Tuesday’s NBA action brings a staggered eight-game main slate that locks at 7 p.m. ET on both DraftKings and FanDuel. There are several options in the player pool worth analyzing to find the top NBA DFS building blocks and NBA DFS picks for DraftKings and FanDuel lineups, including Nikola Jokic who has somehow taken things up a notch after two MVP seasons.
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NBA DFS Picks Today: Tuesday, March 14
Core Play of the Day — Nikola Jokic: Denver Nuggets-Toronto Raptors
- Stokastic’s Preliminary Point Projections: DraftKings: 58.04 | FanDuel: 55.09
- Stokastic’s Preliminary Rostered Projections: DraftKings 8.5% | FanDuel: 1.1%
- DFS Salary: DraftKings: $11,600 | FanDuel: $12,200
Sixteen teams comprise Tuesday’s player pool, which means value options should be plentiful by the time the slate locks. It is also interesting to see Nikola Jokic with projected ownership in the single digits and at almost nil on FanDuel. His ownership will increase once the afternoon and evening injury reports come out, but it suggests that he’ll still get underrepresented in tournaments.
Denver has lost three games in a row, the last two of which were especially close. Jokic averaged 38.8 minutes and 23.5 field goal attempts with a 59.6% success rate in those two games. He even converted four of seven from beyond the arc. His shooting helped yield an impressive average stat line of 36 points, 15.5 rebounds, 11 assists, 3.5 combined blocks and steals — leading to two triple-doubles. Those numbers were good enough for one 70 and one 80 fantasy point game.
There is a chance that Jamal Murray is out tonight, as he is dealing with knee soreness, which would put even more responsibilities on Jokic’s plate. When looking for a key building block today, Jokic definitely fits the bill. In the event Jokic seems too expensive, Anthony Davis is a fine alternative in a road matchup against the team that drafted him a decade ago.
Cleveland Cavaliers-Charlotte Hornets
Jarrett Allen is out with an injury to his right eye. Charlotte is one of the most fantasy-friendly matchups for opposing frontcourts, which bodes well for Evan Mobley and Lamar Stevens. Mobley has power forward eligibility on both sites while Stevens is a power forward on FanDuel and a small forward on DraftKings. With a plethora of excellent point-per-dollar options at the center positions, as well as the aforementioned Jokic, expect Cleveland’s duo to be well-represented in tournaments with their alternative positions.
Charlotte is without Mark Williams for a third consecutive game, so Nick Richards enters the fray once again at center. In his last two starts, the former Kentucky Wildcat has averaged 31.2 minutes with 12 points, 10 rebounds, three assists and four blocks. Though Cleveland is one of the best defenses in the league, Allen’s absence should open things up just enough to create a path for Richards to post another solid game.
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Additional NBA DFS Building Blocks Pick — Sports Betting Opportunities
Jalen Williams is having a strong rookie campaign. Although his DFS salary is becoming prohibitive with his continued surge in production, we can target him in the sports betting market. The books have set the total for his assists prop to 2.5. The juice is stacked on the over, but Williams’ success rate in this category has been impressive.
Williams is averaging 3.9 assists per 36 minutes. This accounts for games with and without Shai Gilgeous-Alexander as well as the rookie learning curve. In his last 10 games with Gilgeous-Alexander, Williams is averaging 32.6 minutes and 3.4 assists.
NBA Bet Pro has Williams projected for 33.6 minutes and 4.07 assists, leading to a 67% expected win probability for this prop. Currently, the over costs only -175 at BetMGM, which works out to a solid 5% expected ROI.
Did you know that you can get two free months of Stokastic+ Platinum for signing up and making your first bet at BetMGM? Claim here today!
New York Knicks-Portland Trail Blazers
Jalen Brunson (foot) may miss yet another game, so that means additional opportunities may once again go to Julius Randle, Immanuel Quickley and R.J. Barrett. Randle worked his way out of his shooting slump on Sunday by going 11-for-24 from the field, leading to a 33-point night and helping the Knicks knock off the Lakers.
Portland has allowed 120.4 points per 100 possessions over the last 10 games, which is the second-worst defensive efficiency rating in the league. Quickley has filled in nicely for Brunson as the starting point guard, and even with his increasing salary, he is a player to target in this matchup. Similarly, Barrett gets a boost in field goal attempts when Brunson is off the court and has poured in 25 or more points in four of the last five games.
Josh Hart is a dart throw on both FanDuel and DraftKings, though he defers so much on offense that it’s hard to get excited about any fantasy upside. In his last 10 games with New York, he is averaging only five field goal attempts per game despite playing 30.8 minutes.
Damian Lillard missed the last game with a calf issue, and if he is out again, Anfernee Simons becomes the primary offensive option. If Lillard plays, he should be considered a full-go, and we know his tournament upside is immense — even with the Trail Blazers back to full health.
Jerami Grant is also questionable with a quad injury. If he sits, expect a trickle-down effect for Cam Reddish and Matisse Thybulle. If he is available, then the Blazers will really only provide three fantasy options in Lillard, Simons and Grant.
Jusuf Nurkic has been disappointing in his three games since returning from a calf injury that kept him out for over a month. Though he projects well, there is no reason to look to him on the main slate.
Final Thoughts on NBA DFS Picks Building Blocks Today
Tuesday’s action is staggered into three waves, culminating with another twin-bill West Coast nightcap. Milwaukee and Phoenix both played Monday, so there could be some late-developing news regarding player availability.
Get ready for the slate with all of the latest analysis and information by tuning in to the Stokastic Deeper Dive and Live Before Lock shows at 5:00 p.m. ET on YouTube, brought to you by Underdog Fantasy.
