NBA DFS Picks, Projections, Lineups, Injuries & More Today: Friday Playbook

On Sunday, we have a five-game main slate on DraftKings that locks at 7 p.m. ET and a six-game main slate on FanDuel that locks at 6 p.m. ET, with Lakers at Pistons added on FanDuel only. Players such as Giannis Antetokounmpo, Cooper Flagg, Jayson Tatum and Domantas Sabonis take the floor. The Nets are the only team on a back-to-back after losing in Atlanta on Saturday. Luka Doncic has been ruled out with lower back tightness, which matters for FanDuel, and Keyonte George is the biggest name on the injury report that's currently in question.

Before actually diving into the meat and potatoes, welcome to the NBA DFS season. If this is your first time reading our column on NBA DFS picks, I just want to welcome you and give you a few tips and tricks on what you should be looking for each night.

• News outlets: reliable sources that give us injury news & starting lineups
• Pace of play: who's playing fast vs. who's playing slow. Which teams get a pace-up spot (more possessions) vs. pace-down (fewer possessions)
• Usage rates: is a percentage of how many plays that player is being used in
• NBA DFS Projections
• Lineup Generator
• NBA Ownership

Slate Snapshot & Injury Updates

Last updated: 3:10 p.m. ET

DK: 5 games | FD: 6 games | Lock: 7:00 p.m. ET (DK) | 6:00 p.m. ET (FD)

• Keyonte George (illness) and Lauri Markkanen (wrist) are questionable, so confirm status before tip and plan the late swap. Mitchell Robinson (illness) is also questionable, which would open minutes for Luka Garza, and Keegan Murray (ankle) is questionable for Sacramento. Luka Doncic is out for the Lakers, which makes Austin Reaves the top chalk play on FanDuel.
• MIA @ SAC is the game to attack: the highest total on the slate.
• Danny Wolf and Brook Lopez are the plays that make Antetokounmpo builds work.

FULL INJURY REPORT

Every fantasy-relevant player on today's slates with an injury designation: 15 out, 5 questionable. Who Benefits is listed for the players whose absence moves the slate.

Game Environments

Each game shows the away team first. MIA @ SAC carries the slate's top total. MIA @ SAC, UTA @ MIN and BOS @ MIL carry blowout risk. NOP @ LAC has the best pace matchup on the slate. LAL @ DET (6:00 p.m.) is on the FanDuel main slate only. Ranks are league-wide, 2026-27; pace rank 1 is fastest, and off and def rank 1 are best. Green marks a better DFS spot and red a worse one, so a weak defense shades green.

DraftKings vs FanDuel Price Differential

• De'Andre Hunter is the 11th highest priced SF on DraftKings but 20th on FanDuel, so the better positional value is on FanDuel ($5,800 DK, $4,400 FD).
• Brook Lopez is the 21st highest priced C on DraftKings but 10th on FanDuel, so the better positional value is on DraftKings ($4,600 DK, $4,700 FD).
• Darius Garland is the 1st highest priced PG on DraftKings but 9th on FanDuel, so the better positional value is on FanDuel ($8,500 DK, $7,000 FD).

Each player is ranked by salary among every player in that site's file eligible at the position, including multi-position players (1 is the highest priced). Players are compared at a position they are eligible for on both sites; when they share more than one, the position with the bigger gap is shown. Rank Gap is how many spots apart the two ranks are; the greener the cell, the bigger the gap. Better Positional Value is the site where the player has the lower position rank (priced lower among players at the position), regardless of the raw salary, since the two sites use different salary scales.

How to Attack the Slate

• Where the points are: MIA @ SAC and NOP @ LAC carry the slate's top totals. At least one defense ranks among the most generous in the league, and Maxime Raynaud is out, which reshapes the SAC roles.
• Chalk: Danny Wolf, Brayden Burries and Ayo Dosunmu will be among the highest-owned core plays. High ownership on volatile roles is where tournaments are won, so fade at least one of them.
• Leverage: Domantas Sabonis and Jaxson Hayes bring real upside at low ownership. Late news can add to this list, so recheck before lock.
• Value: Danny Wolf will be the most popular value play, while Brook Lopez fills a similar role at lower ownership. Use the chalk value in cash and mix in the pivot for tournaments.
• News to know: Keyonte George and Lauri Markkanen are still uncertain, so build late-swap paths around them, and keep Luka Garza in mind if Mitchell Robinson sits. On FanDuel, Doncic's absence pushes Austin Reaves to the top of the ownership chart at a projected 42.8%, with Cade Cunningham, Ausar Thompson and Paul Reed all projected over 30% in the 6 p.m. game.
• Cash: Anchor cash builds with Giannis Antetokounmpo, Jayson Tatum and Cooper Flagg, the most secure roles in the core, and leave questionable players for late swap.
• Tournaments: Correlation matters less here than in other sports, so separate through the game environment: get exposure to MIA @ SAC and pair the chalk anchors with Domantas Sabonis.

Top Tier Core Plays

Giannis Antetokounmpo - PF · MIA

I mean, there's not much to overthink here. Giannis Antetokounmpo is putting up 27.3 points and 12.7 rebounds this season and projects for a slate-best 1.76 FP/min on DraftKings and 1.74 on FanDuel. The Heat carry the top implied team total on the board at 124 points, Miami plays at the third-fastest pace in the league, and Sacramento ranks 29th in defense with Maxime Raynaud out. The only thing that slows him down is a blowout with the Heat laying 10.5, but even in 31 minutes he's the best projection on the slate. The field has him at roughly 19% on DK, which is way too low for a player this far ahead of everyone else.

Jayson Tatum - SF/PF · BOS

Jayson Tatum has one of the best roles in the NBA, and that hasn't changed. He's averaging 27.9 points and 6.3 rebounds and projects at 1.51 FP/min on DK and 1.48 on FD. The pace is the knock here, as Boston ranks 27th, but Milwaukee's defense ranks 28th, so the efficiency should be there even with fewer possessions. The 13.5-point spread is what keeps his ownership around 20%, and I'll take that trade-off in both formats.

Cooper Flagg - SF · DAL

Everyone is going to be loading up on the Nets' value plays, and that's exactly why Cooper Flagg stands out. He's averaging 23.9 points and 6.4 assists, he's a triple-double threat every night, and he projects at 1.33 FP/min on both DK and FD with 34 minutes of run. Brooklyn is on the second night of a back-to-back after playing in Atlanta on Saturday, and tired legs against Flagg's motor is a good spot. He's the 3rd-best projection on DK but only the 30th-highest owned player, which makes him one of my favorite tournament plays on the slate.

Mid-Tier Core Plays

Rudy Gobert - C · MIN

I mean, Rudy Gobert is just $5,600 on DK and that's why he's going to get plenty of ownership. Without Anthony Edwards, he's been a steady 1.1 FP/min player (1.15 on FD), and Utah is down Jaren Jackson and Jusuf Nurkic, leaving Jaxson Hayes as the only real size on the other side. His inability to score has always been the issue with Gobert, but Minnesota's 117-point implied total and Utah's 24th-ranked defense give him plenty of rebound and putback chances. He outprojects P.J. Washington while costing $600 less.

Ayo Dosunmu - PG/SG · MIN

Ayo Dosunmu has been one of the biggest winners of Anthony Edwards' absence, averaging 17.3 points, 5.0 rebounds and 4.3 assists, and he just dropped 26 points in Friday's win in New Orleans. He projects for nearly 33 minutes at 1.06 FP/min on both DK and FD, and Utah ranks fifth in pace with the 24th-ranked defense, so the volume should be there. The blowout risk with Minnesota laying 11.5 is the concern, but his guard eligibility makes him easier to fit than Jaden McDaniels at almost the same price. He'll be popular at around 30% on DK, but this is a role I want exposure to.

Michael Porter - SF · BKN

Brooklyn is without Egor Demin and Mikel Brown, which means the offense runs through Michael Porter and Julius Randle. Porter is averaging 21.8 points and projects for 34 minutes, the most of any core play, at 1.12 FP/min on DK. He's $100 cheaper than Paul George and projects more than three points higher. The back-to-back is the concern, but he's going to be chalk at around 30%. Eat it in cash and find your edge in how you build around him.

Tyler Herro - PG/SG · MIL

Tyler Herro has been the engine of Milwaukee's offense in the first season without Giannis, averaging 22.3 points on 42.6% shooting from three. He put up 23 points and 10 assists against Toronto on Friday and dropped 25 in Boston on Wednesday, so he's already seen this Celtics defense. He projects at 1.12 FP/min on DK, and Milwaukee plays at the seventh-fastest pace in the league. The 13.5-point spread is the risk, but when the Bucks fall behind, the ball ends up in his hands even more. At $6,700 on DK and roughly 24% owned, he's a much cleaner pivot off the Nets chalk, and he's barely owned on FanDuel at around 2%.

Value Tier Core Plays

Danny Wolf - C · BKN

Danny Wolf is just $3,000 on DK and that's why he's going to be the most popular player on the slate by a mile at a projected 58%. He's averaging 9.8 points and 5.5 rebounds, projects for 25 minutes and is right around 1 FP/min on both sites. Even his 25th-percentile outcome of 17.4 DKP pays off his salary. Plug him into cash and stop thinking about it. In tournaments, though, fading him at that ownership is one of the cleanest ways to separate.

Brook Lopez - C · LAC

With Isaiah Jackson out, Brook Lopez is the Clippers' only real option at center, and that means minutes. He's averaging 13.5 points and 5.1 rebounds and sits at 1.01 FP/min on DK and 1.04 on FD. New Orleans plays at the second-fastest pace in the league, and the 1.5-point spread should keep this game competitive and Lopez on the floor late. He's going to be one of the most popular value plays at over 31% on DK, so lock him into cash and look for a lower-owned center in tournaments.

Brayden Burries - PG/SG · MIL

Brayden Burries is averaging 10.2 points and projects for 27.5 minutes at 0.92 FP/min. His role is interesting because the Bucks have been starting him, but that doesn't mean he'll close over Ryan Rollins, and a 13.5-point spread could mean a garbage-time fourth quarter. Still, at $4,300 his 25th-percentile outcome of 19.3 DKP covers his salary. Expect him to be chalky on DK at 35%, while he's far less popular on FD at around 13%.

Klay Thompson - SG/SF · MIA

I mean, Klay Thompson is just $4,800 on DK and he's been on fire. He scored 25, 19 and 30 points in a three-game stretch from Oct. 30 to Nov. 4, making 19 threes in those games, and he capped it with the game-winning three in overtime against the Clippers. He projects for 26 minutes at 0.82 FP/min, which isn't elite, but the environment is: the Heat carry the slate's top implied total at 124 points against a Sacramento defense that ranks 29th. At under 7% ownership, he's the type of value play that separates you in tournaments.

Max Strus - SF/PF · LAC

Max Strus is just $4,400 on DK, and he's one of the cleaner values on the board that isn't wearing a Nets jersey. He made his Clippers debut on Nov. 2 after partially tearing the plantar fascia in his right foot in the preseason, and he's stepping into a lineup that's still without Brandon Ingram, Bradley Beal and Isaiah Jackson. Strus is a glue guy who shoots, rebounds and moves the ball, and when he returned from a foot injury in Cleveland last season he averaged 11.2 points, 5.4 rebounds and 2.8 threes in 12 games. He projects for 22 minutes at right around 1 FP/min on DK, and New Orleans plays at the second-fastest pace in the league with a 1.5-point spread that should keep this game tight. The risk is a minutes cap so soon after his return, but his 25th-percentile outcome of 17.4 DKP still covers most of his salary. He's around 18% owned on DK and under 1% on FanDuel at the same $4,400 price, which makes him a strong tournament pivot off Danny Wolf.

Late-News Core Plays

Players we are considering core plays based on late-breaking news and research

• Darryn Peterson, UTA: Love him if Keyonte George sits with the illness. He'd be the primary ball handler for a Utah team that plays at the fifth-fastest pace in the league.
• Ace Bailey, UTA: Bailey is the priority if Lauri Markkanen's wrist keeps him out, as the Jazz would lean on him for shot creation.
• Josh Green, UTA: Green could step into the starting lineup if Markkanen sits, but he's more of a minutes play than a ceiling play.
• Luka Garza, BOS: Garza is a cheap center option at $3,700 on DK if Mitchell Robinson can't go with the illness.
• Austin Reaves, LAL (FanDuel only): With Luka Doncic out, Reaves is the play on FanDuel. He's going to be the highest-owned player on that slate at a projected 42.8%, and for good 
   

Cash Core: Giannis Antetokounmpo, Jayson Tatum, Cooper Flagg, Julius Randle.

GPP Leverage: Domantas Sabonis, Jaxson Hayes, Ryan Rollins.

Player Pool

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Stacks

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