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Dan's top DraftKings NBA DFS picks for today, Thursday, 3/6/25. His favorite daily fantasy basketball lineup sleepers and value picks for DraftKings DFS.
After a wild slate last night with some high-scoring lineups due to all the value that emerged late in the day, we are back for a six-game slate on Thursday night that should be (fingers crossed) less eventful in terms of the number of players sitting out.
Let's dive in and find some good options to build around from a DFS perspective on DraftKings. If you're looking for FanDuel-specific advantage, check out Koby Hanson's FanDuel picks!
This article will provide you with my daily fantasy basketball lineup picks for DraftKings on 3/6/25. 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.
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DraftKings NBA DFS Core Picks
Caris LeVert, ATL – SG/SF ($5.3K)
I like to mix things up, and I doubt you see LeVert's name as a core play in too many other articles today. But the goal here is to give you insights that others may not, and frankly, just writing up the most expensive or obvious plays isn't always that helpful.
Let's talk about what LeVert is doing in Atlanta since being jettisoned by the Cavs at the deadline for De'Andre Hunter. He could have sulked about being traded away from the best team in the NBA onto a fringe playoff team, but he has done the total opposite.
If anything, he has helped energize an Atlanta team that looked dead in the water after losing Jalen Johnson for the season. In 10 games for the Hawks, LeVert is averaging nearly 17 points per game while adding four boards and 2.6 assists in 28 minutes off the bench.
CARIS LEVERT EURO STEP LAY FOR THE WIN IN MEMPHIS 🤯🔥 pic.twitter.com/lAPQNYx3XC
— Bleacher Report (@BleacherReport) March 4, 2025
That's been good for 29.5 DK points per game. He's been even better lately, going for 35, 45, and 34 DK points in his last three. This game between Indiana and Atlanta is the most attractive one for DFS tonight, with a big total and tight spread. And LeVert is easily my favorite piece on a point-per-dollar basis.
Draymond Green, GSW– C ($6.0K)
We usually get a lot of attractive high-priced options at the center position, but today's group falls off pretty quickly after Alperen Sengun and Karl-Anthony Towns. So, why not lock in five times the value or better with Green, who has been incredibly consistent over the last month and is playing some of his best basketball in years?
Green has gone for 30 or more DK points now in nine straight games and 11 of his last 12. He's the ultimate glue guy who keeps this GSW offense moving, and he's managed to adapt to Jimmy Butler III's presence in the lineup seamlessly. If anything, having Butler as another option on offense has had a positive impact on all the other starters, including Stephen Curry, Brandin Podziemski, and Dray.
These two cheap pieces give us a lot of flexibility to stack studs around them once we have a better idea of which Celtics are playing and what Chicago is doing.
Others Under Consideration: Luka Doncic - PG ($11.2K), Paolo Banchero - PF ($8.9K)
DraftKings NBA DFS Tournament Pivots
Quentin Grimes, PHI - SG/SF ($6.1K)
Here's what we know about the Sixers going into tonight's game against Boston. They won't have Joel Embiid (done for the season), Tyrese Maxey (already ruled out, tired of carrying the team and still losing), and Paul George is officially questionable (and was a regrettable addition to the team this year based on his performance).
Sorry for dumping on the Sixers and editorializing a bit there, but if there is one bright spot for Philly, it's been the emergence of Quentin Grimes, who it fleeced Dallas for at the deadline.
Most points this month:
88 — Quentin Grimes
82 — Shai Gilgeous-Alexander
78 — Steph CurryElite company. pic.twitter.com/pwqojuw6yB
— StatMuse (@statmuse) March 5, 2025
Grimes had 44 points against the Warriors in Philly's only win in weeks and then added 30 points in its most recent loss to Minnesota. I have a hunch PG13 won't play tonight and a shutdown is looming as this team is toast. If we get Grimes taking 20 shots again tonight, I'm interested at this price, even if it's a matchup with Boston.
The Celtics rested Jayson Tatum and Jrue Holiday last night and could choose to sit some other regulars tonight as they know they don't need their full lineup to handle this pathetic Philly team.
Alperen Sengun, HOU - C ($9.4K)
Centers vs. the Pelicans -- rinse and repeat. Sengun is in a great spot here, as we have been targeting New Orleans with centers all season with great success. He's not cheap, but he has flashed enough 50+ DK points games this year that I'm interested in his ceiling here for tourneys.
It helps that Fred VanVleet will be out for this one. In his absence, we usually see Amen Thompson and Sengun pick up the slack in terms of facilitating on offense and creating for their teammates.
Sengun is one of the most talented passers out of the high and low posts. He's averaged 6.5 assists in two games against New Orleans already this season. And the Pels look like they will have Zion Williamson and CJ McCollum in the lineup, so they could keep this game close enough for us to target it in DFS.
Others Under Consideration: LeBron James - SF/PF ($10.5K), Stephen Curry - PG ($9.3K)
DraftKings NBA DFS Value Picks
Andrew Nembhard, IND – PG/SG ($5.0K), Aaron Nesmith, IND - SG/SF ($4.8K)
Two cheap Pacers who will help us fit in the stars we want are Nembhard and Nesmith. I will like them both more if we see Bennedict Mathurin sit out again. He's currently questionable, so keep an eye on that situation. But both players should start, regardless, in an up-tempo game that has a ton of DFS appeal.
Jalen Smith, CHI – C ($4.2K), Talen Horton-Tucker, CHI – SG/SF ($4.1K)
Nikola Vucevic is doubtful, so we should see Zach Collins and Jalen Smith split the minutes at the center position for Chicago tonight. Smith is an uber-efficient player who only needs 15-20 minutes to put up 20+ DK points.
Meanwhile, THT could be in line for another big allotment of minutes if Josh Giddey doesn't play (currently questionable). He played 30 minutes on Tuesday and posted an impressive 22-4-6, which was good for 36 DK points and nine times value on this price.
Wendell Carter Jr., ORL - C ($5.3K)
WCJ is coming off a dud but is still relatively cheap and has a great matchup here against Chicago. As I mentioned earlier, I don't mind paying down at the center position today; other than Sengun, I don't see any other high-priced big men worth using on this slate.
Others Under Consideration: Clint Capela - C ($4.5K), Tre Jones - PG ($4.8K), Moses Moody - SG/SF ($4.6K)
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: Caris LeVert
- My favorite CASH play on the slate: Draymond Green
- My favorite GPP play on the slate: Alperen Sengun
- My favorite VALUE play: Andrew Nembhard
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