This article is part of our DraftKings NBA series.
Saturday's featured NBA slate begins at 7:00 PM Eastern time and features nine games. The Magic, Wizards, Hawks, Celtics and Pelicans are all finishing up back-to-back sets. Washington, Atlanta and New Orleans are also the league's three worst defensive teams, so there are plenty of lopsided matchups to exploit in this slate.
Slate Overview
Games to Target
Nuggets (-12) at Wizards O/U: 222.5
Denver usually plays at a slow pace, but the Nuggets should be able to score at will against a Wizards team that's surrendering a league-high 121.1 points per game and playing for the second time in as many nights. There's also one player on the Wizards who stands out as an option to target should Bradley Beal sit out again.
Bucks (-12) vs. Spurs O/U: 228.5
Milwaukee's tied with Houston for the league's best offense at 119.4 points per game, and the Bucks have a good chance of eclipsing that lofty average against a Spurs team that surrenders 114.8 points per game — sixth-most in the league. Meanwhile, San Antonio has been getting solid production from its top players recently.
Games to Fade
Jazz (-4) at Magic O/U: 207
These teams both rank among the six stingiest defensively and nine worst offensively, so expect a low-event game that's not fantasy-friendly.
Celtics (-1.5) at Bulls O/U: 209.5
This is also a clash of top-10 defenses, as Boston ranks first with 103.7 points allowed per game while Chicago's 10th at 106.8. With plenty of more favorable matchups to exploit, there's little reason to dip into this game.
Positional Breakdown
Even with a few prominent guards battling injuries, there are still 10 healthy point guards priced at $7,500 or more. Every other position has only five or six such players, so expect many lineups to feature a point guard in the UTIL spot.
Injury Situations to Monitor
Bradley Beal missed Friday's game due to a leg injury, and while there's been no update on his status since, there's a good chance he sits out again one day later.
Like Beal, Boston's Kemba Walker ($8,200) could find himself sitting out a second straight contest after missing Friday's game due to an illness.
D'Angelo Russell (shoulder) will miss a third consecutive game for the Warriors.
Kristaps Porzingis (knee) will also miss a third straight game for Dallas.
John Collins left Friday's game with a back contusion, leaving him doubtful to suit up for Atlanta on Saturday.
Malcolm Brogdon isn't traveling with the Pacers on their road trip as he continues to battle back spasms.
Blake Griffin (knee) will sit out for a third straight game against the Warriors.
Elite Players
Luka Doncic ($12,400) has topped 60 fantasy points in each of the two games Porzingis has missed with his latest knee injury, and this slate's most expensive player has a good chance of topping that threshold once more against Charlotte.
Giannis Antetokounmpo ($11,500) has scored 58.75 fantasy points or more in five of his last seven games, and he'll have a more favorable matchup than Doncic.
Andre Drummond ($9,900) should dominate inside against the Warriors with Blake Griffin out, and Detroit's center could be extra motivated to perform with trade rumors swirling around him.
Nikola Jokic ($9,400) has a favorable matchup in Washington, though it's possible he takes a back seat to some of his teammates against the league's most generous defense.
De'Aaron Fox ($8,600) is coming off a stellar, 59.5 fantasy point outing Thursday against the Grizzlies, and he'll face an equally generous defense here, as New Orleans' 116.6 points allowed per game are tied with Memphis for the league's third-highest mark.
Expected Chalk
Jamal Murray ($7,500) rebounded from a poor four-game stretch with 22 points, five rebounds and seven assists Thursday in Indiana. Denver's streaky point guard has a high ceiling and should play up to it against the league's worst defensive team.
Maxi Kleber ($5,900) has stepped up as Dallas' primary option on the inside with Porzingis out. The German big man has averaged 16.0 PPG and 9.0 RPG in the two games since Porzingis went down, and Kleber will be a double-double threat at home against the Hornets.
Aaron Holiday ($5,600) has thrived as the Pacers' starting point guard over the past five games, as Brogdon has missed four entirely and played only eight minutes in the other. Over this five-game stretch, Holiday has delivered 14.4 PPG and 7.6 APG. He has a good chance of eclipsing those averages against an Atlanta team that's allowing the second-most points in the league (117.3 per game). Holiday just needs to stay out of foul trouble, as he's finished with five fouls in three of these last five games.
With Eric Bledsoe still on a minutes restriction, Khris Middleton ($7,500) is the Bucks player to own in this matchup if you can't afford Antetokounmpo or want to stack the team's top players against the leaky Spurs defense. Middleton has been terrific over the past five games, averaging 22.6 PPG, 7.0 RPG and 5.2 APG.
Jordan McRae ($5,700) delivered a 35-point, five-rebound, four-assist gem Friday with Beal unavailable, and he's proven capable of producing even when Beal plays, with averages of 24.8 PPG, 5.3 RPG and 3.8 APG over the past four games. Denver represents a tough matchup, but McRae should still outperform his $5,700 valuation if Beal is out or limited.
Key Values
Michael Porter Jr. ($4,000) has a 19-point performance and a 25-point effort in his past three games, as the 21-year-old forward finally looks healthy and ready to contribute. His price will likely climb before long if Porter keeps producing like this, making this the perfect time to lock him in against a Wizards team that's allowing 121.1 points per game.
Alec Burks ($6,000) has demonstrated both his high upside and low floor in two starts since Russell got hurt, scoring 28 points and 45.0 fantasy points in the first one before following that up with seven points and 12.75 fantasy points in the second. He'll be a nice GPP option at home against Detroit given his ability to carry the offense when he's hot.
DeMar DeRozan ($6,700) is a nice against-the-grain option in Milwaukee. He's been the engine behind the Spurs' offense over the past five games, contributing 26.0 PPG, 4.2 RPG and 5.8 APG. Available at a slight discount due to the tough matchup, DeRozan could provide nice value here.
If Bogdan Bogdanovic (ankle) is unable to suit up for the Kings, Yogi Ferrell ($3,100) will likely inherit an expanded role against the generous Pelicans defense, making him a low-risk, high-reward cheap lineup filler.
