The NBA DFS Core was straight flames the last time I handed out picks. I’ll look to keep it going again tonight. There are already some key injuries that are going to shake Friday’s slate up, but luckily there are a couple of plays that are just too good to ignore.
The big question will be what other 1-2 plays round out the core, and which studs do we prioritize? I’ll start things off with my top NBA DFS picks, and then touch on who I feel compelled to pay for at DraftKings and FanDuel.
DraftKings NBA DFS Core Plays
- Payton Pritchard ($7k)
- Cam Spencer ($5.7k)
- Jaylin Williams ($3.7k)
Update: Still love Chet. However, OKC is now extremely shorthanded down low. J-Will is going to play a good amount and he’s a good per minute guy. Won’t force Chet, but would like to get to them both. Eyeing GG and JJJ with Jock now Q.
Derrick White is out, giving Pritchard a huge boost. He has a solid matchup against the Nets and will get a usage and ceiling bump. Brooklyn’s tendency to trap guys could be problematic, but the value is too good to bypass.
Spencer is probably the easiest click of the slate with Ja Morant out. Spencer should elevate to the starting five and is way too cheap for the enhanced role he is looking at. Plus, he faces the Pelicans, who are dreadful defensively. Lot’s of Grizzlies are going to look good, with JJJ, Jock, and Coward looking the best. How many Grizzlies is too many?
SGA also feels like a smash, but Chet’s projection feels a little light. Jalen Williams is out tonight and other guys are banged up for OKC. Chet is going to get a boost here, plus he is facing a poor Indy defense that gives it up to big men. He’s probably not expensive enough given the ceiling he could provide in this spot.
Neemias Queta is iffy for tonight, which could make it Luka Garza Szn. We’ll need to wait on that and I’d need Garza to start to fully commit. That said, the Nets give up major production to bigs, so he could be a smash.
Studs: SGA, Jalen Johnson, Spida, and Jaylen Brown
SGA gets a boost without J Dub and the Pacers are terrible. No objection there. I do think JJ is a pretty compelling pivot at a similar price, especially if he goes overlooked in favor of SGA. Johnson’s matchup stinks and he’s pricey, but he’s back to being good and ATL pushes the pace. If they can get Phoenix to run with them, JJ could be a total GPP smash.
Jaylen and Spida both benefit from guys being sidelined. They get boosts are are fantastic plays in really nice spots. It could be as simple as plugging them in and I wouldn’t take issue with either of them.
As things stand my top stud is SGA, but JJ is the key pivot I’d be angling if he isn’t going to be owned.
FanDuel NBA DFS Core Plays
- Payton Pritchard ($6.5k)
- Cam Spencer ($5.7k)
- Jaren Jackson Jr. ($7.2k)
Core is pretty similar for FD, but I’ll leave out Chet for now and replace him with JJJ. Pritchard is way cheaper on FD, so I wouldn’t hesitate at all. Spencer is an auto play on both sites.
I think both Chet and JJJ are very playable at both sites, but he’s cheaper on FD so he stands out a bit more. I’d definitely be into pairing them at both sites if the fit was right.
We can look at some OKC value potentially given the extra slot we need to fill. I also am fine with going and getting SGA or JJ, but since we need to fill another slot, it’s always harder to prioritize the super pricey studs on FanDuel unless the value is amazing.
That has me a bit more interested in paying for 2nd tier studs like Spida and Jaylen, but more value could open up and change things.
Playing DFS since the days of DraftStreet, Kevin knows the ins and outs of DFS, specifically for NFL and NBA. He’s also been helping people win in fantasy football leagues for 15+ years and is one of many experts featured at FantasyPros.
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