RADIO
There are seven games on tap for the main slate tonight, which is a pretty hefty schedule compared to our normal weekend slates. The Bucks will be taking on the Grizzlies in the best fantasy game environment on the slate, one that features the fastest projected pace and the highest implied total of the night. There are other appealing spots to attack with the Rockets-Blazers and Nets-Heat matchups, and even the Pacers-Raptors, Thunder-Nuggets, and Bulls-Cavaliers affairs have their areas of interest. The Kings-Magic affair rates out as the worst game to select players from, but there will undoubtedly be value plays to be had on both squads tonight. The Kings will be without stars De'Aaron Fox and Domantas Sabonis while the Magic are missing Jalen Suggs.
Giannis Antetokounmpo is the biggest name to watch as he enters the day with a questionable tag, but we'll also need to monitor the status of Shai Gilgeous-Alexander, DeMar DeRozan, Khris Middleton, Josh Giddey, Gary Trent Jr., Seth Curry, Jalen Smith, Goga Bitadze, Alex Caruso, Goran Dragic, and Kenrich Williams. Michael Porter Jr. is also questionable to make his return to the Nuggets' lineup. As noted in the chart below, the three teams playing in the second half of a back-to-back set are the Blazers, Heat, and Rockets.
This article will provide you with my daily fantasy basketball lineup picks for DraftKings and FanDuel on 3/26/22. Remember to monitor NBA injury news and our live-updating NBA injury updates tool as the slate can completely change before lineups lock. As always, feel free to follow my Twitter (@RING_DFS) - I post about a variety of things but mainly NBA DFS with my K-Rate model. Let's get to it - good luck RotoBallers!
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DraftKings and FanDuel Guards - NBA DFS Lineup Picks
Tyus Jones - PG, MEM vs. MIL ($5,100 DK, $5,300 FD)
You just can't ignore what Jones can bring to the table at this low of a salary. He averages a subpar 16.2% usage rate with Morant and Clarke off the floor this season, but his 0.93 FPTS/min rate in the split will assuredly get the job done at his projected 33 minutes of playing time. He put up 26.5 DK points over just 25 minutes in a blowout win on Thursday, but he went for 34 and 30.25 DK points in the two games prior and that should be around what we can expect out of him tonight. The Bucks boast a solid defense overall and generally defend the point guard position well, but they have allowed the 10th-most fantasy points per game to opposing point guards over their last 30 games. This is the top game environment on the slate, holding a fast projected pace and the highest implied total, and we want to get to the affordable starting point guard in those scenarios whenever we can.
Kris Dunn - PG, POR vs. HOU ($4,600 DK, $4,800 FD)
This is about as ugly as it gets, but value is value and the Trail Blazers actually rate out as the third-best team to target for DFS contests tonight. Dunn is on his second 10-day contract with the Blazers and he has been coming off the bench, but he's generally playing minutes in the mid-20's and has crushed value at his cheap salary several times already. He only played 19 minutes last night, but he vastly outplayed starter Brandon Williams as he had 28.75 DK points to Williams' abysmal 8.5 DK points. Dunn's chances of seeing increased playing time tonight had to improve immensely following last night's results, but he remains a great value even if we project him for the 25-ish minutes he normally receives. He's averaging 0.99 FPTS/min during his seven-game stretch with the Blazers, and we'll take that rate all day at under $5k on both sites. The matchup literally cannot be better - the Rockets rank dead last in defensive rating, allow the most fantasy points per game to opposing teams, and allow the most fantasy points per game to opposing point guards. Fire away with the former Timberwolves lottery pick.
Davion Mitchell - PG/SG, SAC vs. ORL ($6,000 DK, $5,900 FD)
Pretty weird to see Tyus Jones, Kris Dunn, and Davion Mitchell as the recommended guard plays, but it's late March in the NBA and these are the kinds of things that happen. Also, Mitchell has been going off, recording 38.25 and 46.75 DK points in his last two games. Those came in the absence of Fox and Sabonis, of course, but they will be out again tonight. Mitchell holds a 24.8% usage rate and a 0.99 FPTS/min rate with those two (and Haliburton) off the floor this season. He's playing minutes in the upper-30's lately and that's absolutely something we want to take advantage of against the lowly Magic. Orlando has allowed the sixth-most fantasy points per game overall and the third-most fantasy points per game to opposing points guards over their last 15 games, so the opportunity will again be there for Mitchell to continue his torrid stretch.
Others to consider (FanDuel): Donte DiVincenzo ($4,500), Alex Caruso ($4,500), Will Barton ($4,800), Keon Johnson ($3,500), Dennis Schroder ($4,200), Cole Anthony ($6,100), R.J. Hampton ($4,100)
Others to consider (DraftKings): Dillon Brooks ($5,800), Donte DiVincenzo ($5,400), Monte Morris ($4,600), Kevin Porter Jr. ($6,200)
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DraftKings and FanDuel Forwards - NBA DFS Lineup Picks
Aaron Gordon - SF/PF, DEN vs. OKC ($5,400 DK, $5,000 FD)
Gordon's at a really nice price point for the minutes and production he has been putting up recently, and the matchup is about as good as one can get. He has exceeded 5x value in three of his last four games, and he put up at least 36 DK points twice in that span. Michael Porter Jr. remaining out of the lineup would really help solidify Gordon's chances, but he'd still be a player to consider with MPJ in as we can safely give a boost to his 0.94 FPTS/min rate in this matchup against the Thunder. The Thunder allow the second-most fantasy points per game in the league, and they rank in the bottom three against both small forwards and power forwards as well (in terms of fantasy points allowed per game). Gordon's ceiling is somewhere right at or below 40 DK points, and he has a great shot at reaching it tonight.
Jaren Jackson Jr. - PF/C, MEM vs. MIL ($7,500 DK, $6,500 FD) | Better on FanDuel
Ja Morant and Brandon Clarke will both remain out of the lineup tonight, and Jackson Jr. holds a team-high 31.6% usage rate and 1.28 FPTS/min with those two off the floor this season. This matchup rates out as the best game environment on the slate, and the Grizzlies rate out as the top team to target. The Bucks have allowed the seventh-most fantasy points per game to opposing power forwards this season, and the 10th-most fantasy points per game to opposing teams over their last seven games. What's not to love here? Well, Triple-J (as I like to call him) has a propensity to either a) fall short due to foul trouble, b) fall short due to his minutes being limited, or c) fall short due to poor performance. This makes him a tournament-only option as he has proven to be a player that you cannot roll out in cash formats. All of that being said, he has been mostly consistent over his last eight games and we have to trust his usage and production metrics over the large sample size, which means we have to love him in this spot at his FanDuel price.
Others to consider (FanDuel): Trey Lyles ($4,900), Trendon Watford ($6,100), Jaren Jackson Jr., Kevin Love ($5,500), Jae'Sean Tate ($4,200), Bam Adebayo ($8,100), Giannis Antetokounmpo ($11,400), Will Barton ($4,800), Jimmy Butler ($8,000), DeMar DeRozan ($7,900), CJ Elleby ($3,700)
Others to consider (DraftKings): Chimezie Metu ($4,000), Kevin Love ($6,500), Jae'Sean Tate ($4,200), OG Anunoby ($5,500), Garrison Mathews ($3,200), Giannis Antetokounmpo ($11,800)
DraftKings and FanDuel Centers - NBA DFS Lineup Picks
Nikola Jokic - C, DEN vs. OKC ($12,000 DK, $11,600 FD)
Jokic is always my favorite pay-up option on any slate he's on, regardless of the circumstances. The reasoning behind it is pretty simple - he has the highest raw fantasy point ceiling in the entire NBA. That's definitely not going to change against the Thunder, who roll out Olivier Sarr and Aleksej Pokusevski as their "centers." The Thunder have allowed the sixth-most fantasy points per game to opposing centers this season and the second-most fantasy points per game to opposing teams overall, so the mega-ceiling is firmly in play tonight. The only caution flag with this play is that the Nuggets are currently 15-point favorites at home against the perennially-tanking Thunder. Players can still reach (and exceed) value in blowouts, but the chances of Jokic putting up a monster ceiling game become muted if the Nuggets run away with the game early.
Others to consider (FanDuel): Nikola Vucevic ($7,100), Mo Bamba ($5,000), Bam Adebayo ($8,100)
Others to consider (DraftKings): Damian Jones ($4,400), Goga Bitadze ($5,500), Bam Adebayo ($8,300)
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