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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 Saturday’s 6-game slate starting at 7:00 ET.
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POINT GUARD
Fred VanVleet – Toronto (vs. Golden State) - DK: $9,000 / FD: $8,700 / Yahoo: $33
If you aren’t prepared to be glued to your screen this afternoon, it’s best to just skip this slate. The NBA (and NFL, for that matter) is a mess right now. Between injuries, illnesses and COVID, everyone is scrambling. I’m going to try to play it somewhat safe here, capitalizing on value and choosing carefully where to spend up. VanVleet is one of the most reliable plays on the slate, and though you can pay up for two guards (see below), he’s my priority. Against a Warriors team that is resting their starters, the Raptors are big home favorites. VanVleet is coming off a monster game vs. Brooklyn, and is always a threat for a double- or triple-double with a few steals. Golden State turns the ball over at one of the highest rates in the league, and with less experience on the court tonight, steals and rebounds should be easier to come by than normal.
Also Consider: Jrue Holiday, Mike Conley, Shai Gilgeous-Alexander
SHOOTING GUARD
Gary Payton – Golden State (at Toronto) - DK: $3,300 / FD: $4,200 / Yahoo: $10
With no Steph Curry or Jordan Poole tonight, the Warriors will likely rely heavily on Payton. When given the chance to play 25-plus MPG, Payton has come through with the stat lines. A young player hungry for more opportunity should thrive tonight in a pretty neutral defensive matchup (Toronto is league average in defensive rating and slightly below average in fantasy points allowed). He’s not going to replace Curry’s line, but does have a made three in the last three games, which is something to build on.
Also Consider: Jaylen Brown, Cam Thomas, Jordan Clarkson (if Donovan Mitchell is out, especially)
SMALL FORWARD
Kessler Edwards – Brooklyn (vs. Orlando) - DK: $4,800 / FD: $5,900 / Yahoo: $11
If you just isolate this game, all you see is red. Both teams are super-depleted tonight, meaning big minutes for those players healthy enough to take the floor. For Brooklyn that will be Edwards and Cam Thomas on the wing. Edwards is a rookie second round pick who has played big minutes in two games this week, averaging 30 fantasy points per game. This is a very friendly matchup on both sides, with high pace and the Magic giving up the most overall fantasy points with their starters in.
Also Consider: Jordan Nwora (if Khris Middleton is out), Paul George (if active)
POWER FORWARD
Pascal Siakam – Toronto (vs. Golden State) - DK: $8,500 / FD: $7,800 / Yahoo: $33
Power forward offers the widest range of legit options tonight. It’s easy to spend up in the NY-Boston game, or save with the Brooklyn-Orlando game. I’m choosing to stick with Siakam here given his consistency and the fact that Toronto has been healthy and off since Tuesday. His scoring is a little up and down, but always in the double-digits, and he’s pretty much 50/50 for a double-double (again, better odds against tonight’s Warriors). He puts up numbers in every category most of the time. High floor, high ceiling, reasonable salary…it’s a win for tonight.
Also Consider: Chuma Okeke, Blake Griffin, Jayson Tatum, Julius Randle, Dean Wade (if Evan Mobley is out), Kevon Looney or Juan Toscano-Anderson (depending on starting lineup)
CENTER
Rudy Gobert – Utah (vs. Washington) - DK: $8,800 / FD: $9,200 / Yahoo: $38
This game carries the highest over/under of the night, and the Jazz are big favorites. As the best offensive team in the league and highly ranked on defense as well, largely due to Gobert’s consistently elite play, I have no problem filling my roster with Jazz players tonight. Unlike Siakam, Gobert is basically 95/5 to double-double and put up a couple blocks tonight. The Wizards aren’t a terrible defensive team, but they do rank third in fantasy points allowed to opposing centers.
Also Consider: Robin Lopez, Jarrett Allen
ADDITIONAL NOTES
Jrue Holiday (PG – MIL) is finding his way into all my lineups tonight given that there is so much value. He’s been the machine powering the Bucks while Giannis Antetokounmpo is out, and with Middleton also in danger of missing another game, I’m high on Holiday even in the back-to-back scenario (assuming no surprise rest). As long as Middleton remains out, Nwora is also worth a look. The second-year forward has made the most of his recent opportunity, putting up about 35 fantasy points per game in the last two Bucks games.
Dean Wade (F – CLE) is another source of value if Mobley sits again tonight. This game is expected to be close and relatively high scoring. Wade is coming off one of his best games of the season, a 16-point, 10-rebound double-double and should be rested and ready to go if Mobley needs another game off with his hip injury.
Chuma Okeke (PF – ORL) will continue to benefit from the absence of Mo Bamba and Wendell Carter Jr. if both are out again tonight. Okeke had a big role in his rookie 2020 season when injuries plagued the team and exceeded expectations. With a monster stat line last night (18 points, 10 rebounds and six steals), he won’t be low-rostered tonight, but if the minutes are there, he should easily reach value at his near minimum salary.
