This article is part of our DraftKings NBA series.
Friday's NBA slate begins at 7:00 PM Eastern time and features six games. With four of the league's five worst defenses and six of the bottom-nine in action, there should be plenty of enticing options to choose from in this slate.
Slate Overview
Games to Target
Trail Blazers (-6) at Wizards O/U: 236
Both teams rank in the top-10 offensively and among the 10 worst teams defensively, so this game figures to involve plenty of scoring on both sides.
Rockets (-5) vs. 76ers O/U: 227
Both teams are teeming with stars, and the Rockets' fast pace of play is expected to coax more possessions out of this one compared to most 76ers games. Houston's 119.4 points per game are tied with Milwaukee for the league lead, and the Rockets give up the ninth-most points per game at 114.0.
Game to Fade
Heat (-2) at Magic O/U: 207.5
This all-Florida affair is likely to be played at a snail's pace — Miami's the only team in this slate that also played Thursday while the Magic score the second-fewest points per game at 102 and give up the third-fewest at 104.6. Miami also ranks better than league average defensively, so scoring should be a challenge for both sides and is why this game has an over/under at least 16 points lower than any other on this slate.
Positional Breakdown
While positional scarcity isn't much of an issue here, point guard is the deepest as usual with six healthy options priced over $8,000. Every position has six players priced at $7,000-plus, so constructing an effective lineup shouldn't be an issue given all the available exploitable matchups.
Injury Situations to Monitor
Jaylen Brown went through a full practice Thursday after missing Boston's last game due to an illness, putting him on track to make his return. On the other hand, Brown's teammate Kemba Walker has been ruled out due to an illness of his own.
Bradley Beal is questionable against Portland due to leg soreness.
The Lakers' Anthony Davis (shoulder) and the Suns' Ricky Rubio (hip) are both probable with their respective injuries.
Orlando's Jonathan Isaac will be reevaluated in two months after spraining his knee Wednesday.
Elite Players
LeBron James ($11,200) and James Harden ($10,900) should both populate plenty of lineups given their immense ceilings.
Damian Lillard ($9,700) has topped 50.0 fantasy points in five of his past eight games, and he's likely to do so again considering the Wizards allow a league-high 121.0 points per game.
Lillard's teammate Hassan Whiteside ($9,500) has been a beast over his past 10 games, averaging 15.6 PPG and 15.9 RPG. He'll get ample opportunities to rack up both points and rebounds in this fast-paced affair against Washington's league-worst defense.
Expected Chalk
Jayson Tatum ($8,200) is averaging 23.7 PPG and 7.0 RPG over his past seven games, taking on a slightly larger scoring role. With a couple of prominent teammates limited or sidelined by illness, Tatum will likely be tasked with carrying Boston's offense against a Hawks' team surrendering 117.6 points per game.
C.J. McCollum ($7,100) can be a key piece of a Blazers' stack against the Wizards. Most of his value comes from scoring, and there's a good chance McCollum eclipses his season average of 22.2 PPG against the league's worst D.
Josh Richardson ($5,900) should provide plenty of offense for the 76ers in this fast-paced affair against Houston. The sharpshooter is enjoying a strong stretch, having eclipsed 35 fantasy points in three of his past four games while averaging 17.5 PPG over that stretch.
Jordan McRae ($5,800) has looked great since returning from a finger injury, needing one game to reacclimate himself before posting 21.3 PPG, 5.3 RPG and 3.7 APG over the past three. The Wizards' guard represents a strong play regardless of Beal's status, but McRae will be especially attractive if the star sits.
Key Values
Kyle Kuzma ($5,200) has poured in 19-plus points in three of the past four games, operating as LA's No. 3 option behind the Lakers' pair of superstars. This home matchup against a Pelicans' team allowing the third-most points in the league at 116.4 per game offers a nice opportunity for the forward to do what he does best and put the ball in the basket at a high rate.
After averaging 14.0 PPG and 11.0 RPG in the two games during which Clint Capela was sidelined by injury, fellow Rockets' big man Isaiah Hartenstein ($4,500) continued to produce in Capela's return Tuesday by racking up 16 points and 12 rebounds in only 18 minutes. Hartenstein will remain a double-double threat against the 76ers, giving him nice GPP appeal in this tough matchup.
Mitchell Robinson ($5,800) is coming off an 11-for-11 shooting performance for the Knicks, giving him averages of 11.7 PPG, 10.0 RPG and 2.8 blocks per game over the past four. The springy center should keep rolling against a Suns' squad that has struggled against his position and gives up 115.1 points per game — fifth-most in the league.
