Today's NBA DFS Picks: DraftKings, FanDuel DFS Lineups, Values, Stacks (Monday, 3/16/26)

March 16, 2026

Today's free NBA DFS picks for DraftKings, FanDuel (March 16th, 2026). Zach's daily fantasy basketball lineups, values, stacks, pivots, sleepers for NBA DFS.

Welcome Back, RotoBallers! On Monday, the NBA tips off another work week with eight games on the scoreboard. The first six of those games are on the main DFS fantasy basketball slate on DraftKings, while FanDuel includes all eight contests. In this post, we'll focus on players on both sites, with a few extra notes about the late games for FanDuel managers. At this point in the season, injury reports are crucial to monitor when setting up your lineups. Be sure to be aware and available to adjust your roster leading up to the 7:00 p.m. ET contest lock and the tipoff of your players' games on Monday.

Coming into the day, some important players like Stephen Curry, Ja Morant, Michael Porter Jr., Franz Wagner, and Dillon Brooks have been ruled out. Key contributors like Dejounte Murray, Jonathan Kuminga, and Walter Clayton Jr. are questionable, while Ty Jerome and GG Jackson II are doubtful. Kristaps Porzingis is expected to play on the second night of the Warriors' back-to-back, and the Mavericks and Trail Blazers are also playing for a second day in a row. Be sure to keep an eye on the injury reports throughout the day, since who's in and who's out will radically impact players' values.

This article will provide you with my daily fantasy basketball lineup picks for DraftKings and FanDuel on 3/16/26. 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. ET on FanDuel and DraftKings. To keep up with all the latest developments and get access to updated projections, grab the RotoBaller Premium Pass, which is highly discounted and includes DFS, betting, props, and season-long tools like the Team Sync platform. Also, gain access to our RotoBaller Premium Discord, where our experts are talking about the slate up until lineups lock!

NBA DFS Core Picks

Josh Giddey, CHI - PG on DK, PG/SG on FD

• DraftKings: $9,000
• FanDuel: $9,500

The Bulls and the Grizzlies meet in the game with the highest point total on the board, and Giddey will be in a smash spot against the banged-up Memphis backcourt. He's coming off a great triple-double last Friday night against the Clippers, posting over 60 DraftKings points for a third straight game.

Josh Giddey tonight vs. Clippers:

20 PTS
11 REB
10 AST

Move up to 19th in the NBA all-time in triple-doubles. 23 years old. pic.twitter.com/q9w8k9iKH7

— Bulls on CHSN (@CHSN_Bulls) March 14, 2026

In his six games in March, Giddey has produced 19.5 points, 11.8 assists, 11.2 rebounds, 1.3 steals, and 4.0 three-pointers per game, averaging 58.5 DraftKings points and 52.5 FanDuel points per contest. He has played at least 39 minutes in each of his last three games, all of which were on the road. He'll be back home with a chance to help his Bulls pick up a home win against Memphis, and he should have a heavy workload in an up-tempo game environment.

Giddey brings elite upside at a salary slightly lower than the most expensive options on this slate. He's a great centerpiece to build your lineup around on Monday night.

Donovan Clingan, POR - C

• DraftKings: $7,800
• FanDuel: $7,500

The Trail Blazers are finishing their back-to-back with a stop in Brooklyn after losing by six points in Philadelphia on Sunday. Clingan had another double-double with 11 points and 15 rebounds in his 28 minutes in that contest, and he has seven double-doubles in his last 10 games. He's also been doing great work on the defensive end with 2.6 blocks per game.

Blocking spree for Donovan Clingan tonight 😤 pic.twitter.com/OL5bXrcmNT

— Portland Trail Blazers (@trailblazers) March 14, 2026

Clingan has at least three blocks in three straight games with over 34 FanDuel points and 37 DraftKings points in four of his last five games. His best game during that stretch was against the Jazz, when he had 21 points, 15 rebounds, and six blocks in 35 minutes for 68 FanDuel points and 62.2 DraftKings points. He'll be in a similarly favorable spot against the Nets if he plays on the second night of the team's back-to-back. Keep a close eye on the injury report, but if he's in a position to get big minutes, the big man has the potential to keep rolling.

NBA DFS Tournament Pivots

Cooper Flagg, DAL - PG on DK, PG/SG/SF on FD

• DraftKings: $9,000
• FanDuel: $8,700

Flagg continues to put the finishing touches on an extremely promising rookie season, and he has clearly been the focus of the offense since returning from injury earlier this month. Flagg had a great game on Sunday to lead the Mavs to a win on the road in Cleveland, totaling 54 DraftKings points on 27 points, 10 assists, six rebounds, and a pair of blocked shots.

Rook comin' in HOT 🔥#MFFLAGG pic.twitter.com/HqaddKnqgE

— Dallas Mavericks (@dallasmavs) March 15, 2026

Flagg had over 50 DraftKings points for the first time this month, and he has over 42 DraftKings points in three of his seven games since coming back from his midfoot sprain. He and the Mavs are visiting the Pelicans to finish their back-to-back, and he has the upside to post a huge game in the Big Easy. He's not quite as reliable as Giddey, especially since he's on the second night of a back-to-back, but his multi-category upside definitely makes the rookie a strong GPP option on Monday.

Javon Small, MEM - PG

• DraftKings: $6,000
• FanDuel: $6,000

With the Grizzlies missing Ja Morant and Santi Aldama, along with likely Jerome and Jackson, Small will continue to be in a spot to step up and carry the load. The second-round rookie out of West Virginia has bounced back and forth from the starting unit to the bench, but has been getting good minutes and usage in either role.

He had 23 points in 23 minutes off the bench on Friday against the Pistons after posting 19 points and nine assists in 28 minutes in a start against the Mavs in his previous game. He has produced at least  32 FanDuel points and 32 DraftKings points in four of his last six games, including over 36 DraftKings points in each of his last two contests. The uncertain rotation raises his risk, but he has a high enough ceiling to be worth a look against the Bulls.

For FanDuel managers, I also like Amen Thompson, Bennedict Mathurin, Darius Garland, and Stephon Castle as GPP plays in the late games.

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Today's NBA DFS Value Picks

Josh Minott, PF/C on DK, SF on FD 

• DraftKings: $4,300
• FanDuel: $4,000

The Nets host the Blazers on Monday night and will be without Michael Porter Jr., Terance Mann, Day'Ron Sharpe, Noah Clowney, and Egor Demin, while Ben Saraf is also questionable. With all the opportunities available, Minott could have a nice finish to the season, and he has flashed a very high upside in his last few games.

On Thursday, he had 42.2 DraftKings points against the Hawks in 24 minutes, and he followed that up with a solid showing against the Sixers on Saturday as well. The Nets don't have a lot of great offensive options right now, which could give Minott a chance to return great value on Monday's slate, since he's in a favorable spot against the Blazers.

Nets Josh Minott career-high 24 PTS (6-9 FG, 4-7 3P, 90% TS), 3 REB, 1 AST, 3 STL, 3 BLK in 24 minutes vs. Hawks

Celtics traded him for cash considerations. https://t.co/UtB48oupLc pic.twitter.com/N9GRxCaJd3

— Role Player Performances (@BenchHighlights) March 13, 2026

Gary Payton II, GS - SG/SF on DK, SG on FD

• DraftKings: $4,500
• FanDuel: $4,500

The Warriors have been wiped out by injuries and took a tough loss at Madison Square Garden on Monday. Payton has stepped into a bigger role for Golden State and delivered meaningful minutes over the last few weeks. The Mitten had 19 points, six boards, and 40 DraftKings points in Sunday night's loss, and he has reached double-digit points in four straight and six of his last seven games. It depends on who is available for the Warriors on the second night of the back-to-back, but if he gets minutes in this favorable spot against the Wizards, he should be able to return elite value to Monday builds. His extra positional versatility on DraftKings makes him even easier to fit into your lineups.

Marvin Bagley III, DAL - C

• DraftKings: $4,500
• FanDuel: $4,500

If you opt to go with a cheap play at center, Bagley brings good upside as a bargain to consider. Daniel Gafford was ruled out for Sunday due to an illness, which could leave Bagley with plenty of minutes in a great matchup against the Pelicans. He hasn't been quite as consistent lately, but he flashed a high ceiling after joining Dallas at the trade deadline. If Gafford is out again on Monday, Bagley will in a great matchup with a high ceiling against New Orleans.

A few additional values to consider from the late games on FanDuel include Julian Champagnie of the Spurs, Kris Dunn of the Clippers, Marcus Smart of the Lakers, and Isaiah Jackson of the Clippers.

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: Josh Giddey
• My favorite CASH play on the slate: Josh Giddey
• My favorite GPP play on the slate: Cooper Flagg
• My favorite VALUE play: Gary Payton II (if set for big minutes)

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