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Jamie's top DraftKings NBA DFS picks for today, Monday, 3/3/25. His favorite daily fantasy basketball lineup sleepers and value picks for DraftKings DFS.
We're fresh off a solid Sunday night in DFS, thanks largely to the late-night hammer of Anthony Edwards, so I'm looking to parlay the money into another win tonight. This Monday slate has seven games, highlighted by an unbelievably high O/U from Hawks-Grizzlies. More on that later...
We also have some key injuries to watch out for, and Domantas Sabonis has already been ruled out. We'll help you take full advantage of these situations, so make sure to follow along with us at RotoBaller all day.
I will be in chat with my fellow RotoBaller colleagues tonight (and every night) breaking down the slate and analyzing the injury fallout that occurs as the day goes on. Be sure to jump in our Discord and interact with a truly excellent community!
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DraftKings NBA DFS Core Picks
Cade Cunningham, DET - PG ($10,100)
Cade Cunningham has achieved a level of stardom that I don't think DraftKings has recognized. He's in rare air with his DK average of 50 points+ and is third in the NBA in usage rate with an elite 32.4% mark. Tobias Harris is out tonight, which will provide even more of a boost.
On top of all this, Cade gets the nuts matchup against the Utah Jazz, who are in full tank mode. They're dead last in overall defensive efficiency, have allowed the most FPPG to lead guards, AND have given up the most assists per game. Detroit is a double-digit road favorite, but I can't envision a scenario (outside injury) in which Cade doesn't compete for the highest-scoring player of the evening.
Trae Young, ATL - PG ($9,600)
Cade Cunningham is the top option at PG tonight, but Trae Young is an awfully strong consolation prize. The Hawks/Grizzlies game is currently sporting an O/U of 253.5, which is the highest total I've seen this season. This is driven by the fact that these are the top two pace teams, and are continuing to separate themselves from the pack.
Trae Young has only played under 35 minutes three times since the calendar shifted to 2025, so his minutes limit is sky-high. In addition, the injury to Jalen Johnson has sent his usage on an upward track, and he now sits at 29.7% for the season. With the Hawks fighting for their playoff lives, expect a heavy dose of Trae tonight.
Others Under Consideration: Kyrie Irving, DAL - PG ($9,500), Stephen Curry, GS - PG ($9,200), Tyrese Maxey - PG ($9,000), Bam Adebayo, MIA - PF/C ($8,400)
DraftKings NBA DFS Tournament Pivots
Shai Gilgeous-Alexander, OKC ($10,600)
Shai Gilgeous-Alexander continues to dazzle, averaging 32.1 PPG and 53.3 DK PPG. He's fresh off a 55.5-point outing against the Spurs in which his team put up 146 points. Tonight is a much more difficult draw against Houston, who is tied for second in defensive efficiency.
With the matchup downgrade and the game being SGA's second on the back-to-back, the masses should move away from him, especially with all the other PG options listed above. If we get single-digit ownership on SGA (which I think we will), it's time to pounce. He's long proven himself to have slate-breaking upside.
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DraftKings NBA DFS Value Picks
DeMar DeRozan, SAC - SF ($7,400)
$7,400 is not a typical "value" price tag, but DeMar DeRozan needs to be written as he's bordering on "cash lock" status tonight. This Kings-Mavs matchup has a 1.5-point spread and a 231.5 O/U, but it's Domantas Sabonis' absence that is driving the other Kings' projections.
Sabonis' absence leaves a void of usage for the other Kings' players, but DeRozan is the biggest beneficiary. With Sabonis off the court (and Fox traded), DeMar's usage boosts by over 7%, and his 28% assist rate is also a team-high in that scenario. He played 40 minutes last game against Houston after Sabonis went down, and Sacramento's typically tight rotation would seem to push the minutes that way again.
Jonas Valanciunas, SAC - C ($5,400)
Jonas Valanciunas went bananas after Sabonis got injured, posting 49 DK points in 30 minutes at a $3,600 price tag. DK did their best to raise Valanciunas' price tag, but it's not enough. He figures to be the highest-owned player tonight, and rightfully so.
Valanciunas has always been a strong per-minute producer (even in limited minutes), and his 2024-25 season is following suit. JoVal is averaging 1.31 FPPM this year, and he figures to have a strong interior game against Dallas who ranks 22nd in rebounding rate.
Naji Marshall, DAL - SF/PF ($5,400)
On the other side of the ball, Dallas is presenting some solid options for value with P.J. Washington out. Moses Brown has been the biggest beneficiary of this the last two games, BUT...his 10-day contract expired yesterday. To make things even more notable, Dallas does not have room under their first-apron hard cap to sign him to a second 10-day deal, so he's officially not a candidate to be in the mix tonight.
Enter Naji Marshall, whose usage had crossed over the 20% mark sans P.J. Washington before the addition of Moses Brown. He figured to get back to that threshold tonight and has a good chance to play minutes into the mid-30s against a Sacramento team that is ninth in pace and 18th in defensive efficiency.
Others Under Consideration: Draymond Green, GS - C ($5,900), Kel'el Ware, MIA - C ($5,800), Ausar Thompson, DET - SF/PF ($5,300), Max Christie, DAL - SG/SF ($5,300), Caris LeVert, ATL - SG/SF ($5,100), Scotty Pippen Jr., MEM - PG ($4,400 - If Ja Morant sits)
Today's Top NBA DFS Game Stack
Hawks at Grizzlies (O/U 253.5)
This game's O/U was mentioned in the Trae Young blurb, but it should also be pointed out that this O/U is a whopping 22 points higher than the next highest contest (SAC/DAL), so you should take full advantage. Dyson Daniels is an excellent mid-tier play, as he leads the league in steals, and a game this fast should feature turnovers aplenty.
Caris LeVert, Onyeka Okongwu, and Zaccharie Risacher are all ancillary pieces that can be utilized for Atlanta.
For Memphis, you're in a bit of a holding pattern until Ja Morant is ruled in or out (he looks like a true question mark tonight). If he's in he's a top GPP play in this game, and if he's out Scotty Pippen Jr. becomes a must.
Jaren Jackson Jr. is my favorite player from this game regardless, as he has the ability to rack up blocks at a high rate. Altanta also allows the highest at-rim frequency in the NBA and gives up the fourth-most offensive boards.
Desmond Bane is a solid mid-tier play, and Zack Edey and Vince Williams Jr. are value plays that can be used to round out this stack.
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: Cade Cunningham
- My favorite CASH play on the slate: DeMar DeRozan
- My favorite GPP play on the slate: Shai Gilgeous-Alexander
- My favorite VALUE play: Jonas Valanciunas
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