How wild was that trade deadline week? It was capped off by some crazy moves yesterday, and it’s definitely shaken the DFS player pool. That means numerous players are on the move as we speak, and it’s going to leave a ton of value on the board.
This week has been spread out in terms of game count. That’s amazing for us DFS players, leaving us with seven games for this Friday card. That’s a small amount for a Friday slate, but it’s the perfect amount for DFS purposes! There’s a lot to discuss, though, so let’s kick things off with the schedule and odds!
View the best player prop bets for tonight’s slate with our NBA Prop Bet Cheat Sheet
Schedule and Odds
- CHA at DET (CHA -6.5) O/U: 224.5
- CLE at IND (CLE -6.5) O/U: 215
- OKC at PHI (PHI -12) O/U: 209
- SAS at ATL (ATL -8) O/U: 232.5
- DEN at BOS (BOS -5) O/U: 217
- MIN at CHI (CHI -4) O/U: 241
- ORL at UTA (UTA -12.5) O/U: 220
Check out our consensus game odds as well as the odds from each sportsbook at BettingPros
Injury Report
- Gordon Hayward (ankle) OUT
- Cade Cunningham (hip) Questionable
- Collin Sexton (knee) OUT
- Lauri Markkanen (ankle) OUT
- Malcolm Brogdon (Achilles) Questionable
- Myles Turner (foot) OUT
- Shai Gilgeous-Alexander (ankle) OUT
- James Harden (trade) Questionable
- Derrick White (trade) Questionable
- Michael Porter Jr (back) OUT
- Jamal Murray (knee) OUT
- Lonzo Ball (knee) OUT
- Alex Caruso (hand) OUT
- Ayo Dosumnu (concussion) Questionable
- Jalen Suggs (Achilles) Questionable
- Rudy Gobert (calf) OUT
Core Plays
Joel Embiid (C – PHI): $11,900 DraftKings, $11,000 FanDuel
Joel looks like the frontrunner for MVP, and it’s easy to see why. The big man has scored at least 52 DraftKings points in 12 of his last 13 games, averaging 60 fantasy points per game in that span. That makes him worthy against anyone, but this is an Oklahoma City team with no legitimate frontcourt players.
LaMelo Ball (PG – CHA): $9,000 DraftKings, $8,400 FanDuel
LaMelo was slow to get going this season, but he’s hitting his stride recently. He’s scored at least 50 fantasy points in four of his last eight games, reaching 63-plus in three of those. It’s hard to believe that a player with 63-point upside remains in this price range, but it makes LaMelo an easy pick against a 24th-ranked Detroit defense. Ball had 45 DK points in their last matchup, despite shooting 4-of-11 from the field. If he gets hot, don’t be surprised to see him flirt with another triple-double!
Trae Young (PG – ATL): $9,900 DraftKings, $9,000 FanDuel
Trae has been crushing it recently, too, and it makes no sense why he’s still below $10K. The sharpshooting guard has his season average north of 49 fantasy points per game, scoring at least 50 DK points in four of his last five games. The biggest reason we want to ride him today is this matchup, though, with the Kings ranked 29th in both defensive efficiency and points allowed. In their one matchup earlier this season, Ice Trae worked them to the tune of 61.8 DraftKings points!
Cash Game Considerations
Nikola Jokic (C – DEN): $12,400 DraftKings, $11,500 FanDuel
The Joker is going to be in this section every game he plays! The big man has scored at least 41 DraftKings points in all but one outing this season, leading the NBA with 60 DK points per game. That should continue here, with Denver missing Murray, MPJ, and Morris. Just get those guaranteed 60 DK points into your lineup and build from there!
Darius Garland (PG – CLE): $8,200 DraftKings, $8,100 FanDuel
DG is having a breakout season, and he’s going to continue to run the show with Sexton out for the season. That has led to Garland scoring at least 37 DK points in 11 straight outings, generating a 43-point average in that span. That’s rare to see from an $8K player, and we certainly don’t mind that Indiana sits 25th in defensive efficiency ratings.
Jakob Poeltl (C – SAS): $7,300 DraftKings, $7,800 FanDuel
Poeltl struggled in his one game off the COVID list but has been amazing aside from that. In fact, Jakob has at least 28 DraftKings points in 20 straight games, providing a 38-point average in that stretch. That’s all you can ask for from a sub-$8K player, especially since he’ll be asked to do more with Derrick White being traded to Boston. Atlanta is an astounding matchup, too, sitting 27th in defensive efficiency.
GPP Targets
Coby White (PG/SG – CHI): $5,400 DraftKings, $4,400 FanDuel
This FanDuel price is fantastic. While White’s role has been dropping recently, it should be up here. The guard position has been obliterated by injuries, with the Bulls missing Ball, Caruso, and Dosumnu. That led to Coby collecting 27 DK points across 38 minutes in the first game without those three. The simple fact is, White, needs to play 35-40 minutes, and that alone makes him tough to fade in this price range.
Devin Vassell (SG – SAS): $4,000 DraftKings, $4,900 FanDuel
It’s tough to evaluate who will step in for White in San Antonio, but one would have to believe it’s going to be Vassell. This is a guy who can produce when given the opportunity, averaging 23 DK points per game across 25 minutes a night. If we can get that playing time north of 30 minutes, DV should be a $6K player on both sites!
Hassan Whiteside (C – UTA): $5,600 DraftKings, $6,000 FanDuel
With Gobert missing another game, Whiteside needs to be considered. He’s actually struggled in most games that Rudy has missed, but 50 DraftKings points in the most recent outing show the sort of upside he has. The per-minute averages speak for themselves, with Hassan averaging 22 DK points per game across 18 minutes a night for the season. If he gets anywhere near 30 minutes, Whiteside would be tough to fade in this price range with Rudy out yet again. Not to mention, Orlando owns a 26th OPRK against opposing centers.
Value Plays
Goga Bitadze (C – IND): $4,700 DraftKings, $5,000 FanDuel
We’ve been down this road numerous times with Bitadze, but we’re going right back to the well. With Sabonis being shipped to Sacramento and Turner sidelined, Goga needs to play! He got the start at center on Wednesday, dropping 30 DK points across 30 minutes of play. He’s been that sort of player in nearly every start he’s made, and it’s easy to see why since he’s averaging 1.2 DK points per minute. Cleveland is a tough matchup, but it means Goga has to play big minutes to oppose that colossal frontcourt.
Clint Capela (C – ATL): $5,300 DraftKings, $6,100 FanDuel
Cap has been terrible for a month now, but this dude was $8K before that. Seeing such a stark price drop makes me want to hop back in because Capela can have a 15-15 game on any given night. He’s still averaging 33 DK points per game for the season and could find success with the Spurs surrendering the fourth-most fantasy points to opposing centers.
Patrick Beverley (PG – MIN): $5,100 DraftKings, $5,100 FanDuel
Pat-Bev has sat around $5K all season, and it makes no sense why. He’s scored at least 23 DraftKings points in 19 straight games, flirting with a 30-point average in that span. That means he should be $1,000 more on each site, and we certainly don’t mind that he’s playing in a game with a 241-point total.
Advantageous Pricing
- Trae Young (PG – ATL): $9,900 DraftKings, $9,000 FanDuel
- Coby White (PG/SG – CHI): $5,400 DraftKings, $4,400 FanDuel
- Devin Vassell (SG – SAS): $4,000 DraftKings, $4,900 FanDuel
- Terry Rozier (PG/SG – CHA): $7,300 DraftKings, $6,400 FanDuel
- Hamidou Diallo (SG/SF – DET): $4,600 DraftKings, $5,700 FanDuel
- Isaiah Jackson (PF/C – IND): $5,600 DraftKings, $6,600 FanDuel
- Kenrich Williams (PF – OKC): $4,400 DraftKings, $5,500 FanDuel
- Bogdan Bogdanovic (SG/SF – ATL): $5,000 DraftKings, $6,000 FanDuel
- Zach LaVine (SG – CHI): $9,200 DraftKings, $8,000 FanDuel
- Malik Beasley (SG – MIN): $3,800 DraftKings, $5,500 FanDuel
- Chuma Okeke (PF – ORL): $4,100 DraftKings, $5,500 FanDuel
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Joel Bartilotta is a featured writer at FantasyPros. For more from Joel, check out his archive and follow him @Bartilottajoel.