NBA DFS action on Saturday, March 27, locks at 8 p.m. ET with a nine-game main slate on Yahoo, DraftKings and FanDuel. SuperDraft is locking at 8:30 p.m. ET with a six-game slate. Before you lock in your lineups, make sure to check out Awesemo’s daily fantasy basketball picks, rankings and projections. Let’s dig into some NBA DFS and daily fantasy basketball picks, including John Wall, De’Aaron Fox, Russell Westbrook and more.
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NBA DFS Picks: Building Blocks, Saturday, March 27th
Yahoo Play of the Day – John Wall: Houston Rockets at Minnesota Timberwolves
- Awesemo’s Preliminary Point Projections: Yahoo and FanDuel: 42.12 | DraftKings: 44.27
- Awesemo’s Preliminary Rostered Projections: Yahoo 48.8% | FanDuel 32.7% | DraftKings 19.5%
- DFS Salary: Yahoo $32 | FanDuel $8,200 | DraftKings $8,400
Today we are getting nearly a 20% discount for John Wall on Yahoo where he should be closer to a $40 player in this matchup. Houston is projected for a 112-point total, which is a mark it has surpassed only once in its last 10 games. Victor Oladipo was dealt to Miami, and Danuel House is out for personal reasons. The only concern here is that these two teams played last night, though Wall has been playing in back-to-back games and he is not currently on the injury report. Earlier this week, he played 35.5 and 36.1 minutes on consecutive days, and that was after missing five games after the All-Star Break for knee soreness. Keep tabs on this one, though, because it would not be a shock if he was ruled out prior to tipoff.
Looking at NBA WOWY, we can see that Wall is averaging nearly 1.1 Yahoo fantasy points per minute when Oladipo is off the court. Last night he had 14 points and 15 rebounds against the Timberwolves. That was actually disappointing because he took 25 field-goal attempts and made only six. Going forward, he should be a threat every night for 40-plus fantasy points with another 8 to 10 in attainable upside.
De’Aaron Fox: Sacramento Kings vs. Cleveland Cavaliers
- Awesemo’s Preliminary Point Projections: Yahoo and FanDuel: 41.42 | DraftKings: 42.3
- Awesemo’s Preliminary Rostered Projections: Yahoo 2.0% | FanDuel 3.7% | DraftKings 3.9%
- DFS Salary: Yahoo $40 | FanDuel $9,400 | DraftKings $9,000
Yes, De’Aaron Fox is wildly expensive, particularly on FanDuel and DraftKings. However, keep in mind that with so many players changing teams and the nine-game slate, there are plenty of discount dandies. This means that a stars-and-scrubs roster construction will once again be in play. We have seen time and time again this season that the masses tend to go for the big name all-stars in these situations. That leaves players in cherry matchups, such as the one in front of Fox tonight, getting lost in the shuffle.
Cleveland was gobsmacked last night in Los Angeles by the Lakers understudies 100-86, managing a paltry 10 points in the third quarter. Fox is not getting enough credit from the NBA DFS world for his increased level of production. Over his last 10 games, he is averaging 36.9 minutes and 21.1 field-goal attempts. This has resulted in 30.7 points, 4.3 rebounds, 6.9 assists and 1.9 combined blocks/steals for a tick shy of 50 Yahoo fantasy points per game in this stretch.
Russell Westbrook: Washington Wizards vs. Detroit Pistons
- Awesemo’s Preliminary Point Projections: Yahoo and FanDuel: 51.18 | DraftKings: 54.4
- Awesemo’s Preliminary Rostered Projections: Yahoo 11.8% | FanDuel 14.9% | DraftKings 7.3%
- DFS Salary: Yahoo $51 | FanDuel $11,000 | DraftKings $11,000
Currently Bradley Beal is questionable with a sore foot. If he is out, do not hesitate in making Russell Westbrook a core play. If Beal is in, then Westbrook’s well-earned salary tag is going to keep his popularity suppressed, which we can use to our advantage. Davis Bertans (calf) is out for at least another week. Otherwise, do not worry about how newcomers Daniel Gafford and Chandler Hutchison are going to fit in, as they are not going to be taking anything away from Beal and Westbrook, who are second and eighth on the usage rate leaderboard among players with at least 1,100 minutes.
Westbrook is just eight rebounds shy of averaging a triple-double on the season. His 10.3 assists per game are second in the league and his 14 triple-doubles lead the pack; and his 29 double-doubles are fifth most. That is pretty impressive considering he has played eight fewer games than those ahead of him. While Detroit does not play fast, it is in the bottom-third of the league from a defensive efficiency standpoint over the last month. We have essentially entered “must-win” territory for the Wizards, who are slipping out of contention for the play-in tournament.
Good Value
New Orleans Pelicans vs. Dallas Mavericks
The Pelicans are likely to be without the services of Lonzo Ball for a third straight game. While they are coming off a loss last night to the Nuggets, Dallas is also on a back-to-back. Luka Doncic was out Friday with a sore back and he remains questionable for this matchup. If he is out, Kristaps Porzingis and Jalen Brunson become top NBA DFS picks on the slate.
New Orleans has some value with Eric Bledsoe’s poor performance this season serving to drop his salary to absurdly low levels if Ball is out. If he is the sole point guard rolling on Saturday night, then we want to make him a major target on Yahoo ($13), DraftKings ($4,400) and FanDuel ($4,500). Nickeil Alexander-Walker is also a targeted play if he continues to start for Ball. The game total is approaching 230 points, which is the highest on the slate. Brandon Ingram and Zion Williamson are also great NBA DFS picks if you are looking for a ticket to the fantasy goodness.
Risky Value
Oklahoma City Thunder vs. Boston Celtics
Yesterday in this section it was mentioned how it would be tricky to trust any of the Orlando Magic with certainty when it came to their fantasy production. They traded four starters and where also without a few ancillary pieces. That complete makeover of their rotation made it difficult for them to find continuity on offense. There is a similar situation here with the Thunder, and the Celtics are a far more daunting matchup than the Trail Blazers were last night for the Magic.
Oklahoma City may very well be double-digit home dogs by tip-off. They will be without Shai Gilgeous-Alexander, who is out indefinitely due to plantar fasciitis in his right foot. Darius Bazley will be out through the weekend with a shoulder injury. Recent acquisitions Tony Bradley and Austin Rivers will also not be available tonight. That leaves a frontcourt of Al Horford, Moses Brown and Isaiah Roby. The backcourt options are Theo Maledon, Ty Jerome and Svi Mykhailiuk. Then there are wings Luguentz Dort, Aleksej Pokusevski, Justin Jackson and Mike Muscala. While a dart throw or two here is possible, any more than one Oklahoma City player on rosters for the main slate isn’t a great look.
Yahoo Daily Fantasy Basketball Discount Dandies
- Eric Bledsoe: NOP vs DAL – $11
- Nickeil Alexander-Walker: NOP vs. DAL – $14
- Dorian Finney-Smith: DAL at NOP – $10
SuperDraft Daily Fantasy Basketball Picks
- De’Aaron Fox: SAC vs. CLE – 1.30x multiplier
- Richaun Holmes: SAC vs. CLE – 1.40x multiplier
- Derrick White: SAS vs. CHI – 1.75x multiplier
Final Thoughts on Saturday, March 27th NBA DFS Slate
Tonight we have a compressed schedule, although 10 teams are on a back-to-back, so we could see unexpected news. This, along with the resolution of more traded players clearing their physicals, could have things in flux right up to the tip-off of most games. Be nimble and keep in mind that salaries and scoring formats differ across the various fantasy sites, and a slam-dunk play on Yahoo may be a below-average NBA DFS pick on DraftKings or FanDuel.
