This article is part of our DraftKings NBA series.
Friday's eight-game slate gives us several paths that we can take on the way to a winning score. The GS/PHO game clocks in with the highest O/U of the night at 231, but the DEN/PHI game isn't too far behind. We should see the new big four debut in Philly, and with Paul Millsap (ankle) still out, things could open up for Tobias Harris as he settles into the system. Your most intriguing value spots come from Dallas, where there is a massive $4,600 drop between Luka Doncic and the rest of the team. Now that Harrison Barnes has been shipped out of town, you should see Tim Hardaway ($4,900) join the starting five, and I expect that to consist of Doncic, Jalen Brunson ($4,300), Hardaway, and some combination of Dwight Powell ($4,400), Maxi Kleber ($4,200), and Dorian Finney-Smith ($3,900) filling out the frontcourt.
Devin Booker (hamstring) QUESTIONABLE: Booker missed Wednesday's game, and I'd be surprised if they keep him off the floor in this tough game against the Warriors. It's reported that he wants to play, but we can't say for sure until he clears the shootaround today. If he can't go, Kelly Oubre ($5,900) should start in his place. Josh Jackson ($5,300), who's performed admirably in T.J. Warren's absence, will put up a good total on his own and could see a bigger total if Booker sits.
Khris Middleton (rest) OUT: I'll talk about the Bucks later in the article, but I think the rest of the starters will aptly absorb Middleton's output. There's no suitable pivot worth considering here, in my opinion.
MINNESOTA BACKCOURT: Jeff Teague (foot) QUESTIONABLE, Derrick Rose (ankle) QUESTIONABLE, Jerryd Bayless (toe), QUESTIONABLE, Tyus Jones (ankle) QUESTIONABLE: We can now add Bayless to the growing list of injuries at this spot, and it's anyone's guess as to the statuses for this quartet of guards. If we have two to four absences from this group, I will opt for Isaiah Canaan ($3,000) as a super-cheap bargain, with Andrew Wiggins ($6,000) filling in some production as well.
GUARDS
D'Angelo Russell, BKN vs. CHI ($8,200): The Nets are humming along with one of the fastest paces in the league in recent weeks. And with the Bulls surrendering an average of 112 points per game, I think Russell is a superb play. You could conceivably see similar scores from guys like Curry and Holiday for $800-$1000 more, so you can consider Russell a bit of a discount. Few players have been as reliable as Russell with Spencer Dinwiddie out. And with the Bulls frontcourt in flux, I think Russell's assist totals should get a boost as he dishes the ball inside to Jarrett Allen.
Buddy Hield, SAC vs. MIA ($6,600): Speaking of consistency, Hield possesses that quality in spades. Miami is coming off multiple days of rest, but the Kings are coming into this game with a spark of momentum – albeit an intangible one. The Clippers' moves indicate the beginning of a rebuild mode, giving the Kings one less team to worry about as they make a playoff push. Hield put up 47 DKFP in his last meeting versus the Heat, and Miami ranks 23rd against the three. Look for another big total from Hield, who should drill a few from beyond the arc.
Jalen Brunson, DAL vs. MIL ($4,300): We could see a blowout here, but that shouldn't affect Brunson much. The Mavs need to give Brunson as much time as he can handle, as he's now the defacto off-guard alongside Luka Doncic moving forward. Garbage time in a blowout could be precisely what Brunson needs as he gets more comfortable with the starting role. He logged 30 minutes in his first outing with the new-look offense, and I'd expect that trend to continue.
Additional guards to consider: Jimmy Butler, PHI vs. DEN ($7,300), Jamal Murray, DEN at PHI ($6,300)
FORWARDS
Giannis Antetokounmpo, MIL at DAL ($11,400): Giannis is one of two guys I'd consider spending up for tonight, and I think his questionable tag (he's actually probable, contrary to the DK listing) will move people off the All-Star forward. The Mavs are just starting to figure out their lineup, and I think that's a big advantage for the Greek Freak. One issue with Antetokounmpo is his tendency to disappear in runaway games – he sat for half of the fourth quarter in the blowout against the Wizards on Wednesday – and that would be the only factor that could move me off this endorsement.
Lauri Markkanen, CHI at BKN ($7,000): Markkanen is one of my picks for a breakout second half, and in the current game script he should see some excellent totals with Bobby Portis gone and Wendell Carter out for two months. His floor of around 40 DKFP is excellent for the price you're getting, and he's logged double-digit rebounds in four of his last five games. The Nets have improved their rebounding skills in recent weeks, but I do not doubt that Markkanen will get his share.
Mason Plumlee, DEN at PHI ($5,400): Even if Millsap returns to the floor, he'll likely be limited, which should give Plumlee additional minutes once again. He quickly racked up 32 DKFP in just 22 minutes of action against the Sixers in their last matchup, so a few more minutes should help his totals along nicely.
Additional forwards to consider: Blake Griffin, DET vs. NY ($8,900), Andrew Wiggins, MIN at NO ($6,000), Josh Jackson, PHO vs. GS ($5,900). Maxi Kleber, DAL vs. MIL ($4,200)
CENTERS
Anthony Davis, NO vs. MIN ($11,400): Talk about a dramatic return to the lineup! Davis stole almost every trade-deadline headline without scoring a single point over the past two weeks. I imagine Davis will be eager to prove to the world that he's worth, say, the Lakers entire lineup minus LeBron plus four first-round picks? We'll have to wait and see what kind of price he'll demand, but he's said he'll play out the year with the Pelicans either way. It pains me to say it, but he might be a bit more of a GPP play for me tonight, as I don't think this pick is without risk. There's so much potential at the top here with Embiid, Jokic, Towns, Drummond, it's hard to go wrong with any of them. But in the Towns/Davis battle, AD has usually won out.
DeMarcus Cousins, GS at PHO ($6,700): Yep, Boogie is still my favorite play, and he'll be targeted often in my builds as long as he stays this cheap. It'll be interesting to see how he stacks up against DeAndre Ayton. He only logged 17 minutes in the blowout against the Spurs, but that was without Aldridge and DeRozan, so I can't even consider that game as a reliable metric.
Jarrett Allen, BKN vs. CHI ($5,000): This game's pace should end up surprising some people. My money is squarely on the over here. And with no reliable center to speak of, I like Allen's chances for a big score tonight. If you spend up elsewhere, you're likely going to need a center at this price. However, don't expect and eye-popping total here.
As I said, this is one of those slates where you can go any number of ways. I ended up using Griffin as my anchor in a lot of lineups and built around Russell, Hield and Markkanen alongside some cheap Dallas plays. I imagine I'll stick with the same core and plug in different options besides Griffin as I diversify my lineups.
