Happy Saturday NBA fans. We have a small three-game slate tonight, with 22 teams in action tomorrow. The first matchup tipping off tonight is the Paolo Banchero-ed Orlando Magic taking on Cade Cunningham and the Detroit Pistons. The next game is the best matchup on the slate with Jayson Tatum and the Boston Celtics taking on the Jalen Brunson-led New York Knicks. Then, to close the night out, the Brooklyn Nets travel to Minnesota to take on Anthony Edwards and the Minnesota Timberwolves.

NBA DFS Tools to Dominate Tonight's NBA DFS slate!

Make sure to check out today's NBA DFS projections and NBA DFS ownership projections before finalizing your lineups today. We also have the NBA Consistency Report to help identify players that have exceeded value based on their current price tag this season and of course our NBA DFS Lineup Generator!

Notable NBA Injury Updates

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Back-to-Backs

1st Leg

Pace

Pace definition: Pace is the total number of possessions a team uses in a game.

*key* Green is elite pace of play, Blue is decent pace of play, & Red is slow pace of play.

Green = Fast Paced team

Blue = Neutral Paced team

Red = Slow Paced team

Defensive Ratings

NBA Game Totals

Top Tier Core Plays

Jayson Tatum, SF/PF, Boston Celtics

Tatum is the slate's highest-priced player, sitting at $10,300 on DraftKings. This game should have the best game environment on this slate, with it having the lowest spread, sitting at just -6.5. Tatum also possesses the highest floor on the slate as he has scored over 40 fantasy points in 10 straight games. With this game hopefully staying close Tatum should have a big night. The question is just how big of a night with Kristaps Porzingis Jaylen Brown and Jrue Holiday all in the lineup.

Jalen Brunson, PG, New York Knicks

I like Jalen Brunson with Julius Randle out of the lineup, his numbers just skyrocketed. In the nine games without Randle, his usage rate goes from 29.4 all the way to 36.3. He also goes from 27 PPG to 31 PPG and averages five more shot attempts per game as well. The problem is Boston is a great defensive team and has one of the best defensive guards in the NBA in Jrue Holiday. Brunson should be able to get his tonight because of the volume he has, but might not be the most efficient. However, he is definitely in play tonight.

Anthony Edwards, SG/SF, Minnesota Timberwolves

Anthony Edwards is the cover boy of the playbook tonight because of his price. He is the cheapest option of the top-tier guys sitting at just $9,200, and in my eyes has the same ceiling as both Tatum and Brunson. Edwards has the mindset that he is the best player every time he steps on the court. His aggressive mindset has been in full force as well over the last three games putting up at least 21 shot attempts in each game. I am riding with Edwards tonight at his price, and I believe you should be as well.

Mid-Tier Core Plays

Paolo Banchero, PF, Orlando Magic

This matchup between the Magic and Pistons happened earlier this month and Banchero has a solid game. He finished with 40 fantasy points posting a line of 20-6-7, but shot just 6-16 from the field. That game finished with a 12-point Orlando win. Banchero could be in line for a big night against a bad defensive Pistons team. You will want one of the Orlando stars tonight, it is just a matter if it is Franz Wagner or Paolo Banchero. I am not sure you can go wrong with either tonight.

Cade Cunningham, PG, Detroit Pistons

The Pistons have lost three straight games by at least 14 points or more, causing Cade Cunningham to only play 30 minutes once during that span. In that one game, he finished 13-21 from the field for 30 game points, dished out eight assists, and grabbed five rebounds for 50 fantasy points. Orlando has a stingy defense, but Cuninngham should still get his as long as this game stays close.

Franz Wagner, SF, Orlando Magic

In the last matchup against the Pistons, it was Franz Wagner who had a huge game. He finished with a season-high 38 points, going 17-25 from the field but only added two assists and three rebounds. The Pistons defense is awful as mentioned above and they do not have a great matchup for Wagner. Choosing between Banchero and Wagner depends on who you play as your top-tier guy tonight. If you go high-priced, it's easier to pair him with Wagner. If you go with Edwards then it is fine to pay up for Banchero, which I will be doing tonight.

Rudy Gobert, C, Minnesota Timberwolves

You should find a way to get Rudy Gobert in your lineup tonight. He has an outstanding floor because of his rebounding. He has grabbed at least double-digit rebounds in eight straight games. Gobert has also been a menace as of late on the defensive end of the court blocking at least two shots in three of his past four games. The Nets have a thin frontcourt with just Nic Claxton and Day'Ron Sharpe, and I expect Gobert to take advantage of that tonight.

Jalen Duren, C, Detroit Pistons

I love Jalen Duren against the Magic tonight. He might be lower-owned because he struggled with foul trouble against the Magic in the last matchup. Because of that he played just 27 minutes and grabbed just five rebounds. Since then he has grabbed at least double-digit rebounds in four of his last six games. I expect Duren to take advantage of the smaller Wendell Carter tonight, and have a big night.

Josh Hart, SF/PF, New York Knicks

There is one thing for certain, and that is with all the injuries with the Knicks, Josh Hart is going to play a ton of minutes. He has played at least 36 minutes in nine of his last 10 games. There are games in which we have seen a massive ceiling from Hart because of his double-digit rebounds upside. But we have also seen the floor just absolutely fall out, but that is why his price is just sitting at $6,500. I am taking advantage of his price tonight because of his 50+ fantasy point ceiling. 

Value Tier Core Plays

Ausar Thompson, SF/PF, Detroit Pistons

Thompson's price is sitting at just $5,500 tonight on DraftKings which seems a bit low to me. He is back playing close to 30 minutes a night in this Pistons rotation. When he gets the minutes we know Thompson is going to be productive for us because he is a very active player. If he is going to put up 30 fantasy points like he has in three of his past four games, I am all in on Thompson's upside.

Jalen Suggs, PG/SG, Orlando Magic

Suggs had to leave the last game with a head injury, however he is not listed on the injury report tonight. With his price sitting around 5K and Suggs having 30+ fantasy points he seems like a no-brainer salary saver on a slate that does not seem to have much value on it. Plus, Markelle Fultz is out tonight, which gives Suggs even more opportunity tonight

Simone Fontecchio, SF/PF, Detorit Pistons

Fontecchio continues to start for this Pistons team and looks to be a part of this team's future. In three of the four games since being acquired by the Pistons Fontecchio has scored at least 14 points in each game. His price seems to be low on both sites with him in the starting lineup, and I will be taking advantage of that tonight. Let's just hope he gets the counting stats going again tonight. 

Day'Ron Sharpe, C, Brooklyn Nets

This is just a shot in the dark playing Day'Ron Sharpe tonight. My thought process here is that with the three bigs in Karl Anthony-Towns, Rudy Gobert, and Naz Reid I believe the Nets may need to lean on Sharpe tonight. If Nic Claxton gets in foul trouble, Sharpe could be in line for a huge night. Even if Sharpe does not get more time on the court tonight, he can still be fantasy-viable in 15-20 minutes and won't completely sink your lineups.

Roster Lock Updates

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