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There will be eight games played across the NBA on Friday. Both DraftKings and FanDuel have eliminated the two late games from the main slate, leaving us with six total games to select players from.
The key to being successful in NBA DFS comes down to making adjustments during the day as injury information becomes available. But it's always really important to have a game plan, and the best players and spots circled first before making those adjustments. To keep up with all the latest developments and get access to updated projections, grab an NBA season pass and also gain access to our RotoBaller Premium Discord, where @chiefjustice6 is talking about the slate up until lineups lock!
This article will provide you with my daily fantasy basketball lineup picks for DraftKings and FanDuel on 3/8/24. Remember to monitor NBA injury news and our awesome NBA injuries report tool, as the slate can completely change before lineups lock at 7 p.m. EST on FanDuel and DraftKings. Good luck, RotoBallers!
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Today's NBA DFS Core Picks
Let's first take a look at our matchup ratings to see who we want to target for our top spend-ups tonight.
The Hawks’ depth chart is ugly right now. They will take on the Grizzlies with Trae Young (finger), Jalen Johnson (ankle), Onyeka Okongwu (toe), and Kobe Bufkin (toe) all sidelined. Dejounte Murray has stepped up his production with an expanded role, averaging 21.7 points, 6.4 rebounds, 8.0 assists, and 1.4 steals over his last ten games. Expect him to continue to have a high floor.
The 76ers are lacking size with Joel Embiid (knee) out. That could be a recipe for disaster in a matchup with Zion Williamson. Embiid also missed the first meeting between these two teams this season. Williamson dominated that game with 33 PTs, eight REBs, six ASTs, and three STLs over 33 minutes.
One of the most underwhelming matchups of the night will feature the Wizards hosting the Hornets. The Wizards are thin up front with Marvin Bagley III (back) out. They played small a lot with him out Wednesday against the Magic and should continue to deploy that strategy moving forward. Even in that difficult matchup against the Magic, Kyle Kuzma produced 25 PTs, five REBs, and four ASTs. Expect him to remain the focal point of the Wizards’ scoring attack.
- Dejounte Murray, ATL at MEM – PG/SG ($9,200 DK; $8,900 FD)
- Zion Williamson, NO at PHI – PF ($8,100 DK; $8,200 FD)
- Kyle Kuzma, WAS vs. CHA – PF/C ($7,800 DK; $8,500 FD)
Today's NBA DFS Value Picks
Moving to the bench might have been the best thing to happen to Jordan Poole this season. Over the last eight games, he has averaged 23.8 PTs, 3.0 REBs, 4.0 ASTs, and 1.0 STLs. The Hornets are sporting the third-worst defensive rating in the league, so Poole has the potential to stay hot.
Trey Murphy III has a much cheaper salary on DraftKings than he does on FanDuel. While he’s more appealing there, he is still worth targeting on both sites. Over the last four games, he has made 24 of 45 attempts from behind the arc. He also put up 6.0 REBs, 3.3 ASTs, and 1.3 STLs per game during that span.
The Hornets are dealing with a lot of injuries at guard. LaMelo Ball (ankle), Seth Curry (ankle), and Cody Martin (ankle) are all out. To complicate matters, Tre Mann (groin) is listed as questionable. Even if Mann plays, this is a great spot for Vasilije Micic. He has started the last two games and should continue to log significant minutes against a Wizards team that has played at the fastest pace and has the worst defensive rating in the league.
Top Value Plays:
- Jordan Poole, WAS vs. CHA – PG/SG ($6,000 DK; $6,900 FD)
- Trey Murphy III, NO at PHI – SG/SF ($5,600 DK; $6,900 FD)
- Vasilije Micic, CHA at WAS – PG/SG ($5,300 DK; $5,400 FD)
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Today's NBA DFS Picks: Point Guard
Murray is the point guard to target in the top tier of the position, while Micic is a great value option. For those looking for a mid-tier salary player, don’t sleep on Terry Rozier. He has been cooking with Tyler Herro (knee) out, averaging 19.2 PTs, 3.8 REBs, and 6.8 ASTs over the last five games.
Terry Rozier tonight:
🔥27 PTS
🔥6 REB
🔥11 AST
🔥10-17 FG
🔥5-8 3PT
🔥1 STL
🔥0 TOs (Zero!!!!)It might’ve been an unfruitful end for Miami, but Rozier had his most complete game in a Heat uniform. pic.twitter.com/4ak8CzAnrb
— Hot Hot Hoops (@hothothoops) March 8, 2024
Top PG Options:
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- Dejounte Murray at MEM, ($9,200 DK; $8,900 FD)
- Terry Rozier at OKC, ($6,500 DK; $7,000 FD)
- Vasilije Micic at WAS, ($5,300 DK; $5,400 FD)
Today's NBA DFS Picks: Shooting Guard
Poole and Murphy are both great options at shooting guard, with Poole standing out as someone to consider in tournament play. Another option to consider at the position is Brandon Miller. He has the great matchup against the Wizards and has become one of the leading scorers for the Hornets, averaging 20.1 PTs and 17.1 shot attempts over his last 20 games.
Top SG Options:
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- Brandon Miller at WAS, ($7,000 DK; $7,000 FD)
- Jordan Poole vs. CHA, ($6,000 DK; $6,900 FD)
- Trey Murphy III at PHI, ($5,600 DK; $6,900 FD)
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Today's NBA DFS Picks: Small Forward
The Grizzlies have struggled to score because of all of their injuries. One player who hasn’t been struggling is Vince Williams Jr., who has averaged 14.2 PTs, 6.1 REBs, 5.1 ASTs, and 1.4 STLs since moving into the starting lineup. Look for him to shine against a Hawks team that has played at the fourth-fastest pace and has the fourth-worst defensive rating in the league.
One of the keys to the Wizards playing small with Bagley out is Deni Avdija. The versatile forward came through a difficult matchup against the Magic with 14 PTs, seven REBs, three ASTs, and two STLs over 36 minutes. With no shortage of minutes coming his way, he could produce an even better stat line in a far better matchup with the Hornets.
The absence of Johnson means that De'Andre Hunter should step into an expanded role for the Hawks. Despite averaging a modest 27 minutes over the last nine games, he put up 18.9 PTs and 2.2 three-pointers per game.
Top SF Options:
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- Vince Williams Jr. vs. ATL, ($6,900 DK; $7,200 FD)
- Deni Avdija vs. CHA, ($6,700 DK; $6,600 FD)
- De'Andre Hunter at MEM, ($5,000 DK; $5,700 FD)
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Today's NBA DFS Picks: Power Forward
For those not looking to spend up for the salaries of Williamson or Kuzma, Saddiq Bey is a viable power forward target. Like Murray and Hunter, he will likely be asked to step up his production as the Hawks are so shorthanded. He logged a whopping 40 minutes with Johnson going down early against the Cavaliers on Wednesday, which resulted in him posting 23 PTs and eight REBs.
Top PF Options:
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- Zion Williamson at PHI, ($8,100 DK; $8,200 FD)
- Kyle Kuzma vs. CHA, ($7,800 DK; $8,500 FD)
- Saddiq Bey at MEM, ($5,700 DK; $6,300 FD)
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Today's NBA DFS Picks: Center
Playing the second game of a back-to-back set is not ideal for Bam Adebayo. However, he might be too good to resist in a matchup against the Thunder. For as talented as they are, they lack size up front. That has contributed to them giving up the sixth-most REBs per game in the league.
Jaime Jaquez Jr. directs the break and lobs it to Bam Adebayo for the slam!
MIA-DEN Live on TNT pic.twitter.com/PS0MzTsDco
— NBA (@NBA) March 1, 2024
Jaren Jackson Jr. has been in and out of the lineup lately because of injuries. He has dominated when he has played, averaging 25.7 PTs, 5.3 REBs, 2.9 ASTs, 1.5 STLs, and 1.3 BLKs over his last 17 games. He’s not on the injury report for Friday’s matchup with the Hawks.
The Hornets don’t have much size behind power forward Miles Bridges and center Nick Richards. They have used Grant Williams to back up both positions, which has left him with plenty of playing time off the bench. Since joining the Hornets, he has averaged 13.7 PTs, 5.5 REBs, 2.3 ASTs, and 1.6 three-pointers. That’s enough to make him at least worth considering in tournament play.
Top C Options:
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- Bam Adebayo at OKC, ($8,300 DK; $8,400 FD)
- Jaren Jackson Jr. vs. ATL, ($8,200 DK; $9,000 FD)
- Grant Williams at WAS, ($5,400 DK; $5,100 FD)
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Today's Top NBA DFS Game Stacks
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- Hornets at Wizards (226 total)
- Heat at Thunder (223.5 total)
- Pelicans at 76ers (221.5 total)
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Today's Top NBA DFS Avoids
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- There’s not much to like about the matchup between the Knicks and Magic, who both rank inside the bottom five in the league in pace of play.
- As good as Jarrett Allen has been with Evan Mobley (ankle) out, he comes with plenty of risk in a matchup against Rudy Gobert.
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My Favorite NBA DFS Picks for Today
Here is where I leave you with some of my favorites.
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- My favorite overall play on the slate: Vasilije Micic
- My favorite CASH play on the slate: Kyle Kuzma
- My favorite GPP play on the slate: Jordan Poole
- My favorite value play: Trey Murphy III
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