This article is part of our FanDuel NBA series.
Friday's NBA slate features a robust 10 games and begins at 7:00 PM Eastern time. Read on to see which players stand out from the pack as options to target at their respective valuations. FanDuel's format only counts the eight highest scores in your nine-player lineup, so keep that in mind when making your selections.
POINT GUARD
Kris Dunn, CHI vs. ORL ($7,500): Dunn has been the focal point of Chicago's offense while Zach LaVine sits out with an ankle injury, scoring 24 points in two of the three games since LaVine went down while adding 4.3 RPG, 5.3 APG and 1.7 steals per game over that span. With LaVine ruled out for 2-4 weeks and Dunn's price still not fully adjusted to his increased workload, the third-year guard is primed to provide strong value in all but the toughest of matchups for the foreseeable future.
Fred VanVleet, TOR vs. CLE ($5,300): VanVleet logged 31 minutes in his return from a sore back Wednesday, and he could see even more playing time in this one as Kyle Lowry continues to sit due to a thigh contusion. The stellar substitute's combination of shooting and facilitating ability should translate well to the starting point guard role, as he'll have the ball in his hands often while being surrounded by excellent teammates capable of turning quality looks into assists against the 8-24 Cavaliers.
SHOOTING GUARD
Tim Hardaway, NY vs. ATL ($7,000): Hardaway didn't skip a beat after missing a game due to plantar fasciitis, scoring 27 points to go with five assists Wednesday in Philadelphia. New York's leading scorer at 21.2 PPG should have no problems eclipsing that average at home against a Hawks team that's surrendering a league-high 119.0 points per game.
Kent Bazemore, ATL at NY ($6,800): Kent's been putting the 'more' in Bazemore over the past six games, averaging 16.2 PPG, 3.8 RPG and 5.5 APG while also recording multiple steals in five of those games and multiple blocks in two. A Knicks team that's gone 2-8 over its past 10 games to drop to 9-24 overall is unlikely to slow Bazemore down in this battle of standings bottom-dwellers. With trade interest in the 29-year-old wing reportedly picking up, Bazemore will be motivated to keep strutting his stuff for potential suitors.
SMALL FORWARD
Gordon Hayward, BOS vs. MIL ($6,000): Hayward's heavily reliant on the 3-point shot – his 3.8 attempts per game are likely to climb closer to the 5.1 he attempted in each of his final two seasons with Utah. His current 34.3 percent conversion rate should tick up toward his career 36.6 percent mark as Hayward grows more comfortable in his return from last season's gruesome injury. Those positive trends are likely to manifest themselves in this matchup with a Bucks team that struggles to defend on the perimeter. Milwaukee's average of 13.0 made 3-pointers allowed per game is just 0.1 short of Atlanta's league-worst mark.
LeBron James, LAL vs. NO ($11,200): James is still more than capable of taking over games, as he proved with his 36-point, 13-rebound, eight-assist effort in Tuesday's loss to the Nets. Look for LeBron to try to stem any negative momentum here while simultaneously impressing Pelicans star Anthony Davis, for whom he's ramped up the recruiting efforts of late. A New Orleans club that's battling injuries up front and allows 115.3 points per game is unlikely to put up much resistance against James.
POWER FORWARD
Larry Nance, CLE at TOR ($7,300): Nance has grabbed the starting center job by the horns with Tristan Thompson sidelined by an ankle injury, delivering sustainable cross-category production most weren't even aware he was capable of. The 11.1-point, 9.9-rebound near-double-double he's averaging over the past seven games isn't surprising, but Nance is also passing the ball like Chris Paul with a 41:9 assist to turnover ratio over that span. With averages of 2.1 steals and 1.0 block on top of that, Nance is filling up box scores in every category.
Jaren Jackson, MEM at SAC ($6,600): The Kings have been leaking points of late, allowing four of their past five opponents to score at least 130. For the season, Sacramento's allowing the third-most points per game at 116.9 and third-most rebounds per game at 57.0. This favorable matchup should create the perfect environment for the inconsistent Jackson to thrive. Capable of bursting out for 20-plus points, double-digit rebounds or a handful of blocks on any given night, the rookie fourth overall pick has a nice chance to keep rolling after scoring 31.2 or more fantasy points in three of his past five games.
CENTER
Myles Turner, IND at BKN ($7,300): If you discount last Friday's dud against the 76ers and Joel Embiid – who's as good at defending fellow big men as anybody in the league – Turner's been on fire over the past seven games. In the other six contests over that span, Turner's averaging 17.3 PPG, 10.3 RPG and a robust 3.8 blocks per game. Brooklyn's Jarrett Allen is no Embiid, so expect Turner to approach or surpass those recent averages here.
