This article is part of our DraftKings NBA series.
Friday's NBA slate features plenty of action, with 10 games on tap after 7:00 PM Eastern time. This will be the second leg of a back-to-back for the Kings and Thunder, while the other 18 teams all come in fresh. With a number of vulnerable defenses to exploit and some prominent injuries creating opportunities for others to step up, there are plenty of options with which to craft an effective lineup here.
Slate Overview
Games to Target
Magic (-7.5) vs. Timberwolves O/U: 233.5
The Timberwolves are allowing 116.9 points per game, and that number is rapidly worsening to 131.0 over the past three. Even a Magic team that usually prefers to slow things down should have no problems picking up the pace against Minnesota's porous defense, while the Timberwolves are getting some value out of less-heralded players while their star remains on the shelf.
Nets (-3) at Hawks O/U: 234
Brooklyn should score plenty against a Hawks' side allowing 119.2 points per game — second-most in the league. Both teams offer some intriguing options from across the price spectrum in what figures to be a fast-paced affair.
Games to Fade
Raptors (-14) vs. Hornets O/U: 217
Hornets players should absolutely be avoided in this one, while the Raptors won't have much reason to push the pace in a game they should handily control. While you shouldn't spend big money on this game, there is one low-cost option that stands out, so check below to see who that is.
Clippers (-5.5) vs. Nuggets O/U: 219
Both teams have deep supporting casts with different guys capable of stepping up on any given night. Given that unpredictability and the above-average defense on both sides, it's best to either lock in the teams' stars or no one at all.
Positional Breakdown
Point guard contains some prominent injuries, but will still feature at least 12 healthy options priced at $7,500 or more. Center and shooting guard come next with seven such players apiece, while small forward has five and power forward could list as few as four. Given the position's depth from top to bottom, point guard is likely to be the chalk position used to fill the UTIL spot.
Injury Situations to Monitor
This slate's riddled with injuries at the top, as none of the four most expensive options are guaranteed to suit up.
Minnesota's Karl-Anthony Towns remains out with a fractured wrist, while both Dallas' Luka Doncic (thumb) and Atlanta's Trae Young (illness) are questionable, and Giannis Antetokounmpo is probable for the Bucks with back soreness.
Bam Adebayo (ankle) played through a questionable tag Wednesday and has been upgraded to probable for Friday's game against Dallas.
De'Aaron Fox is optimistic he can suit up one day after sitting out a game with an abdominal injury.
Andre Drummond will miss a second consecutive game due to his calf injury.
Kelly Oubre has been diagnosed with a torn meniscus and could miss the rest of the season for the Suns.
Elite Players
With the more expensive stars banged up, some of the slightly less expensive elite options should enjoy their time in the spotlight.
Nikola Vucevic ($9,200) has dominated for the Magic over the past seven games, averaging 21.3 PPG, 10.9 RPG and 4.9 APG, along with 1.4 blocks and 1.1 steals per game. He should stuff the stat sheet as the focal point of Orlando's offense against the leaky Minnesota defense.
Nikola Jokic ($9,600) is cooling off after a dominant stretch while Kawhi Leonard ($9,500) is heating up with at least 52.3 fantasy points in four of his last five games. Both stars are capable of leading their respective teams and fantasy lineups as they face off in a Nuggets-Clippers clash.
D'Angelo Russell ($8,800) continues to carry Minnesota's offense with 25.0 PPG, 5.0 RPG and 8.8 APG over the past four games. While Orlando's stingy defense will scare some people off, Russell's massive usage rate sans Towns makes him a quality GPP option.
Expected Chalk
Donovan Mitchell ($8,000) has produced three consecutive games over 30 points and is averaging 35.3 PPG, 5.3 RPG and 4.0 APG in that stretch. The red-hot Jazz guard has no reason to slow down against the league-worst Wizards defense at 119.9 points allowed per game.
DeAndre Jordan ($5,800) is averaging 11.6 PPG and 12.1 RPG over his past seven games, and he'll be a double-double threat for Brooklyn against Atlanta's vulnerable defense, which is allowing the most fantasy points in the league to centers.
The Raptors are this slate's biggest favorites at minus-14 at home against the Hornets, but Toronto will be shorthanded at center with Marc Gasol still sidelined by a hamstring injury and Serge Ibaka questionable due to knee soreness. Chris Boucher ($3,400) has already been playing well with 9.5 PPG, 9.0 RPG and 2.5 blocks per game in the last two, and the affordable big man should see more than the 18 minutes he averaged in those two contests given the team's injury situation.
Evan Fournier ($6,500) is ideally suited for favorable matchups like this one against Minnesota, as his value is primarily predicated on putting the ball in the basket. The Magic swingman is averaging 25.7 PPG in his last three and should continue to produce offense at a high level at home.
The Pelicans should offer plenty of fantasy value at home against the Cavaliers, but deciding which of Jrue Holiday ($8,200), Zion Williamson ($8,000) and Brandon Ingram ($7,500) to lock in will be the tricky part, as all three are capable of carrying the offense on any given night.
Key Values
Spencer Dinwiddie ($7,900) is back to being the man for the Nets with Kyrie Irving shelved by his latest injury. Dinwiddie has recorded Irving-like averages of 20.8 PPG and 6.6 APG, and the crafty guard should thrive against a Hawks' team surrendering 119.2 points per game.
Collin Sexton ($6,400) continues to score at a high rate out of Cleveland's back court, even as most eyes remain turned to the team's front court logjam. He has poured in 23 or more points in nine of his last 12 games and should keep frequently putting the ball in the basket versus a vulnerable Pelicans' defense allowing 117.0 points per game.
Mikal Bridges ($5,400) should step into the void created by Oubre's absence. The 10th overall pick from the 2018 Draft played 38 minutes Wednesday and should log major minutes in this favorable home matchup against the Pistons.
With Doncic questionable and Jalen Brunson out due a torn labrum, the Mavericks' depth in the back court will be somewhere between thin and stretched to limit in Miami. Either way, Seth Curry ($5,800) should see extended opportunities to contribute offensively, but he'll prove especially viable if Doncic sits.
