RADIO
We have a ten-game monster on the NBA schedule again tonight. Utah, Orlando, Phoenix, Minnesota, and Portland are all on the tail end of a back-to-back set here. Therefore, I fully expect this article to be irrelevant by noon. Most of the information contained herein will be the same though, so we may just have to look at different ways to attack the same weaknesses. On a slate this large, we shouldn't have to reach. If you don't see a ceiling from said player, move on.
First of all, it’s important to look at the pace and Vegas lines. Second, it’s also useful to understand the number of fantasy points a team gives up to a specific position. The final tip is to identify value plays that are critical on a slate of any size. You don’t have to necessarily go for the cheapest value, but you want to identify players who have a high floor and a high ceiling. On a slate this large there are going to be lots of plays at every level. Identifying the value will determine whether you hit minimum cash or are contending for a takedown.
This article will supply you with my daily fantasy basketball lineup picks for the DraftKings on 3/19/21. You can also check out today’s FanDuel lineup picks. It’s also important to monitor injury news as a result of COVID-19 as the slate can completely change before line-up lock. Without further ado, let’s dive into the picks!
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DraftKings DFS Guards
Luka Doncic - PG, at Portland ($10,700)
With Kyrie back, Harden is too expensive. "Dropping" down to Luka is the right move anyway. He lit up Portland earlier this year for 66.25 DraftKings points. Sure, PorzinGOD was out that game, but Luka has been putting up those gaudy numbers even with Porzingis on the court. We just saw Luka put up 142.5 DraftKings points on the Clippers in two games in L.A. before moving up the coast. He is the second-most likely guy to put up a triple-double tonight. That counts for something.
Devin Booker - SG, vs. Minnesota ($7,800)
Booker put up 50 DraftKings points on this same Minnesota team last night. You can bet that the Suns will be looking to avenge a four-point loss to the worst team in the West. This is the kind of game that the Suns need to win if they want to make the playoffs in this conference. Phoenix has a nice mix of veterans and youngsters. Booker is the guy right in the middle. I expect another strong showing from him here.
Delon Wright - PG, at Houston ($6,000)
Houston should finally have more than eight players available tonight, but it's still not known if John Wall is among them. It seems safe to assume that new acquisitions D.J. Augustin and D.J. Wilson will not be in uniform either. Whether Wall plays or not, Houston is still a depleted team that doesn't play good defense even when they're healthy. This could be another big game for Wright, who lit up Toronto earlier this week.
Nico Mannion - PG, at Memphis ($3,200)
Considering that veteran Brad Wanamaker hasn't appeared in a game since the break, it feels safe to assume that Nico Mannion will start in place of busted-ass Steph Curry. No, seriously. That's his injury. A bruised tailbone. At any rate, Mannion becomes a superb value in any format here. There's a chance that Jordan Poole gets the start, but I would assume that Mannion still receives good minutes. Both Mannion and Poole are good plays. You can likely even run both if you want. I just prefer the price on Mannion. The production should be close to the same assuming Mannion starts the game.
Bonus Guards: Ja Morant ($7,600), Kevin Porter, Jr. ($7,200), Caris Levert ($6,900), Darius Garland ($6,100), Andrew Wiggins ($6,000)
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DraftKings DFS Forwards
Domantas Sabonis - PF/C at Philadelphia ($9,500)
If Sabonis isn't the most improved player this year, the award is kind of pointless. Sabonis started getting good last year, but this year he has refined his game to the point where he is like Nikola Jokic lite. He is a constant triple-double threat since he has become one of the best passers on the team. Sabonis has made that leap this year. He is so much more than just a scorer right now, giving him one of the safest floors on this entire slate.
Anthony Edwards - SG/SF, at Phoenix ($7,100)
We have seen the rookie put up some very nice games since D'Angelo Russell went down, but his finest game as a pro came last night against this same Phoenix team. It's unreasonable to expect Edwards to put up another 60-spot the very next night. In fact, with teams that have played each other within a five day span, most players who had a big game in the first meeting underperformed the next time out. So why use Edwards? Well, even if he gets half of what he got last night, that's still almost 5x value. His production wont take that big of a hit. Edwards should still be a lock for 40.
Draymond Green - PF-C, at Memphis ($6,700)
No Curry. No Oubre. No Wiseman. The Warriors are starting to resemble the Rockets as far as roster construction goes. The similarities end there. We saw what could happen when Draymond became involved in the offense at times last year when both Curry and Thompson were out. I expect Poole and Wiggins to pick up a lot of the slack, but that also means you can lock in Draymond for a triple-double. Memphis isn't good enough to blow anyone out. The minutes and opportunities are there for Green tonight.
Larry Nance Jr. - SF-PF, vs. San Antonio ($5,200)
Nance has 78.25 DraftKings points in the two games without Love and he's still getting no love from DraftKings. Not that I'm complaining. We need this kind of value on this monster slate. This also virtually assures us that the cash line in GPP's will once again be right around 300 like it has been all week. Nance is way too cheap playing a team that really has no chance to guard him. Lock him in and watch the points pile up.
Bonus Forwards: Jayson Tatum ($8,900), Jerami Grant ($7,200), Aaron Gordon ($6,500), Saddiq Bey ($5,000)
DraftKings DFS Centers
Nikola Vucevic - C, vs. Brooklyn ($9,900)
Vucevic has 205.5 DraftKings points in the four games since the All Star break. None of those games were against Brooklyn, Washington, or Minnesota. Anything under 55 will honestly be a disappointment here. The Nets are horrendous in the paint without K.D. and Jarrett Allen around. I consider Vucevic one of my favorite plays on the night since this game should be close. Orlando can't defend Brooklyn's guards. If you can afford it, this is an interesting game stack, which is something I almost never do on a ten-game slate.
Christian Wood - C, vs. Detroit ($8,500)
This is a revenge game for Wood. He played 26 minutes in his return to the lineup for the first time in six weeks on Wednesday, so I'm not really worried about the minutes limit should there be one. Wood can do a whole lot of damage to his former team in 26 minutes. My only issue with Wood here is that he's a good option at a position that has a bunch of great ones. You can get some leverage at low ownership here, which makes him an interesting GPP pick.
Richaun Holmes - PF-C, at Boston ($7,100)
Bagley is still out, so Holmes will eat as many minutes as his propensity for fouling lets him. He only played 27 minutes against Washington on Wednesday because he fouled out, ending a streak of seven games playing 30 minutes or more. The DraftKings points were still above 30 though, and they should be here against a Boston team that still can't lock down the interior. Holmes is too cheap so long as he can keep his hands to himself and his ass on the court.
Bonus Centers: Nikola Jokic ($10,600), Karl-Anthony Towns ($9,400), Jakob Poeltl ($6,100), Robert Williams ($5,800)
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