It’s Friday. The National Basketball Association (NBA) has nine total games on the schedule for Friday. We get a doubleheader on NBA TV featuring the Chicago Bulls and New York Knicks at 7:30 p.m. ET, and the New Orleans Pelicans and Sacramento Kings meeting at 10:00 p.m. ET. We’re going to preview the eight-game slate on DraftKings and FanDuel, with tip times in the 7:00-8:30 p.m. ET window. Here are our top NBA DFS picks and advice for tonight’s slate.
View the best player prop bets for tonight’s slate with our NBA Prop Bet Cheat Sheet
NBA DFS Picks: DraftKings & FanDuel DFS Primer
NBA DFS Core Plays
- DraftKings: $9,600
- FanDuel: $10,500
Jaylen Brown and the Celtics have a super favorable matchup against the disinterested Bucks. Milwaukee has been eliminated from the postseason chase, and a big reason for that is a lack of attention on the defensive end, as well as a plethora of injuries. Look for Brown to take advantage of both.
Brown has posted 46.8 fantasy points per game, while the Bucks have an ppponent rank of 28, so it’s a perfect storm. The Bucks give up 116.7 points per game, ranking 19th in the NBA, while teams are shooting 47.2% from the field against them (17th). Milwaukee also allows teams to connect at a 37.3% clip from behind the three-point line (28th).
- DraftKings: $9,300
- FanDuel: $8,900
Karl-Anthony Towns averages a double-double, posting 20.1 points while racking up 11.9 rebounds per game. The last time we saw Towns on the court, he was on fire. He messed around and got a triple-double with 20 points, 11 rebounds and 11 assists in Memphis on Wednesday. He also had seven turnovers, so you have to take the good with the bad.
Towns will be up against the leaky defense of the Bulls, and if you’re not using a Celtics stack, a Knicks stack is the next best option. Chicago has an opponent rank of 29, and Towns is averaging 41.8 fantasy points per game. Towns was good for 28 points, 11 rebounds, three steals and two assists with five three-pointers at the United Center against the Bulls on February 22nd.
- DraftKings: $9,200
- FanDuel: $9,000
Jalen Brunson is another Knicks player to roster in your DFS lineup. He is averaging 41.6 fantasy points per game, and the Bulls are 23rd in opponent rank.
Brunson is coming off a stinker, shooting just 5-of-14 from the field and 1-of-5 from behind the arc, going for just 12 points, eight assists and six rebounds in 37 minutes at Houston on Tuesday.
While that’s not a horrible stat line, it’s not a good one when you pay up for a premium player. Brunson has scored fewer than 16 points just twice in the past 20 games. Last time he faced Chicago, he went for 19 points, nine assists, five assists and a block in 36 minutes. Look for Brunson to bounce back nicely.
NBA DFS Cash Game Targets
- DraftKings: $8,700
- FanDuel: $9,100
Kevin Durant is a borderline must-play DFS option. He has racked up 18+ points in 10 consecutive games, and he is working on a nine-game streak with at least one three-pointer. Durant made two or more triples in eight of those games. He has become more of a facilitator lately, too, doling out eight or more assists in four of his past five outings.
With Houston winning four in a row, expect Durant to continue to share the wealth. He should have a field day against the Utah Jazz, who have coughed up 125.4 points per game to opponents, which is 30th in the NBA. They’re not much better in defensive field-goal rate, ranking 28th at 49.2%, and they’re 27th in defensive three-point rate at 37%.
- DraftKings: $8,500
- FanDuel: $8,600
LaMelo Ball and the Hornets have a favorable matchup against the Indiana Pacers, a team allowing 120.7 points per game (26th), while teams are hitting 49.1% from the field against them (27th). If Indiana does anything well, it’s defending threes at 35.5% (13th).
Ball is coming off a double-double. He had 15 points, 11 assists and two rebounds with a steal and two three-pointers in 25 minutes against Phoenix on Thursday. It was just his second double-double in the past 31 games. Ball has knocked down at least two treys in 21 consecutive outings.
- DraftKings: $7,800
- FanDuel: $7,500
Brandon Ingram faces a Memphis Grizzlies defense that coughed up a triple-double to Karl-Anthony Towns and the Knicks last time out. While he has been a little shaky lately, scoring 19 or fewer points in five of the past six games, Ingram dropped 22 points on 7-of-15 shooting in Detroit on Tuesday.
In an earlier contest against the Grizzlies this season, Ingram recorded 26 points, seven rebounds, four assists, a block and a three-pointer in 33 minutes. Memphis is 24th in points allowed (119.5 per game) and defensive field-goal rate (47.9%), while ranking 21st with a 36.3% defensive three-point rate. Look for Ingram to stay on track offensively.
NBA DFS GPP Targets
- DraftKings: $7,100
- FanDuel: $7,500
Desmond Bane has racked up a respectable 34.6 fantasy points per game, and he is facing a Mavericks defense that has an opponent rank of 29. He is a sensational play against a dismal Dallas defense allowing 119 points per game (23rd) and a 47.6% defensive field-goal rate (20th).
Casual fans might not be familiar with Bane’s game, but he is averaging 20.3 points, 4.2 assists and 4.1 rebounds this season, while hitting 48.4% from the field. He has scored 12+ points in 27 consecutive outings, and he is working on a streak of 14 games with at least one triple. The last time he faced the Mavericks on March 5th, Bane had 14 points, eight rebounds and three assists, with a three-pointer and just one turnover.
- DraftKings: $6,900
- FanDuel: $7,000
Swingman Josh Hart is another Knicks player we need in our stack. He is coming off a terrible game in Memphis on Wednesday, going for just five points with three turnovers in 25 minutes. He’ll get back on track against a very giving Bulls squad.
The last time Hart faced the Bulls on February 22nd, he nearly had a double-double. He finished with 11 points, nine rebounds and five assists, with a three-pointer and just two turnovers in 33 minutes. Hart is averaging 32 fantasy points per game this season, and the Bulls are 24th in opponent rank. Look for Hart to get back on track.
- DraftKings: $6,300
- FanDuel: $6,800
Reed Sheppard has been rolling along lately, averaging 23.5 points in the past two games, while hitting a total of 13 three-pointers. He is averaging 4.5 rebounds, four assists and two steals in the past two outings.
Sheppard has made two or more three-pointers in nine consecutive games, while hitting at least one trey in 29 consecutive games. At a mid-tier price, he is worth a look against a Utah defense with an opponent rank of 30.
NBA DFS Value Plays
- DraftKings: $4,700
- FanDuel: $4,400
With Kevin Porter Jr. (knee) sidelined, likely for the remainder of the season, a bevy of lesser-known players are getting a long look down the stretch.
AJ Green is one of the players casual fans might not be familiar with, but he is racking up some solid stats lately. He has posted 15+ points in three straight games, while averaging 5.7 rebounds with 11 total treys during that span.
- DraftKings: $4,500
- FanDuel: $4,800
Ja’Kobe Walter has been seeing starter-type minutes lately, logging 26+ minutes in four straight and six of the past seven outings.
Walter has scored 11+ points in six of the past nine outings, while grabbing four or more boards in three in a row. Walter has totaled 30 made three-pointers in the past 11 games, too. He is a fantastic value at his salary.
- DraftKings: $4,400
- FanDuel: $5,000
Collin Murray-Boyles has made the most of his playing time lately, averaging 13.3 points in the past four outings, while posting four or more rebounds in eight of the past nine outings.
Murray-Boyles is getting a longer look on the offensive end, and he has blossomed. He won’t likely see more than 18-20 minutes on Friday, but if he gets to double digits, he is a solid value.
