This article is part of our DraftKings NBA series.
The NBA has an unusually balanced slate for the upcoming weekend, with either seven or eight games on each of Friday, Saturday and Sunday. There aren't as many injury situations to monitor in comparison to what we're used to, but even so, some value plays should emerge. Before I get to specific player picks, let's dive into some of the key injuries to keep an eye on:
Injuries Situations to Monitor
Derrick Rose (hamstring) is questionable for Friday's game in Atlanta after sitting out Wednesday's win over the Wizards. E'Twaun Moore ($5,600) started at point guard Wednesday night, but he only put up 25.75 DK points over 29 minutes, with Aaron Brooks chipping in 13.5 points while handling the remainder of the PG minutes. Both guards would be decent options if Rose were to miss another contest, but with Moore experiencing a recent bump in price, neither would be a top play. Tony Snell ($3,600) would also warrant consideration after logging 33 minutes (and 26.5 DK points) in Wednesday's game.
Deron Williams (finger) expects to play in Friday's favorable home matchup against Denver, but Mavs head coach Rick Carlisle didn't sound so sure, which means the situations bears watching. In the event of a Williams absence, Raymond Felton ($4,500) would become a very attractive option, with J.J. Barea ($3,900) and Devin Harris ($3,300) also in play. Dallas has another favorable matchup Sunday against Minnesota, though Williams should be ready by that time, if not by Friday night.
Tony Allen (knee) missed the last two games for Memphis, and while his usual minutes were seemingly split between a few players, Matt Barnes ($5,400) took advantage to the tune of 43.5 DK points over 37 minutes in Wednesday's win over the Lakers. A repeat is obviously unlikely, but the Grizzlies do play the Lakers again Friday night, potentially setting Barnes up for another strong game, especially if Allen can't play.
Point Guard
Chris Paul, LAC (Fri. vs. SAC), $9,600
Paul only has one game this weekend, but he shouldn't have any trouble making the most of it, facing a fast-paced Sacramento team that ranks 29th at limiting point guard production on DraftKings. Though his recent game log isn't overly impressive, Paul has proven to be remarkably consistent in the absence of Blake Griffin (hand), most recently putting up at least 44 DK points in each of his team's four contests since the All-Star break. The price may seem a bit high relative to his season-long production, but Paul is only averaging 33 minutes per game for the year, whereas he's often wandered into the high-30s in recent weeks when the Clips have kept things close. Friday's game sets up perfectly, with Los Angeles favored by just 3.5 points in a contest that has a 218 over/under.
Other options: John Wall, WAS (Fri. at PHI, Sun. vs. CLE), $9,200; Darren Collison, SAC (Fri. vs. LAC), $5,000; Stephen Curry, GS (Sat. at OKC); Russell Westbrook, OKC (Sat. vs. GS); Tony Parker, SA (Sat. at HOU); Shelvin Mack, UTA (Sat. vs. BKN)
Shooting guard
Will Barton, DEN (Fri. at DAL), $5,500
Barton's playing time has been a bit shaky throughout the season, but with Randy Foye shipped off to OKC, Will the Thrill logged 31, 31, 27 and 26 minutes in Denver's first four games out of the All-Star break. His erratic style of play is still best for tournaments, as Barton's ability to contribute in every category can be overshadowed by reduced minutes and/or turnovers when he plays the way he did in Wednesday's win over the Clippers. He made just one of six field-goal attempts and turned the ball over five times in that contest, yet still managed a somewhat respectable 18 DK points in 26 minutes, putting up six boards, two assists, a block and two steals. Very few shooting guards are capable of similar across-the-board production, which means Barton has an excellent ceiling relative to his price tag when he avoids turnovers and actually makes some shots.
Other options: Victor Oladipo, ORL (Fri. at NY, Sun. vs. PHI), $7,000; Jamal Crawford, LAC (Fri. at SAC), $5,700; J.J. Redick, LAC (Fri. at SAC), $5,100
Small Forward
Rudy Gay, SAC (Fri. vs. LAC), $6,500
With the rest of Sacramento's wing rotation mostly a disaster, Gay logged 36+ minutes in each of the last four games, representing a significant boost from his season-long average of 33.5. Of course, he'd actually be a solid play at this price even if we only expected 33 minutes, as he's averaging 32.1 DK points per game this season. Given that 35-40 minutes is the more reasonable expectation for Friday, it's fair to project Gay at approximately 35 DK points in a game that carries a 218 over/under. He should bounce back strong from Wednesday's unsurprising dud in a nightmare matchup with San Antonio.
Other options: Paul George, IND (Fri. vs. CHA, Sun. vs. POR), $8,500; Carmelo Anthony, NY (Fri. vs. ORL, Sun. vs. MIA), $8,300; Matt Barnes, MEM (Fri. at LAL, Sat. at PHO), $5,400; Kevin Durant, OKC (Sat. vs. GS); Kawhi Leonard, SA (Sat. at HOU); Tobias Harris, DET (Sat. at MIL, Sun. vs. TOR)
Power Forward
Kristaps Porzingis, NY (Fri. vs. ORL, Sun. vs. MIA), $6,500
The other starting power forward in Friday's Orlando-New York contest will likely draw more interest, as Aaron Gordon has consistently outperformed his price tag of late, putting up 31+ DK points in seven straight games. Not that Gordon's a bad option, but his reliance on boards and defensive stats does put somewhat of a limit on his ceiling, plus his price is at its highest point of the season. Porzingis is capable of similar production in the non-scoring categories, with the added bonus that he's sometimes a featured option on the offensive end. Sure, the recent results haven't been impressive, but this is the perfect time to take advantage of his reduced price, after he logged 33 and 36 minutes in the past two games.
Other options: Paul Millsap, ATL (Fri. vs. CHI, Sun. vs. CHA), $7,800; Dirk Nowitzki, DAL (Fri. vs. DEN, Sun. vs. MIN), $6,300; Taj Gibson, CHI (Fri. at ATL, Sat. vs. POR), $5,100; LaMarcus Aldridge, SA (Sat. at HOU); Jabari Parker, MIL (Sat. vs. DET);
Center
Ian Mahinmi, IND (Fri. vs. CHA, Sun. vs. POR), $5,000
Hard as it may be to argue against DeAndre Jordan at $7,900 in Sacramento, we have to be careful about which positions are worth spending up at on a Friday slate that's utterly lacking in low-priced value. Mahinmi may not be especially exciting, but he's logged 31+ minutes in each of Indiana's four games since the All-Star break, averaging 30.6 DK points over that stretch. Given that he's averaging 23.2 DK points over 24.5 minutes on the season, we can fairly project him for around 27 to 28 points Friday night, making him one of the top options below $6,000.
Other options: DeAndre Jordan, LAC (Fri. at SAC), $7,900; Nikola Vucevic, ORL (Fri. at NY, Sun. vs. PHI), $7,700; Zaza Pachulia, DAL (Fri. vs. DEN, Sun. vs. MIN), $5,800; Joffrey Lauvergne, DEN (Fri. at DAL), $3,600; Karl-Anthony Towns, MIN (Sat. at NO, Sun. at DAL)
