It’s the end of the week, and as usual, we’ve got a huge NBA slate on tap to head into the weekend strong. As always, we’ll name values, studs, and fades for the day’s DFS festivities. Let’s get right to it!

Create FanDuel lineups using our DFS Lineup Optimizer tool

Most Value Per Dollar 

Below is a list of the top-10 players of the day expected to generate the most value relative to their salary. These are ranked in order.

Tonight’s player pool has a ridiculous amount of studs and values at every position, so you shouldn’t be hurting anywhere. There are also some excellent over/unders and game environments to exploit, giving you plenty of flexibility in setting lineups. For a full list of over/unders and point spreads, visit BettingPros.

As always, check the injury report before you lock in your lineups. With COVID-19 health and safety protocols, there are typically players to monitor for every single slate. Tonight is no different.

Norman Powell (SG – TOR): $6,200 vs. SAC
Powell is on a heater right now, and the matchup with Sacramento is tasty. Powell has started four straight and scored at least 20 points and 30 FD points in each of those contests (including at least 40 in each of his last two). Powell is a quality play regardless of who else is in the lineup, but if OG Anunoby (calf) is forced to miss a second straight game, Powell would get another boost. 

Jordan Clarkson (SG – UTH): $5,800 vs. DAL 
Clarkson erupted for a season-high 31 points and 43.4 FD points Wednesday with Donovan Mitchell (concussion) sidelined, and Mitchell is questionable again tonight. If Mitchell misses this one, Clarkson should see another boost in minutes and usage, making him a stellar value at this salary.

Naz Reid (C – MIN): $5,800 vs. PHI
Reid has been fantastic across his last four games, averaging 15.7 points, 7.2 boards, and 3.0 blocks. He’s finally started turning it on after a slow start to the season, and with Minnesota’s frontcourt still rocked due to injury, expect Reid to have another hefty dose of minutes and usage. His matchup gets even better if Joel Embiid (back) sits.

Reggie Jackson (PG – LAC): $5,800 at ORL 
It’s yet unknown if Kawhi Leonard, Paul George, or Patrick Beverley will return for the Clippers tonight, but if they’re all out, I’m going back to Reggie yet again. Across his last two games in the starting lineup, he’s posted 82 FD points in 75 minutes. He’s the most reliable option for the shorthanded Clips, and his price is far too low.

LaMelo Ball (PG – CHA): $5,500 vs. IND
After a run of massive stat lines to kick off the new year, Ball has cooled off considerably over the last couple of weeks. Make no mistake about it, he’s still got 50-point upside. I’m not going to him in cash lineups, but I’ll certainly get some exposure in tournaments at this rock-bottom price.

Al Horford (C – OKC): $5,500 vs. BKN 
The line on Thunder/Nets is as high as 230.5 depending on where you look, and it’s no secret that Brooklyn shys away from playing defense. Horford went off for 49.2 FD points Wednesday after returning from a six-game absence. He’s averaged 28.1 FD points this season, so big games like this will not be the norm. However, his price and this matchup make him an attractive play.

Joe Ingles (SF – UTH): $5,200 vs. DAL
Ingles drew his first start of the season Wednesday with Donovan Mitchell (concussion) out, and the Australian posted a season-best 36.8 FD points. Mitchell’s status is still up in the air, and if he’s ultimately ruled out, Ingles could once again find himself in the starting five. 

Dwight Howard (C – PHI): $4,800 at MIN
Joel Embiid (back) could be out tonight against the league’s most generous defense to opposing big men. Howard isn’t the same dominant force he was in his heyday, but he’s no scrub. In four starts this season, he’s averaged 8.3 points, 9.0 boards, 1.3 assists, and 1.0 blocks across 24.3 minutes. He posted one double-double in those games, and went for 18 rebounds in another. There’s risk here, but at a sub-$5K price, you’ve got to love the potential. 

Nickeil Alexander-Walker (SG – NO): $4,200 vs. MIL
Lonzo Ball was forced out of Wednesday’s game early with an ankle injury, and if he sits tonight, expect NAW to see increased run and potentially enter the starting lineup. Despite coming off the bench, he’s eclipsed 25 FD points in three of his past five games. What’s great about those three is that he didn’t reach double-digit scoring in any of them. He’s shown what he can do on offense (37 points against the Clippers on Jan. 13), but NAW can get it done across multiple categories, which is what we like to see in DFS. If Ball is out, Alexander-Walker should be understandably chalky at this ridiculously-low price.

Theo Maledon (PG – OKC): $3,600 vs. BKN
Brooklyn is a team to attack for DFS, and tonight is no different. With George Hill (thumb) out again, Maledon should get another start in a great matchup. He posted 22.2 FD points in 29 minutes Wednesday at Phoenix, and he only needs 20.4 tonight to hit 6x value. I’ll definitely have some shares in tournament lineups.

Studs Worth Their Salary

• James Harden (BKN) $9,800: Harden went nuts Wednesday with 69.2 FD points, yet his salary is still just $9.8K. I’m not saying he’ll replicate that performance, because his usage has been unstable in Brooklyn while playing with two other superstars. If you’re playing multiple tournament lineups, you should have at least one or two shares in case he goes off again. This price is still one to exploit.
• Clint Capela (ATL) $9,600: Capela has cooled off from last week’s eruption, but he’s still averaged 14.5 boards across his last two contests. He’s got 70-point upside, and the depressed price is one I’ll target.
• Andre Drummond (CLE) $9,400: Drummond has averaged 53.5 FD points across his last two games and can go for 70 on any given night.
• Trae Young (ATL) $10,600:  Young has been hot as of late, and he’ll face a struggling Wizards team that has been oh so kind to opposing point guards. Neither of these teams play a lot of defense, so there should be plenty of points scored to make Young’s price worth your while.

Notable Players to Fade

• Russell Westbrook (WAS) $9,600: Despite the stellar matchup and game environment, I’d rather spend my money elsewhere. Russ has been lackluster in each of his last three games, and Washington will be returning a ton of its key role players tonight.
• Jamal Murray (DEN) $7,000: Murray can be worth a look if you’re going multi-lineups for tournaments, but even then, he’s not a guy I have too much faith in. He’s posted some 40-FD point outings this year, but there have been plenty of duds mixed in with no sense of consistency.
• Kawhi Leonard (LAC) $10,500: It’s unclear when Leonard will make his return, but if it’s tonight, I’m not willing to all the way up to $10.5K in his first game back with so many other values on the slate.

Create FanDuel lineups using our DFS Lineup Optimizer tool

Beyond our daily fantasy basketball content, be sure to check out our Daily Fantasy Basketball Tools. From our Lineup Optimizer – which allows you to build winning DFS lineups in seconds for Cash and GPP contests – to our DFS Cheat Sheets – that helps you get a quick read on the day’s players – we’ve got you covered this fantasy basketball season.

Zachary Hanshew is a featured writer at FantasyPros. For more from Zachary, check out his archive and follow him @zakthemonster.