DraftKings NBA DFS Picks for Today (Friday, 3/7/25): Daily Fantasy Basketball Advice

The main fantasy basketball slate on DraftKings this Friday includes all eight games on the NBA schedule. The Knicks are the only one of the 16 teams in the player pool who are playing for the second day in a row while the Hornets, Heat, and Raptors are on the front half of their back-to-back set of games. Only one of Friday's games starts at 7:00 p.m. EST when contests lock with lots of action late, including three games that tip at 10:00 p.m. EST or later.

At this point in the season, injuries play a major part in shaping the slate each night. However, with what we know coming into the day, several options stand out as awesome additions to your fantasy lineup. Let's dive in and find some of the top options from a DFS perspective on DraftKings. If you're looking for FanDuel-specific advantage, check out Thunder Dan's FanDuel picks!

This article will provide you with my daily fantasy basketball lineup picks for DraftKings on 3/7/25. Remember to monitor NBA injury news and our awesome NBA injuries report tool, as the slate can completely change before lineups lock at 7:00 p.m. EST on DraftKings. 

DraftKings NBA DFS Core Picks

Donovan Mitchell, CLE – PG/SG ($8,600)

The Cavaliers roll into Charlotte after becoming the first team in the NBA to clinch a playoff spot. Their win over the Heat on Wednesday not only wrapped up a postseason reservation but also gave the team 12 straight wins. While the entire team has been playing very well, Mitchell has been at the center of the success.

This no-look dime by Donovan Mitchell 👀 pic.twitter.com/fI4LF3Iwj8

— NBA UK (@NBAUK) March 6, 2025

On Wednesday, Mitchell had 26 points, seven rebounds, five assists, and 45.75 DraftKings points, giving him over 45 DraftKings points in three straight and four of his last five. He has at least five assists in six straight and has scored over 25 points in six of his seven games since the All-Star break.

Mitchell has been consistently reliable since the break and should continue to have plenty of work and potential for a huge night in Friday night's matchup in Charlotte.

Scottie Barnes, TOR – PG/SF ($7,900)

The Raptors will be stretched thin on Friday at home against the Jazz, which should give Barnes a heavy workload and a good chance to deliver a big game. RJ Barrett (rest), Jakob Poeltl (rest), Jonathan Mogbo (face), Gradey Dick (knee), and Ochai Agbaji (ankle) are all out, leaving Barnes and Immanuel Quickley ($6,600) to do the heavy lifting.

Both Barnes and Quickley are excellent options for fantasy lineups since the Jazz have given up the most points per game in the NBA over the last 15 games, allowing 123.7 points per contest. They have given up the most DraftKings points per game to point guards this season and the eighth-most to small forwards.

Barnes led the Raptors to a road win in Orlando on Tuesday with a double-double of 17 points, 13 boards, and 48.75 DraftKings points. He produced over 35 DraftKings points in four of his last five games and averaged  40.1 DraftKings points per game in his 13 games since the start of February. In the five games he played during that stretch without Barrett, Barnes averaged 43.4 DraftKings points and his usage rose over five percentage points to 31.5 percent.

In the last game Barrett sat, Barnes dropped 33 points, 10 rebounds, and 56.5 DraftKings points in this win over the 76ers.

Scottie Barnes vs Philadelphia 76ers

33 PTS / 10 REB / 3 AST / 2 BLK@Raptors W (17-37) pic.twitter.com/KaI96oCOd4

— A Walking Highlight (@11AWH) February 12, 2025

Naji Marshall, DAL – SF/PF ($6,000)

Marshall is another player who has to step up on Friday due to major absences on the rest of his team's roster. Anthony Davis (adductor), P.J. Washington (ankle), Daniel Gafford (knee), Dereck Lively II (ankle), Kyrie Irving (knee), and even new arrival Kai Jones (quad) are all out, leaving Marshall to work with Spencer Dinwiddie ($5,900), Klay Thompson ($5,500), and Max Christie ($5,400).

In his two games earlier this week, Marshall stepped up with over 35 DraftKings points. He had 18 points, six assists, five rebounds, and 36.75 DraftKings points against the Kings and followed that with 22 points, 11 rebounds, two assists, and 41.75 DraftKings points against the Bucks.

NBA PLAY OF THE DAY - March 06, 2025
Naji Marshall makes a driving reverse layup vs Milwaukee Bucks pic.twitter.com/tSeFvOtqUu

— TIN Sports (@TrendInfoNow) March 6, 2025

For as long as he's in the starting lineup and carrying such a big workload, Marshall will be a great core play with his salary of only $6,000.

Others Under Consideration: DeMar DeRozan - SF ($7,500), Immanuel Quickley - PG ($6,600), Devin Booker - PG/SG ($8,800)

DraftKings NBA DFS Tournament Pivots

De'Aaron Fox, SA - PG/SG ($8,400)

The Spurs are in Sacramento on Friday night, setting up the return of De'Aaron Fox against the Kings. Fox has tried to carry the Spurs since Victor Wembanyama (shoulder) was ruled out for the season and has had mixed results.

The added emotion of returning to Sacramento may be just what it takes to get the 2023 Clutch Player of the Year jump-started, or it could serve as a distraction. With a wide range of possible results, Fox has a very high ceiling but is also high risk, which is why he's best left for tournament lineups.

In his eight games since the All-Star break, Fox averaged 36.7 DraftKings points in 32.9 minutes per game. He has shown a high ceiling with three games over 40 DraftKings points and even a game over 50 DraftKings points, but he had under 30 DraftKings points in his most recent game on Tuesday. That game was a lopsided win over the Nets, so he only had to play 27 minutes, leaving him fresh for this Friday night matchup in Sacramento.

Here's what Fox had to say about the return:

De’Aaron Fox talks about his return to Sacramento tomorrow -

"It was definitely a great place for me to be for as long as I was. And I really appreciate my time there."

"For the people that still support me, I love it. "And for the people who don't and want to boo, we don't… pic.twitter.com/UhaY095tms

— FoxMuse (@DFoxMuse) March 6, 2025

Jonas Valanciunas, SAC - C ($6,900)

On the other side of that matchup, Valanciunas will get a good matchup against the Spurs front line without Wemby. Valanciunas has started the last two games for the Kings with Domantas Sabonis (hamstring) out and should be in the lineup again on Friday.

Sabonis was hurt early in Saturday's win in Houston and Valanciunas stepped up with 15 points, 14 rebounds, and 49 DraftKings points in 30 minutes. He only played 23 minutes on Monday against the Mavs but still had 33.75 DraftKings points on 14 points and nine rebounds. Against the Nuggets on Wednesday, he had a bigger impact, posting another double-double and finishing with 48.75 DraftKings points on 19 points, 13 rebounds, and six assists.

With his salary under $7,000, Valanciunas is an excellent option with a high ceiling this Friday.

James Harden, LAC - PG ($9,800)

Harden dropped 50 points against the Pistons on Wednesday and finished with 67 DraftKings points.

JAMES HARDEN DROPS 50 IN THE CLIPPERS' WIN ‼️

🧔 50 PTS
🧔 4 REB
🧔 5 AST
🧔 6 3PM

His 24th 50-PT game leaves him 1 behind Kobe Bryant for 3rd all-time! pic.twitter.com/2RagpTcy4N

— NBA (@NBA) March 6, 2025

He had 21 points and 15 assists the night before in Phoenix and finished with a total of 57 DraftKings points in that contest.

All season long, Harden has been a strong pay-up play. If you have the salary-cap space to afford him, he has a good shot at another big game as the Clippers host the Knicks, who are on the second night of their back-to-back in Los Angeles after a tough loss on Thursday to the Lakers.

Spencer Dinwiddie, DAL - PG/SG ($5,900)

Dinwiddie will have the opportunity to step up for the Mavs the rest of the season with Kyrie out. While he'll never match Kyrie's usage and scoring output, he does bring potential fantasy value at this salary of under $6,000.

He had 23.75 DraftKings points and 28.25 DraftKings points in his two starts earlier this week and averaged 30.2 DraftKings points in 32.9 minutes per game in his 11 games this season without Kyrie and Luka Doncic available.

The Grizzlies play at the fastest pace in the NBA, so there should be plenty of possessions and opportunities for Dinwiddie on Friday, giving him a very high ceiling as both a creator and a scorer.

Others Under Consideration: Nikola Jokic - C ($12,300), Karl-Anthony Towns - C ($9,900), Ja Morant - PG ($8,300), Evan Mobley - PF/C ($8,100), Zach LaVine - SG/SF ($8,200), Bam Adebayo - PF/C ($9,200), Anfernee Simons - PG/SG ($6,900), Walker Kessler - C ($6,600), Klay Thompson - SG/SF ($5,500)

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DraftKings NBA DFS Value Picks

Aaron Wiggins, OKC – SF/PF ($4,900)

The Thunder beat the Grizzlies on Wednesday in a big showdown but will be without many regulars on Friday as they host the Trail Blazers. Shai Gilgeous-Alexander (rest), Jalen Williams (wrist), Luguentz Dort (knee), Isaiah Hartenstein (nose), and Cason Wallace (knee) are all out, and Chet Holmgren ($7,300; leg) is questionable.

While no one knows exactly how the Thunder's rotation will look without so many pieces, Wiggins is one of the players of the remaining options who has proved he can score big points when given a chance. The 26-year-old has averaged 11.5 points in 62 games this season but has four games with over 20 points and even went off for 41 points on February 1 against the Kings. He added 14 rebounds in that game and finished with 66.5 DraftKings points.

Aaron Wiggins in a 144-110 win vs. the Kings : Career-high 41 points (16-30 shooting, 6-14 from 3 & 3-4 from the FT line), career-high 14 rebounds & 3 assists in 40 minutes pic.twitter.com/Pdk2l24Qob

— Lee Harvey (@MusikFan4Life) February 2, 2025

The Thunder will likely get Alex Caruso ($4,400) and Isaiah Joe ($4,000) more involved, but Wiggins brings the highest ceiling of the available options and is a great value play under $5,000.

Jusuf Nurkic, CHA – C ($3,700)

The Hornets will likely have most of their starters available, but Mark Williams (foot) will get Friday off, which opens the door for Nurkic to step into a bigger role. Nurkic missed three of the last five games for Charlotte due to a back injury, but he is probable for Friday's matchup.

Since Nurkic arrived in Charlotte and Williams returned, Williams has sat out one game. In that game, Nurkic played 27 minutes against the Kings, finishing with 12 points, nine rebounds, and 34.25 DraftKings points.

If he's starting on Friday and ready for a similar role, he'll be an amazing play under $4,000.

Miles McBride, NYK – PG/SG ($4,200)

One key injury report to watch for Friday will be the Knicks, who lost in overtime to the Lakers on Thursday. Jalen Brunson ($9,100) left in overtime with an ankle injury, and if he is not able to play on Friday, McBride has a high ceiling while potentially filling in.

On Thursday, McBride was held scoreless in that loss to the Lakers, going 0-of-6 from the field. However, if Brunson is out, that would change his role dramatically. Brunson hasn't missed a game since January 1, and in that matchup, McBride was also out and Cameron Payne ($3,100) stepped into the starting five with a big game of 30.25 DraftKings points.

McBride did show a good ceiling earlier this month. He had 23 points, six rebounds, three assists, three steals, three blocks, and 49.5 DraftKings points in his only start of the season. If he gets the call on Friday against the Clippers, he'll be a great value play at just over $4,000.

Chris Boucher, TOR – PF/C ($3,300)

The Raptors' frontcourt will be stretched very thin against the Jazz, but Boucher is expected to return after missing three games following a wisdom tooth extraction.

Like McBride, Boucher's role fluctuates wildly but can result in big games when he gets the minutes. He had 42 DraftKings points in 20 minutes against the Suns after the All-Star break and 32.75 DraftKings points in 21 minutes against the Hawks the last time he got at least 20 minutes on the floor.

With so many Raptors resting or injured, it's hard to see how he could not step back into a large role this Friday in a favorable matchup against the Jazz. At this low salary just over the minimum, he also doesn't have to do a ton to bring a great return on his investment.

Others Under Consideration: Brandon Clarke - PF/C ($4,300), Keon Ellis - PG/SG ($4,400), Isaiah Joe - SG ($4,000), Cameron Payne - PG/SG ($3,100), Jaylin Williams - C ($4,300), Alex Caruso - PG/SG ($4,400), Ousmane Dieng PF/C ($3,000), Ja'Kobe Walter - SG/SF ($3,700)

Today's Top NBA DFS Game Stack

Grizzlies at Mavericks (239.5 total)

The Grizzlies visit the Mavericks in a matchup that would be much more compelling if the Mavs didn't have so my injury woes. It's a good matchup for the Grizzlies, though, who should be able to put up points and continue to adjust to the absence of Jaren Jackson Jr. (ankle).

Ja Morant ($8,300) and Desmond Bane ($8,100) will carry the offense and Santi Aldama ($6,400; calf, questionable) could have a big role if he's ready to return. If not, Brandon Clarke ($4,300), Vince Williams Jr. ($4,100), and GG Jackson II ($4,000) will continue to get plenty of work alongside Zach Edey ($4,800). Edey will have a huge size advantage when he's on the floor but his minutes continue to be inconsistent.

The Mavs have to rely on Spencer Dinwiddie ($5,900), and Naji Marshall ($6,000) for most of their offense with Klay Thompson ($5,500) and Max Christie ($5,400) chipping in as well. Dante Exum ($4,700; foot, questionable) could also be part of the solution but has been limited to just 13 games all season and just 19.1 minutes per game when available. Kessler Edwards ($4,000) and Dwight Powell ($3,600) are filling in at center and will need to play plenty of minutes against Memphis.

Suns at Nuggets (237.5 total)

The Suns listed Bradley Beal ($6,700; injury management) as questionable for this contest, and if he's out, more work would go to the superstar tandem of Kevin Durant ($8,900) and Devin Booker ($8,800) while Tyus Jones ($4,600) and Grayson Allen ($4,500) would get more work as value plays. Nick Richards ($4,900) and Bol Bol ($5,500) will have to try and slow down the formidable Nuggets frontcourt. It will be a bit of a homecoming for Bol, who played three seasons in Denver at the start of his NBA career.

Nikola Jokic ($12,300) is always a good option and his second straight questionable tag should keep his ownership low. Aaron Gordon ($5,400; ankle, questionable) could miss a fourth straight game, opening up more work for Michael Porter Jr. ($6,500). Christian Braun ($5,900) has been stepping up for the Nuggets with 29+ DraftKings points in 30+ minutes in five straight games. Peyton Watson ($3,300) returned from injury and played 17 minutes on Wednesday and is a nice, cheap way to round out a Nuggets stack. If Jokic is ultimately ruled out, DeAndre Jordan ($3,000) and Zeke Nnaji ($3,500) would suddenly become great plays.

My Favorite NBA DFS Picks for Today

Here is where I leave you with some of my favorites.

• My favorite OVERALL play on the slate: Scottie Barnes
• My favorite CASH play on the slate: Scottie Barnes
• My favorite GPP play on the slate: De'Aaron Fox
• My favorite VALUE play: Aaron Wiggins

NBA DFS News and Injury Alerts

More DFS Lineup Picks and Analysis