NBA DFS Friday rolls into the weekend with a ten-game slate. The Coach is here with his starting five and authentic insight from ‘inside the ropes’. The NBA’s daily fantasy landscape is ever-changing, with injuries, last-minute inactives, and load management. Last night’s FanDuel $10k main slate pay line finished up higher at 344.7 points. The starting five was decent with 181.3 points, but hurt by Steph Curry, who gave us just 24.9 points despite the great spot.
The starting lineup is designed to provide a core five as you construct your DFS builds. We strive to recommend players who have the potential to be less owned and build an NBA DFS roster different from the masses. Your obvious studs are not always mentioned and the fantasy point-per-game averages referenced are those across FanDuel scoring. See who the coach has in his NBA DFS starting lineup this evening.
NBA DFS Starting Guards
Darius Garland ($7.7k DraftKings and $7.5k FanDuel)
Darius Garland is the floor general tonight and will start at point guard. With Donovan Mitchell ruled out with a groin injury, Garland is due a usage bump. He gets a green light match-up playing in the slate’s highest implied game total of 244.5. Garland is coming off a 55.8 fantasy outburst Tuesday night versus the Nets and on top of that, Brooklyn ranks just 21st in fantasy points allowed to the position. It is go time for Garland this evening in what is forecasted to be a high scoring and competitive game script.
Stephon Castle ($7.3k DraftKings and $6.5k FanDuel)
With no De’Aaron Fox this evening, Stephon Castle will slot in as our shooting guard. Castle is a combo guard who provides us flexibility and can be rostered at either guard spot. Over his last seven games, Castle is seeing 29 minutes and averaging 39.1 fantasy points. Despite Charlotte being decent defensively versus fantasy guards, Castle should have the volume and will be playing in a competitive game script. The Hornets-Spurs game boasts just a three-point spread.
Bench Options: Luka Doncic, Collin Sexton, Dyson Daniels, Immanuel Quickley
NBA DFS Starting Forwards
Bradley Beal ($6.3k DraftKings and FanDuel)
We are going to take advantage of Bradley Beal still boasting a reduced NBA DFS price tag and start him at small forward. Beal returned Wednesday and played 32 minutes and scored 30.5 fantasy points. We need some exposure to the Kings-Suns, which has a competitive three-point spread and the slate’s third highest implied game total at 234. When Beal plays, he puts up the production. In his last three contests, he has averaged a useful 30.27 fantasy points per game. If we can get that, we have a potential 5x player.
Miles Bridges ($9.1k DraftKings and FanDuel)
Despite the NBA DFS price tag, we are going right back to Miles Bridges at power forward tonight. Bridges delivered for us big time on Wednesday with 66.7 fantasy points. He is in the midst of a four-game stretch averaging 58.68 fantasy points, including two 60 point outbursts. Just like the aforementioned Stephon Castle, Bridges is forecast to play in a competitive game script and fantasy friendly 230.5 implied game total. In addition, we get roster flexibility, with Bridges being eligible at both forward spots and the Spurs yielding the 11th most fantasy points to the position.
NBA DFS Starting Center
Walker Kessler ($7.1k DraftKings and $7.4k FanDuel)
Bench Options: Nikola Jokic, Ivica Zubac, Mark Williams
Final Thoughts
The obvious nightly studs are not always mentioned. Our bench options provide followers, much the same as a coach, additional green light plays, injury replacements, and flexibility for your NBA DFS builds. We strive to balance studs and value plays that may be potentially less-owned. Pay attention to implied team and game totals and try to get roster exposure to those games.
The top DFS builds will consist of the right balance between studs and value options that pay at least 5x-6x their salaries. Good luck with your roster builds, and please like and follow us on social media. Please double-check our player recommendations once inactives are announced.
