Friday's main slate is an eight-game NBA card: CHA @ WAS, NYK @ PHI, CHI @ BOS, DET @ BKN, ORL @ TOR, IND @ MIA, LAC @ MIN and HOU @ DAL. It runs on the DraftKings classic format with a $50,000 salary cap, and the slate locks at 7:00 p.m. ET (4:00 p.m. PT).
Our model's top-ranked plays start at the high end with Giannis Antetokounmpo (MIA, $10,500), who carries the highest ceiling on the board at 96.7 and a DraftKings average of 50.4. Jayson Tatum (BOS, $9,800) and Cooper Flagg (DAL, $9,500) follow with ceilings of 77.2 and 77.4. Joel Embiid (PHI, $8,600) averages 44.4 on DraftKings but tops out at 66.0 in our model, while Scottie Barnes (TOR, $8,400) shows a 74.7 ceiling. Josh Giddey (CHI, $7,600) stands out among the mid-tier options with a ceiling of 75.2 and an average of 31.9.
The value end is anchored by Tre Jones (CHI, $4,000), who shows a ceiling of 65.5 against a DraftKings average of 18.6. That ceiling at the minimum-tier salary is the kind of gap that frees up cap room for the stars above. Kyrie Irving (DAL, $7,400) is the other name in our ranking, with a 55.7 ceiling and a 29.8 average.
Several players carry DraftKings status tags that will shape how the slate plays out: Anthony Edwards (MIN), Paolo Banchero (ORL), Tyrese Haliburton (IND), Kawhi Leonard (TOR), Kon Knueppel (CHA) and Ivica Zubac (IND) are tagged OUT. Alperen Sengun (HOU) and Jaylen Brown (PHI) are tagged Q.
Our model's top lineup uses $49,800 of the $50,000 cap. It runs Giddey at PG ($7,600), Josh Hart at SG ($6,000), Brandon Miller at SF ($7,800), LeBron James at PF ($7,200) and Moussa Diabate at C ($5,300). Davion Mitchell fills the G slot ($5,500), Jarace Walker the F slot ($4,300) and OG Anunoby the UTIL ($6,100).
Lineups lock at 7:00 p.m. ET.
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