Fantasy Basketball: Studs and duds from Thursday and a DFS play for Friday

Thursday's best and worst plus a DFS pick for Friday

It's Friday, and every NBA team has officially played at least one 2022-23 regular-season game. Some of the best talents in the league doubled-down on strong performances earlier this week on Thursday, while others got their campaigns started with authority. Friday's 11-game slate will carry Fantasy managers into the first weekend of the season, and we'll recap some studs and duds from Thursday before digging into DFS players you should target ahead of the first tip-off at 7 p.m. ET.

Studs

Harden is playing like the best Fantasy asset in the league for the 0-2 Philadelphia 76ers. He followed up his opening night 35-point performance against the Boston Celtics by totaling 31 points, eight rebounds, and nine assists on 54 percent shooting against the Milwaukee Bucks. He's dominated against two of the NBA's premier defenses and appears to be in great health. His price seems certain to rise in the coming weeks.

Antetokounmpo had a modest scoring night with just 21 points but did grab 13 rebounds and dice up the 76ers with eight assists in his 2022-23 debut. His three blocks and one steal helped him finish the night as the second-most productive Fantasy option. Don't expect point totals like this from the two-time MVP moving forward. Especially with Khris Middleton missing the start of the season to recover from a wrist injury.

Zubac was unexpectedly the Los Angeles Clippers' best player in their six-point victory over the Los Angeles Lakers on Tuesday. The big man notched a double-double with 17 points and 14 rebounds. He was a perfect 6 for 6 from the field and racked up five rejections in a spectacular defensive performance. The Clips will need a lot from Zubac this year because they don't really have a backup center. Robert Covington and Nic Batum can only do so much as small-ball fives, and likely won't play more than 15 minutes a night.

Duds

Almost nothing was falling for Holiday on Thursday night. The Bucks point guard was expected to step up his scoring but shot an abysmal 2 for 15 from the field. He missed all six of his shots from beyond the arc. Holiday saved himself some by recording eight assists and a team-high two steals but still fell well short of expectations.

Westbrook was arguably Thursday's most disappointing player. He didn't make a field goal in 27 minutes against the Clippers and shot 0 for 11 from the field. He chucked up six triples and had nothing to show for it. Westbrook salvaged a horrendous night by forcing five turnovers with steals, but that didn't take enough attention away from his two points, three rebounds, and four assists.

Friday DFS play 

Jaren Jackson's fill-in is no slouch. Aldama turned heads during the preseason and picked up right where he left off in his 2022-23 debut on Wednesday. The Memphis Grizzlies forward notched 18 points and 11 rebounds in a team-high 39 minutes. Other players like Tre Jones and Bruno Fernando are other strong plays in the $5K or below tier, but I don't think either will get as much exposure. I'll back Aldama against an Indiana Pacers defense that forked up a 22-point double-double to Kyle Kuzma earlier this week. Their starting power forward, Jalen Smith (knee) is already questionable for the matchup.

Still deciding who to lock in for your DFS roster? We've identified a player worth locking in and one to avoid ahead of tip-off below, but you can get my full selection of stud and value plays at each position by heading over to SportsLine.