This article is part of our DraftKings NBA series.
The top plays for Friday's nine-game slate will largely depend on injury news, with a couple of teams – Miami and Charlotte – really hurting for healthy bodies.
Miami is such a mess that it's hard to say where we should even begin looking, but rookie shooting guard Josh Richardson ($3,300) is a decent place to start, as he and the much more expensive Tyler Johnson ($5,600) are the only healthy members of the backcourt. Even in a tough road matchup with the Raptors, there should be some value available, though I'm guessing that one of the questionable players – Dwyane Wade, Goran Dragic, Beno Udrih and Luol Deng – will end up as the strongest option. It's too early for specific recommendations, but this is a situation that bears very close watching. There's also some intrigue in the frontcourt, as Hassan Whiteside's absence due to an oblique injury means that min-priced Amar'e Stoudemire ($3,000) could push 25 minutes for the first time all season. Chris Bosh ($7,600) figures to be very busy against his former team, albeit with a tough combination of price and matchup in a potential blowout.
Things are significantly less confusing for the Hornets, with Jeremy Lamb (toe) the only player listed as questionable. I actually like Lamb at $4,500 if he's able to play, but if not, Jeremy Lin ($5,100) and Troy Daniels ($3,000) will both be interesting options. Of course, Charlotte's frontcourt is the real source of value, but we'll get to that later.
Elsewhere, Houston's Ty Lawson ($4,200) could be a top-notch play against the Bucks, but only if both Patrick Beverley (ankle) and Jason Terry (knee) are unable to go. James Harden ($10,000), who is coming off a gargantuan triple-double, would also benefit in such a scenario.
If Victor Oladipo (knee) misses a third straight game, all four of Elfrid Payton ($6,200), Evan Fournier ($5,500), Tobias Harris ($6,300) and Aaron Gordon ($4,400) would get a boost, though none of the bunch is underpriced in a middling matchup with Charlotte.
With Dirk Nowitzki (knee) listed as questionable, Charlie Villanueva ($3,300) and Chandler Parsons ($5,600) could have an opportunity to build on their big games from Wednesday night. Parsons is a decent play against the Thunder even if Nowitzki suits up.
Last but certainly not least, Indiana's Myles Turner ($3,900) is already a solid option and would be an elite play if Ian Mahinmi (ankle) sits out. Given that he's a rookie, Turner might even play into garbage time in the fourth quarter, if the Warriors end up trouncing the Pacers.
Point guard
Stephen Curry, GS (Fri. vs. IND), $10,400 – Averaging 51.7 fantasy points over a modest 33.5 minutes per game, Curry is regularly one of the better options in terms of expected points-per-dollar. Though he often reaches value by the end of the third quarter, I do like to pair him with one of the opponent's top scorers in tournament lineups, as Curry is much more likely to explode for 60+ fantasy points when the game stays relatively close. Paul George ($9,000) and Monta Ellis ($6,800) are the obvious pairing options for Friday night, with both likely getting a usage boost because of George Hill's continued absence for personal reasons. Hill's absence is also good news for Curry, as the Indiana point guard is one of the NBA's better defenders at his position.
Other options: Russell Westbrook, OKC (Fri. at DAL, Sun. at BKN), $10,600; Isaiah Thomas, BOS (Fri. vs. CHI, Sat. at PHI), $7,800; Trey Burke, UTA (Fri. at BKN, Sat. at WAS), $4,900; Jerryd Bayless, MIL (Fri. at HOU, Sat. at NO), $4,300; Norris Cole, NO (Sat. vs. MIL)
Shooting guard
Undecided
As of Friday morning, I really don't see any plays at shooting guard that stand out for the Friday night slate, but there's no doubt that a few options will emerge as various injury situations clear up. A few names to keep in mind: Miami's Josh Richardson ($3,300) and Dwyane Wade ($6,800), Charlotte's Jeremy Lamb ($4,500), Dallas' Wesley Matthews ($5,000), Chicago's E'Twaun Moore ($3,100), and if you can make room in your lineup… Houston's James Harden ($10,000).
Other options: Rodney Hood, UTA (Sat. at WAS); J.R. Smith, CLE (Sat. at CHI); DeMar DeRozan, TOR (Sun. vs. LAC)
Small forward
Carmelo Anthony, (Fri. vs. LAC), $8,300 – Even with the Knicks coming off consecutive overtime contests, Anthony should get his usual 35-to-40 minutes, as his team is in no position to give less than 100 percent in any game. The Knicks badly want to earn one of the final playoff spots, and there's little reason to think that they'll pull away from the pack at any point before the very end of the season. Friday's matchup against the Clippers is only mediocre, but with Anthony averaging 39 fantasy points in 34.5 minutes per game this season, it's fair to expect right around five points per $1,000 of salary Friday night. While that may seem unspectacular, there's obviously the upside for a whole lot more, and Anthony is one of the safer options among high-priced players.
Other options: Paul George, IND (Fri. at GS, Sat. at SAC), $9,000; Trevor Ariza, HOU (Fri. vs. MIL, Sun. vs. DAL), $5,100;
Power forward
Jabari Parker, MIL (Fri. at HOU,), $5,100 – Although the results have still been a bit inconsistent, Parker's playing time has safely stabilized north of 30 minutes, a mark that he hit in each of the last four games. I'll continue using him until his price creeps above $5,500, especially in favorable matchups like this one, with the Bucks facing a fast-paced Rockets team that also happens to play lousy defense. Given that Houston's Dwight Howard (ankle) has been ruled out, I expect Parker to reach 30 fantasy points for a third time in the last five games.
Other options: Draymond Green, GS (Fri. vs. IND), $9,100; Clint Capela, HOU (Fri. vs. MIL, Sun. vs. DAL), $5,600; Amir Johnson, BOS (Fri. vs. CHI, Sat. at PHI), $5,100; Terrence Jones, HOU (Fri. vs. MIL, Sun. vs. DAL), $4,700
Center
Frank Kaminsky, CHA (at ORL), $4,800 – Kaminsky played at least 25 minutes minutes and scored at least 21 fantasy points in each of the last six games…and that was with Cody Zeller (shoulder) healthy and starting. Now that Zeller is expected to miss time, Frank the Tank figures to enter the starting lineup and could approach 35 minutes. Given that he's averaging 17.0 fantasy points in 21.1 minutes per game for the season, Kaminsky is a strong bet to put up at least 25 fantasy points Friday night. As a double-double threat with three-point range, he's arguably the strongest tournament play on Friday's slate, even when accounting for the likelihood that he'll be a very popular option.
Spencer Hawes, CHA (at ORL), $3,100 – It rarely makes sense to use two big men from the same team in a tournament lineup, but with the Charlotte frontcourt ravaged by injuries, Kaminsky and Hawes could both push for 30 minutes Friday night. The two combined for 58 minutes in Charlotte's last game, even though Cody Zeller logged 14 minutes of his own before exiting with an ankle injury. Given that they can both shoot three-pointers, Hawes and Kaminsky should see plenty of time on the court together Friday night.
Other options: Pau Gasol, CHI (Fri. at BOS, Sat. at CLE), $8,400; Nikola Vucevic, ORL (Fri. vs. CHA), $7,500; DeAndre Jordan, NY (Fri. vs. NY, Sun. at TOR), $7,500; Rudy Gobert, UTA (Fri. at BKN, Sat. at WAS), $6,400; Robin Lopez, NY (Fri. vs. LAC, Sat. at CHA), $5,300; Myles Turner, IND (Fri. at GS, Sat. at SAC), $3,900
