This article is part of our DraftKings NBA series.
The rest of the world may be tuned in to college basketball, but the upcoming weekend should be a good one for NBA DFS.
Even though Saturday's slate only contains five games, there should be plenty of discount options, with the Hawks and possibly Warriors expected to rest some starters in the second games of back-to-back sets.
Jeff Teague (ankle) probably won't be rushed back from a minor injury for Saturday's game in Charlotte, while Kyle Korver, DeMarre Carroll, Paul Millsap and Al Horford are all candidates to be rested. Dennis Schroder ($4600) is an obvious choice any time Teague sits, and Kent Bazemore ($4300) usually gets at least 30 minutes when either Korver or Carroll doesn't play.
Things are a bit less clear in the frontcourt, as Mike Scott (toe) is still unavailable and Pero Antic (neck) missed Friday's win over the Heat. After logging 22 minutes Friday night, Mike Muscala ($3000) looks like the Atlanta big man to target, even though he's averaging just 8.9 minutes per game this season.
Meanwhile, early reports indicate the Warriors will only rest Draymond Green and Andre Iguodala for Saturday's game against the Bucks. I don't see any reason that Steph Curry and Klay Thompson should be playing, but it sounds like the Splash Bros. will both suit up. Despite Friday's incredible performance against Memphis, I'll be avoiding Curry, Thompson and Andrew Bogut, as all three may play limited minutes.
David Lee ($3500) is arguably Saturday's top play in Green's absence, while Iguodala's minutes figure to be spread around to multiple players. I can't recommend Harrison Barnes ($4600) at his current price, but Leandro Barbosa ($3600), Shaun Livingston ($4000) and Marreese Speights ($3200) are decent options for GPPs.
Utah's Derrick Favors (back) is the key injured player to keep an eye on for Saturday, with Trevor Booker ($3200) looking like an excellent option against the Thunder in the event Favors is unable to play. Gordon Hayward ($7600) and Rudy Gobert ($8100) would also get small boosts, and it's hard not to like Hayward in a matchup with the fast-paced, defense-averse Thunder.
Looking to Sunday, there are a ridiculous number of favorably priced point guards, with Rajon Rondo ($5500), Devin Harris ($3200), Goran Dragic ($6800), Mario Chalmers ($4100) and Jarrett Jack ($4600) possibly joining the long list because of teammates' injuries.
While the other positions aren't nearly as loaded, we do get a late night Phoenix-OKC game in which both teams should cruise past 100 points. Pretty much every key rotation guy is in play, but my favorite targets are Enes Kanter ($7500), Eric Bledsoe ($8200) and Markieff Morris ($6400).
Houston's Josh Smith ($6500) is arguably Sunday's top overall play, as a tough matchup with the Wizards is negated by the expectation he'll play at least 35 minutes in the absence of Donatas Motiejunas (back).
The key injury situations to keep an eye on for Sunday are Deron Williams (illness), Monta Ellis (calf) and Greg Monroe (knee), along with about half of the Miami and Minnesota rosters.
Anyway, here are some of the top choices for the upcoming weekend (Sat.-Sun.) on DraftKings:
Point Guard
Dennis Schroder, ATL (Sat. at CHA) $4600 – Schroder averages one DraftKings point per minute, and he'll likely get minutes in the high-20s or low-30s Saturday night. He put up 34.75 DK points in 32 minutes during Friday's win over the Heat, doing his usual bang-up job of filling in for Jeff Teague (ankle). The Hornets are unsurprisingly more vulnerable to point guards than at other positions thanks to the scoring-minded duo of Kemba Walker and Mo Williams. This all adds up to your easiest decision of the weekend, with Schroder an elite play in both cash games and tournaments.
Reggie Jackson, DET (Sun. at MIA), $8300 – Jackson has been a fantasy behemoth since Greg Monroe suffered a knee injury, putting up more than 42 DraftKings points in each of the last six games. While Miami has been a tough matchup for opposing point guards this season, the poor numbers are largely a result of the team's slow tempo. Now that the Heat play at a pace closer to league average, they can comfortably be targeted most nights.
Other options:Damian Lillard, POR (Sat. vs. DEN), $7800; Aaron Brooks, CHI (Sat. vs. NY), $5800; Langston Galloway, CHI (Sat. at CHI) $5100; Shelvin Mack, ATL (Fri. at CHA) $3000
John Wall, WAS (Sun. vs. HOU), $8600; George Hill, IND (Sun. vs. DAL), $7300; Zach LaVine, MIN (Sun. at NO), $5600; Jordan Clarkson, LAL (Sun. at BKN), $5500; Jeremy Lin, LAL (Sun. at BKN), $5500
Shooting Guard
Kyle Korver/Kent Bazemore, ATL (Sat. at CHA), $4300/$4000 – I'm not a big fan of Saturday's shooting guard options, but one of these two should get the job done. Both are rosterable if DeMarre Carroll rests, while Bazemore becomes the play if Korver is rested. Bazemore has already started eight games this season, averaging 9.4 points, 4.6 rebounds, 1.8 assists, 1.3 steals and 0.9 blocks over 31.6 minutes per game.
Eric Bledsoe, PHO (Sun. vs. OKC), $8200 – Regardless of whether Brandon Knight (ankle) returns, Bledsoe should be in for a big game in Sunday's likely shootout. OKC ranks near the top of the league in pace since losing Kevin Durant (foot), and the Thunder guards are either defensively incompetent or too busy putting up triple-doubles to bother with such trifling matters. I like all of the big-ticket players from this game, though Russell Westbrook's $12,900 price tag is a bit tough to stomach on a day with so many fantastic cheap options at point guard.
Other options:Jimmy Butler, CHI (Sat. vs. NY), $8000
Jason Terry, HOU (Fri. at WAS), $3800 Henry Walker, MIA (Sun. vs. DET), $3800; Courtney Lee, MEM (Sun. at SA), $3200
Small Forward
Gordon Hayward, UTA (Sat. vs. OKC), $7600 – Hayward returned from a minor shoulder injury Friday, putting up 40.75 DK points in 32 minutes during a loss to the Nuggets. He now gets to face another fast-paced, defensively challenged team, and he may get some extra shots if Derrick Favors (back) is unable to play. This is another easy decision for me, as I don't like any of the other options at small forward.
Josh Smith, HOU (Sun. at WAS), $6500 – Sticking with the theme of easy decisions, Smith is an oasis in the desert of small forwards. He'll actually be getting all of his minutes at power forward, filling in for Donatas Motiejunas (ankle). Following Friday's triple-double in 39 minutes against the Timberwolves, Smith will rightfully be the most-owned small forward in pretty much every Sunday contest. I'll look elsewhere for contrarian plays, as I don't like any of the other options at this position.
Other options:Joe Ingles, UTA (Sat. vs. OKC), $3200
Power Forward
LaMarcus Aldridge, POR (Sat. vs. DEN), $8700 – Trevor Booker ($3200) will be hard to pass up if Derrick Favors (back) can't play, but I'm quickly realizing that I'll need to roster some expensive players to complement all of the sub-$5000 guys. Aldridge is my favorite top-shelf option thanks to his depressed price and favorable matchup. I'm not overly concerned about the lingering hand issue, as Aldridge put up 43.8 DK points in 35 minutes during Friday's win over the Suns, scoring 27 real-life points on 13-of-26 shooting. As always, you can't go wrong with targeting power forwards and centers against the Nuggets.
Markieff Morris, OKC (Sun. vs. OKC), $6400 – I think you get the idea. Suns+Thunder=points. Also, Morris played at least 37 minutes in each of the last three games. Don't be shy about using both Morris and Eric Bledsoe, even though they're the two leading scorers for the same team.
Other options:Pau Gasol, CHI (Sat. vs. NY), $8400; Marvin Williams, CHA (Sat. vs. ATL), $4200; Trevor Booker, UTA (Sat. vs. OKC), $3200
Nene Hilario, WAS (Sun. vs. HOU), $4300; Udonis Haslem, MIA (Sun. vs. DET), $3500
Center
Al Jefferson, CHA (Sat. at ATL), $6700 – Jefferson draws a tough matchup for the second night in a row, after putting up 31 and 10 in 40 minutes during an overtime loss to the Wizards. I like Big Al at this price in pretty much any matchup, as he's averaging 34.7 DK points in 31.2 minutes per game this season. Given that he'll likely get minutes in the mid-30s if Saturday's game stays reasonably close, Jefferson doesn't even need his typical per-minute production to provide a nice return on $6700.
DeAndre Jordan, LAC (Sun. at BOS), $8400 – This is a perfect spot to target Jordan, with the Clippers projected to play a reasonably close game against a fast-paced team that struggles in the paint. I'm still a bit worried about a blowout, but Jordan's upside is undeniable following four consecutive games with more than 41 DK points.
Other options:Rudy Gobert, UTA (Sat. vs. OKC), $8100; Enes Kanter, OKC (Sat. at UTA, Sun. at PHO), $7500
Brook Lopez, BKN (Sun. vs. LAL), $7500; Tyson Chandler, DAL (Sun. at IND), $5300
