March 31, 2016

Sam Nedimyer highlights the top daily fantasy basketball lineup picks for 3/31/16. These are the top value and sleeper plays for your DraftKings NBA DFS lineups.

Why watch daytime television? If you love soap operas with cheesy acting, ninety degree plot line turns, and sex scandals, just tune in to the Los Angeles Lakers every night. For those of us that do not enjoy “As the Lakers Turn,” we will just play a nice sweet game short slate Thursday.

In this article, I will be providing you with Daily NBA picks for DraftKings for 3/31/16. The picks will range from some of the elite players, to mid-priced options, and value plays.

Without wasting anymore time, let's get down to it!

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DraftKings DFS Point Guards

Russell Westbrook (vs LAC, $10,500)

He is leaps and bounds better than anyone else playing on Thursday night.

Patrick Beverley (vs CHI, $4,500)

Guys like Westbrook, Stephen Curry, and John Wall get all the hype- rightfully so- but the best kept secret in the NBA DFS world just may be Beverley. He is averaging 22 DraftKings per game this season and rarely does he stray too far south or north of that averaging. That means he is pretty cash safe. Especially against an ailing (big surprise) Derrick Rose who is posting his worst defensive year (109 DRating) since his rookie campaign of 2008-09.

Shane Larkin (at CLE, $4,100)

I actually find this game rather funny. The Cavs lost in Brooklyn just last week, so you know Cleveland and the King are going to want some payback. I fully expect the Cavs to win by about 150, but somehow has to handle the ball for the Nets. We’ve seen Larkin play more minutes than Donald Sloan over the last 10 days. Look for that streak to continue Thursday night.

DraftKings DFS Shooting Guards

James Harden (vs CHI, $10,600)

No surprise here.

Jimmy Butler (at HOU, $7,000)

Butler’s price tag was at $8k on March 14th. It’s now $7k. He is averaging 31.7 DraftKings points in 10 games since that date. These aren’t numbers that will blow you away, however you have to imagine that his ceiling is raised for Thursday night’s up tempo matchup with the defensively inept bearded one. Grab Jimmy Buckets while you can at this price.

Jamal Crawford (at OKC, $4,300)

Austin Rivers (at OKC, $3,100)

Word out of the Clippers camps is that both Chris Paul and J.J. Redick will rest on Thursday. That means both Crawford and, gulp, Rivers are in play. Crawford is clearly cash safe, but I have to say I’m a little intrigued about the upside for Rivers. Don’t get me wrong, Rivers is no more than a tournament play. But if he is going to play north of 20 minutes, I definitely want to get some exposure to him.

DraftKings DFS Small Forwards

LeBron James (vs BKN, $9,800)

Don’t overthink this one. The King is sounding more and more like he is getting angry with his teammates, which means he will exert his dominance on the court. Good luck stopping him, Brooklyn.

Jordan Hamilton (vs DEN, $3,400)

Another day, another Pelican. This time the award goes to Jordan Hamilton. We’re still not sure if at any way possible he is related to Alexander Hamilton, but the guy did sign a 10 day contract on the 25th and has played at least 19 minutes in three games since. He has played admirably, going 13-for-30 from the field with 13 boards, nine assists, a block and three steals during that span. At $3,400 and with an exploitable matchup with the Nuggets, why not Hamilton?

DraftKings DFS Power Forwards

Kevin Love (vs BKN, $7,100)

From top to bottom, the power forward position is looking rather rough on Thursday. So rough that Love is the top projected performer at the position. Yikes. The Cavs have been making a point of fitting him into the offense, but all signs point to it being the Lebron show on Thursday. From a points per dollar aspect, Love isn’t a great pick. But he is the best cash option.

Nikola Mirotic (at HOU, $4,900)

Mirotic is coming off a strong 48.5 DK point game against the Pacers. Unfortunately, three straight terrible performances preceded that game. He has been a streaky player all year, but if he hits early in the game against the Rockets, then he is due for a lot of minutes. Houston’s defense has been spotty at best this season, so this could be a sneaky time to jump on the Mirotic train.

Ed Davis (vs BOS, $4,500)

Davis has been on a solid run over the last six game, playing as efficient as he has ever played despite seeing his minutes capped around twenty five. Because he most likely will not see a ton of court time, I cannot in good conscience recommend him in cash games. I can, however, tell you that he has 34 DK point upside in a fast game against the Celtics and therefore, he is a savy tournament option at the four.

DraftKings DFS Centers

Cole Aldrich (at OKC, $3,000)

If you completely ignore more at every other pick, I get it. But the one guy you absolutely have to consider in every format is Aldrich. DeAndre Jordan, along with Redick and Paul, will sit on Thursday for rest, meaning that Aldrich will get massive minutes in a fast game in Oklahoma City. But it’s not just the minutes. The guy has insane upside. His per-36 numbers are impressive- 14.6 points, 12.4 rebounds, 3.2 blocks- and his 109 ORating and silly 95 DRating proves that he is not just a role player. I absolutely love Aldrich as the chalk play at the center position.

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