This article is part of our FanDuel NBA series.
The NBA rolls out a seven-game slate Saturday night that features elites like James Harden, Kevin Durant, Anthony Davis and Giannis Antetokounmpo. With 14 teams in action, there's enough value available as well to help you accommodate up to two of the five-figure studs, considering you can potentially roster a minimum-priced player with FanDuel dropping the lowest score in each lineup. Without further ado, let's look at multiple options at each position:
POINT GUARD
Quinn Cook, GS vs. SAC ($5,500): Cook exceeded 20 fantasy points for the fourth consecutive game against the Trail Blazers on Friday and walks into another inviting matchup Saturday. The Kings have allowed the sixth-most fantasy points (48.3) to point guards, numbers that partly are the result of them yielding the fifth-most rebounds (6.5), second-most assists (9.1) and seventh-most made threes (2.8) to ones. Cook has remained involved despite sharing the floor with ultra-high-usage options Kevin Durant and Klay Thompson, as he's now taken 10 to 18 shot attempts in four of his last six games. He's mostly been making good use of tries as well, as he's posting a career-high 50.7 percent success rate from the field, including an impressive 48.4 percent mark from three-point range.
J.J. Barea, DAL vs. BOS ($4,300): Barea continues to spearhead the Mavs' second unit on most nights, serving as a valuable source of scoring and assists in particular. The veteran guard is averaging 21.7 fantasy points per contest and has scored 24.5 to 33.1 fantasy points in four of his last five games. Barea has mostly been aggressive when on the floor as well, putting up double-digit shot attempts in three of his last five overall. The Celtics have been tough on point guards overall, but they do come into Saturday allowing the sixth-most rebounds (6.4) to the position and 2.5 made threes per game, with the latter figure ranking them in the bottom half of the NBA as well. Considering he sports a price just a few hundred above minimum and likely minutes load in the mid-20s at minimum, he shapes up as one of the better potential fantasy-point-per-dollar plays at point guard on the slate.
SHOOTING GUARD
Buddy Hield, SAC at GS ($6,000): Hield's price has actually come down recently despite the fact he's averaging 30.3 fantasy points per game and has eclipsed the 30-mark in three of his past four games. The third-year wing continues to boast career highs across multiple categories and sports a 24.2 percent usage rate that paces the Kings' starters. He'll be locked in a fast-paced matchup Saturday against a Warriors squad that's been only about middle of the pack overall against small forwards, and that are ranked in the bottom five of the league in several categories. Golden State is allowing 41.8 fantasy points per game to threes, along with the fourth-most points (22.7) and second-most threes (3.2). Those numbers could spell trouble against Hield, whose career-best 18.7 points per contest have been partly achieved on the strength of 44.1 percent shooting on an average of 5.7 three-point attempts per game.
Malcolm Brogdon, MIL vs. SA ($5,100): Brogdon is another player whose Saturday price is worthy of a double take, considering he's scored 22.3 to 38.7 fantasy points in seven of his last eight games, a stretch that includes four games over the 30-mark. The third-year guard is also generating career-best numbers across several major categories, including points (14.4), overall shooting percentage (51.0) and three-point shooting percentage (44.3). The Spurs come into Saturday's game allowing 40.8 fantasy points per game to shooting guards, along with the most assists (5.5) and fifth-most steals (1.8) per contest to the position. Considering he's regularly provided 6x-7x return on his current price recently, Brogdon shapes up as a player that could be pivotal to profitable GPP lineups Saturday.
SMALL FORWARD
Jabari Parker, CHI at MIN ($6,800): Parker has settled in nicely at power forward in place of Lauri Markkanen (elbow). After posting 50.6 and 39.5 fantasy points in his last two games versus the Suns and Heat, respectively, Parker is now averaging 28.1 fantasy points per contest and hasn't dipped below 20 fantasy points since Nov. 3. He'll be primed for another potentially explosive return Saturday, as the Timberwolves come in allowing 49.9 FanDuel points per game to fours, along with bottom-10 figures in rebounds (13.0), assists (3.9) and blocks (1.7). Parker sports a solid 24.6 percent usage rate and could exploit the fact Minnesota scores 51.0 points in the paint per game at home, considering 54.5 percent of his scoring emanates from that area of the floor.
Cedi Osman, CLE vs. HOU ($5,200): Osman has reached the 20-point mark over the last two games and is averaging a solid 22.5 fantasy points per game overall. He's logging heavy minutes as well in Cleveland's rebuilding effort, putting in over 40 in each of the last pair of contests and averaging 31.7 over his 15 games. While his shooting remains a work in progress, Osman is remaining involved to the tune of 11 shot attempts per contest and has encouragingly taken 13 and 14 in his two games, respectively. His matchup Saturday isn't the easiest considering the Rockets rank in the top half of the league in fantasy points allowed to small forwards (38.1 per game), but Houston is allowing a favorable 45.1 percent success rate from the floor to threes. Osman is capable of filling out the stat sheet and sports a reasonable enough price so as to make a 5x return realistic.
POWER FORWARD
Paul Millsap, DEN at OKC ($6,300): Except for a couple of clunkers, Millsap has once again looked like one of the steadiest veteran power forward options this season, averaging 29.9 fantasy points per game and generating a solid 21.0 percent usage rate. The big man has flashed his upside over the last seven games as well, scoring over 40 fantasy points twice and a season-high 53.3 in another contest during that span. As usual, Millsap is getting it done with a well-balanced combination of scoring, rebounds, assists and defensive stats, and he'll face a Thunder squad that's given up a fair amount of production across the stat sheet to fours. OKC allows 45.8 fantasy points per game to power forwards, along with 22.1 points, 11.8 rebounds, 2.8 assists, 1.7 made threes, 1.4 steals and 1.4 blocks. They're also yielding an elevated 48.6 percent success rate from the floor to fours. In turn, Millsap sports his best shooting percentage (48.9) since the 2012-13 season, and his best mark from three-point range (37.2 percent) since the 2010-11 campaign.
Taj Gibson, MIN vs. CHI ($4,300): Speaking of reliable veteran power forwards, Gibson certainly qualifies, and he comes in at an especially appealing price Saturday. The big man is holding off Dario Saric for the starting job at the four thus far and is coming off a 42.7 fantasy-point haul against the Nets on Friday afternoon that pushed his season average to 26.1 fantasy points per contest. He'll be in another favorable spot for strong production against his old Bulls squad Saturday, considering Chicago comes in allowing the third-most fantasy points (52.1) per game to power forwards, along with the second-most assists (4.6) and most blocks (2.6) per contest. What's more, the Bulls are allowing the third-most points in the paint per game (57.3) over the last three, while Gibson is scoring 66.7 percent of his points in that area of the floor.
CENTER
Tristan Thompson, CLE vs. HOU ($5,700): Thompson continues to be one of the rebuilding Cavs' most consistent pieces, and he'll come into Saturday's game having scored 21.9 to 44.2 fantasy points in his last 11 games. That stretch impressively includes a trio of tallies over 30 and another three over 40, excellent upside for his current price. Thompson has six double-doubles over that span, and the Rockets come in allowing the second-most fantasy points per game (58.7) to centers, along with the second most blocks (3.2) per contest. They're also ranked in the bottom half of the NBA in points (24.2) and rebounds (15.6) per game allowed to fives. Additionally, Houston is allowing the sixth-most points in the paint per game (49.8) -- including the fourth most (56.0) over the last three – while Thompson has scored a career-high 84.8 percent (9.2 points per game) of his points in the paint thus far this season.
