NBA DFS Helper: Jaylen Hoard shines among mid-tier DraftKings targets on Friday

Thursday's main NBA slate was a smaller one, but three players went over 70 fantasy points on DraftKings. Pascal Siakam, Nikola Jokic, and Anthony Edwards topped the leaderboard and more excitement is sure to follow ahead of the weekend. Need help locking in the best options for your DFS lineups? We've divided three optimal targets into tiers ahead of lock.

Ameer Tyree got his start in NBA DFS over four years ago. The former DraftKings Nation betting and fantasy writer spent over a year and a half breaking down basketball slates to build optimal lineups there. All three of his top plays from Thursday returned around 6X value, and now he's turned his attention to Friday's nine-game slate.

One play Ameer loves: Jalen Hoard. "Hoard is averaging 19.3 points and 15.3 rebounds through three starts this season and will return home to North Carolina for Friday's matchup against the Hornets. The 23-year-old glass eater played his high school and college ball in the Tar Heel State and could feast against a team that gives up the third-most rebounds (47.2) to opposing teams. I'd stay away from him if he's not a starter, but he should be a lock if Aleksej Pokusevski sits for a third straight contest." Ameer says about the matchup.

Keep reading to find out who makes the cut on Wednesday.

So what value plays stand out ahead of Friday's nine-game late slate? ... Join SportsLine here to see NBA DFS expert Ameer Tyree's advice and cash big on the NBA!