There's a 10-game slate on tap for Friday's NBA tilt which should allow us to put the focus back on the court. With all the hubbub about Russell Westbrook's return to OKC and the ensuing Twitter war between Kendrick Perkins and Kevin Durant, it's kind of nice to return to hoops - more importantly DFS hoops.

Without further ado, let's get to the card:

Tonight's DFS Headlines

Hawks @ Wizards

We've got the two worst defenses in points allowed going at it, so obviously Atlanta @ Washington is a great game to target on both sides. The betting total in this one is 236.

Pelicans @ Knicks

New York is on a 4-game losing streak, allowing 120+ points in three of those defeats. The matchup is great timing for the Pelicans, who have scored 120+ in 4 of their last 6.

Heat @ Nets

Speaking of streaks, the Nets have now dropped 7 in a row mostly because they cannot score. Brooklyn has been held to 103 points or less in 5 of those defeats and has a date with Miami's #10 defense tonight.

Pacers @ Bulls

The Bulls come into tonight's game not only on a 5-game losing streak, they also haven't beaten Indiana since 2017, a run that spans 7 games. Chicago has no post defense, ranking 30th vs. the PF and 29th vs. the C which only gets worse with Wendell Carter, Jr (ankle) out for the 2nd straight game.

Spurs @ Grizzlies

The Spurs rank 25th defensively vs. the PG spot and Memphis' back court of Ja Morant ($7.2) and Dillon Brooks ($5.3k) combined for 53 points on 23-38 shooting Tuesday vs. Minnesota. However, it was the Spurs that posted 145 points when these teams met up 2 days before Christmas.

Magic @ Suns

Phoenix has a top 10 pace in the league but Orlando has put the clamps on defensively lately, holding 3 of their last 4 opponents under 90 points (!). The betting total in this one is still up there at 216.5 though.

Hornets @ Jazz

These two teams are streaking in opposite directions, as the Jazz have won 12 of 13 while the Hornets have dropped 8 of 10. Utah is a -12.5 favorite so you always have to be leery of the 💣Blowout Game💣here.

Lakers @ Mavericks

Anthony Davis took a hard fall in a 30-point win over the Knicks on Tuesday and, for lack of a better term, hurt his butt (aka a "backside contusion"). That ups the degree of difficulty for the Lakers, who have won 6 straight but it also levels the playing field, as Kristaps Porzingis has missed the last 5 for Dallas.

Bucks @ Kings

Look for Milwaukee to up their tempo a bit tonight, as coach Mike Budenholzer said the team wasn't playing with "the pace, the force, or the movement" to fit his standards. Sacramento is the 4th slowest team in the league in possessions per game though, so something has to give here.

Warriors @ Clippers

This contest also has 💣Blowout Game 💣potential, as the Clippers are a 13 point favorite tonight. L.A. has allowed 130+ points to Memphis and the Knicks in consecutive games though and are without Paul George (hamstring) and possibly Kawhi Leonard (knee).

Guards

Lou Williams DK $7.4k | FD $6.2k

There's no Paul George tonight which makes Lou Williams a good play. There's also potentially no Kawhi Leonard, which gives "the Sweet One" a boost to great play status. Williams can be had for $1.2k less on FD, which is great considering he gets a 6% usage increase and 10+ fp boost with those two off the floor. Williams has 22+ points on 16+ shots in each of the last three games which should continue against the Warriors #30 ranked defense vs. the SG.

Kevin Huerter DK $6.1k | FD $5.7k

Under $6k (on FD) for Kevin Huerter up against Washington's bottom feeding defense? Why not? At that price, Huerter only needs 36 points to hit 6X even on DK - a number he's hit in 4 of the last 5 games. He did lay an egg in what was supposed to be a fast paced game vs. Houston last time out, but that's just because Trae Young was playing a glorified game of 1-on-1 vs. James Harden. Huerter had 7+ 3-point attempts in four games before taking just 3 vs. the Rockets. He'll get back to form tonight.

Lonzo Ball DK $7.3k | FD $6.4k

Lonzo Ball has had a breakout week, going for 43+ in 3 of 5. Every superstar has their "Garden Game" as a rite of passage - is that what Ball turns in tonight? He's got much better value on FD, especially as the Knicks are very beat up down low and the assists numbers should climb.

🏀👍 Other Likes  / Dislikes 👍🏀

Trae Young ($10.4k) hit 80 fp last game vs. the Rockets. What does he do against Washington's #30 ranked defense?

Zach Lavine ($8.3k) and Devin Booker ($8.4k) have been 50+ fp machines lately, but also have tough matchups vs. Indiana and Orlando respectively.

Forwards

Domantas Sabonis DK $9.1k | FD $9.1k

The Bulls struggle vs. bigs, and that's when healthy. Wendell Carter, Jr. is out for the 2nd straight game for a Chicago team that ranks 30th defensively vs. the PF position and 29th against centers. Domantas Sabonis (GTD) is above $9k for the 1st time since November 3rd - the last time Indiana played the Bulls (Sabonis sat that game with a calf injury). Even at the price, Sabonis hit 6X after scoring 27 points and grabbing double digit rebounds for the 5th time in the last 6 games.

Rudy Gay DK $4.2k | FD $4.1k

Rudy Gay is in his old stomping grounds of Memphis tonight in what should be a high scoring game with the betting total in the 230s. He only needs 29 fp for 7X tonight - a number he hit in each of his last two fast paced games (both against Milwaukee). The Grizzlies have the #8 team in pace, and also rank 21st defensively vs. the SF position, allowing 42.38 fp/48.

Montrezl Harrell DK $6.7k | FD $6.5k

There should be plenty of minutes for Montrezl Harrell tonight as the Clippers are 13 point favorites vs. the Warriors. LA is without Paul George and potentially Kawhi Leonard as well, which gives Harrell an even bigger boost. The Clippers should be rested since they haven't played since Sunday, a game in which Harrell had 34 points on 13-21 shooting.

🏀👍👍 Other Likes / Dislikes 👍👍🏀

Bobby Portis ($6.4k) has upside with Julius Randle and Marcus Morris out of the lineup for the Knicks. That also gives Brandon Ingram ($9.2k) value for New York's opponent, the Pelicans.

Center

John Collins DK $8.5k | FD $8.3k

Bigs against Washington are pretty much a 🔒Lock Spot🔒if anything just for the injuries the Wizards have in the front court including Hachimura, Bryant, and Wagner. John Collins has cooled a bit from his torrid start after a return from suspension. He has a high of 17 real points in the last 4 games but did grab 14 rebounds Wednesday against Houston. Collins also has 15+ shots in each of the last two, which is good - as is tonight's matchup.

🏀👍 Other Likes / Dislikes 👍🏀

Nikola Vucevic ($8.8k) is back under $9k and is a great cash game play, as he has given a solid 48-50 fp in each of the last four. Phoenix is also ranked 26th defensively vs. the C spot.

____________________________________________________________________________________

You can follow me, Carl Taylor (@dailydogsports), on Twitter for more daily fantasy and sports betting talk and make sure to check out the LineStar chat.

Freeroll

The NBA freeroll contests will take place on Monday, Wednesday, and Friday on DraftKings:

Here's a link for today's freeroll contest - good luck!

1st Place: Your Choice: One month LineStar premium membership, a LineStar T-Shirt or $10 via PayPal.

Bonus: If you place 1st in the LineStar Freeroll and you are using the LineStar avatar below, you can choose 2 prizes.

Please Note: While you may enter the LineStar freeroll as often as you’d like, you can only win a prize 1 time.

Winners: DM us on Twitter with a screenshot of your win to claim your prize.

🔥 SuperDraft Multiplier Must-Play

Today's SuperDraft multiplier must-play is Domantas Sabonis. He has double digit rebounds in 5 of the last 6 and 23+ points in 3 of 5. A very favorable matchup against Chicago's league-worst defense vs. the PF spot is on tap.

🚨 Bonus: Get 3 Free Months of LineStar Premium

Get 3-months of LineStar Premium for new users to SuperDraft who deposit/play $10!

Terms: Partnership offers do NOT renew. See SuperDraft landing page for full terms and conditions. Must be a new user to SuperDraft and deposit and play a minimum of $10 to qualify. If you have an existing LineStar Premium subscription you get a Hat/Tee/Pen combo instead of the 3-months.