This article is part of our DraftKings NBA series.
Injury/Rest Situations to Monitor
After resting Brook Lopez on Thursday, the Nets may opt to sit Thaddeus Young in Friday's matchup with the Knicks. If so, Thomas Robinson ($3,600) would likely get a few extra minutes, coming off performances of 40.00 and 28.75 DraftKings points in his past two games. Young was rested in the first of those games, which allowed Robinson to go for 18 and 12 (with some complementary stats) over 32 minutes.
With Kristaps Porzingis (shoulder) unavailable, Derrick Williams ($3,500) put up 26 DK points in 35 minutes in Wednesday's loss to the Mavs. Should Three 6 Latvia miss Friday's game against Brooklyn, Williams would again be one of the strongest plays at power forward.
If Deron Williams (abdomen) misses a fifth straight game Friday in Detroit, J.J. Barea ($5,300) and Raymond Felton ($4,700) will remain solid choices. Between the two, Barea has displayed a far superior ceiling, topping 35 DK points in three of his last four games, including 40+ in each of his last two.
The Cavs could opt to rest players Friday in Atlanta, but with the Raptors only two games back for the No. 1 spot, I'm guessing Tyronn Lue will have everyone suit up.
Derrick Favors (leg) is questionable for Friday's game against Minnesota, potentially giving Trey Lyles ($3,400) a chance to join the starting lineup. The rookie seems to have moved ahead of Trevor Booker in the Utah rotation, and he's been very productive on a per-minute basis over the past few weeks.
Player Recommendations
Point Guard
Shane Larkin, BKN (Fri. at NY, Sun. vs. NO), $4,100
The Nets have finally reduced Donald Sloan's playing time, allowing Larkin to record 23+ DK points and 27+ minutes in each of the last five games. He is averaging 12.0 points, 3.2 boards, 6.2 assists, 2.0 steals and 2.8 turnovers in 30.4 minutes per game in that span, which coincides with his promotion to the starting lineup. Larkin should further benefit from favorable matchups, as Knicks starting point guard Jose Calderon (knee) is uncertain for Friday, and the Pelicans have been decimated by injuries at every position.
Other options: Stephen Curry, GS (Fri. vs. BOS, Sun. vs. POR), $10,200; Isaiah Thomas, BOS (Fri. at GS, Sun. at LAL), $7,800; Ish Smith, PHI (Fri. at CHA, Sat. vs. IND), $6,200; Reggie Jackson, DET (Fri. vs. DAL, Sat.at CHI), $5,800
Shooting guard
Bradley Beal, WAS (Fri. at PHO, Sun. at LAC), $5,800
A holdover recommendation from last week, Beal once again makes for a strong play, even though his price has shot back up from its low point of $5,100. He always carries some risk because of his reliance on outside shooting, but with the Wizards desperately clawing for a playoff spot, Beal has displayed an impressive ceiling in recent weeks while often logging minutes in the mid-30s. He topped 35 DK points in three of his previous eight games, and it won't be at all surprising if he makes it four out of nine in Friday's favorable matchup against Phoenix. Beal isn't quite as appealing for Sunday against the Clippers, but he should still be a reasonable option if the shooting guard pool doesn't look strong behind James Harden.
Other options: Rodney Hood, UTA (Fri. vs. MIN, Sun. at PHO), $5,200; Wesley Matthews, DAL (Fri. at DET, Sun. at MIN), $4,900; Monta Ellis, IND (Sat. at PHI, Sun. at NY); James Harden, HOU (Sun. vs. OKC)
Small Forward
Harrison Barnes, GS (Fri. vs. BOS, Sun. vs. POR), $4,300
With Andre Iguodala (leg) sidelined since March 11, Barnes has reached the 30-minute plateau in 11 straight games, averaging 10.6 points, 6.1 boards, 2.2 assists, 0.7 steals, 0.2 blocks, 0.7 treys and 0.5 turnovers in 34.3 minutes per game over that span. It only works out to about 24 DK points per game, but that's solid production for $4,300, and Barnes hasn't been shooting well from beyond the arc. Oddly enough, he scored double-digit points in each of his last five games, despite making just four of his 16 three-point attempts during that stretch. If his shot starts falling, Barnes will be a real threat to reach 35 DK points, which would be fantastic at his current price.
Other options: Luol Deng, MIA (Fri. at SAC, Sat. at POR), $6,000; Marcus Morris, DET (Fri. vs. DAL, Sat. at CHI), $5,300; Jae Crowder, BOS (Fri at GS, Sun. at LAL), $5,300; Kent Bazemore, ATL (Fri. vs. CLE); Paul George, IND (Sat. at PHI, Sun. at NY)
Power Forward
Dirk Nowitzki, DAL (Fri. at DET, Sun. at MIN), $6,700
Even with the likelihood that there will be some nice discount options at power forward this weekend, Nowitzki stands out as one of the stronger plays for both Friday and Sunday. Shooting woes have limited his production the past three games, but he's still carrying a massive offensive load with Chandler Parsons (knee) and potentially Deron Williams (abdomen-questionable) sidelined. Prior to his recent three-game slump, Nowitzki had 34+ DK points in seven consecutive contests, including five outings with at least 43.
Other options: Draymond Green, GS (Fri. vs. BOS, Sun. vs. POR), $8,100; Zach Randolph, MEM (Fri. vs. TOR, Sun. at ORL), $6,500; Jabari Parker, MIL (Fri. vs. ORL, Sun. vs. CHI), $5,700; John Henson, MIL (Fri. vs. ORL, Sun. vs. CHI), $3,800
Center
Andre Drummond, DET (Fri. vs. DAL, Sat. at CHI), $7,400
Despite finally breaking out of his slump this past week, Drummond enters Friday carrying his lowest price tag in recent memory. He has five straight outings of 37+ DK points, including 43+ in three of his last four games. He's also averaging 42.5 DK points per game for the season, which would generally suggest a price tag closer to $8,400 than $7,400. Even in a sub-par matchup, Drummond will likely be one of the most popular plays on Friday's slate. Sacramento's Kosta Koufos ($4,100) is also a very strong option at center, as DeMarcus Cousins (suspension/rest) won't play this weekend.
Other options: Hassan Whiteside, MIA (Fri. at SAC, Sat. at POR), $8,700; Alex Len, PHO (Fri. vs. WAS, Sun. vs. UTA), $6,000; Kosta Koufos, SAC (Fri. vs. MIA, Sat. at DEN), $4,100; Cody Zeller, CHA (Fri. vs. PHI, Sun. at CLE), $4,000
