This article is part of our DraftKings NBA series.
The NBA kicks off the weekend with 11 games on the schedule Saturday -- 10 of which make up the main slate on DraftKings. With a ton of options available as a result, let's get right down to business and take a look at some players with favorable matchups who can hopefully help you win some money.
Guards
Nicolas Batum, CHA at NY ($8,100): Batum is on fire right now, scoring at least 49.5 DraftKings points in three straight games. He's stuffed the stat sheet across the board, averaging 19.7 points, 9.0 rebounds, 10.3 assists, 1.7 steals and 2.3 three-pointers during that stretch. The Knicks have allowed an average of 118.6 points during their nine-game losing streak, leaving Batum with an excellent opportunity to be productive Saturday.
Nick Young, GS at PHO ($4,500): The Warriors have quickly been decimated by injuries and will be without their star trio of Stephen Curry (ankle), Klay Thompson (thumb) and Kevin Durant (ribs) on Saturday. They have averaged a combined 72.6 points per game this season, leaving a huge hole in the Warriors offense. Never one to shy away from taking shots, Young has scored at least 16 points in back-to-back contests. He finished with at least 20.5 DraftKings points in both games. He doesn't contribute much outside of scoring, but he has upside against a Suns team that allows the most points per game (113.7) in the league.
Cameron Payne, CHI vs. CLE ($4,500): Payne has played at least 17 minutes and scored at least 20 DraftKings points in four straight games. He will likely start Saturday with Kris Dunn (toe) out, leaving him with even more playing time. The Cavaliers allow the sixth-most DraftKings points per game (48.1) to opposing point guards, leaving Payne with a reasonable chance to out-produce his price point in this contest.
Forwards
Anthony Davis, NO vs. HOU ($11,500): To show the insane hot streak that Davis is on, the 44 DraftKings points he scored in his last game Thursday against the Spurs was actually a disappointment. He was only 8-for-19 from the field and had six turnovers, so his line had the potential to be much better. He played well in his only previous game against the Rockets this season, scoring 27 points to go along with 11 rebounds, five assists and five blocks. He'll deal a significant blow to your budget, but he also has one of the highest upsides of anyone taking the floor Saturday.
Draymond Green, GS at PHO ($8,800): Green is the last star still standing for Golden State. He filled the stat sheet across the board in his 34 minutes Friday against the Kings, finishing with 50 DraftKings points. Although he scored just 14 points, he attempted 14 shots in the game. That was the most shot attempts he has taken in a game in over a month. With no reinforcements coming Saturday, Green should see heavy usage once again.
Denzel Valentine, CHI vs. CLE ($5,200): Not only will the Bulls be without Dunn on Saturday, but Lauri Markkanen (back) will also be sidelined. Throw in Zach LaVine (knee) being listed as questionable and the Bulls could be without three of their best offensive players. That would leave a lot of shots and minutes to go around, which could benefit Valentine greatly. In the 22 games that Valentine has logged at least 30 minutes this season, he has averaged 12.5 points, 7.1 rebounds, 4.1 assists and 2.7 three-pointers. With the Cavaliers continuing to struggle on defense, Valentine could be in for a big performance.
Centers
Rudy Gobert, UTA vs. SAC ($8,700): The Jazz are playing extremely well right now and Gobert has been one of the main reasons for their success, scoring at least 42.5 DraftKings points in seven of his last eight games. Not only has he continued to play stellar defense, but he's scored at least 19 points in five of his last six contests. The Kings allow the fourth-most DraftKings points per game (54.2) to opposing centers, giving Gobert a high upside again Saturday.
Clint Capela, HOU at NO ($6,900): Capela is not playing his best basketball of the season right now, scoring 26.8 DraftKings points or fewer in four of his last six games. He showed signs of coming out of his slump Thursday against the Clippers, scoring 19 points to go along with 12 rebounds and six blocks. The Pelicans play at the third-fastest pace (102.7 possessions per game) and allow the second-most points per game (111.5) in the league, leaving Capela with a chance to provide valuable numbers for a second straight game.
Al Jefferson, IND at WAS ($3,900): The Pacers were already without Domantas Sabonis (ankle) on Thursday against the Raptors, but then they lost Myles Turner due to an ankle injury. Jefferson ended up playing 25 minutes in that game, scoring an impressive 43.5 DraftKings points. Sabonis will be out again Saturday and Turner is listed as questionable, so Jefferson could see considerable playing time against the Wizards. At this price, he's worth the risk in tournament play.
