Friday NBA DFS Slate Starter: First Look DraftKings & FanDuel Lineup Advice Today | 3/18/22

The Slate Starter is a daily first look at the day’s NBA slate to get your daily fantasy basketball lineup-building process started before lock tonight. Each day we will go through some of the best NBA DFS picks, values and sleepers for DraftKings and FanDuel. Be sure to check Awesemo’s NBA Starting Lineups page, as it will be updated throughout the day as the NBA injury reports are released and breaking news surfaces. Let’s dive into some players who stand out as key options on Friday’s 12-game NBA slate.

Want to see how your lineup stacked up against yesterday’s winning NBA DFS lineups for DraftKings, FanDuel and Yahoo fantasy basketball? Check out Awesemo’s Optimal Lineup Review, which uses Fantasy Cruncher Rewind to analyze the winning plays from the night before.

Be sure to check out the Eric Lindquist and Rayen Patnaik every morning with the NBA Slate Starter Podcast, where they give you the best first-look NBA DFS analysis and daily fantasy advice to start your process.

DraftKings & FanDuel NBA DFS Lineup Advice Today

Kevin Durant, SF/PF, Brooklyn Nets

Durant is coming off back-to-back poor outings, but he’s in an excellent bounce-back spot Friday vs. the Blazers. The Blazers have been a disaster defensively this, ranking 29th in defensive efficiency, and the Nets are implied for 119.25 points. The Nets will also be at home, meaning Kyrie Irving will be on the sidelines. Durant has increased his usage rate by +5.6% in six games without Irving and James Harden, resulting in an average of 1.46 DraftKings points per minute. Durant has played upwards of 40 minutes in games without Irving recently, giving him immense upside if this game stays competitive.

There is some blowout risk vs. the Blazers – the Nets are listed as 13.5-point favorites – but that is mitigated by Durant’s reduced price tag. He’s down to $10,500, which represents a decrease of -$500 over the past month. Expect him to grade out favorably in our NBA Projections.


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C.J. McCollum, PG/SG, New Orleans Pelicans

Unlike Durant, McCollum has actually seen a sizable price spike of late, but it’s hard to argue that he isn’t worth it. He’s seen a massive boost in production since joining the Pelicans, and he’s averaged 1.33 DraftKings points per minute over the past month.

McCollum has also been one of the biggest beneficiaries with Brandon Ingram out of the lineup. He’s seen a +5.1% usage bump in three games without Ingram as a member of the Pelicans, and he’s averaged 1.39 DraftKings points per minute with Ingram off the court.

The Pelicans are also in a great spot vs. the Spurs. The total on this game sits at 238.0 points, and the Spurs are just 3.5-point home favorites. That suggests a high-scoring, competitive affair.

It will be interesting to see how DFS players value McCollum on this slate. There are plenty of options to choose from, so he could end up slipping through the cracks. If his ownership projection is too low, he’ll be an appealing leverage option in the Boom/Bust Probability tool.

Torrey Craig, PF/C, Phoenix Suns

The Suns will be an important team to monitor on Friday. Chris Paul and Cameron Johnson remain out of the lineup, and Jae Crowder is questionable after missing their last game. If Crowder is out again, it’s going to open up significant playing time on the wing.

Craig is someone who figures to benefit. He saw 34 minutes in the Suns’ last game, and he responded with 49.5 DraftKings points vs. the Rockets. I wouldn’t expect a repeat performance, but Craig can definitely provide value with additional playing time. He’s averaged 0.82 DraftKings points per minute over the past month, and he should play around 30 minutes if Crowder is ruled out.

Craig could also be worth considering in the player prop market. Make sure to take advantage of the Awesemo Player Prop tool, which highlights the most exploitable prop bets each day.

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