This article is part of our DraftKings NBA series.
Saturday's featured NBA slate begins at 7:00 PM Eastern time and features nine games. With a couple of fast-paced afternoon affairs not included in this slate, there are only a few intuitive stacking options available, so much of the value will be found from pinpointing individuals primed for strong performances.
Slate Overview
Games to Target
Rockets (-2) vs. Lakers, O/U: 232.5
This game has the highest over/under in this slate, as both teams are full of star power and the Rockets play at a breakneck pace. Houston ranks second with 118.7 points per game and gives up the seventh-most at 114.0.
Pistons (-1.5) at Hawks, O/U: 228
Detroit's normally lackluster offense is primed for a strong performance against Atlanta's porous defense, as the Hawks allow the third-most points in the league (117.0 per game) and are finishing up a back-to-back set. The top-heavy Hawks have some enticing individual options here as well.
Games to Fade
Magic (-5.5) at Warriors, O/U: 213
Offense will be hard to come by in this one, as both teams rank in the bottom five offensively — Orlando scores 103.9 points per game while Golden State's at 105.1. The Magic are also the league's stingiest defensive team, holding opponents to 104.3 points per game.
Bulls (-6.5) vs. Cavaliers, O/U: 214.5
Like the participants in the game above, these two teams are both offensively challenged as well. Cleveland averages the fourth-fewest points (105.0) while Chicago scores the sixth-fewest (105.6).
Positional Breakdown
Scarcity isn't much of an issue in this slate, while point guard and center are the deepest positions as usual. Both positions could have as many as eight healthy options priced at $8,000 or more, while shooting guard, small forward and power forward have 2-4 such options. Small forward will probably be the position at which owners go the cheapest unless they lock in LeBron James, while the UTIL spot will be occupied by a point guard or center in most lineups.
Injury Situations to Monitor
Anthony Davis has missed the last four games with a back injury. He was able to participate in individual work Friday but still couldn't practice fully, and Davis is officially listed as questionable in Houston.
Kelly Oubre Jr. (concussion) will miss a second consecutive game for the Suns in Boston.
Fred VanVleet (hamstring) is expected to make his return for the Raptors, but his status will be worth monitoring for confirmation after a five-game absence.
C.J. McCollum sprained his ankle Friday, and he won't play Saturday.
Steven Adams missed Friday's game with a knee bruise, and the Thunder big man's status for Saturday is unclear at this time.
Elite Players
LeBron James ($11,000) has averaged 56.3 fantasy points in his three games played since Davis went down, and the sky's the limit for LeBron as the focal point of the Lakers' offense in what should be a high-scoring affair in Houston.
Trae Young ($10,100) has been tremendous since the calendar flipped to 2020, averaging 57.1 fantasy points while dipping below 50 only once. The sharpshooting Hawks point guard should continue his productive ways at home against the Pistons.
On the other side of the Pistons-Hawks matchup, Andre Drummond ($9,500) has averaged just 11.0 PPG and 9.0 RPG in his past three games after piling up 25.5 PPG and 21.5 RPG over the prior two, and he's due for a return to form against Atlanta's generous defense.
If you decide to dip into the Cavaliers-Bulls game, Chicago's Zach LaVine ($9,200) is the player to own from that contest. LaVine has topped 50 fantasy points points in half of his last eight games and should lead Chicago's offense against a Cleveland team that's surrendering 114.0 points per game.
Expected Chalk
Dwight Howard ($5,500) was heating up before Davis got hurt and has stepped up since his fellow Lakers big man went down. The veteran center has averaged 11.8 PPG, 12.2 RPG and 2.2 blocks per game over the past six, and he should continue to soak up north of 25 minutes per game if Davis remains out, making Howard an appealing play in Houston.
Kemba Walker's ($7,400) coming off a 40-point, 11-rebound outburst Thursday in Milwaukee, and Boston's explosive point guard is primed to follow that up with another strong effort at home against a bottom-10 Suns defense that's surrendering 113.9 points per game.
Sekou Doumbouya ($5,000) has started the last eight games for Detroit, averaging 14.0 PPG and 5.3 RPG. The rookie forward's coming off a career-best, 24-point performance and should continue to factor into the offense significantly in Atlanta. Given his growing role and the favorable matchup, Doumbouya's primed to provide excellent value at just $5,000.
Dennis Schroder ($6,400) is coming off consecutive strong outings, having delivered 21.5 PPG, 5.0 RPG and 7.0 APG over the past two games. He has a nice opportunity to keep rolling against a Portland team that ranks among the 10 worst defensively with 113.8 points allowed per game. Both teams are finishing up back-to-back sets, so Schroeder's tired legs won't be a disadvantage relative to his opponents.
Key Values
Anfernee Simons ($3,100) will likely be thrust into Portland's starting lineup if McCollum sits. The affordable 20-year-old guard poured in 19 points with four rebounds and four assists over 34 minutes Jan. 5 in Miami the last time McCollum missed a game, and a repeat performance would make Simons a tremendous value at just $3,100.
Norman Powell ($5,500) has been terrific recently, scoring at least 20 points in six of his last seven games for the Raptors, including a 28-point, 46.8 fantasy point performance Friday. While Powell's role will likely shrink with VanVleet back in the mix, he's worth locking in against a Minnesota team that's allowing 114.6 points per game while VanVleet works his way back up to speed.
Furkan Korkmaz ($3,200) has been hot for the 76ers, scoring 15 points Wednesday against Brooklyn and 24 Friday against Chicago. He's connected on nine of 15 three-point attempts in that stretch and is shooting 39.0 percent from deep this season. Korkmaz's 1.7 made three-pointers per game have him tied for the team lead with Tobias Harris and Josh Richardson, but Korkmaz requires by far the smallest financial commitment of the three ahead of a matchup with a Knicks team that allows 13.7 makes from deep per game — second-most in the league.
