pace and gives up the most fantasy points in the league. They are the best frontcourt matchup out there, and Smith is going to continue to enjoy heavy usage with the injuries to the Pacers bigs. He’s made the most of his opportunity in Indiana (as he did in much more limited fashion with the Suns earlier in the season), averaging about 30 fantasy points per game over the last two weeks. You might also consider Terry Taylor if Goga Bitadze is out, or Bitadze himself if he’s back tonight.
Also Consider: Julius Randle, Scottie Barnes, Kyle Kuzma, Evan Mobley, Jaren Jackson Jr.
CENTER
Onyeka Okongwu – Atlanta (vs. Memphis) - DK: $4,200 / FD: $4,600 / Yahoo: $11
We know that John Collins is out tonight, and Danilo Gallinari is questionable. This leaves Okongwu and Clint Capela in the frontcourt for the Hawks, in what I noted above should be a great game for DFS. If Young is out and Morant is in, I do worry about a blowout, but still think Okongwu is a safe play for the price. In his last five games, Okongwu has come on strong in limited minutes (about 20 MPG), scoring at least a fantasy point per minute in each one. He’s scored in the double-digits in four of those, and notched nine rebounds in two, so a small double-double is not out of the question tonight.
Also Consider: Nikola Jokic, Deandre Ayton, Clint Capela, Jakob Poeltl, Jonas Valanciunas, Rudy Gobert, Trendon Watford, Pascal Siakam
Additional Notes
Value due to injuries: It needs its own section for tonight, as there are so many key questionable players. Guys like Theo Maledon (SGA), Delon Wright (Trae Young), Tyus Jones, Jaren Jackson Jr. (Ja Morant), Davion Mitchell (De’Aaron Fox), Max Strus (Jimmy Butler), Russell Westbrook (LeBron James), Tobias Harris, Tyrese Maxey, and Matisse Thybulle (Joel Embiid) would all get minutes and/or usage boosts if the player in parentheses is out. Some of these players (Maledon, Thybulle, Strus, Wright, Jones) can provide outstanding value at their near-minimum salaries, allowing you to work in another star. My strategy is to start with a solid, middle-of-the-road build, and adjust to stars and scrubs as needed when the starting lineups are available or news is out.