Two of the last three slates have been slow, with only two games, but we’re back to a full one here. We have 11 games making up this Friday card, with almost every team in action. It’s always chaotic to break these sorts of slates down, but we’re fortunate to be at the beginning of the season. That means the injury reports are smaller than at any point all year, which is awesome because it’s a nightmare in the middle months of the year. With that in mind, let’s dive into this Friday slate!

View the best player prop bets for tonight’s slate with our NBA Prop Bet Cheat Sheet

NBA DraftKings & FanDuel DFS Primer: Friday

Schedule and Odds

• DEN at MEM (DEN -4.5) O/U: 225.5
• DET at CHA (CHA -4) O/U: 225
• NYK at ATL (ATL -2) O/U: 230
• MIA at BOS (BOS -7.5) O/U: 217.5
• OKC at CLE (CLE -3.5) O/U: 226
• TOR at CHI (CHI -2) O/U: 218
• HOU at SAS (SAS -1.5) O/U: 227
• BKN at DAL (DAL -6) O/U: 228.5
• LAC at UTA (LAC -3.5) O/U: 230.5
• ORL at POR (ORL -2.5) O/U: 223
• GSW at SAC (SAC -2) O/U: 240

Check out our consensus game odds as well as the odds from each sportsbook at BettingPros

Injury Report

• Ja Morant (suspension) OUT
• Steven Adams (knee) OUT
• Jarrett Allen (ankle) OUT
• Darius Garland (hamstring) Questionable
• Nic Claxton (ankle) OUT
• Lonzo Ball (knee) OUT
• Draymond Green (ankle) OUT
• Bojan Bogdanovic (calf) OUT

Core Plays

Stephen Curry (PG/SG – GSW): $9,300 DraftKings, $9,600 FanDuel
Chef Curry didn’t get as many touches as he should in the opener, but you know Golden State will get him more involved here. This sharpshooter averaged 50 DraftKings points per game last season, and that should be his floor against Sacramento. The Kings were 25th in total defense last year, with Curry averaging 52 DK points per game in their four matchups last season.

Cade Cunningham (PG – DET): $8,800 DraftKings, $8,700 FanDuel
This former top pick missed most of last season, but he looks to be hungry in the early going. Cade collected 30 points, three rebounds, and nine assists in the opener, doing that damage against an elite Miami defense. What’s really encouraging is that he took 27 shots! If this stud gets that many shots along with primary ball-handling duties, he’ll need a price bump soon! Facing the Hornets is wonderful, too, with Charlotte surrendering the fifth-most fantasy points to opposing point guards last year.

Fred VanVleet (PG/SG – HOU): $7,600 DraftKings, $7,000 FanDuel
It was a struggle for Houston in the opener, but FVV is going to get going. This stud is always a safe bet for 30 fantasy points, flirting with a 40-point average last season. We expect him to get close to those numbers in this magnificent matchup because the Spurs were dead last in nearly every defensive metric last season. This is also a game that should stay close, and that only adds to VanVleet’s value.

Cash Game Considerations

Nikola Jokic (C – DEN): $11,600 DraftKings, $12,100 FanDuel
The Joker was robbed of an MVP last season, but if the opener is any indication, he’s in line for another one! The big man finished with a triple-double in that opener, which is no surprise since he had a 60-point average last season. He’s also got a 40-point floor and is the safest option on every DFS slate. We don’t expect Memphis to slow him down because they’re playing without most of their big men.

Luka Doncic (PG – DAL): $11,400 DraftKings, $12,300 FanDuel
It’s always tough to choose between Doncic and Jokic because these two have been dominating DFS over the last five years. Just like Joker, Luka provided a triple-double in his first game of the season. He’s always a safe bet to do that, averaging nearly 60 DraftKings points per game last season. We’re not worried about a matchup with the Nets because Doncic dropped nearly 150 combined fantasy points against them in just two meetings last season.

De’Aaron Fox (PG – SAC): $8,700 DraftKings, $8,400 FanDuel
Fox is one of the fastest players in the NBA, but he’s more than just that. This is one of the best point guards in the league, averaging nearly 40 fantasy points per game last season. What we really love is this matchup with Golden State because Fox was fantastic against them all season. He averaged nearly 50 DK points per game in their seven-game series last year and was just as good during the regular season.

GPP Targets

Paolo Banchero (SF/PF – ORL): $8,200 DraftKings, $7,300 FanDuel
Banchero had a disappointing showing in the opener, but that was a weird game script. The bench players came in for Orlando and dominated that blowout. That limited the production from all of the starters, but we expect Banchero to have a breakout season. This former top pick averaged 38 DK points per game over the final month of last season and should flirt with that number this year. Getting to face the Trail Blazers is the icing on the cake because they look like they could have the worst team in the NBA.

Alperen Sengun (C – HOU): $7,000 DraftKings, $7,600 FanDuel
Sengun was the only Houston player who showed up in the opener, tallying 14 points, eight rebounds, and six assists. That stat-stuffing is what made him a breakout player last season, and we expect him to be even better this year. What could get him going is this matchup with San Antonio, surrendering the most fantasy points in the league last season. That had Alp scoring at least 33 DraftKings points in all four of their matchups!

Dereck Lively (C – DAL): $6,400 DraftKings, $6,300 FanDuel
This rookie started the second half of the opener, and he looked special alongside Doncic. He finished with 16 points and 10 rebounds, playing 31 minutes. That workload is the most important thing because this guy could be $1,000 more on both sites if that’s a regular thing going forward. Dallas needs him out there in this matchup, too, because he’s the only player big enough to match up with Nic Claxton.

Value Plays

Evan Mobley (PF/C – CLE): $7,300 DraftKings, $7,600 FanDuel
Mobley was one of the biggest letdowns on Wednesday, but we’re going right back to him. The reason we want to ride him is because Jarrett Allen is injured. That means Mobley should pick up more minutes, rebounds, and shot attempts, making him a heck of a value in this price range. That expanded role should bode well against OKC because their frontcourt is their one major weakness.

Mark Williams (C – CHA): $5,800 DraftKings, $6,900 FanDuel
The Pistons were pitiful against big men last season, and a guy like Williams could feast against them. They surrendered the fourth-most fantasy points to opposing centers, with Mark dropping 36 DK points in their most recent matchup. That’s awesome since Williams had 13 points, 15 rebounds, and three steals in the opener. Lines like that will become common for this stud, and it’s about time he sees a price bump. Jalen Duren is also an excellent value on DK against him!

Jonathan Kuminga (SF/PF – GSW): $4,700 DraftKings, $5,100 FanDuel
Kuminga played just 20 minutes in the opener, but he would’ve played more if he weren’t in foul trouble. The athletic winger still had 12 points, six rebounds, and two steals in those foul-riddled minutes, but we saw JK go off during the preseason. A breakout campaign isn’t out of the question, and Golden State needs him out there since Draymond Green is sidelined right now. Facing Sacramento is the icing on the cake, with the Kings surrendering the fourth-most fantasy points to opposing forwards.

Advantageous Pricing

• Mark Williams (C – CHA): $5,800 DraftKings, $6,900 FanDuel
• Michael Porter Jr.(SF – DEN): $5,800 DraftKings, $6,900 FanDuel
• Jalen Duren (C – DET): $5,600 DraftKings, $7,900 FanDuel
• Jimmy Butler (SF – MIA): $8,500 DraftKings, $9,800 FanDuel
• Jalen Johnson (SF – ATL): $4,700 DraftKings, $5,800 FanDuel
• Jeremy Sochan (PG/SF – SAS): $5,000 DraftKings, $6,100 FanDuel
• Scottie Barnes (SF/PF – TOR): $6,900 DraftKings, $8,100 FanDuel
• OG Anunoby (SG – TOR): $5,900 DraftKings, $7,600 FanDuel
• Jakob Poeltl (C – TOR): $5,300 DraftKings, $6,500 FanDuel
• Cam Thomas (SG – BKN): $5,100 DraftKings, $6,700 FanDuel
• Walker Kessler (C – UTA): $5,500 DraftKings, $7,000 FanDuel
• Chris Paul (PG – GSW): $6,600 DraftKings, $8,100 FanDuel
• Keegan Murray (PF – SAC): $5,200 DraftKings, $6,400 FanDuel

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