There have been some big NBA DFS slates lately, and things do not cool down on Friday. Nine games hit the schedule and we will have no shortage of studs and value to choose from. Per usual, it’s all about choosing the best plays, making smart calls, and then finding a couple of ways to gain leverage on the field.
Want to know which NBA Core Plays you should build around? I’ve got you covered with my favorite NBA DFS picks. I’ll also touch on which spends are worth targeting tonight at DraftKings and FanDuel.
DraftKings NBA DFS Core Plays
- Derrick White, G, Celtics ($7.7k)
- Payton Pritchard, PG, Celtics ($6.7k)
- Jaren Jackson Jr, C, Grizzlies ($7.5k)
- Kyle Filipowski, F/C, Jazz ($5.8k)
Update: Nets value looks good. Danny Wolff might be the best value of the entire slate. He’d be my next guy in. Also like Sharpe/Cam. I’m not fading the Boston guys. JJJ has a pretty high ceiling with Morant/Santi/Edey all out. Zion on the other side is a great pairing option. Kyle looks great with Lauri/Nurk both out and Nets are a smash spot. Warming up to Curry as my favorite GPP spend.
Big slate, so more news to come and I am sure we will have plenty of value. This is shaping up as another “balanced” slate. Luka vs. Wiz is there if he’s active, but Austin Reaves could also be back. That might be messy. Other studs like Spida, Curry, Cade, and Harden could also be good plays, but there’s just so many 2nd tier options I am into.
We can start with Pritchard/White, though, and I think it’s getting too cute to fade them. They are both way too cheap and project like gods in a smash spot vs. Sacramento. Jaylen Brown is doubtful, so they’re going to get a crap ton of usage in a plus matchup. Fade at your own risk.
JJJ is a guy we could fade, but he’s also a too cheap, in a fantastic spot vs. the Pels, and projects really well. That game looks all of the stackable. I have a lot of interest in Zion, Trey Murphy, and Cam Spencer as well, but JJJ is the first one I am grabbing.
That is a strong 3-pack to start your NBA DFS lineups with. I’ll look to add a value play later, depending on what opens up. But like I said, I don’t think I feel compelled to go out of my way to force any studs into my lineups tonight.
I also really like Grayson Allen. Jaylon Tyson looks pretty good, too, while Kyle Filipowski could be a thing if Nurkic joins Lauri on the sidelines. Nic Claxton vs Utah looks awesome. Price is a little high at $6.6k but if no elite value opens up he may join the Core.
Spends: Luka, Spida, Harden (if Kawhi sits), Cade, and Curry.
Luka is honestly the only one I’ll wrestle with. Washington played yesterday, Luka isn’t 100%, and Reaves could return. Those, plus his salary, are problem areas for me. I think he’s obviously a great spend and the best of the slate, but he’s also almost $12k with question marks. We’ll see.
Spida is my favorite stud, dollar for dollar. Evan Mobley and Darius Garland remain out, so we know the usage and ceiling will be there. The road date with a strong Suns defense stinks, though.
Harden could be a smash if Kawhi sits. Denver is not imposing defensively and his usage could spike. He wouldn’t be expensive enough in that scenario and he’d probably morph into my top spend.
Cade and Curry are in what could easily be a gross game. The Pistons are very strong defensively and specifically are tough outside, so Curry could have a tough time. He also can blow up for 50 points against anybody, so he is the mother of all GPP hammers. As is Cade, as Golden State’s defense isn’t as scary with Jimmy deceased.
FanDuel NBA DFS Core Plays
- Pritchard ($7k)
- White ($8k)
- JJJ ($7.7k)
- Zion ($8.2k)
- Kyle Filipowski ($5.8k)
Update: Replacing Clax with Filipowski. I’m going balanced on FD. Luka is the only guy over $9k I feel really compelled to go get and even that may be a reach on this slate.
You can go get Luka or pay for Cade, Spida, etc. I just don’t know if I see the need on this big slate. I love the core above, as these guys are all way too cheap for their roles.
Claxton stands out as the best center play on FD, so at $6.1k, he feels like a must there. You can always fade him and go cheaper or make a pivot, but he looks like a tough one to avoid at that salary and in that matchup.
This is a strong 5-pack, so you only need to fill four more slots. I love that JJJ is PF eligible on FanDuel. If you lock these guys in, you have $5.7k split up per spot the rest of the way. You can stay balanced, or you could punt with someone like Drake Powell or Terance Mann (or whatever else opens up) and try to work your way to a stud.
Something like Powell/Tomlin/Watkins is gross, but would let you go get Spida, Harden, Curry, or Cade. You’d actually have some remaining cash, so you could actually spend up over one of those guys. That is just an example. I’d wait for better value or simply not force it and stay balanced.
If you do go balanced, just make sure a couple of your options are not chalky. The core plays at both sites will definitely be owned.
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