Expert NBA DFS Advice: Hawks-Nets Providing Bevy of High-End Value (March 31)

Friday’s NBA DFS slate is packed with 13 games, presenting daily fantasy participants with a plethora of opportunities to build ideal lineups. Keeping a close watch on injuries and exciting matchups that could result in high-scoring games, let’s delve into each game and pinpoint potential NBA DFS value picks.

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NBA DFS Value and Advice | March 31

Chicago Bulls vs. Charlotte Hornets

The Chicago Bulls are in a good matchup against the Charlotte Hornets, making players like Zach LaVine, DeMar DeRozan and Nikola Vucevic strong plays. The Charlotte Hornets have a couple of questionable players in Kelly Oubre Jr. and Dennis Smith Jr., and if they are out, Theo Maledon and Svi Mykhailiuk become decent plays, but their prices have already increased, so it’s a tough decision. Assuming Mark Williams starts, he’s an interesting option for Charlotte.

Orlando Magic vs. Washington Wizards

The Orlando Magic do not have any priorities, but any of Paolo Banchero, Jalen Suggs, Franz Wagner or Markelle Fultz could be fine contrarian options in tournaments. For the Washington Wizards, Kristaps Porzingis looks good and will look even better if Daniel Gafford (questionable) sits. Deni Avdija and Monte Morris offer low-owned upside in tournaments, but their prices have adjusted for Kyle Kuzma and Bradley Beal being out.

Oklahoma City Thunder vs. Indiana Pacers

With Shai Gilgeous-Alexander potentially out for Oklahoma City, Jalen Williams and Josh Giddey are strong plays. There are no standout plays for Indiana, but if Myles Turner sits, Jalen Smith and Isaiah Jackson could split 48 minutes. T.J. McConnell also offers some low-owned upside in tournaments, with Tyrese Haliburton still sidelined.

Toronto Raptors vs. Philadelphia 76ers

The Toronto Raptors have no priorities, but any of their starters are fine as contrarian plays in tournaments. For the Philadelphia 76ers, Joel Embiid and James Harden are interesting at low ownership in tournaments, but it will be tough to prioritize them among all of the high-upside, mid-range options available at their positions on this slate. Gary Trent Jr. is questionable for Toronto.


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Utah Jazz vs. Boston Celtics

The Utah Jazz do not have much to see, but if Kelly Olynyk sits, Talen Horton-Tucker could look marginally better, but he is already expensive in a tough matchup. Juan Toscano-Anderson will likely start but not play enough minutes to matter. Luka Samanic and Damian Jones will likely play more minutes than usual, but Samanic is already not minimum salary and Jones is center-only, which makes it difficult to justify rostering him in the hopes of getting 22 minutes again. Jayson Tatum and Jaylen Brown are appealing, contrarian plays in a good matchup for Boston, but nothing stands out assuming they are not resting any of their main players.

New York Knicks vs. Cleveland Cavaliers

The New York Knicks will be without Julius Randle, so Obi Toppin is expected to start, but it is uncertain whether he will be in the closing lineup. Mitchell Robinson is cheap and has seen an increase in rebounding percentage without Randle on the floor this season. Minutes are still volatile, with Isaiah Hartenstein playing well as his backup. Jalen Brunson gets a slight bump in production without Randle as well.

For the Cleveland Cavaliers, Darius Garland is underpriced at $7,400 on DraftKings and is projected to be over-owned, as there are plenty of other point guards to pivot to. Donovan Mitchell looks good in tournaments at only 3% ownership and a reasonable $9,100 price tag. Caris LeVert is likely to start again, but keep in mind he has only produced 0.7 DraftKings points per minute alongside Garland and Mitchell this season. He has averaged 34 minutes per game in those games, however, so there is some upside available.

Atlanta Hawks vs. Brooklyn Nets

This has the highest over/under on the slate. Trae Young and Dejounte Murray are the two top options from this game. Both players are priced relatively cheaply, with Young at $8,900 and Murray at $7,600 on DraftKings. Clint Capela is an interesting low-owned option, but there are several other viable center options on the slate.

For the Nets, Mikal Bridges and Spencer Dinwiddie both look excellent in a favorable matchup. Nic Claxton is one of the best center options on the slate.

Los Angeles Clippers vs. Memphis Grizzlies

Kawhi Leonard is questionable for this game, and if he plays, he is always a top option. However, there is not much else to like from the Clippers in this matchup. Norman Powell is priced cheaply at $4,800 on DraftKings and could be a viable option if Leonard sits out.

The Grizzlies are at full strength and their salaries have increased, making it tough to roster any of their players. However, keep an eye on the playing time for their starters, as coach Taylor Jenkins has said he will play them more down the stretch. Ja Morant is an excellent play, but his salary is steep at $10,100.

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Los Angeles Lakers vs. Minnesota Timberwolves

The Lakers are one of the least appealing teams on the slate, with Anthony Davis and LeBron James being relatively expensive. Karl-Anthony Towns is interesting at $8,100, and although he has been scoring dependent since his return from injury, the playing time is there and he could return to form soon. Anthony Edwards and Rudy Gobert are viable options at low ownership in tournaments.

Detroit Pistons vs. Houston Rockets

If either of Jalen Duren or James Wiseman plays 28 minutes, they are likely to exceed their salary. However, their playing time is volatile, so they are both risky options. Jalen Ivey and Killian Hayes are fine in GPPs in a good matchup.

The Rockets look good in a game where they are not double-digit underdogs. Their starters have been getting big minutes in competitive games, yet they still are not expensive. Jalen Green, Kevin Porter Jr. and Alperen Sengun are the top options, but K.J. Martin and Jalen Smith are fine as well. Tari Eason is currently projected to be popular, but his playing time is volatile, making him risky in GPPs.

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San Antonio Spurs vs. Golden State Warriors

This is a brutal spot for the Spurs, and their players are not very appealing. Sandro Mamukelashvili is likely to start in place of Zach Collins and offers some NBA DFS value. He should get torched on the defensive end, but there is no reason for the Spurs to really care — and he will likely get garbage time anyway.

Golden State is risky because it’s tough to see how the Spurs hang with them, but it’s also a fantastic matchup. Jonathan Kuminga is the most appealing option if he remains in the starting lineup because he is still priced to play back-up minutes. It’s also possible that he gets garbage time even if he starts. Stephen Curry, Jordan Poole, Klay Thompson and Draymond Green all obviously have high ceilings and are fine in tournaments.

Sacramento Kings vs. Portland Trail Blazers

De’Aaron Fox and Domantas Sabonis are solid plays with low ownership. Fox in particular is an easier option to get to at a lower price of $8,000 on DraftKings. Keep an eye on Trendon Watford’s status for the Trail Blazers. If he returns, he offers a strong option at power forward, but if he is out, the Blazers will likely have a condensed rotation with most of their salaries having increased. The addition of Skylar Mays and Shaq Harrison also means they have more bodies to play than the seven they played in the last game.

Denver Nuggets vs. Phoenix Suns

This game is a bit tricky to assess due to the uncertainties with Denver’s lineup. Jamal Murray is not expected to play, and Nikola Jokic missed the last game with an injury. There is a possibility that he might sit this one out as well, as the team is being cautious with his health. If Jokic is out, it remains to be seen if Denver will play any of their main guys on a back-to-back. The injury report later in the day should shed some light on the situation.

As for the healthy Phoenix team, nothing stands out in terms of standout plays, but there may be some NBA DFS value to be found if Jokic sits out for Denver. However, with the uncertainties surrounding the Nuggets, it might be best to look elsewhere for more predictable options in Friday’s DFS slate.

Author
Adam "ShipMyMoney" Scherer has been playing and analyzing DFS full-time since quitting law school in 2016. He has qualified for the 2016 FanDuel MLB Playboy Championship, the 2016 DraftKings Fantasy Baseball World Championship (3x) and the 2019 DraftKings Fantasy Basketball World Championship. You can find him on Twitter at @ShipMyMoneyDFS or by emailing [email protected].

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