Shaun Evans 
We have a seven-game NBA DFS Slate today on DraftKings it will only be “No Late Swap” contests. We had a rough Thursday as our bets went 0-2 but it’s Friday and we turn things around quickly. Below you’ll find my core plays, favorite value plays, game to target, and my top two bets. Let’s dive in and get to it for this Friday’s action!
NBA DFS – Core Plays
Tyrese Haliburton $9,400 – 50.20 DK Points – 5.34 Value Rating
Fresh off of a day off, Tyrese Haliburton comes in as the fourth-highest projected player on the slate. Haliburton has had a strong season as he currently averages 21.4 points, 11.6 assists, and 3.7 rebounds per game with a usage rate of 25.5%. He has a strong matchup versus New Orleans as the Indiana Pacers do play at the second-fastest pace in the league. They currently average 105.8 possessions per game while New Orleans averages 101.9. With a double-double bonus upside tonight, Tyrese Haliburton makes for a strong core piece.
Make sure you are signed up for our premium plan so you can stay up-to-date in Discord with any last-minute NBA news and any core changes. Get your first week for just $1 using the promo code “DOLLAR” using this link. Find me in Discord under the name “xfreshie” and tag me with any questions.
Santi Aldama $4,900 – 28.79 DK Points – 5.88 Value Rating
Santi Aldama comes in at a fairly reasonable price and with a good matchup to go along with it. He will be facing off versus the Portland Trailblazers who struggle at stopping power forwards grabbing boards. On the season, they are allowing them to average 10.2 rebounds per game while putting up nearly 21.3 points. Aldama, who didn’t get much run time in the first meeting, is now averaging 26.7 minutes per game in his last five. Versus Minnesota on Wednesday, he was able to record 11 points with five rebounds, two blocks, and two steals.
De’Aaron Fox $8,500 – 46.04 DK points – 5.42 Value Rating
De’Aaron Fox is currently questionable for Friday but should trend toward playing as he was at shootaround this morning. While Minnesota has been pretty solid versus guards, Fox has had some great outings versus them in two games this season. He averages 31.5 points, nine assists, and 5.5 rebounds while averaging 38.1 minutes. On the season, he has a 31.3 usage rate while averaging 26.9 points, 5.6 assists, and 4.2 rebounds on the season. There is also a good possession per-game gap between the two teams. Sacramento averages 103.8 possessions per game while Minnesota averages 101.4
If De’Aaron Fox moves to a GTD or is even doubtful, I would pivot to Scottie Barnes as the third core piece.
NBA DFS – Top Value Targets
Doup Reath $4,200 – 31.71 DK points – 7.55 Value Rating
With DeAndre Ayton doubtful tonight, Doup Reath should get the starting nod. Now, he will be chalk but with just Moses Brown behind him, he should get a good run at minutes. He comes in as the highest-rated value play on our NBA DFS Projections and for good reason. On the season, he’s averaging 8.7 points, 3.8 rebounds, and 1.1 assists in 17.1 minutes per game.
Jordan Goodwin $4,700 – 29 DK Points – 6.17 Value Rating
The Memphis Grizzlies versus Portland Trailblazers matchup is providing so good value that projects well. Doup Reath and Trey Jemison are two centers to look at from the game but Jordan Goodwin is another solid option. While his price is slightly higher at $4.7k, he’s projecting for 29 DK Points. His last five games haven’t been overly stellar but he gets a Portland defense that struggles versus opposing point guards. They allow them to average 24.8 points, 8.9 assists, and 6.1 rebounds per game.
NBA DFS – Game To Target
Indiana Pacers (+170) versus New Orleans Pelicans (-205) – Total 239 Points
Odds and Total Points are taken from the DraftKings Sportsbook.
This matchup is going to be huge due to the pace that the Indiana Pacers push and push other teams to match their pace. Fresh off of their day off, Tyrese Haliburton should get back to his strong performances that we’re used to seeing. On top of that, Pascal Siakam ($7.8k) found success versus the Pelicans earlier this season and recorded a double-double. While his usage rate has dropped with the Pacers, his performance hasn’t.
On the Pelicans side, Brandon Ingram ($8k) and CJ McCollum ($7k) have some solid matchups on their end. With the pace-up boost, the two should be able to produce a solid stat line and keep this game close until the end. Herbert Jones will make a solid pay-down spot at $5.7k as he holds a value rating of 6.49 and is projected for 31.30 DK points. Andrew Nembhard has upped his productivity in his past five games, recording 11.2 points, 3.2 rebounds, and 2.8 assists per game, and comes at a reasonable price of $4.9k.
NBA DFS – Best Bets
Jalen Duren over 1.5 turnovers -120 (bet365)
Jalen Duren is a turnover machine and is averaging two turnovers per game on the season. In his last outing versus Chicago, he had five turnovers. In two games this season versus Cleveland, he has averaged two turnovers. While it may turn into a sweat, Cleveland’s defense from their bigs has been outstanding and we’ll pick on Jalen Duren once again.
CJ McCollum over 2.5 3-PT Made -115 (bet365)
CJ McCollum has a hot hand when it comes to three-point shots made and our NBA DFS Player Prop tool loves him tonight. With a projection of 3.49 versus Indiana, the prop tool has him at a 39.72% edge to go over. He has made three or more three-point shots in four of his last five games while taking at least three attempts. The Indiana Pacers also allow opposing point guards to average 2.6 three-point makes per game.
Get access to our NBA DFS Player Prop Model here and find the best edge in the industry! An example from yesterday is below. Click the image for today’s updated model
