NBA DFS heads to the weekend with a seven-game Friday night slate in the association tonight. 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 last-minute injury designations and load management. Thursday night’s recap: FanDuel’s $8k main slate pay line finished at 299.2 points. The starting five was subpar, producing just 135.2 fantasy points.
The starting lineup is designed to provide a core five around which you can construct your NBA DFS builds. We strive to recommend players who have the potential to be less owned and make an NBA DFS roster different from the masses. Your prominent 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 ($8.5k DraftKings and $8.1k FanDuel)
Tonight’s floor general will be Darius Garland. Garland will match up against the Pistons, who allow the seventh most fantasy points to the position, and will be minus Cade Cunningham. Garland is averaging 35.9 fantasy points and 7 assists in his last three starts. We need some exposure to the Cavs-Pistons, whose 230.5 implied game total is the second-best on the slate. This game should also feature a competitive game script with a 6.5-point spread.
Jamal Murray ($8.5k DraftKings and $8.7k FanDuel)
The slate’s top implied game total belongs to the Jazz-Nuggets. Jamal Murray will start at shooting guard tonight and provide us with the necessary exposure. Murray disappointed us Wednesday night from a DFS standpoint, scoring just 33.8 fantasy points despite the great matchup. However, what better time to roster a player after a subpar effort?
Murray, a DFS combo guard, ranks as the overall PG7 at 38.96 fantasy points per game and is putting up an even better 44.2 in his last three starts. There is a blowout concern in this one with the 13.5-point spread, but the game total eases our fears. Please note that Murray is a GTD, and we will pivot to Russell Westbrook if he is declared inactive.
Bench Options: Donovan Mitchell, Collin Sexton, Russell Westbrook, Gary Trent, Tyler Kolek
NBA DFS Starting Forwards
Scottie Barnes ($8.5k DraftKings and $9.1k FanDuel)
Scottie Barnes gets the start at small forward tonight. Barnes is a newcomer to the starting unit but should be in line for heavy usage. Brandon Ingram remains inactive with the ankle injury, and RJ Barrett has already been declared out with the rest-injury tag. This should line up Barnes to see a minute bump. He is a DFS combo forward and is averaging 43 fantasy points, 8 rebounds, and 6 assists over the last four games.
Tobias Harris ($6k DraftKings and $6.7k FanDuel)
Tobias Harris provides us a nice DFS mid-tier option, especially with Cunningham out. Harris is dual-forward eligible and gives us additional exposure to the Cavs-Pistons tilt. Harris is another player who should see a usage bump this evening. He has been playing well of late, producing 35.23 fantasy points, 6 boards, and 3 dimes in his last four starts.
NBA DFS Starting Center
Draymond Green ($6.5k DraftKings and $6.6k FanDuel)
Bench Options: Karl-Anthony Towns, Ivica Zubac, Naz Reid, Kyle Filipowski
Final Thoughts
The obvious studs are not always mentioned. Our bench options provide followers, much the same as a coach, additional green light plays, last-minute injury replacements, and flexibility for your NBA DFS build. 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 all inactives are announced.
