Welcome to a Friday eight-game NBA DFS slate. As the season winds down, along with my seasonal DFS coverage for the NBA, I wanted to thank everyone who read these articles. I hope you gained some information from them and used at least one piece of advice from me to do well in your respective tournaments. But enough of that, let’s get to the value of today’s slate. 

Early on, I am a fan of the value of the Rockets and Raptors, and I expect there to be a ton of scoring in the Pelicans Warriors game. As always, make sure to follow the news because with some teams eliminated from playoff contention, things might start to get weird. 

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Most Value Per Dollar

Below is a list of the top players of the day expected to generate the most value relative to their salary. 

Gary Trent Jr. (SG – TOR) $4,900
In his three games back from injury, Trent has been playing major minutes and returning solid fantasy numbers. The Raptors guard has been a 0.84 FPPM guy across his last ten games played, and I see him in line for 35+ minutes tonight. Dallas might not be the most exciting team to face fantasy-wise, but I could still easily see Trent returning the highest value of the slate, making him a solid GPP or cash option. 

D.J. Augustin (PG – HOU) $3,800
I wrote about Augustin in the last article, and here he is again. In his first game back from injury, Augustin tallied 24 FanDuel points across 28 minutes of play. I could easily see Augustin record similar production tonight as the Rockets are still the walking wounded. The Rockets guard has a chance to return the best value on the slate and should be in your GPP and cash lineups,  

Cameron Oliver (PF – HOU) $3,500
Due to the plethora of injuries the Rockets face, Oliver has seen plenty of minutes on the court in his two games as a Rocket. Oliver should be used in GPP lineups only because he doesn’t exactly have a floor, and the Clippers boast one of the more slower-paced and enhanced defenses in the league. With that being said, $3,500 is a beautiful price that will allow plenty of options elsewhere to fill your lineup. 

Freddie Gillespie (PF – TOR) $3,800
Make sure to monitor injury news, but if Yuta Watanabe is out with his injury, Gillespie is in an absolute smash spot. Even if Watanabe is in, I still like Gillespie. Not only has the Baylor product seen a boost in playing time, but usage as well. Against the Clippers, Gillespie tallied 31 FanDuel points across 25 minutes of play. Due to his price being so low, he is not as risky, so feel free to play him in GPP or cash lineups.  

Jae’Sean Tate (PF – HOU) $5,500
For another player who I discussed in a previous article, we have Jae’Sean Tate. Due to all the injuries still impacting the Rockets, Tate will be another solid choice at the power forward position. While his ceiling isn’t the highest, I prefer him in GPP lineups because he shouldn’t be highly owned and offers nice leverage. 

Saben Lee (PG – DET) $4,100
With Dennis Smith Jr. out for the season and roughly half the rest of the team hurt, Lee is in a good spot tonight for some fantasy production. I expect him to play around 25 minutes and tally 26 FanDuel points. I expect Lee to have a ceiling of 40 fantasy points, so he should be good for GPP and cash lineups. 

Jarrett Allen (C – CLE) $6,200
There isn’t much value offered tonight from the center position, but if I’m choosing who will return the most value here, it’s Allen. Washington offers an absolute dream matchup all around, as they not only struggle to cover center’s but the increased pace of play will give Allen extra looks as well. Allen has seen a slight uptick in minutes, so he makes a solid cash and GPP choice.  

Gabriel Deck (SF – OKC) $4,000
If you’ve never heard of Gabriel Deck, then don’t worry. I hadn’t either until recently. Small forward is a notoriously difficult spot to fill, so if you’re looking for a GPP punt, Deck is your guy. His production has been quite consistent, but he is facing off against a tough Utah team, so I still see Deck as a GPP only play.  

Kent Bazemore (SF – GS) $4,900
Considering the elevated pace of play we should see in the Warriors Pelicans game, Bazemore has a solid chance to return the best small forward value in the entire slate. He has been consistently playing 30+ minutes, and with Golden State fighting for last-second seeding, I expect the Warriors to lean more so on their starters. 

Check out our NBA Prop Bet Cheat Sheet for the top bets of the day

Studs Worth Their Salary

• Steph Curry (GS) $10,100: As I recently stated, Golden State should lean more on their starters tonight, which obviously includes Steph Curry. The Warriors guard is questionable for tonight, and with the game being after lock, you’ll have to utilize late swap if Curry is ruled out.   
• Nikola Jokic (DEN): $10,600: Again, don’t think about it too much. If Jokic plays, include him in your lineup. 
• Kawhi Leonard (LAC): $8,000: I would be shocked if Kawhi is not the highest-scoring small forward tonight, but with his price as it is, that means he will be extremely high-owned. It will be fine to fade him in GPP’s, but I imagine him to be a cash game lock.   

Notable Players to Fade

• Russell Westbrook (WAS) $12,500: Don’t bend over backward trying to include Westbrook in your lineups tonight. He obviously is a phenomenal player, but the opportunity cost is simply too high, considering how ridiculously expensive he is.       
• Kenyon Martin (HOU) $7,500: I don’t know if I exactly need to tell you not to play Martin tomorrow, but his price has become way too inflated with the recent injuries to his team. Now, don’t expect him to come close to reaching 5X in tonight’s matchup.   

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Beyond our daily fantasy basketball content, be sure to check out our Daily Fantasy Basketball Tools. From our Lineup Optimizer – which allows you to build winning DFS lineups in seconds for Cash and GPP contests – to our DFS Cheat Sheets – that helps you get a quick read on the day’s players – we’ve got you covered this fantasy basketball season.

Ryan Coleman is a featured writer at FantasyPros. For more from Ryan, check out his archive and follow him @ryancoleman_98.