Happy Saturday! We have some crazy pace-up matchups and defensively inept teams playing against each other, so there could be some fireworks even with only a five-game slate. The Knicks-Hornets game is not on the main slate, but there are some fun ones that kick off at 7 PM EST.
Remember to watch the injury reports as they come in, as Saturday practice reports aren’t generally reliable.
View the best player prop bets for tonight’s slate with our NBA Prop Bet Cheat Sheet
NBA DraftKings & FanDuel DFS Primer
TOP PLAY
Luka Doncic (PG – DAL): $12,200 DK, $11,900 FD
Doncic is $1,200 more than the next highest-priced stud which makes him a tough sell, but given the matchup and role he’s worth the extra funds. Milwaukee is an offensive force, but they’ve cratered defensively since their recent string of trades. They’re currently 22nd in overall defensive efficiency and 27th in half-court defense, and this is also a massive pace-up game (Milwaukee is ninth and Dallas is fourth). Luka’s rates have been a bit down this year, but his ceiling is unmatched even by the other studs (barring a random sitting teammate)
Happy Saturday! We have some crazy pace-up matchups and defensively inept teams playing against each other, so there could be some fireworks even with only a five-game slate. The Knicks-Hornets game is not on the main slate, but there are some fun ones that kick off at 7 PM EST.
Remember to watch the injury reports as they come in, as Saturday practice reports aren’t generally reliable.
View the best player prop bets for tonight’s slate with our NBA Prop Bet Cheat Sheet
NBA DraftKings & FanDuel DFS Primer
TOP PLAY
Luka Doncic (PG – DAL): $12,200 DK, $11,900 FD
Doncic is $1,200 more than the next highest-priced stud which makes him a tough sell, but given the matchup and role he’s worth the extra funds. Milwaukee is an offensive force, but they’ve cratered defensively since their recent string of trades. They’re currently 22nd in overall defensive efficiency and 27th in half-court defense, and this is also a massive pace-up game (Milwaukee is ninth and Dallas is fourth). Luka’s rates have been a bit down this year, but his ceiling is unmatched even by the other studs (barring a random sitting teammate)
CASH PICKS
Desmond Bane (SF,SG – MEM): $8,900 DK, $8,900 FD
The disaster Grizzlies are about to get even thinner with Marcus Smart expected to be sidelined 3-5 weeks. Bane has been a volume and rate king this year, with an elite 29.9% usage rate and a 25.5 PPG average. He should get all the minutes and shots he can handle tonight, and the assist rates may even tick up a bit. There’s nothing wrong with the matchup either, as the Spurs are 28th in overall team defense and 28th in halfcourt defense.
Jimmy Butler (PF,SF – MIA): $8,500 DK, $8,800 FD
Butler’s back, and it’s no secret that Tyler Herro‘s absence is a big catalyst for this. Butler seemed to be slowed by injury in the early-going of this season, but he’s averaged 36 MPG over the last five and cleared 46 DK points in three of those contests. The Bulls are an utter disaster defensively, ranking last in total defensive efficiency, last in 3-pt frequency allowed, and 28th in rebounding rate. Butler’s teammate Bam Adebayo is a great play too, but the discount on both sites for Butler is significant.
VALUE PLAYS
Jonathan Kuminga (PF – GS): $4,900 DK, $5,000 FD
Kuminga started for the suspended Draymond Green in this same matchup two days ago, and he produced 32 DK points in 27 minutes. The opportunities would likely decrease if Stephen Curry (knee) were to return, but Kuminga is still a solid value on a smaller slate provided he starts again. OKC has allowed the sixth most steals per game and is 29th in rebounding rate.
Jacob Gilyard (PG – MEM): $4,800 DK, $4,700 FD
Gilyard is sure to be popular tonight, and rightfully so. Gilyard has been starting alongside Marcus Smart for the injured Zhaire Williams, and it stands to reason that he’ll not only continue to do so, but also soak up Smart’s minutes as well. Before his 21-minute outing last game, Gilyard played 34 and 24 minutes for Memphis, and has gone 9.7-4.0-4.0 in those three games. Throw in a matchup against San Antonio who has allowed the most FPPG to opposing PGs, and this is a solid value pick in all formats.
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