Friday's five-game DraftKings slate offers a great deal of value options to pair with elite stars. However, monitoring the latest fantasy basketball news and today's NBA starting lineups will be crucial, as multiple big names appear on the injury report. In this article, I'll break down the slate's top targets, including elite plays, mid-range options and value picks, to help you build winning lineups.
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DraftKings Main Slate NBA Games Today
NY at BKN: Knicks on four-game winning streak, 19-16 on road; Nets on five-game slide, 9-25 at home
GS at DET: Warriors 14-21 on road; Pistons 25-8 at home
ATL at HOU: Hawks on 11-game winning streak, 19-15 on road; Rockets 23-10 at home
BOS at MEM: Celtics on three-game winning streak, 22-13 on road; Grizzlies 12-20 at home
POR at MIN: Trail Blazers 16-20 on road; Timberwolves 24-12 at home
For the latest spreads and over/unders, visit RotoWire's NBA Odds page. There you can also find player props, futures, picks, articles and sportsbook bonus codes.
NBA Injury Report Today
For all the latest updates, visit RotoWire's NBA Injury News page and our comprehensive NBA Injury Report.
NY - Karl-Anthony Towns (personal): Questionable; Josh Hart (knee), Miles McBride (pelvis): OUT
BKN - Michael Porter (hamstring), Noah Clowney (wrist), Terance Mann (illness): OUT
GS - LJ Cryer (hamstring): Probable; Stephen Curry (knee), Moses Moody (wrist), Al Horford (calf), Quinten Post (foot), Seth Curry (adductor): OUT
DET - Jalen Duren (ankle), Kevin Huerter (shoulder): Questionable; Cade Cunningham (chest), Isaiah Stewart (calf), Marcus Sasser (hip): OUT
ATL - Jonathan Kuminga (knee): OUT
HOU - Jae'Sean Tate (knee): OUT
BOS - Nikola Vucevic (finger): OUT
MEM - GG Jackson (knee), Taj Gibson (foot): Doubtful; Ja Morant (elbow), Jahmai Mashack (ankle), Brandon Clarke (calf): OUT
POR - Vit Krejci (calf): Questionable; Shaedon Sharpe (calf): OUT
MIN - Naz Reid (ankle): Questionable; Anthony Edwards (knee): OUT
Elite NBA DFS Players
Guards
Jalen Brunson, Knicks 
($9,500) at Nets
Brunson sat out Tuesday's win over Indiana due to right ankle injury management and a cervical strain, though he's set to return Thursday and draws a favorable matchup against the banged-up Nets. The star point guard has recorded at least 40.0 DK points in all but one of his last 10 appearances, during which he has averaged 24.1 points, 9.1 assists, 3.9 rebounds and 1.0 steals per contest.
Amen Thompson, Rockets 
($8,100) vs. Hawks
Thompson has racked up three consecutive double-doubles and has been very efficient of late. The third-year guard has posted between 36.8 and 52.5 DK points in nine of his last 10 outings, averaging 21.6 points, 9.0 rebounds, 5.3 assists and 1.4 steals across 38.1 minutes per tilt during that span.
Forwards/Centers
Karl-Anthony Towns, Knicks ($9,200) at Nets
Towns was a late addition to the injury report Friday due to personal reasons, so it'll be important to monitor his status ahead of tipoff at 7:30 p.m. ET. Mitchell Robinson ($4,300) is a strong value play, especially if Towns is ruled out. The star big man has tallied 39.0-plus DK points in eight straight games, logging a double-double in seven of them.
Jaylen Brown, Celtics 
($9,000) at Grizzlies
Brown finished with 35.5 DK points in just 25 minutes during a blowout win over the Grizzlies on Nov. 12, though it's worth noting that game was also the second leg of a back-to-back set. The star wing has supplied 44.8 or more DK points in 11 of his 13 outings since the All-Star break and at least 49.0 in three of his last four, averaging 30.8 points, 5.8 rebounds, 5.3 assists and 2.0 combined steals-plus-blocks per showing over the latter stretch.
Julius Randle, Timberwolves 
($8,200) vs. Trail Blazers
Randle has notched between 41.8 and 52.8 DK points in three straight games and will likely continue to be heavily involved in the offense due to Anthony Edwards (knee) being sidelined. Randle has been extremely efficient in that three-game period, during which he has averaged 28.3 points, 5.3 assists, 5.0 rebounds and 2.3 steals to go along with 62/60/82 shooting splits over 31.7 minutes per tilt.
Expected NBA DFS Chalk
Jalen Johnson, Hawks 
($10,600) at Rockets
Johnson has registered between 42.8 and 67.8 DK points in seven straight outings, averaging 23.9 points, 9.6 rebounds, 9.6 assists and 1.4 steals per game over that span. While the star forward will likely continue to deliver elite numbers, his lucrative salary will limit your spending power.
Mid-Range NBA DFS Picks
Neemias Queta, Celtics ($5,900) at Grizzlies
Queta enters a favorable matchup against an injury-riddled Memphis frontcourt and has generated 21.3 to 47.5 DK points in four consecutive contests. The big man had 30.0 DK points in Boston's first game against the Grizzlies this season when they still had Jaren Jackson (knee) and Jock Landale on the team, and Queta played only 20 minutes in that one.
Daniss Jenkins, Pistons 
($5,500) vs. Warriors
With Cade Cunningham (chest) sidelined in Thursday's win over the Wizards, Jenkins shot just 3-for-16 from the field but still ended with 22.0 DK points. He has logged at least 22.0 DK points in four of his last five games and is expected to play a sizable role Friday in Cunningham's continued absence. As a starter this season (nine games), he has averaged 14.1 points, 6.8 assists, 2.8 rebounds and 1.1 steals in 31.7 minutes per contest.
NBA DFS Value Picks
Taylor Hendricks, Grizzlies 
($5,000) vs. Celtics
The Grizzlies are expected to be extremely shorthanded in the frontcourt Friday, opening the door for Hendricks to see increased minutes and potentially step into the starting five. He has posted 19.3-plus DK points in six straight outings and at least 24.3 in four of them, averaging 13.2 points, 4.8 rebounds, 3.9 combined steals-plus-blocks and 1.2 assists across 25.0 minutes per showing in that six-game stretch.
Bones Hyland, Timberwolves ($4,700) vs. Trail Blazers
With Edwards out, Hyland has produced 34.5 and 24.8 DK points in the last two games, logging 29 and 25 minutes, respectively. The VCU product has averaged 20.0 points per game while shooting 46.7 percent from deep in that two-game span, and he should continue to see an increased workload for as long as Edwards is sidelined.
Chaney Johnson, Nets 
($4,300) vs. Knicks
The two-way player has recorded at least 24 minutes in three consecutive contests and is likely to continue seeing significant playing time with Noah Clowney (wrist) joining Michael Porter (hamstring) on the sidelines. Johnson has finished with 26.3 or more DK points in all three of those outings, during which he has averaged 11.7 points, 8.7 rebounds, 1.7 assists and 1.3 steals across 25.3 minutes per game.
