NBA DFS Primer: Friday (10/29)

It’s Friday and you know what that means? Yes, the weekend is here, but more importantly, we get a seven-game slate of NBA hoops. I don’t know about you, but I can’t imagine a better way to be ushered into the weekend.

Out of all the 14 teams taking the floor Friday, only the Mavericks will be playing on the second night of a back-to-back, so it will behoove us to pay attention to Dallas’ lineup. The other 13 teams have gotten at least one day off, so they should be ready to rock and roll. Let’s take a deeper look into the slate to see which games are worth attacking from a fantasy perspective.

Check out today’s NBA Layup from FanDuel

Schedule and Odds

• ORL @ TOR (-8) O/U: 210.5
• IND @ BKN (-7.5) O/U: 224
• CHA @ MIA (-6) O/U: 221.5
• NOP vs. SAC (-2) O/U: 219
• LAC @ POR (-2.5) O/U: 224
• DAL @DEN (-1.5) O/U: 225.5
• CLE @ LAL (-9) O/U: 129.5

Injury Report

• Nikola Jokic (knee) is questionable
• Anthony Davis (knee) probable
• LeBron James (ankle) questionable
• Kristaps Porzingis (back) questionable
• Terry Rozier (ankle) questionable
• Caris LeVert (back) questionable
• Malcolm Brogdon (hamstring) ruled OUT
• Nicolas Claxton (illness) questionable
• Norman Powell (knee) questionable

Core Plays

Kevin Durant (SF, PF – BKN): $10,300 DraftKings, $10,900 FanDuel
Unsurprisingly, Durant has been on a tear to open the year. He’s seeing a ton of usage (32.9%) and has been efficient with the increased workload. A testament to how good he’s been, Durant has averaged north of 50 FPPG in both DraftKings and FanDuel over his first five games. If he is going to slow down, it likely won’t come against the Pacers, as they have surrendered the MOST FanDuel points and fifth-most DraftKings points to opposing forwards this season. He’s a safe play with an extremely high floor, which is everything you are looking for when choosing a stud to build your team around.

Jimmy Butler (SG, SF – MIA): $8,700 DraftKings, $9,200 FanDuel
Butler has really benefited from Kyle Lowry‘s presence in Miami. He no longer is forced to play the point forward role, which has allowed him to focus on doing what he does best: score the basketball and rack up defensive stats. He’s posted 50+ FanDuel and DraftKings points in each of his last two games and now gets the Hornets, who have allowed the second-most DK points to opposing forwards this season. Butler’s ability to rack up defensive stats will also provide a high floor, even on nights when his shot isn’t falling. Find a way to get him into your lineup.

Domantas Sabonis (PF, C – IND): $9,400 DraftKings, $9,300 FanDuel
Sabonis came back down to Earth Wednesday after posting at least 44 FPPG over his first four games. Fortunately, he finds himself in a terrific bounce-back spot against the Nets, who just let Bam Adebayo go for 24 points and nine boards two days prior. Not to mention Malcolm Brogdon has already been ruled out a day in advance, so the Pacers will need to find his 23.4 points and 7.0 rebounds elsewhere. In case you needed more convincing, the bouncy Nicolas Claxton is questionable with an illness and if he is forced to miss, Sabonis should have his way with both of Brooklyn’s 36-year old big men in LaMarcus Aldridge and Paul Millsap.

Cash Game Considerations

Jalen Brunson (PG, SG – DAL): $4,800 DraftKings, $5,000 FanDuel
One of the main takeaways from Dallas’ first few games with new head coach Jason Kidd has been their large rotation. Fortunately for Brunson, this has led to more playing time for him even with Luka Doncic healthy and in the lineup, which is something we didn’t see much of last season. He’s now seen at least 25 minutes of playing time in three of four games and is posting the best numbers of his career by a substantial margin. With the Mavericks playing on the second leg of a back-to-back and the second of three games in four nights, it’s possible they’ll lean on him a bit more than usual. Given he’s averaged just under 30 FPPG in both FanDuel and DraftKings, he’s a safe option for cash games and his low price allows you to spend up elsewhere.

Paul George (SG, SF – LAC): $10,000 DraftKings, $10,100 FanDuel
George is coming off of his worst game this season in Wednesday’s loss to the Cavaliers, so perhaps it will force the masses to pivot off of him on Friday. Simply put, George is doing everything for the Clippers without Kawhi Leonard. The Trail Blazers surrender the 6th most FanDuel points to opposing small forwards this season and this game is tied for the second-highest O/U on the slate, meaning Goerge’s floor is as safe as they come.

Richaun Holmes (C – SAC): $5,800 DraftKings, $7,500 FanDuel
I was stunned to see the discrepancy in Holmes’ price on FanDuel versus DraftKings in this slate. He’s been incredibly consistent this season, averaging two blocks and a double-double in his first four games. The Pelicans have given up the sixth-most DK points and the second-most FD points to opposing centers this season, putting him in a nice position to continue his streak. You essentially know what you’re going to get with him, which is an added bonus in cash games.

GPP Targets

Chris Boucher (PF, C – TOR): $4,700 DraftKings, $4,700 FanDuel
There’s been a whole lot said about Boucher’s frustrating start to the season. He’s essentially been placed in Nick Nurse’s doghouse in favor of younger guys like Scottie Barnes and Precious Achiuwa. The Raptors’ last game might have hinted towards some light at the end of the tunnel, as Boucher logged 18 minutes of court time after only 11 total minutes in the previous two games combined. While the playing time has been a concern, I don’t know why we’re surprised. Boucher was uber inconsistent with his play last season and that made him a tricky option to trust in all formats. While he’s certainly a risk, his upside is massive, making him a sneaky option to fit into your lineup. He’ll likely have low ownership and if he has a blowup game, you’re sittin’ pretty.

Michael Porter Jr. (SF, PF – DEN): $6,500 DraftKings, $6,800 FanDuel
MPJ has been a major disappointment just like Boucher, albeit on a much smaller scale. Regardless, Nikola Jokic is ailing and while he is questionable to suit up, the Nuggets will need Porter Jr. to come back to life. We know he’s capable of blowing up at any moment and he’s due for an outburst. I like his chances against Dallas, who is playing on the second night of a back-to-back on the road. MPJ is well worth the risk here.

Damian Lillard (PG – POR): $9,300 DraftKings, $8,400 FanDuel
At some point Lillard has to regress to the mean, right? It’s been an odd start to the season for Dame, as he’s failed to score more than 20 points and is shooting just 33% from the field and 17% from deep. This has led to his price dramatically decreasing to laughable levels. I mean, can you remember the last time Lillard was in the $8k range in DFS? Me neither. Bottom line, he IS going to erupt and a matchup against the Clippers certainly looks conducive on paper. Through four games, they have surrendered the 5th-most DK points and the eighth-most FD points to opposing point guards. The stage is set!

Value Plays

T.J. McConnell (PG – IND): $5,500 DraftKings, $5,700 FanDuel
As previously mentioned in the injury section, Malcolm Brogdon has already been ruled out with a hamstring injury, clearing the way for McConnell to start at point guard against the Nets. Do you remember how well he played last season when Brogdon was out of the lineup? Let’s refresh, shall we? In 16 games, he averaged 12.8 points, 4.4 rebounds, 7.6 assists, and 1.9 steals in 30.8 minutes per game. That was good for 31 FD and DK points per game during that span. Expect similar results Friday for a guy priced in the mid $5k range.

Nicolas Batum (SF, PF – LAC): $4,000 DraftKings, $4,600 FanDuel
Batum may be my favorite value in this slate. Just like we talked about before, the Clippers are desperate for production with Kawhi Leonard sidelined, and they will turn to anyone to get it. To make matters worse, Marcus Morris Sr. will miss a third-straight game with a knee issue, so Batum will presumably get the start again. This time, he squares off against his former team, who just so happen to allow the seventh-most FD points to oppose forwards. He should be good for multiple steals/blocks and a few threes, making him a great value in the low $4k range.

Aaron Gordon (PF – DEN): $5,000 DraftKings, $5,000 FanDuel
Much like the aforementioned Michael Porter Jr., Gordon could be in for a bigger role if at the very least Nikola Jokic is hobbled after suffering a knee injury on Wednesday. He’s not quite the fantasy contributor he was prior to landing in Denver, but he’s provided at least 21 FD and DK points in three of four games this season. Plenty of points should be scored between both teams in this matchup, so I don’t mind trotting Gordon out once more.

Advantageous Pricing

• Richaun Holmes (C – SAC): $5,800 DraftKings, $7,500 FanDuel
• Kyle Lowry (PG – MIA): $7,100 DraftKings, $5,900 FanDuel
• C.J. McCollum (SG – POR): $7,900 DraftKings, $8,700 FanDuel
• Nickeil Alexander-Walker (SG – NOP): $6,700 DraftKings, $6,000 FanDuel
• Miles Bridges (SF – CHA): $7,300 DraftKings, $8,000 FanDuel

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Alex Burns is a featured writer for FantasyPros. Check out his archive and follow him on Twitter.