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The NBA roars into the new week with a nine-game slate as the stretch run continues. There are a couple of particularly intriguing matchups on tap that should feature heavy minutes from big-name players, but the Warriors-Nuggets game is a notable exception with Stephen Curry, Klay Thompson and Andrew Wiggins all notably sitting out the contest.
With 18 teams in action, there's still plenty to choose from at every level of the player pool, even when accounting for injuries. In fact, some of those absences are naturally creating opportunity for other players on those clubs, which helps inform some of today's suggestions.
This article will provide you with my daily fantasy basketball lineup picks for DraftKings and FanDuel on 3/7/22. Remember to monitor the NBA injury report as the slate can completely change before lineups lock. Good luck, RotoBallers.
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DraftKings and FanDuel Guards - NBA DFS Lineup Picks
Trae Young - PG, ATL at DET ($10,200 DK; $9,700 FD)
Young shot 61.9 percent, including 40.0 percent from deep, in his one prior game against the Pistons this season on his way to 52.5 DK/51.3 FD points. He's scored over 40 fantasy points on either site on each of the last four games as well, and Detroit is now allowing the fifth-highest offensive efficiency to point guards (26.9 percent). Then, no team has given up more fantasy points on either site to ones in the last 15 games on DK than the Pistons, which have surrendered 55 DK points per game in that span and the third most (53) on FD during the same sample. Finally, consider Detroit is also conceding NBA-high 37.3 percent three-point shooting, furthering Young's already strong case.
D'Angelo Russell - PG/SG, MIN vs. POR ($8,200 DK; $7,600 FD)
Russell appears set to take the floor again without Anthony Edwards (knee) at minimum, and Patrick Beverley (ankle) also has a 50/50 chance of sitting out as well. Russell boasts a 26.6 percent usage rate and averages 43.6 DK/41.5 FD points per 36 minutes without either of his teammates. Russell just lit up the Trail Blazers for 43.8 DK/41.1 FD points in 35 minutes on Saturday, leaving him poised for another potentially fruitful performance in Monday's rematch, especially with Portland playing especially short-handed as a result of Anfernee Simons' quadriceps issue. The Blazers already yield the ninth-highest offensive efficiency to two-guards (22.4 percent), as well as Western Conference-high 37.2 percent three-point shooting.
Tyrese Maxey, PHI vs. CHI ($6,700 DK; $7,800 FD)
Maxey flashed a ceiling north of 50 fantasy points two games ago versus the Cavaliers, and he's shot a blistering 57.1 percent, including 60.0 percent from behind the arc, in three games against the Bulls this season. The surging guard is also averaging 32.8 DK points per home game, and Chicago is now allowing the 11th-highest offensive efficiency to ones (25.7 percent) as Lonzo Ball's absence nears the two-month mark. The Bulls are also surrendering the second-most DK (54.9) and FD (53.4) points per game to PGs in the last 15 games, while Maxey is averaging 20.7 points (on 53.6 percent shooting, including 46.0 percent from three-point range), 4.1 assists, 3.7 rebounds and 1.1 steals in that same span.
Also consider: Cade Cunningham, DET vs. ATL ($7,500 DK; $7,300 FD); Jordan Poole, GSW at DEN ($5,300 DK; $4,700 FD)
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DraftKings and FanDuel Forwards - NBA DFS Lineup Picks
LeBron James - SF/PF, LAL at SAS ($11,600 DK, $10,200 FD)
James will naturally cost a pretty penny to roster, but he's also likely to pay off the investment and then some on the majority of nights. The surefire Hall of Famer was the hero Saturday night against the Warriors with a 56-point haul that netted over 70 fantasy points on each site. LeBron is averaging over 50 fantasy points in the last five games overall, and he already dropped 54.3 DK/61.8 FD points on the Spurs in a previous game this season. San Antonio also checks in with a No. 25 ranking in defensive rating on its home floor (113.0), enhancing James' case at salaries he's capable of delivering 5x returns on despite their lofty status.
RJ Barrett - SF, NYK at SAC ($8,000 DK; $7,600 FD)
Barrett enjoyed another stellar game against the Clippers on Sunday night, and he went into that contest having scored over 40 DK points in five of his previous seven games. The second-year wing had actually been on an extended tear heading into Sunday night that included averages of 24.4 points, 6.1 rebounds and 3.6 assists over a 19-game sample dating back to Jan. 10. The Kings haven't been particularly adept at slowing down small forwards, either, allowing the fifth-highest offensive efficiency to the position (24.1 percent) and giving up over 47 fantasy points per game on both sites to threes in the last seven. Sacramento has also been weak in perimeter defense all season, tying for the fourth-highest three-point shooting percentage allowed (36.3).
Tobias Harris - SF/PF, PHI vs. CHI ($6,900 DK; $6,600 FD)
Harris has been a forgotten man of sorts in Philadelphia with the emergence of Maxey and the arrival of James Harden, but the veteran forward can still deliver on the type of mid-level salaries he's sporting Monday. In fact, Harris did just that with Harden sitting out Saturday's game against the Heat, posting 31 DK/30.6 FD points versus Miami. Although Harden will be back in action Monday, Harris draws a tantalizing matchup against a Bulls team that he already posted 43.5 DK/44.1 FD points again in one previous meeting, and that's allowed the fourth-highest offensive efficiency to power forwards (28.3 percent) and 47.9 DK/46.7 FD points per game to the position.
Also consider: Saddiq Bey - SF/PF, DET vs. ATL ($6,800 DK; $6,700 FD); Jonathan Kuminga, GSW at DEN ($4,500 DK, $4,600 FD)
DraftKings and FanDuel Centers - NBA DFS Lineup Picks
Karl-Anthony Towns - MIN vs. POR ($10,600 DK; $9,200 FD)
Towns had his way with the Trail Blazers on Saturday night, posting 70 DK/70.5 FD points in 34 minutes on the strength of a 36-point, 15-rebound double-double. The big man is averaging over 50 fantasy points on each site in three games versus Portland overall, a sample in which he's shot 58.5 percent. With Jusuf Nurkic (foot) currently out, Portland's frontcourt defense is even more porous as well -- the Blazers are now allowing the third-highest offensive efficiency to centers for the season (34.1 percent), as well as 62 fantasy points per game to fives on each site in the last seven. While there's some blowout risk here due to Portland also taking the floor without Simons as mentioned earlier, Towns is still worth considering for tournaments considering the 70-fantasy-point ceiling.
Bam Adebayo - MIA vs. HOU ($8,700 DK; $9,500 FD)
Adebayo turned in a bit of a clunker against the 76ers on Saturday night, generating just 23 fantasy points on either site largely as a result of a poor shooting night. Nevertheless, the big man is certainly right back in play Monday against a Rockets squad that's given up NBA-high 37.4 percent offensive efficiency to centers, as well as over 69 fantasy points on each site to the position in the last seven. Adebayo has also scored over 50 fantasy points in three of his last six games alone, affording him a ceiling that outpaces his current salaries.
Also consider: Mitchell Robinson, NYK at SAC ($5,200 DK; $5,700 FD)
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