Saturday Night NBA DFS features a full-size slate this weekend. It’s a big one and you’re going to need a lot of screens. Let’s dig into some research and make some picks, as we gear up for the seven-game main slate that starts at 7 p.m. ET.
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Guard
Studs
Trae Young, Atlanta Hawks at New Orleans Pelicans, $9,000 — As always, the Hawks play fast and effectively. Any offense led by Trae Young is going to score points. Young is routinely a great DFS NBA pick based on his minutes, usage rate, and the fact that he puts the ball in the basket. He can take over a game at any time and break a DraftKings slate. This is as cheap as he gets. He has not turned it on yet this season, but he started warming up in his last game (46.25 DKFP vs. Washington on Wednesday).
C.J. McCollum, New Orleans Pelicans, $7,900 — It’s C.J. season. With or without the stars, McCollum is producing. He shoots and he shoots threes. His periphery stats are nothing to sneeze at, as well. The minutes have always been there. McCollum was always good for the Blazers, but this season something has clicked in the Big Easy. The threes are falling and the Pels are winning. If the stars are out again, then McCollum will be a lock for the third game in a row.
Value
Andrew Nembhard, Indiana Pacers at Charlotte Hornets, $5,000 — The Hornets and Pacers both play at a top-5 pace. There will be plenty of opportunities for fantasy points. The Hornets’ struggling offense might fail to capitalize on the opportunity but the Pacers won’t. They’re rated as one of the most efficient offenses in the NBA. Tyrese Haliburton ($9,200) sat on Wednesday. He was questionable but played on Friday. This could be a rest night on the back of a back-to-back. That means more minutes for the Pacers’ secondary options.
Forward
Studs
LeBron James, Los Angeles Lakers at Orlando Magic, $9,300 — This isn’t the King’s normal visit to the Magic Kingdom. James will have to focus less on family and Disneyland and more on the Magic. The Magic are good. They will bring their A game. That means James will have to turn up the heat in Orlando. That won’t be hard. He’s scored 50 DKFP in three of four games this season.
Value
Jonathan Isaac, Orlando Magic vs. Los Angeles Lakers, $4,000 — The based basketballer gets a boost on Saturday. Big man Wendell Carter Jr. got injured on Thursday. Orlando has a fairly deep bench. They could go in a lot of directions, but Isaac could be the option on Saturday. The promising star has battled injuries and the media for several seasons. The dust has settled. He’s healthy and has an opportunity on Saturday night. His minutes have been limited, but he’s produced. Isaac is a point-per-minute player and could get 25 minutes against the Lakers.
Trendon Watford, Brooklyn Nets vs. Boston Celtics, $3,800 — Deep punts are a motif in the weekend NBA DFS article at DK Network. By March, the no names will be as familiar as cousins. Watford has multi-position eligibility, That alone is not enough. His matchup is terrible. It’s terrible for his team not Watford. The Celtics are 10-point favorites. That means garbage time and more minutes for Brooklyn’s second unit. The Nets are already running thin. Watford has not played 20 minutes in their last two games. Both were competitive contests. Even in those limited roles, Watford returned 5.3x and 8.0x value. In a blowout loss, Watford could provide for a blowout win in DFS.
Center
Studs
Domantas Sabonis, Sacramento Kings at Houston Rockets, $10,200 — Very few players in the NBA check every box. Sabonis is one of the few. He does it all from the main stats to the peripheral. On Saturday night’s slate, Sabonis gets the added bonus of playing one of the worst teams in the NBA.
Value
Onyeka Okongwu, Atlanta Hawks at New Orleans Pelicans, $4,270 — Last Sunday, the weekend DFS NBA article took a shot on Okongwu. After two weak games to start the season, he was the value pick. It worked. He’s still the NBA DFS value pick. His price is a steal. Okongwu has returned 7.8x, 6.1x and 9.2x value in the last three games. All of this has been done in under 30 minutes per game.
Christian Wood, Los Angeles Lakers at Orlando Magic, $5,200 — It’s looking good for wood. He failed to be a star in Houston. Who wouldn’t? Wood couldn’t. Wood couldn’t be the secondary option in Dallas. With Luka Doncic, there isn’t a No. 2. Luka is No. 1, 2 and 3 at times. L.A. isn’t for everyone but Wood is settling into a safe role. He comes off the bench and plays nearly 30 minutes. His usage rate has bounced between 11% and 19%, but he’s been very active on the boards. If he can bury a three and grab an assist, then he should hit 6x on Saturday night.
Set your DraftKings fantasy basketball lineups here: NBA $350K Fadeaway [$100K to 1st]
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I am a promoter at DraftKings and am also an avid fan and user (my username is greenflagradio2) and may sometimes play on my personal account in the games that I offer advice on. Although I have expressed my personal view on the games and strategies above, they do not necessarily reflect the view(s) of DraftKings and do not constitute a representation that any particular strategy will guarantee success. All customers should use their own skill and judgment in building lineups. I may also deploy different players and strategies than what I recommend above. I am not an employee of DraftKings and do not have access to any non-public information.