As I mentioned on Thursday, you can’t judge a slate by the number of games. There are eight games in the main slate (the Utah-Houston game is early) but I don’t love the available options. Most of the top options have what I consider tough matchups, and the hardest part will be finding places to spend up. There are plenty of places to find value, especially at shooting guard.
Point Guard
The Mavericks played at home yesterday, and the lose an hour flying to Orlando to face the Magic. I probably would have liked Elfrid Payton anyway, but I don’t see how a tired Seth Curry and Jonathan Gibson can slow Payton down.
Eric Bledsoe played just 13 minutes Friday, mostly due to foul trouble, so he should be fresh for the second half of Phoenix’s back-to-back tonight. Only four teams have allowed more fantasy points to point guards than the 76ers, and Bledsoe may have to pick up more of the scoring slack if Devin Booker or T.J. Warren miss this game.
The Bulls allowed Dante Exum to score a season-high 14 points Thursday, and I don’t see how they will slow down Chris Paul, especially if Rajon Rondo is out. Paul may not be the top point guard of Saturday’s slate, but he is easily the safest.
Speaking of the Bulls, Jerian Grant is a decent punt play if Rajon Rondo is out. Grant may never be consistent, but the playing time will be there, and he could benefit from facing the Clippers’ second unit.
| PLAYER | TM | H/A | OPP | MPG | FT% | 3PTM | PTS | REB | AST | STL | BLK | TO | FG% | USAGE | FDPTS/G | DKPTS/G | ACEPTS/G | YPTS/G | $FD | $DK | $FA |
| Elfrid Payton | ORL | H | DAL | 30.3 | 64% | 7 | 135 | 44 | 68 | 14 | 9 | 21 | 42% | 10% | 26.2 | 27.6 | 26.4 | 26.5 | $5,800 | $5,500 | $4,700 |
| Eric Bledsoe | PHX | A | PHI | 31.6 | 78% | 11 | 216 | 72 | 64 | 15 | 0 | 37 | 45% | 14.89% | 30.1 | 32.2 | 30.4 | 30.5 | $7,200 | $6,700 | $5,400 |
| Chris Paul | LAC | H | CHI | 30.3 | 87% | 28 | 231 | 71 | 112 | 40 | 3 | 24 | 45% | 13.63% | 42 | 44.3 | 42.3 | 43.1 | $9,300 | $8,400 | $6,550 |
| Jerian Grant | CHI | A | LAC | 15 | 100% | 3 | 40 | 15 | 11 | 9 | 1 | 2 | 32% | 8.09% | 13.2 | 13.7 | 13.3 | 13.4 | $4,000 | $4,100 | $3,500 |
Shooting Guard
Fantasy players who thought Evan Fournier would score 20 points a night with Victor Oladipo gone have been disappointed, but Fourier has scored 20 or more five times this season. Fournier’s ceiling is capped because he doesn’t give you much beyond points and threes, but this should be one of his safer games of the season.
In his first career start Tuesday, Rodney McGruder had eight points, four rebounds, three assists and two steals in 37 minutes. If McGruder starts Saturday with Dion Waiters questionable, we could see an even better performance at a discount price.
Whether Waiters plays or not, Josh Richardson will probably start and take a ton of shots. For DFS purposes, Richardson is a poor man’s Evan Fournier.
Brandon Knight should be a slam dunk if Devin Booker is out, but I am hesitant to play him in cash lineups. Knight played just 22 minutes Friday despite Booker, Eric Bledsoe and T.J. Warren combining to play just 45 minutes. Knight scored 32 points off the bench in the game before that, so his GPP upside is undeniable, but this isn’t a no-brainer. In Knight’s only start this season he scored 18 points in 31 minutes but failed to record a single rebound, assist or steal.
| PLAYER | TM | H/A | OPP | MPG | FT% | 3PTM | PTS | REB | AST | STL | BLK | TO | FG% | USAGE | FDPTS/G | DKPTS/G | ACEPTS/G | YPTS/G | $FD | $DK | $FA |
| Evan Fournier | ORL | H | DAL | 33.9 | 82% | 23 | 207 | 30 | 37 | 10 | 0 | 25 | 43% | 12.57% | 24.5 | 26.6 | 24.6 | 25.4 | $5,500 | $5,600 | $4,500 |
| Josh Richardson | MIA | A | WAS | 28.1 | 100% | 10 | 80 | 17 | 11 | 6 | 5 | 11 | 41% | 10.23% | 18.3 | 19.9 | 18.4 | 19 | $4,300 | $5,000 | $4,200 |
| Brandon Knight | PHX | A | PHI | 24.9 | 90% | 15 | 171 | 34 | 43 | 8 | 0 | 30 | 38% | 14.19% | 20.2 | 22 | 20.3 | 20.8 | $4,800 | $4,300 | $4,350 |
Small Forward
Harrison Barnes had his worst game in two weeks Friday, and I suspect he will bounce back at least to some degree Saturday. Barnes has to jack up shots with most of the playmakers on his team out, which keeps both his floor and his ceiling pretty high.
With T.J. Warren and Devin Booker exiting early, P.J. Tucker played 39 minutes Friday, and while he scored just seven points, he also had 10 rebounds. Tucker would be a near must-start if Warren is out Saturday.
After a slow start, Nicolas Batum has at least 15 points, five rebounds and four assists in each of his last four games. The Pelicans have allowed the second-most rebounds and assists to opponents this season, making Batum a safe bet to stuff the stat sheet again Saturday.
On the one hand, I don’t necessarily want to spend at small forward, but on the other hand, you probably have to spend up somewhere. Kevin Durant is probably the safest superstar of the night, though Tony Snell could probably do a decent job against Durant if given the opportunity.
| PLAYER | TM | H/A | OPP | MPG | FT% | 3PTM | PTS | REB | AST | STL | BLK | TO | FG% | USAGE | FDPTS/G | DKPTS/G | ACEPTS/G | YPTS/G | $FD | $DK | $FA |
| Harrison Barnes | DAL | A | ORL | 37.6 | 90% | 10 | 244 | 62 | 9 | 6 | 2 | 17 | 48% | 14.84% | 30.1 | 31.6 | 30.4 | 30.5 | $6,100 | $6,900 | $5,300 |
| Nicolas Batum | CHA | A | NOP | 33.9 | 81% | 23 | 162 | 74 | 56 | 16 | 5 | 24 | 41% | 11.31% | 32.1 | 34.5 | 32.4 | 33.1 | $6,700 | $6,700 | $5,300 |
| P.J. Tucker | PHX | A | PHI | 21 | 68% | 1 | 52 | 70 | 12 | 17 | 4 | 10 | 32% | 5.94% | 14.3 | 15 | 14.6 | 14.3 | $3,900 | $3,300 | $3,850 |
| Kevin Durant | GSW | A | MIL | 34.9 | 84% | 23 | 330 | 98 | 52 | 21 | 15 | 30 | 57% | 18.57% | 47.3 | 49.9 | 47.7 | 48.3 | $9,700 | $9,400 | $7,250 |
Power Forward
Serge Ibaka is averaging a double-double over the last week, but he hasn’t recorded a single double-double this season. I think that probably changes with a tired Mavericks team bricking shots all night long. Ibaka has seen his playing time increase of late, which makes him one of the few safe ways to take advantage of the Mavericks.
No team has allowed as many points as the Phoenix Suns this season, but good luck capitalizing for DFS. No one on the 76ers has averaged even 27 minutes per game over the last week, which limits everyone’s upside no matter how attractive the matchup. If you want to take a chance on a 76er, I like Dario Saric. Saric has double-doubles in two of his last six games, and he is capable of getting hot and providing some upside.
With Justise Winslow out, who is going to guard Markieff Morris? Derrick Williams? James Johnson? Morris runs hot and cold, but after a cold night Thursday, I see a big night coming.
| PLAYER | TM | H/A | OPP | MPG | FT% | 3PTM | PTS | REB | AST | STL | BLK | TO | FG% | USAGE | FDPTS/G | DKPTS/G | ACEPTS/G | YPTS/G | $FD | $DK | $FA |
| Serge Ibaka | ORL | H | DAL | 29.2 | 86% | 13 | 165 | 80 | 7 | 2 | 14 | 15 | 47% | 11.26% | 24 | 25.5 | 24.4 | 24.6 | $5,700 | $5,400 | $4,600 |
| Dario Saric | PHI | H | PHX | 26.8 | 72% | 15 | 126 | 76 | 20 | 8 | 2 | 25 | 40% | 11.33% | 20.2 | 22.2 | 20.5 | 20.8 | $4,300 | $4,700 | $4,200 |
| Markieff Morris | WAS | H | MIA | 33 | 87% | 12 | 158 | 78 | 15 | 13 | 9 | 24 | 40% | 11.74% | 26.7 | 28.7 | 27.1 | 27.3 | $5,700 | $6,000 | $4,900 |
Center
I find it hard to believe Tyler Zeller and Kelly Olynyk can keep Andre Drummond off the boards. Drummond hasn’t had a double-double in a week, but I would be shocked if that continues Saturday.
Only four teams have allowed more fantasy points to opposing centers than the Bulls, and Chicago does not have anyone who can match up with DeAndre Jordan. Jordan is not exactly cheap, but the center position gets pretty ugly once you get past him.
If you have to play a center cheaper than DeAndre Jordan, I guess Andrew Bogut is your guy. The Mavericks are running out of guys who can make plays, and while Bogut isn’t a scorer, he has recorded three or more assists four times this season. If Bogut can get double-digit rebounds while adding three assists and a block he will be worth the price of admission.
| PLAYER | TM | H/A | OPP | MPG | FT% | 3PTM | PTS | REB | AST | STL | BLK | TO | FG% | USAGE | FDPTS/G | DKPTS/G | ACEPTS/G | YPTS/G | $FD | $DK | $FA |
| Andre Drummond | DET | H | BOS | 29.8 | 53% | 1 | 172 | 162 | 16 | 15 | 14 | 28 | 51% | 14.93% | 35 | 36.9 | 35.7 | 35.1 | $8,000 | $7,600 | $6,300 |
| DeAndre Jordan | LAC | H | CHI | 30.8 | 44% | 0 | 139 | 162 | 8 | 7 | 23 | 23 | 60% | 11.30% | 29.4 | 30.9 | 30 | 29.4 | $6,800 | $6,400 | $5,700 |
| Andrew Bogut | DAL | A | ORL | 24.7 | 0% | 0 | 34 | 91 | 17 | 4 | 7 | 18 | 43% | 7.62% | 19.2 | 20.7 | 19.7 | 19.2 | $4,400 | $4,300 | $4,100 |
Player News
Devin Carter accounted for 10 points (3-of-5 FGs, 3-of-4 FTs), four rebounds, two assists, one steal and one three-pointer in 22 minutes in Wednesday’s loss to the Mavericks.
Carter’s rookie season ended on a positive note individually, as he reached double figures for the fourth time. Offseason shoulder surgery delayed his NBA debut until after the New Year, with Carter playing 36 regular-season games. While he was worth stashing in dynasty league drafts before this season began, the former Providence standout did not deserve a look in redraft leagues. That will likely remain the case next season, but the Kings need to make a decision regarding their head coaching position, as Doug Christie was only the interim. Add in the need for an experienced point guard, and Carter’s fantasy outlook isn’t great.
Keegan Murray recorded nine points (3-of-9 FGs, 1-of-2 FTs), six rebounds, two assists, one steal, two blocks and two three-pointers in 36 minutes in Wednesday’s loss to the Mavericks.
Murray recorded a complete stat line on Wednesday, but the impact was muted. That was a fitting end to the season for the Kings forward, whose fantasy value took a significant hit. The signing of DeMar DeRozan during free agency did Murray no favors, and that was also true for the addition of Zach LaVine just before the trade deadline. While he did approach his Yahoo! ADP (87) in nine-cat formats, Murray failed to crack the top-100 in eight-cat. Murray is extension eligible this summer, but the Kings have many questions to answer, including who the head coach will be and the future of lead executive Monte McNair. How that impacts Murray remains to be seen, but he’s worth selecting with a top-100 pick in drafts.
Domantas Sabonis tallied 11 points (5-of-13 FGs, 1-of-2 FTs), 13 rebounds, five assists and two steals in 37 minutes in Wednesday’s loss to the Mavericks.
It’s fitting that Sabonis would finish his season with a double-double, as he recorded 61 during the regular season. However, his impact was limited, with Anthony Davis, Dereck Lively II and Daniel Gafford combining to control the paint for most of Wednesday’s Play-In tournament matchup. Regarding fantasy value, Sabonis was a top-25 player in eight- and nine-cat formats for the season. However, his value took a significant hit after the trade deadline, with the De’Aaron Fox deal leaving the Kings with two high-scoring wings (Zach LaVine and DeMar DeRozan) and no legitimate point guard. How Sacramento addresses that decision during the offseason will impact Sabonis’ fantasy value in 2025-26.
DeMar DeRozan shot 13-of-28 from the field and 5-of-6 from the foul line in Wednesday’s loss to the Mavericks, tallying 33 points, seven rebounds, two assists, two steals and two three-pointers in 43 minutes.
DeRozan went out firing on Wednesday, shooting just under 50 percent from the field and finishing a blocked shot shy of a complete stat line. Like other key Kings players, his fantasy value took a hit after De’Aaron Fox was traded to San Antonio. The lack of a point guard who can set up others consistently proved problematic for the Kings, who now have some significant decisions to make this offseason. DeRozan can approach top-50 fantasy value, but the task gets much easier when on the court with a legitimate lead guard.
Zach LaVine logged 44 minutes in Wednesday’s loss to the Mavericks, tallying 20 points (8-of-19 FGs), three rebounds, nine assists and four three-pointers.
LaVine led the Kings in assists on Wednesday, but inefficient play was an issue in the Play-In tournament defeat. The turnover count was worse than the field goal percentage, as LaVine committed five. After being traded to the Kings, the veteran guard was an eighth-round player in nine-cat formats, and a fifth-round player in eight-cat. While reuniting with DeMar DeRozan gave the Kings two high-scoring wings to pair with center Domantas Sabonis, the lack of a legitimate point guard was an issue. LaVine can approach top-50 value, but the task became more difficult when he was traded.
Keon Ellis shot 3-of-4 from the field and 1-of-1 from the foul line in Wednesday’s loss to the Mavericks, scoring nine points with one rebound, one assist and two three-pointers in 18 minutes.
Ellis’ 2024-25 season ended with a whimper, as he provided limited value as the Kings’ fifth starter. He played 80 games this season, providing slightly higher fantasy value in his 28 starts. In those outings, Ellis averaged 9.8 points, 3.3 rebounds, 2.3 assists, 2.1 steals, 0.9 blocks and 2.0 three-pointers in 31.1 minutes. Regarding playing time, he benefited from the decision to trade De’Aaron Fox. However, Sacramento must address the point guard position this offseason, which would limit Ellis’ fantasy value in 2025-26.