Ah, the weekend. It’s finally here. As if things couldn’t get any better, the NBA is coming in hot with a nine-game slate on tap. Whatever plans you have heading into the weekend, we are fortunate to have another opportunity to win some money. With that said, let’s take a closer look at Friday’s slate to see if anything sticks out.
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Schedule and Odds
- MEM @ WAS (-1) O/U 223.5
- DET vs. BKN (-10) O/U 211
- ORL @ SAS (-3.5) O/U 212
- CLE @ TOR (-5.5) O/U 212.5
- NYK @ MIL (-5) O/U 215.5
- MIN vs. LAC (-3) O/U 218.5
- CHA @ SAC (-1.5) 225.5
- IND @ POR (-3.5) 222
- NOP @ GS (-9) 219.5
At first glance, only three of nine games have an O/U of 220 or higher and three teams have an O/U lower than 213. While low O/U’s don’t mean you should fade every single player taking part in the game, but you do want to be cautious with how much exposure you have on a game that likely won’t put up very many points. For Friday, the DET/BKN matchup worries me a bit. Both teams do rank top-15 in PACE, but Detroit will be playing on the second night of a back-to-back against a far superior Nets team. This could easily end in a blowout, thus lowering the ceilings of players from both teams
Ah, the weekend. It’s finally here. As if things couldn’t get any better, the NBA is coming in hot with a nine-game slate on tap. Whatever plans you have heading into the weekend, we are fortunate to have another opportunity to win some money. With that said, let’s take a closer look at Friday’s slate to see if anything sticks out.
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Schedule and Odds
- MEM @ WAS (-1) O/U 223.5
- DET vs. BKN (-10) O/U 211
- ORL @ SAS (-3.5) O/U 212
- CLE @ TOR (-5.5) O/U 212.5
- NYK @ MIL (-5) O/U 215.5
- MIN vs. LAC (-3) O/U 218.5
- CHA @ SAC (-1.5) 225.5
- IND @ POR (-3.5) 222
- NOP @ GS (-9) 219.5
At first glance, only three of nine games have an O/U of 220 or higher and three teams have an O/U lower than 213. While low O/U’s don’t mean you should fade every single player taking part in the game, but you do want to be cautious with how much exposure you have on a game that likely won’t put up very many points. For Friday, the DET/BKN matchup worries me a bit. Both teams do rank top-15 in PACE, but Detroit will be playing on the second night of a back-to-back against a far superior Nets team. This could easily end in a blowout, thus lowering the ceilings of players from both teams
On the flip side, the MEM/WAS matchup looks to be a shootout waiting to happen. Both squads are tied at 11 in PPG this season and their matchup carries with it the second-highest O/U on the slate.
Injury Report
Enough with all of the slate jargon! Let’s dive right into some of my favorite DFS plays for Friday night.
Core Plays
Giannis Antetokounmpo (PF/SF – MIL): $11,800 DraftKings, $11,300 FanDuel
Giannis is the most expensive option on both sites on Friday, but he’s one I don’t mind spending up for. While Jrue Holiday should return after a five-game absence, Khris Middleton remains in the league’s health and safety protocols, meaning Giannis is in for another monster usage rate. The Knicks are also a worthy opponent and the game should be close enough for him to play a hefty number of minutes. Lock in Giannis and don’t think twice.
Cole Anthony (PG – ORL): $7,700 DraftKings, $7,100 FanDuel
Anthony came back to Earth during Wednesday’s loss to the Celtics but finds himself in a terrific bounce-back spot against the Spurs. San Antonio has surrendered the third-most FanDuel points to opposing point guards this season and just allowed the Mavericks’ backcourt to score 76 points against them on Wednesday. He’s a bit better in FanDuel but shouldn’t have high ownership coming off of a quiet game.
Mo Bamba (C – ORL): $7,100 DraftKings, $6,500 FanDuel
I guess you can say Bamba has cooled off after an impressive start to the season. Fortunately, his playing time has remained consistent as he’s averaging just under 32 mpg and starting alongside Wendell Carter Jr. He gets a matchup against the Spurs, who will be without Jakob Poeltl for the next few games, meaning Bamba will be matched up against a combination of Drew Eubanks and Thaddeus Young. Simply put, the aforementioned duo just allowed Dwight Powell and Boban Marjanovic to combine for 23 points and 11 rebounds on Wednesday. Bamba should be able to hit 5x value with ease if he sees 30+ minutes.
Cash Game Considerations
Jarrett Allen (C/PF – CLE): $6,600 DraftKings, $7,500 FanDuel
Allen and rookie Evan Mobley could both qualify as great plays in cash games Friday due to their high ceilings. Both Kevin Love and Lauri Markkanen remain out due to COVID protocols, which means Allen and Mobley should dominate the frontcourt minutes against the Raptors. Allen gets the nod on this list due to his recent play, however, as he’s gone for at least 54 DK and FD points in each of his last two games.
Wendell Carter Jr. (PF/C – ORL): $6,400 DraftKings, $6,500 FanDuel
Carter has scored at least 33 FD and DK points in six-of-eight games this season and gets a matchup against an ailing Spurs’ frontcourt. Much like Mo Bamba, Carter should see plenty of minutes against Drew Eubanks and Thaddeus Young and his floor looks to be around 30 fantasy points. His mid-range price makes him an appealing option in cash games Friday.
Harrison Barnes (SF/PF – SAC): $7,600 DraftKings, $7,700 FanDuel
When it comes to consistency, Barnes has been as good as they come this season. He’s topped 30 FD and DK points in all eight of his games and is third in the NBA with 37.3 minutes per game. A matchup against the fast-paced Hornets should only raise his ceiling on Friday, as this game has the highest O/U on the slate. Barnes’ price has risen due to the impressive play, but he has a very safe floor, which is exactly what you want in cash games.
GPP Targets
Terry Rozier (PG/SG – CHA): $6,700 DraftKings, $5,500 FanDuel
Rozier is a much better option on FanDuel but overall has sneaky upside against the Kings. While LaMelo Ball is probable to suit up, it’s no secret he will be playing in some discomfort with a right hip contusion. He’ll likely draw the De’Aaron Fox assignment while playing at less than 100%. This could very well end up being one of those blow-up games from Rozier in a game with the highest projected point total on the slate.
Evan Mobley (C/PF – CLE): $7,200 DraftKings, $6,200 FanDuel
As previously mentioned under the Jarrett Allen write up, Mobley should flirt with 40 minutes once again with Kevin Love and Lauri Markkanen out and the matchup against the Raptors are solid. Allen is a better play in DraftKings while Mobley is a better play in FanDuel on Friday, but the latter has the upside that you should be chasing in GPP.
Malik Beasley (SG/SF – MIN): $4,400 DraftKings, $4,800 FanDuel
Beasley has scored at least 20 fantasy points in his last three games but gets another boost with D’Angelo Russell ruled out again Friday. Believe it or not, Beasley has seen his usage rate increase by more than 11% with Russell off the floor this season and he will likely get a ton of shots against the Clippers with Anthony Edwards getting the Paul George treatment. His low price makes him a low risk, high reward play on Friday.
Value Plays
Thaddeus Young (PF/C – SAS): $5,300 DraftKings, $4,600 FanDuel
After a slight delay, it’s finally Thad Young SZN again. Young has scored at least 27 FD and DK points in two of his last three games and should get another boost with Jakob Poeltl entering the league’s health and safety protocols. The Spurs don’t really have a reliable big man outside of Drew Eubanks on the roster, so Young should get plenty of frontcourt minutes against the Magic.
Drew Eubanks (C/PF – SAS): $4,200 DraftKings, $4,400 FanDuel
Eubanks was impressive in his first start on Wednesday, playing 19 minutes and putting up 25.5 FanDuel and 23.3 DraftKings points against the Mavericks. He should get the starting nod once again on Friday but this time faces the Magic, who are giving up the third-most FanDuel points to centers this season. Priced under $4,500 on both sites, Eubanks is a terrific value that will allow you to spend up elsewhere.
Patrick Beverley (PG – MIN): $4,000 DraftKings, $5,000 FanDuel
Beverley was impressive against his former team on Wednesday, flirting with a triple-double En route to 34 FanDuel and 36.5 DraftKings points. With D’Angelo Russell ruled out once again, look for Beverley to see similar playing time and post similar production. If anything, he scored at least 21 fantasy points in every game he’s suited up in this season.
Advantageous Pricing
- Jarrett Allen (C – CLE): $6,600 DraftKings, $7,500 FanDuel
- Evan Mobley (C – CLE): $7,200 DraftKings, $6,200 FanDuel
- Damian Lillard (PG – POR): $9,900 DraftKings, $8,500 FanDuel
- Terry Rozier (PG – CHA): $6,700 DraftKings, $5,500 FanDuel
- Jaren Jackson Jr. (PF – MEM): $5,600 DraftKings, $6,300 FanDuel
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Alex Burns is a featured writer for FantasyPros. Check out his archive and follow him on Twitter.
