This article is part of our FanDuel NBA series.
Friday's NBA slate features 10 games and begins at 7:00 PM Eastern time. While there's no shortage of selection, certain players stand out from the pack as this slate's top value plays. 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
Jamal Murray, DEN vs. PHO ($6,900): Murray still needs to work on his game-to-game consistency, but he's a nice value at $6,900 on his good days. The tough Jazz defense limited Murray to nine points Wednesday after he averaged 24.0 PPG over the previous four contests, but he has a great opportunity to bounce back here and eclipse the 20-point mark for the fifth time in six games. In addition to ranking among the league's six worst teams defensively, the visiting Suns will be playing their second game in as many nights.
Dennis Smith, DAL vs. DET ($5,900): Despite swirling trade rumors, Smith didn't miss a beat in his return Tuesday after missing three games with a back injury and three more with an illness. He saw the floor for 37 minutes and chipped in 31.6 fantasy points to propel his team to a win over the Clippers. Smith's price will undoubtedly climb if he's able to replicate that effort, making this home matchup against an 8-15 Pistons team on the road a promising buy-low opportunity.
SHOOTING GUARD
Donovan Mitchell, UTA vs. MIN ($8,500): Mitchell's sophomore season got off to a suboptimal start, but he's turned the corner recently with 31.4 PPG, 4.5 RPG, 5.6 APG, 1.5 steals and 0.8 blocks per game over the past eight. Don't expect the focal point of Utah's offense to slow down in this home meeting with a Timberwolves team that's playing on its second straight night.
D'Angelo Russell, BKN vs. NY ($8,800): Russell remains red-hot for the surging Nets, having topped 50.0 fantasy points in four of his past five games. This intrastate rivalry game provides him with a great opportunity to keep rolling, as he'll take on a Knicks team that's surrendering 115.7 points per game and just allowed James Harden to score 61 points at Madison Square Garden.
SMALL FORWARD
Will Barton, DEN vs. PHO ($5,100): Barton's another Nugget primed for a strong performance against the lowly Suns. All traces of his playing time restrictions were gone Wednesday in Utah, as Barton recorded season highs with 22 points, nine rebounds and five assists over 30 minutes – easily eclipsing the 19 minutes he had averaged in his first four games back from hip surgery. The explosive scorer is currently available at a bargain, so grab him before Barton's valuation accounts for his return to full health.
Tobias Harris, LAC at CHI ($7,900): Harris has ramped things up as a distributor with fellow Clippers forward Danilo Gallinari sidelined by a back injury, averaging 6.3 APG to go with 22.3 PPG and 7.7 RPG over 39 minutes per contest in three games sans the Italian scorer. With Gallinari listed as doubtful for this one, Harris should once again benefit from having the ball in his hands more. And a Bulls team that's lost 11 of its last 12 games is unlikely to put up much resistance against Harris.
POWER FORWARD
Lauri Markkanen, CHI vs. LAC ($7,200): The reeling Bulls appear primed to add another prominent piece in the draft at season's end, and such a move is necessary given Markkanen's inability to lead the team to wins despite his recent personal success. After a 10-game span in which he eclipsed 20 points just once, the Finnish big man has done so in three of his past four games and has added 8.3 RPG over this most recent stretch for good measure. While his Bulls are unlikely to come out on top in this one, Markkanen should deliver another noteworthy performance for fantasy owners against a Clippers club that's surrendering 113.7 points per game.
Jaren Jackson, MEM vs. SAC ($6,000): The Grizzlies are listening to trade offers on veterans Marc Gasol and Mike Conley, suggesting they're ready to build around Jackson, whom they selected fourth overall in the 2018 draft. While Jackson has been a bit too inconsistent for fantasy owners' liking, he's primed for an upswing here. Not only is he likely to start getting featured more prominently in the offense moving forward, but Jackson also benefits from a favorable matchup against a Kings team that's surrendering the fourth-highest points per game at 115.3 and the most rebounds per game at 57.1.
CENTER
Nikola Vucevic, ORL vs. WAS ($10,200): Vucevic is averaging a robust 20.5 PPG and 12.0 RPG, and he's set to eclipse those averages in this favorable matchup against a Wizards team that's playing the second leg of a back-to-back. Washington has been generous to opponents all season, surrendering the second-most points per game and second-most rebounds per game. Look for Vucevic to also chip in on the defensive end, as he's contributing 1.0 steal and 1.2 blocks per game this season.
