NBA DFS Picks, Projections, Lineups, Injuries & More Today: Friday Playbook

He's going to play 40 minutes regardless of score here given how shorthanded the Hawks are today against the Kings. There should be some comfort in knowing that the Hawks are only a 6.5-point underdog because a competitive game would be good for Trae. It's been a huge year for the Hawks guard as he is averaging 55 FP per game.

I really like Brunson and his price point here today and if Karl-Anthony Towns ends up being ruled out this becomes a core play for me. With Towns off of the floor this season Brunson has a near 40% usage rate.

Why he is this cheap on DraftKings? FanDuel, sure, maybe that price makes some sense but on DK where you get bonuses for 3PM and double-doubles? Haliburton has popped for 48 and 50 FP over the last two games as he starts to look more like the All-Star player we know he can be.

FD only play with the Nuggets not on the DK slate. Defensively the Nuggets have struggled which has led to some really high scoring games. Murray's scoring could be needed tonight to keep pace with the Timberwolves.

We don't know if LaVine is going to play or not but either way Giddey has been really good this season. We love the minutes that Giddey is playing and and with double-doubles over the last two games, we should be really interested in this matchup against the Nets.

Opposite of the matchup of Giddey and the Bulls is Dennis Schroder who is having a career year with the Nets. He has gone for 50 FP in back-to-back games thanks to a much improved three-point shot.

No Paolo Banchero tonight is a huge loss but it does look like the Magic will have Franz Wagner. The matchup against the Cavaliers is no walk in the park but Suggs has really taken off over the last three games with both his scoring, three-point shooting and ability to rack up the defensive stats.

The Pelicans are now without McCollum, Murray, Herb Jones and Trey Murphy. The losses in the backcourt have led to Alvarado entering the starting lineup and playing heavy minutes for the Pelicans. He is a fun player that can rack up some steals and fill up the stat sheet.

He scored 24 points in the first quarter the other night just to show what he is capable of. Now he draws a matchup against a Nuggets team that has needed overtime to beat the Raptors and Nets over their last two games. Give me some Edwards at just $9,100 on FanDuel.

In cash games Reaves makes sense given his minutes and ability to fill the stat sheet. The Lakers are big favorites on the road tonight against the Raptors which may limit his ceiling but the price, especially on DK is pretty fair.

If LaVine sits out with the shoulder injury we likely see White get an ownership bump. The Nets are not a good defensive team and we've already seen White have a ceiling game when he scored 35 points against the Bucks in the second game of the season. He's coming off back-to-back 20+ point games as well so the scoring is no fluke.

I don't think Bridges is really playing at his max ability but the minutes he is going to play allows him to rack up the fantasy points even while he underwhelms at a per minute basis. That said, If Towns does not play, there is a good chance for him to really pay off the price tag tonight, especially at just $6,000 on DK.

The Raptors need scoring and Dick is taking on that role this season. RJ Barrett returned but right as Scottie Barnes gets injured and this team is still without Immanuel Quickley. Look for Dick to see 15-to-20 shots tonight against the Lakers with a good amount of three-point attempts.

I love the defensive stats we are getting from Braun and that plays up well on FanDuel where you can roster him tonight at just $5,400. His offensive upside is a bit limited but he can give you 4+ blocks+steals while scoring 10-12 points is more than enough to pay off the tag.

We have to see what happens with Andrew Nembhard and Myles Turner because if BOTH end up being out tonight we not only will get the minutes from Mathurin but the shots as well given the volume we generally see from Turner when on the floor. That said, Rick Carlisle is one of the more frustrating NBA head coaches when it comes to his rotation and minutes so there is always some risk he somehow gets iced out.

The Celtics are heavy favorites tonight against the Hornets and this is the first leg of a back-to-back between these two teams. That certainly makes the Celtics core player a bit risky as if this one gets out of hand they may sit earlier than usual knowing they have to play tomorrow. That said, I think Brown is safe enough for cash games.

FanDuel only play. He has crushed the last few games and while the Thunder are big favorites tonight against the Blazers, we saw Williams go for 40+ fantasy points in just 26 minutes the other night as the Thunder look like a team poised for an NBA Finals appearance. 

His second game back saw Barrett play 33 minutes and score 31 points with four rebounds, eight assists and two steals. The Raptors are very short handed again and Barrett likely leads the team in minutes and shot attempts. 

The Pelicans are just missing so many core players that this offense is going to just run through Ingram and Williamson for the time being. Ingram can be a monster with his ability to fill the stat sheet and surprisingly Vegas has this game being competitive and high scoring which would be great for DFS.

He was the cover of the preview show and we talked about how Hart is a core play for all lineups tonight regardless of whether or not Towns plays, especially on DraftKings where his price tag, for no reason, is just $5,900.  Hart is averaging 40 FP over the last three games with double-doubles in all three contests.

We've hit the Hawks value plays here. Risacher was much improved in the second game against the Wizards. The top overall pick is going to have his bumps in the road but right now they are giving him the playing time to develop on the fly.

Roddy was really good, playing 32 minutes with 26 fantasy points as a starter. Early foul trouble might have even limited him a bit. We should see him back in the starting lineup tonight and this price, though higher than the other night, is not going to stop us from rostering him.

I've mentioned him a few times over the last couple of preview shows and livestreams but its looking like Williams is starting to find his role in this Nets rotation. He's filling up the stat sheet, bringing some defensive stats and the shot has been dropping. GPP only play at low ownership.

Tatum has a famous quote about not taking nights off and not limiting himself because fans pay to come see him and the quote specifically mentions him not missing games in Charlotte. Well, we are in Charlotte and Tatum is coming off yet another monster performance. We've seen him get it done for us in three quarters this year so I'm not really worried about a blowout because more often than not he is the reason the Celtics are getting the big leads.

Zion has a 40% usage rate this season with McCollum and Herb Jones off of the floor. This should be a really good spot for Zion, especially if Myles Turner ends up sitting out given the propensity the Pacers backup bigs have for fouling. I think we can use Zion in all formats tonight.

This man is cooking right now and we just saw the Pelicans get run off the floor by the Warriors and Blazers over the last three games. I'm not sure they have anyone who can guard Siakam tonight, especially since Herb Jones is ruled out. He is one of my favorite plays per dollar.

Speaking of elite. Our guy James Grande tweeted out that Johnson had 29 rebound opportunities last game and over the last two games that number sits around 23 rebound chances per game. Over the last two games he has pulled down 17 and 12 rebounds while averaging 16.8 points and 11.0 rebounds per game. He's also scored 21 and 29 points over the last two contests. He is going to play 40 minutes and be the 1-B to Trae Young tonight.

I really like playing Randle and the Nuggets are playing so poorly on the defensive end that Randle looks poised to have himself a big night. His ability to fill the stat sheet and run the offense has been on display over the last few games as he gets more reps with his new team.

Biggest risk on the slate. There is a lot of ownership going to Isaac tonight on the belief that he will play more minutes with Paolo Banchero.  The issue here is that Isaac has already missed games this season due to injury and topped out at 14 minutes the other night. At most we have to assume he sees 18-to-20 minutes and while Isaac has really good fantasy point per minute upside, the Cavs boast one of the best defensive front courts in the NBA with Jarrett Allen and Evan Mobley. If making multiple lineups definitely get your shares but know hes a big risk.

Mogbo started for the Raptors with Scottie Barnes out of the lineup and he played 25 minutes, scoring 11 points with four rebounds, two assists, two blocks and one steal. The one takeaway with Mogbo is the defensive stats. In the two games where he has played at least 24 minutes he has finished with 3 and 5 Blocks+Steals while going for 24 and 39 fantasy points.

It is a shame we can't play Jokic on DraftKings but those on FanDuel should be looking to get Joker in their lineup. He has historically dominated this matchup against Rudy Gobert and he is coming into this game with back-to-back games with 40 actual points. He's also not expected to be highly owned because there is a lot of value at the center spot. A low rostered Jokic can win you a GPP.

On DK we get to play Anthony Davis who has been largely unstoppable this season. Even last game against the Cavaliers he was really good but the game was a blowout so he played about 4 less minutes than we are use to seeing. Yes, the Lakers are big favorites tonight but if they cover the spread it's going to be due to Anthony Davis absolutely dominating. 

Even in blowouts we are seeing the Kings play their guys 35 minutes. Sabonis is a double-double and triple-double machine and he has the upside to pay off the price tag tonight in this matchup against a depleted Hawks team.

Another FanDuel only play. Chet is showing everyone why he the second overall pick a few years back as his game has taken a big leap forward following his delayed rookie season last year. Defensively he is a monsters and now  the offensive upside is following suit.

The offense is running through the big man who has double-doubles in four of the five games this season while averaging over 40 fantasy points per game. His price point fits the production which has him set as a nice cash game option for me tonight.

As long as he can stay out of foul trouble he should see 35+ minutes. Poeltl is a good offensive player and can fill up the stat sheet with some defensive stats as well. 

Claxton saw 26 minutes the other night and he should see at least 26 minutes tonight if not more as the Nets continue to ramp him up. Claxton has double-doubles in each of the last two games while totaling five blocks. A double-double with 3+ blocks is more than doable, especially if we get closer to 30 minutes.

Currently sitting as your chalk center play tonight. Al Horford has been ruled out and Kornet is expected to start in his place against the Hornets. That said, if Myles Turner gets ruled out we likely see Isaiah Jackson draw some interest and the same can be said for Yves Missi if Daniel Theis is ruled out. Jerich Sims is also min-price on both platforms and if Towns is ruled out he likely starts. Lastly, you could also throw a dart at Neemias Queta who should act as the backup center for Boston tonight and could see increased run if this game blows out.

ADDED - Wendell Carter Jr. has been scratched and Goga Bitadze is out. Mo Wagner is starting and is an elite FP/min player.