RADIO
Storylines are aplenty Friday, beginning with Jimmy Butler returning back to Chicago in the midst of a stretch that has reestablished him as an elite DFS commodity. Elsewhere around the league, Washington’s much-maligned interior defense will try to figure out how to slow Joel Embiid, the Rockets will attempt to stitch enough healthy and/or eligible players onto the floor, and the Pelicans will have less than 24 hours to rebound from a 30-point home loss to … the Timberwolves?
The girth of talent sitting out to await a new home Friday also jumps off the page. Andre Drummond, LaMarcus Aldridge, and P.J. Tucker are set to remain absent, correspondingly paving the way for Jarrett Allen, Jakob Poeltl, and Justin Patton, respectively, to see sizable upticks in intrigue.
This article will provide you with my daily fantasy basketball lineup picks for DraftKings on 3/12/21. You can also check out today's FanDuel lineup picks. With COVID-19 a significant factor globally, remember to monitor injury news as the slate can completely change before line-up lock.
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DraftKings DFS Guards
Russell Westbrook - PG, WAS vs. PHI ($10,200)
The combination of no Ben Simmons (health protocols) and having reeled off double-doubles in 13 straight games, catapults Westbrook into play Friday. When the two squads faced off on Opening Night back on Dec. 23 -- with Simmons on the floor -- Westbrook was still able to log a triple-double, nearly running it back Jan. 6.
While the Wizards’ torrid pace has been well-documented, Philly checks in with the seventh-highest rate in their own right. For all that gets made of Westbrook’s perpetual triple-double appeal, he has elevated his underlying DFS upside by logging multiple steals in six of his last seven games after having recorded five such outings through his first 21 appearances.
Collin Sexton - PG/SG, CLE @ NO ($8,100)
Talk about a scoring barrage to close out the first half. Sexton logged his first double-double of the season on March 3, dropping 32 points on 25 shots. Cleveland’s leading scorer logged at least 22 points in each of his final 10 games prior to the All-Star break, averaging 27.1 PPG in that span, all while shooting 49 percent overall.
Now Sexton stands to benefit from the Pelicans’ floundering defense. They began the second half by being eviscerated by Minnesota for 135 points, far from providing reassurance that they could slow a vastly more explosive Cavs backcourt. Having far exceeded his value on DraftKings over his last three outings, Sexton’s price tag still may not have adequately caught up to his scoring prowess.
Lonnie Walker IV - SG/SF, SA vs. ORL ($4,400)
Multiple Spurs are in play Friday with DeMar DeRozan (personal) not in action, but Walker stands out due to his consistent scoring output. Having ranged from as low as 18 minutes to as high as 37 over his last eight outings, Walker has managed to score in double figures in each of those games.
When starting this year, Walker has averaged nearly 10 more minutes on a nightly basis, correspodingly raising his scoring average by over three points. No matter the role that head coach Gregg Popovich elects to utilize Walker on Friday, there will be scoring opportunities in droves with DeRozan’s 14 shots per game needing to be reallocated.
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DraftKings DFS Forwards
Kelly Olynyk - PF/C, MIA @ CHI ($5,700)
The continued absence of Bam Adebayo (knee) figures to pave the way for multiple Heat players to draw increased intrigue Friday, but the opportunities on the glass are the most pertinent -- which is where Olynyk comes in, again.
In his final game before the All-Star break last Thursday, Olynyk logged his first double-double of the season across 37 minutes. He then drew a 35-minute allotment Thursday, in which he got up 14 shot attempts, his third-highest total this year. With the trio of KZ Okpala, Chris Silva, and Precious Achiuwa playing a combined 27 minutes, it’s readily apparent that Olynyk will be the primary center Friday, heightening his upside.
Sterling Brown - SG/SF, HOU @ UTA ($4,500)
It took the first half of the 2020-21 season, but Houston’s depth chart has firmly descended into nightly DFS chaos. Brown has become almost exclusively a three-point weapon for the Rockets, having taken just three shots inside of the arc over his past six contests. But with Eric Gordon (groin) ruled out Friday, Brown and Ben McLemore should have all of the looks from deep that they can handle.
Brown earns the nod here (over McLemore) due to both his starting role and his multi-category contributions. Having tied his season high with 10 boards Thursday, Brown should need to remain aggressive on the glass due to Houston’s relative lack of size. With Utah boasting the league’s third-most efficient offense, Friday’s outing could turn into a track meet, which boosts his appeal.
Matisse Thybulle - SF, PHI @ WAS ($3,100)
How Philly’s starting five shakes out without Simmons seems like a roll of the dice, but after drawing the start Thursday, Thybulle stands to benefit from a playing time increase at the very least. While he only took five shots against the Bulls, he made all of them, setting a season high with 13 points and three made triples.
Arguably Thybulle’s most valuable skill is his ability to collect steals, a notoriously finicky DFS category to predict. But after nabbing five in 28 minutes Thursday, he’ll be sure to be hunting the ball again Friday. Don’t anticipate Thybulle delivering a 20-point showing, but his bargain basement price tag keeps him in consideration.
DraftKings DFS Centers
Myles Turner - C, IND @ LAL ($6,300)
For those pivoting from Embiid’s scintillating matchup with Washington, Turner can be seen as a mid-range GPP pivot. His last four games before the All-Star break best exemplify why: he averaged 14 points and 5.3 boards in that span, but he erupted for his seventh double-double of the year with 22 points and 12 rebounds (with three blocks for good measure) against Denver last Thursday.
Turner’s blocked shot ability either makes or breaks most of his DFS performances. He has logged at least one block in all 33 games that he has appeared in this year, with 14 of those outings seeing him accumulate at least four swats.
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