This article is part of our DraftKings NBA series.
Friday marks the first NBA slate after the passing of the Feb. 6 trade deadline, and it's set to feature eight games after 7:00 PM Eastern time. With so many rotations altered by either addition or subtraction, a lot of new avenues for locating value have opened up to join the many existing ones. This will also be the second game in as many nights for the 76ers, Trail Blazers and Rockets.
Slate Overview
Games to Target
Mavericks (-2) at Wizards O/U: 234
Dallas is missing its best player and could be without its second-best as well, which will leave the team's lesser options with a great opportunity to make an impact against a Washington team that's giving up a league-worst 120.8 points per game. Scoring shouldn't be a problem for either side, as the Mavericks rank third offensively with 116.1 points per game and the Wizards are fourth with 115.7.
Rockets (-2.5) at Suns O/U: 233.5
The Rockets rank second in the league offensively with 118.8 points per game, while both teams rank no better than 20th defensively — Houston gives up 114.4 points per game and Phoenix allows 113.9. Expect plenty of scoring from both sides in this one.
Games to Fade
Raptors (-1) at Pacers O/U: 218.5
Both teams rank among the league's eight stingiest defensively — Toronto holds opponents to 106.1 points per game and Indiana's at 107.1. With four of the league's six worst defensive teams in action (Washington, Atlanta, Portland, Memphis), there's little reason to challenge these units.
Kings (PK) vs. Heat O/U: 219.5
Both of these teams are slightly stingier than average defensively, and average or worse on offense. With no clear favorite in this game, it's also tough to pinpoint which team's players to target.
Positional Breakdown
Point guard could have as many as eight healthy options priced over $7,500, but the depth of the position and enticing options lower on the price spectrum make point guard especially appealing here. Center should have 8-9 healthy options at or above the $7,500 mark as well, while every other position has 3-5. As is customary with slates on the larger side, expect a point guard or center in the UTIL spot for most lineups.
Injury Situations to Monitor
Kristaps Porzingis is questionable after breaking his nose Wednesday, and the Mavericks can ill afford to have Porzingis sit out in Washington with Luka Doncic already sidelined by an ankle injury.
Trae Young (ankle) is probable in Boston, but the recently acquired Clint Capela will be prevented from making his Hawks' debut by a bruised heel.
Jimmy Butler sustained a right shoulder sprain Wednesday and is listed as doubtful for Friday's game in Sacramento.
The Celtics are bogged down by a few injuries. Kemba Walker (knee) is expected to make his return after missing the past three games, but he'll be on a 30-minute limit. Meanwhile, Gordon Hayward (foot) and Jaylen Brown (ankle) have been ruled out.
Jonas Valanciunas is battling ankle soreness, which leaves Memphis's big man questionable to dress in Philadelphia.
Elite Players
After a down stretch, James Harden ($12,100) rebounded nicely with three consecutive games between 73.0 and 79.5 fantasy points. He dropped back down to 36.3 Thursday against the Lakers, but he'll be motivated to get right back on track in what figures to be a high-scoring affair in Phoenix. With teammate Russell Westbrook likely to sit out the second leg of a back-to-back as previously this season, Harden should be the driving force for Houston's offense.
Bradley Beal ($10,100) should continue his strong play in the fast-paced showdown with the Mavericks. The Wizards' star has scored between 51.0 and 62.3 fantasy points in each of his last seven games.
Damian Lillard ($9,900) won't be a recommended option in Utah. He's come back down to earth with just 39.5 and 43.0 fantasy points in his last two games following a tremendous six-game stretch in which he averaged 79.7, and a Jazz defense that's holding opponents to 106.8 points per game is likely to keep Lillard contained.
Expected Chalk
With three prominent teammates battling injuries, Jayson Tatum ($8,100) stands out as a healthy Celtic heading into a juicy home matchup with a Hawks' team that's allowing 118.3 points per game — second-most in the league. He's been dominant in these past three games with Walker out, averaging 28.7 PPG, 6.0 RPG and 4.0 APG. Swapping in Walker for some of Tatum's competition on the wing should only lead to more production from the forward.
Jalen Brunson ($5,600) is Dallas's Doncic insurance, as he steps up whenever the Slovenian star gets hurt. The guard is averaging 18.7 PPG, 3.3 RPG and 5.7 APG over his past three games, and Brunson should provide a healthy dose of both points and assists against Washington's league-worst defense.
Bam Adebayo ($8,200) should take over as the Heat's go-to option if Butler sits as expected, making him an exception in a game that's better off left mostly avoided. The versatile center is averaging 15.9 PPG, 10.4 RPG and 4.9 APG in a breakout season, and he's scored 41.5 or more fantasy points in five of his last six games ahead of this matchup with the Kings.
Ricky Rubio ($5,600) possesses tremendous upside at home against a Rockets' team that's facing a quick turnaround after beating the Lakers in Los Angeles late last night. The crafty Spaniard is one of the best in the game at setting up big men for easy baskets, and he should have plenty of opportunities to do so against a side running the smallest lineup in the history of modern basketball after trading Clint Capela. This is a great buy-low opportunity on Rubio, who finally looked to be over his ankle injury Wednesday against the Pistons — his 35 minutes of court time in that game were the most he's played since Jan. 24, and Rubio raised his season average to 8.7 APG with 11 dimes in that one.
With Andre Drummond traded to Cleveland and Derrick Rose sidelined by a hip injury, the rest of the Pistons should get all the looks they can handle on offense. Reggie Jackson ($6,100) is the leading candidate to absorb a plurality of that volume, and he's already been taking on an increased offensive role recently. He's scored 20-plus points in three of his past five games and two of the last three, adding 5.0 RPG and 6.3 APG in those last three contests.
Key Values
Dennis Schroder ($6,800) has been cooking recently, scoring between 42.5 and 48.8 fantasy points in each of his past four games, while ranging from 37.0 to 49.3 in the last seven. He's averaging a robust 25.3 PPG, 4.3 RPG and 6.6 APG over those seven most recent contests and should continue to thrive against the depleted Pistons.
Davis Bertans ($5,400) hasn't looked bothered by a stiff neck, scoring 15.0 PPG along with 5.5 RPG and 4.0 APG in two games since the injury came to light. With little offense besides Beal available for the Wizards, Bertans should be a good source of points to go with some secondary stats against Dallas.
