Thursday’s NBA action is a quick-hitting, two-game featured slate locking at 7:30 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 Brandon Ingram.
NBA DFS Picks Today: Thursday, March 30
Core Play of the Day — Brandon Ingram: New Orleans Pelicans-Denver Broncos
- Stokastic’s Preliminary Point Projections: DraftKings: 42.93 | FanDuel: 41.16
- Stokastic’s Preliminary Rostered Projections: DraftKings 30.1% | FanDuel: 33.5%
- DFS Salary: DraftKings: $8,900 | FanDuel: $9,200
Even with only four teams in action tonight, there are several uncertain situations. Milwaukee played yesterday, and it remains to be seen if key players will be sitting from either team with Boston playing at home tomorrow against Utah.
Denver also plays tomorrow, and there is a chance that Nikola Jokic (calf soreness) gets a night off either tonight or tomorrow when the Nuggets are playing the Suns in Phoenix. If Jokic is in the starting lineup tonight, he should be considered a full-go; if he is out, well, that is a self-resolving situation.
New Orleans saw a five-game winning streak come to an end on Tuesday in Golden State against the Warriors. However, the Pelicans are in control of their own destiny and are just 1.5 games from escaping the Play-In Tournament.
Brandon Ingram has been in the zone over his last eight games. During this stretch, he has averaged 35.4 minutes and 20.4 field goal attempts with a healthy 50.9% conversion rate. This has resulted in 28.5 points, 5.6 rebounds, 7.8 assists, and 1.0 combined blocks and steals. His increased production has played a large part in the Pelicans winning their last five games by an average of 20.8 points.
Denver has been a mess on defense, and over the last 10 games, the Nuggets are allowing 117.3 points per 100 possessions, which is in the bottom third of the league. If Jokic is out, Denver tends to see more possessions and the defensive scheme falls apart.
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CJ McCollum and Jonas Valanciunas are strong plays from the Pelicans, regardless of Jokic’s status. Trey Murphy III, Herbert Jones, Josh Richardson and Larry Nance Jr. are neutral options who deserve a mention with the thin player pool.
If Jokic is out, the remaining core Denver options will each see a boost filling in the major void left by the two-time reigning NBA MVP. Jamal Murray, Michael Porter Jr. and Aaron Gordon will be the main cogs seeing additional opportunities and responsibilities. Additional minutes will trickle down to Bruce Brown Jr. and Kentavious Caldwell-Pope, with Jeff Green and rookie Christian Braun becoming wild card lottery tickets.
Additional NBA DFS Building Blocks Pick — Sports Betting Opportunities
Things are looking tight in the sports wagering market, with only two games on the docket. That said, Kentavious Caldwell-Pope is an intriguing option with his points + rebounds + assists (PRA) prop of 14.5.
This season, the veteran wing has been averaging 31.6 minutes with 10.9 points, 2.8 rebounds and 2.5 assists for 16.2 PRA. In 37 home games, played in the thin Denver air, Caldwell-Pope is averaging 11.5 points, 2.7 rebounds and 2.2 assists for 16.4 PRA.
NBA Bet Pro has the 29-year-old projected for 31.3 minutes, 10.21 points, 2.75 rebounds and 2.53 assists for 15.49 PRA This leads to a 56% likelihood that he will surpass the 14.5 PRA milestone tonight, and the current line of -114 at BetMGM provides an steady 3% expected ROI.
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Milwaukee Bucks-Boston Celtics
Last night Khris Middleton and Joe Ingles got the night off, while Giannis Antetokounmpo and Jrue Holiday each had amazing fantasy performances in a 149-136 drubbing of the Pacers in Indiana. Antetokounmpo played 32 minutes and recorded 38 points, 17 rebounds, 12 assists and a block. Holiday was even more impressive, with a career-high 51 points on 20 of 30 from the field, eight rebounds, eight assists, one block and one steal.
If this game ends up being a “measuring stick” event, then the Big Three of Milwaukee are the preferred options. If one or more of this trio and/or Brook Lopez gets a night off, then Bobby Portis, Grayson Allen, Pat Connaughton and Jevon Carter will see elevated opportunities, depending on which key Buck’s player(s) sit.
Boston currently has the second-best record in the Eastern Conference, with a two-game lead over Philadelphia and a two-game deficit on Milwaukee. Currently Robert Williams III (knee), Grant Williams (non-COVID related illness) and Payton Pritchard (heel) are questionable, while Al Horford (injury management) is probable.
If everyone is in, this should be a fun game to watch and the primary players to covet will, of course, be Jayson Tatum and Jaylen Brown. Some discount dandies may appear, depending on which other players are ruled out of action. This is the first game of the night, so we will have all the information prior to lock; however, in the absence of that, it is foolish to play the guessing game this early in the afternoon.
Final Thoughts on NBA DFS Picks Building Blocks Today
Tonight is a brief two-game slate, with The Association giving way to MLB Opening Day. Tomorrow brings a MEGA 13-game featured slate, so enjoy the respite. 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 5:30 p.m. ET on YouTube, brought to you by Sorare.
