This article is part of our FanDuel NBA series.
Friday's NBA slate features eight games and begins at 7:00 PM Eastern time. There are a number of affordable yet effective players to be found here, and using them can clear up the cap room necessary to draft some of the expensive stars listed below. FanDuel's format only counts the eight highest scores in your nine-player lineup, so keep that in mind when making your selections.
POINT GUARD
Russell Westbrook, OKC at WAS ($11,700): We all know Westbrook is capable of carrying fantasy teams on his better days – a 30-point triple-double is never out of the question for this guy. One of those better days is likely to come against a league-worst Wizards defense that's allowing an astronomical 122.4 points per game.
Elie Okobo, PHO vs. TOR ($4,100): Okobo's made the most of his opportunity with Devin Booker sidelined by a hamstring strain, and he's likely to keep earning significant minutes even if Booker returns since fellow guard Isaiah Canaan is now battling a sprained ankle. After scoring 12 points in 18 minutes last Sunday, the 21-year-old Frenchman has averaged 30 minutes in two games since, contributing 13.0 PPG, 4.5 RPG and 6.0 APG. At just $4,100, it's worth finding out if Okobo can keep rolling.
SHOOTING GUARD
Zach LaVine, CHI vs. IND ($8,300): LaVine's been a scoring machine so far, topping 20 points in every game and reaching 30 in four of eight en route to 28.1 PPG. Of course, he gives back almost as many points if not more with turnstile defense on the other end, but fantasy owners needn't worry about that. Knicks shooting guard Tim Hardaway just torched the Pacers for 37 points Wednesday so LaVine could potentially push for 40, especially since Indiana's Victor Oladipo is operating at less than 100 percent while playing through bronchitis.
Joe Harris, BKN vs. HOU ($4,500): Harris is averaging over 30 minutes per night for the Nets, and he's making the most of that playing time with career highs in PPG (13.4), RPG (4.1) and APG (2.4). Even coming off a season-best, 23-point performance, he remains affordable despite his extensive role. Harris should continue to deliver excellent bang for the buck as long as his price remains low.
SMALL FORWARD
Jeff Green, WAS vs. OKC ($4,200): Green played 29 minutes Tuesday with Markieff Morris sidelined by a concussion, and the veteran forward should continue to see an expanded role as long as Morris remains out. Morris or no Morris, Green has been productive by scoring double digits in five of seven games while adding 5.3 RPG. He's a low-risk, high-reward choice, especially with the possibility of dropping his score if he underperforms.
Andrew Wiggins, MIN at GS ($6,500): Wiggins' price is still depressed by his three-game absence due to a quad injury, but he's clearly healthy again considering he played 38 minutes in his return Wednesday. Given coach Tom Thibodeau's overreliance on his starters, Wiggins should see a massive minutes load. Considering the first overall pick in the 2014 Draft sports career averages of 19.7 PPG, 4.1 RPG and 2.1 APG, his extensive playing time is likely to lead to positive results.
POWER FORWARD
Noah Vonleh, NY at DAL ($5,700): Vonleh has brought some much-needed energy and athleticism to the young Knicks, and his value hasn't been lost on coach David Fizdale. The springy big man's three highest minutes totals of the season have come in the past three games, climbing from 22 minutes to 28 to 32. Vonleh's racked up five steals and five blocks over those last three games and he's averaging a double-double in the past two, so outplaying his $5,700 valuation should be a piece of cake given his recent usage.
Wendell Carter, CHI vs. IND ($7,200): Carter continues to get more and more comfortable at the NBA level, with the past three games qualifying as the best of his young career. He's put up 31.5, 35.4 and 59.1 fantasy points in those three games, and should continue to get all the work he can handle while Bobby Portis recovers from a sprained MCL. Carter's price should only keep rising as he puts up more performances like the last three, so this might be as cheap as you can get him for the rest of the season.
CENTER
Nikola Vucevic, ORL vs. LAC ($8,900): Vucevic is probably only the third-best Nikola in the NBA (behind Jokic and Mirotic), but he's still a fantastic player in his own right. While it's been easy to miss with Orlando's recent struggles, Vucevic has been steadily expanding his game. He's averaged as many as 19.3 PPG in the past, so there's nothing unsustainable about his current mark of 18.6. Likewise, his current 10.9 RPG mark is tied for just the third highest of Vucevic's career. Where he's made the largest strides is passing, as his APG numbers since 2014 are as follows: 2.0, 2.8, 2.8, 3.4, 4.3. Four assists per game certainly seems sustainable given Vucevic's improvement over the years. Add in the fact he's averaging at least 1.0 in both blocks and steals for the third consecutive season, and the Montenegrin center starts to look extremely appealing against a Clippers team that's playing its second game in as many nights while still struggling to fill a DeAndre Jordan-sized void at center.
