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FanDuel NBA DFS Lineup Picks (3/5/18): Daily Fantasy Basketball Advice

A seven-game NBA slate is a nice way to start this first full week of March. March is a pretty damn good basketball month from what I remember, so let's kick this one off appropriately with a fatter DFS bankroll than what we started the month with.

Of these seven games, we've got four with projected point totals above a benchmark that I use to decipher good from great - 215. The Celtics at Bulls (217), Suns at Heat (217), Blakzers at Lakers (224) and Pistons at Cavs (220) are all games you can target for game stacks. Some are a little more potent with value than others. I'll update this section when some of that value shakes out - normally it happens after we start hearing from beat reporters as to who will sit and who will suit up.

Below you will find our daily fantasy basketball lineup picks for FanDuel on 3/5/18. These DFS lineup picks can vary from higher-priced players and elite options, to lower-priced players and value picks on FanDuel. You can also read more DFS lineup picks for DraftKings and other sports too..

Black Friday Special! Save 50% on any Big-4 Sports Premium Pass using discount code THANKS. Win more with our DFS, Betting and Season-Long Premium Pass, get expert tools and advice for NBA, NFL, MLB, NHL from from proven winners! Dan Palyo leads the team with exclusive picks for DFS picks, Props, betting. Enhance your game with industry-leading tools like our Lineup Optimizers, Team Sync Platform, DFS Cheat Sheets and more. GAIN ACCESS

 

FanDuel DFS Guards

Damian Lillard - PG, at LAL ($9,400)

Damian Lillard at a discount (from last week's pricing) and in an excellent game environment? Sign me up in cash and in tournaments. Lillard has seen his price fluctuate quite a bit over the past two weeks, but Dame has been able to cash in seven of his last 10 games - by an impressive margin of more than five FanDuel points per night. This evening, he's running point in the game with the highest point total projection of the night and it comes with just a two point spread (Portland favored). Throughout the season, he's posted an impressive 24.4 PER while maintaining a Usage rate percentage over 30%. The opportunity for him is quite high this evening, especially when you consider how many extra possessions the Trail Blazers will have in a pace-up matchup and how poor the Lakers defend the position.

Marcus Smart - SG, vs CHI ($4,800)

Since returning almost two weeks ago (playing four games in that stretch) to the Celtics lineup, Smart has been a valuable fantasy asset, reaching value each and every time. With the rumor being that Kyrie Irving could miss the game tonight, coupled with the fact that Smart should see 30+ minutes (and has seen no less than 21 since returning), I find him to be an excellent point-per-dollar play tonight with some upside, too. In this small sample size of his return, he is scoring nearly one FanDuel point (0.96) per minute, and you don't have to be a mathmetician to realize that that rate coupled with a minutes increase tonight should lead to plus value. Normally, Kyrie being sidelined is scary for making this offense run smoothly, but the fact they're playing tanking Chicago eases my concerns quite a bit.

Other FanDuel DFS Guards to Consider: Devin Booker - SG, at MIA ($8,200); Victor Oladipo - SG, vs MIL ($9,500)

 

FanDuel DFS Forwards

Reggie Bullock - SF, at CLE ($4,900)

I love Bullock for the cash savings and consistent floor that he offers this evening (and many nights, for that matter). The small forward has really improved his performance of late, crushing value in three straight and in seven of his last 10. In his last three, his lowest output was +6 over his price implied total, and he performed well in all three of these despite varying minute totals (25, 40, 33) in each. For the month, he's improved his FanDuel point per minute mark to 0.71, and in this game environment that should lead to high scoring totals, I like his ceiling to extend a little higher than it normally does. Most importantly, he has a floor you can trust and opens up a lot of cash for you to spend up with.

Larry Nance - PF, vs DET ($5,800)

Mr. Nance is probably going to be uber-chalk tonight, but for good reason. That chalk may warrant a risky fade in tournaments, but in cash I really see the appeal in using Nance. He has been playing well since he threw on his father's #22 jersey, and with Jeff Green and Tristan Thompson sidelined, he should see even more minutes. Cleveland already had a thin front court, and now they'll really need Nance's hops around the basket going up against the length of Detroit's front court. Speaking of playing well in Cleveland, his point per minute mark is all the way up to 1.26 (from 1.09). Seeing as he should get an extra 5-10 minutes tonight and the fact that he wasn't priced up (injury news came out after prices were set), I'm a big fan of his floor and value tonight.

Other FanDuel DFS Forwards to Consider: LeBron James - SF, vs DET ($12,500); T.J. Warren - SF, at MIA ($6,700)

 

FanDuel DFS Centers

Jusuf Nurkic - C, at LAL ($6,300)

There are a few safer floor players at the position today for cash games, but my interest in Nurkic is peaking thanks to the bargain price and pretty good matchup. At the very least, this is a game with a great environment for producing plus value, and I like the idea of pairing him with Damian Lillard as their success is somewhat correlated. Nurkic has met or surpassed his price implied total in five of his last 10, but the price has crept downwards from a peak of $7,400 in this stretch. His Usage rate figures in the last two games were both above 30% - so we know the involvement in this offense is still strong. The concern here is the minutes, which have been fluctuating quite a bit, and for that reason he is solely a tournament option this evening.

Other FanDuel DFS Forwards to Consider: Myles Turner - C, vs MIL ($6,500)

NBA DFS News and Injury Alerts





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REAL-TIME FANTASY NEWS

Brian Thomas Jr.

Limited in Practice on Wednesday
Jerami Grant

Available Wednesday Night
Jalen Brunson

Returns From Two-Game Absence
Jalen Smith

Available to Play Wednesday
Tre Jones

Downgraded to Out
Shaedon Sharpe

Misses Wednesday's Game
Dereck Lively II

Cleared for Action Wednesday
Daniel Gafford

Available Wednesday
Caleb Martin

Won't Play Against Knicks
Raisel Iglesias

Returning to the Braves on One-Year Deal
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Absent Due to Ankle Injury
Marvin Bagley III

Starts on Wednesday
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Joins Starting Unit Wednesday
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Cleared for Wednesday's Action
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Returns to Action Wednesday
Aaron Gordon

Out Wednesday
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Won't Play Wednesday
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Cleared to Play Wednesday
Tre Mann

Ruled Out Wednesday
Sam Merrill

Ruled Out for Wednesday
Jabari Smith Jr.

Active Against Cavaliers
Buddy Hield

Good to Go Wednesday
Jonathan Kuminga

Misses Fourth Consecutive Game
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Unavailable on Wednesday
Conor Garland

to Return on Thursday
Thomas Harley

to Miss Road Trip
Eetu Luostarinen

Out Week-to-Week After Barbecue Accident
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to Miss at Least Three Games
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Misses Third Consecutive Game
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Remains Out Wednesday
Charlie McAvoy

Out Indefinitely After Facial Surgery
Joe Burrow

to Potentially Return in Week 12?
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Out on Wednesday, Hopes to Practice Thursday
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Not Seen at Wednesday's Practice
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Lands on Injury Report Ahead of Week 12 With Hip Injury
Rhamondre Stevenson

Targeting a Return in Week 12?
Isiah Pacheco

Returning to Practice on Wednesday
Brian Thomas Jr.

Jaguars "Optimistic" About Brian Thomas Jr.'s Week 12 Status
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Will Not Practice on Wednesday
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Looking to Continue Fall Run at RSM Classic
Jayden Daniels

Commanders Considering Shutting Down Jayden Daniels?
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Looking to Bounce Back at RSM Classic
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Looking to Regain Form at RSM Classic
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Searching for Momentum at RSM Classic
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Trying to Find Form at the RSM Classic
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Ruled Out Again in Week 12
Drake London

Falcons Hoping That Drake London Will Return in Week 13
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Garrett Nussmeier Doubtful to Play Against Western Kentucky
Michael Penix Jr.

Needs Reconstructive Surgery on Torn ACL
Jaxson Dart

Expected to Return to Practice on Wednesday
Shedeur Sanders

Will Start Against Raiders
Dalton Kincaid

Ruled Out Against Texans
Connor Bedard

Continues Tear With Hat Trick
Macklin Celebrini

Pots Hat Trick in Tuesday's Win
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Records Eighth Career Hat Trick
Sammy Blais

Injured Versus Blues
Alexander Romanov

Injured in Tuesday's Win
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Considered Week-to-Week
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Beau Hossler

Roller Coaster Comes to Saint Simons Island
Quade Cummins

The Time is Now for Quade Cummins in Georgia
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on the PGA Tour Card Bubble
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Matt Murray

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Out on Tuesday
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Makes Season Debut Tuesday
Evgenii Dadonov

on Track to Return Tuesday
Dougie Hamilton

a Game-Time Call Tuesday
Anthony Cirelli

Expected to Return Against Devils
Victor Hedman

Questionable for Tuesday
Auston Matthews

to Miss at Least Two More Games
C.J. Stroud

Expected to Return in Week 13 Against Colts
C.J. Stroud

to Miss Another Game
Joe Mixon

Uncertainty Remains Around Joe Mixon's Return Timeline
CFB

Sam Leavitt Set to Enter Transfer Portal?
Jose Altuve

Undergoes Foot Surgery
Alex Bregman

Red Sox Going for Either Alex Bregman or Pete Alonso?
CFB

James Franklin to be Virginia Tech's Next Head Coach
CFB

Fernando Mendoza the Clear Heisman Trophy Favorite?
CFB

Beau Pribula Has Chance to Face Oklahoma on Saturday
Jack Della Maddalena

Gets Dominated
Islam Makhachev

Claims UFC Welterweight Belt
Zhang Weili

Gets Outclassed
Valentina Shevchenko

Wins Unanimous Decision At UFC 322
Sean Brady

Suffers First-Round TKO Loss
Michael Morales

Remains Unbeaten
Leon Edwards

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Leon Edwards

Carlos Prates Becomes The First Man To Knock Out Leon Edwards
Beneil Dariush

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Beneil Dariush

Benoit Saint Denis Knocks Out Beneil Dariush In 16 Seconds
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Mariners Finalizing Five-Year Contract
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Jeremiah Smith, Carnell Tate Not Dealing With Long-Term Injuries
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Virginia Tech Close To Naming James Franklin As Head Coach
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Garrett Nussmeier Doubtful vs. Arkansas On Saturday
Edwin Díaz

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Jacob deGrom

Named AL Comeback Player of the Year
Ronald Acuña Jr.

Ronald Acuna Jr. Wins NL Comeback Player of the Year Award
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Edwin Díaz

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Islam Makhachev

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Jack Della Maddalena

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Can Become The New Women's Flyweight Champion
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Set For UFC 322 Co-Main Event
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Mario Craver a Game-Time Decision for Week 12
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A Favorite At UFC 322
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Looks To Get Back In The Win Column
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Looks To Win Back-To-Back Fights
CFB

Virginia's Chandler Morris Trending Toward Facing Duke on Saturday

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