DraftKings daily picks: Fantasy Basketball Advice 03-31-16

DraftKings daily picks for March 31

Thursdays slate of basketball games offers some enticing matchups for Daily Fantasy Basketball on Draftkings. There are six games on the schedule, the first three start at 4:00 pm pacific and are between the Nets @ Cavaliers, Magic @ Pacers, and Bulls @ Rockets. With the playoffs looming these games offer some added excitement as the Pacers sit a mere two games up on the Bulls in the Eastern Conference and the Rockets are in a three-way tie for 7^th Place in the Western Conference (with the Mavericks and Jazz). A littler later on in the night is the only game on the slate without serious playoff implications as the Pelicans host the Nuggets at 5:00. The last two games on the slate should be quite exciting as the Clippers and Thunder face of in Oklahoma City at 6:30 and the Celtics visit Portland at 7:00 to face the Trail Blazers. The Clippers @ Thunder should be an entertaining game as the #3 and #4 teams in the West face off. Along with them, the last game of the night should be a hard fought battle as both the Celtics and Trail Blazers are facing off to not only maintain their playoff spots, but potentially improve their ranking.

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With so much at stake for so many of the teams playing tonight anything can happen; using trends, defensive matchups, and player histories I have targeted several players from each position that I believe will have productive fantasy nights (above the picks in each section I will give a brief explanation of payers I am avoiding and why). As with any fantasy advice my predictions may not be perfect, however in my opinion you can never have too much input when it comes to playing Daily Fantasy. Hopefully this article is helpful to you on your quest for the perfect Draftkings NBA Lineup:

Next: Point Guards

Point Guard

There are a number of different options for High Salary point guards tonight; however in my opinion, several of the elite options may struggle to produce. Damian Lillard and Kyrie Irving are perfect examples; first Lillard, he has a tough matchup against a Celtics squad who, on top of being determined to keep their position in the East, have been one of the strongest defenses against point guards all season. Second is Irving, who has struggled to produce in any of the Cavaliers three outing with the Nets, despite New Jersey having a beatable defense. The last player I wanted to mention was Chris Paul who I am avoiding tonight because of his recently inconsistent play and the fact that Oklahoma City has stepped up their defense against opposing point guards in the last few weeks. So with that in mind, below I have listed three players who I believe have the opportunity to excel.

$10,500-Russell Westbrook- (Los Angeles Clippers @ Oklahoma City Thunder)

Westbrook has been amazing lately and despite the Clippers success versus point guards this year he has a huge upside. Coming off a tough loss to the Pelicans where he had difficulty getting it together (he was 8-28 from the field), Westbrook should be looking to go off. In his 3 games versus the Clippers this year he is averaging 61 fantasy points and with Durant returning, after missing the last game for rest, Westbrook should get plenty of assist opportunities. Overall, with 7 triple doubles this month he has been on fire and I believe, even in a difficult matchup, he will be well worth the price.

$7,700-Isiah Thomas– (Boston Celtics @ Portland Trailblazers)

Thomas has been lighting it up for the Celtics lately, scoring 20+ points in his last 13 games, and he gets a juicy matchup versus a beatable Trail Blazers defense. On Draftkings they are ranked 13^th against point guards, however in the last 10 games they rank 24^th in average stats/Draftking points allowed to opposing point guards. Last time Thomas played Portland on (3-2-16) he had a solid outing with 30 points, 4 rebounds, and 2 assists for 39.5 fantasy points. At a slightly lower price than the other High Salary players in tonight’s slate, Isiah Thomas should end up producing well.

$5,700-Emmanuel Mudiay- (Denver Nuggets @ New Orleans Pelicans)

When looking down the list at lower priced point guards one that really stands out to me is Mudiay. Despite a few inconsistent outing he has shown an ability to be very productive given the right matchup; and a date with the Pelicans can be just that. New Orleans has struggled without Jrue Holiday and Norris Cole ranking 28^th in average stats/Draftking points allowed to opposing point guards over their last 10 games. Along with the beneficial matchup, Mudiay enjoyed a productive outing last time they faced, earning 32.75 fantasy, and I believe he can easily achieve that again with the added potential of exceeding it.

Next: Shooting Guards

Shooting Guard

On a night where I believe James Harden will be held in check the shooting guard position is wide open. Despite the success Harden could see I believe he will have difficulty producing enough to justify his cost at $10,600. Below are some alternative options who I believe will be likely to produce big.

$7,000-Jimmy Butler- (Chicago Bulls @ Houston Rockets)

Butler has been less than spectacular since coming back from injury earlier this month, however his biggest game did come against the Rockets where he had 26 points, 11 boards, and 6 assists for 48.25 fantasy points. Along with his solid performance last time they met, Houston has struggled all year to contain opposing shooting guards ranking 26^th overall on Draftkings. If that isn’t enough to entice you into paying up for Butler, there is also the added benefit that this game should be competitive and Butler is a big part of the Bulls offense and defense (which means he should see plenty of court time).

$5,300-Will Barton- (Denver Nuggets @ New Orleans Pelicans)

Will Barton has been a little inconsistent lately, however he seems to be getting into a groove and should continue to cruise against a Pelicans squad that has had trouble containing opposing shooting guards all year. Barton has seen an average of 30 minutes in his past three games and with his added ability to produce in limited time he has potential every night. In his last two outing against the Pelicans, Barton was very successful scoring 58 and 35.75 fantasy points.

$4,300-Jamal Crawford- (Los Angeles Clippers @ Oklahoma City Thunder)

When looking down for a lower priced shooting guard I came across Jamal Crawford who could be in for a big day against a middle of the pack Thunder defense. On Draftkings, Oklahoma City is ranked 10^th in defense against shooting guards, however in their last 10 games they rank 16^th. Adding to his appeal is the fact that he has been outperforming J.J. Reddick lately and as a result is seeing more minutes; and with the return of Blake Griffin imminent Crawford will likely want to make the most of the time he’s given. Overall, although he is not the most exciting option, I believe Crawford will manage at least 20 fantasy points with the potential to score quite a bit more if he gets his shot going.

Next: Small Forwards

Small Forward

The small forward position is stacked tonight and I highly recommend paying up for 1 if not 2 of the guys listed below as they all have terrific matchups and should be well rested. The Pacers did not play last night, and Durant and LeBron both got their last game off, specifically for rest. If you do have to pick a low salary player I would recommend the New Orleans Pelicans small forward/shooting guard Luke Babbitt; who, at $4,100 is a steal. Babbitt has stepped up his production since being inserted into the starting lineup; however, I do not expect him to get anywhere close to the points that the High Salary small forwards should produce.

$10,100-Kevin Durant- (Los Angeles Clippers @ Oklahoma City Thunder)

As I mentioned above, Durant is coming into this game with two full days of rest, as he missed the second of back to back games two days ago for rest purposes. In his last 3 games against the Clippers, Durant has had a crazy amount of success earning him 58.5, 61.25, and 53.25 fantasy points respectively. Durant’s most successful games against the Clippers have come with Blake Griffin out, and luckily for him Griffin is still out for a few more games. Although the Clippers have been successful against small forwards this year I fully expect Durant to produce big after he watched from the bench as the Thunder lost to Detroit two nights ago.

$9,800-LeBron James- (Brooklyn Nets @ Cleveland Cavaliers)

Like Durant, James missed his last game for resting purposes the only difference is the Cavaliers did not play last night or three days ago, so James is coming off of 3 full days of rest. This makes him quite an enticing option especially against the Nets who have struggled to contain forwards the last 10 games. In his last 3 games against the Nets, James has put together very solid outings producing an average of 40 fantasy points per game. Similar to Durant, James had to sit on the bench and watch during their last game as the Cavaliers blew a huge first half lead in a loss to the Rockets. Knowing LeBron, he’ll want to make a statement when coming back from such a long break; and that, coupled with his recent play (two triple-doubles in his last four games) means he should be in for a very productive outing.

$8,500-Paul George- (Orlando Magic @ Indiana Pacers)

Paul George is the lowest priced of the three elite small forwards expected to play today, however he could turn in one of the best days. He has faced Orlando 3 times this season and scored at least 20 points in each of the games (George has averaged 37.25 fantasy points per game against the Magic this year). Along with his decent production against Orlando this year, the Magic have been beat the last ten games by small forwards ranking 21^st in Draftking points/average stats allowed. With this in mind Paul George could find plenty of success as he seems to be getting back into a groove with roughly 48 average fantasy points in the past two games.

Next: Power Forwards

Power Forward

The power forward position is plagued by injury tonight which opens the door for some lower priced players to help balance your lineup. Below I have mentioned several players who I believe have the opportunity to come through with solid fantasy outings.

$7,100-Kevin Love- (Brooklyn Nets @ Cleveland Cavaliers)

Kevin Love has been a little inconsistent lately, however he is an extraordinary player who is able to produce big numbers on any given night. The last three times he has faced Brooklyn, Love has come away with big games, getting over 33 fantasy points in all of them. This type of history, coupled with the fact that Cleveland blew a big lead two nights ago in a loss to the Rockets, should lead to a very productive day for Love.

****If Love (or even Timofey Mozgov) sit for any reason, Tristan Thompson at $4,400, could be in for a solid performance. He has two double-doubles in three games against the Nets. The only reason I am not recommending Thompson if Love or Mozgov play is the fact that he is so inconsistent, its hard to trust****

$4,800-Serge Ibaka- (Los Angeles Clippers @ Oklahoma City Thunder)

Ibaka is one of my favorite power forwards for this slate of games. Not only does he have a very good record against the Clippers (averaging roughly 28 fantasy points a game versus them), but Los Angeles has severely struggled against power forwards since losing Blake Griffin earlier this year (they rank 26^th in Draftkings points allowed/average stats over their last ten games). As if this wasn’t enough to justify picking Ibaka, he’s also coming off two full days of rest as the Thunder elected to sit him during their last game (like Durant).

$3,800-Jason Smith- (Orlando Magic @ Indiana Pacers)

Jason Smith has slowly been eating into Aaron Gordon’s minutes lately and could be in for a big day as he has been very productive in minimal minutes against the Pacers this year. The first time Smith faced Indiana he only played 8:30 minutes, however he was able to pull down 3 boards to go along with 6 points; and in his second outing he only amassed 12:30 minutes and was still able to pull down 4 boards and score 8. With this type of production in mind he could be in for a big night as he has seen an average of 21 minutes over the last 5 games and has not disappointed with the added time (averaging just over 20 fantasy points per game).

Next: Centers

Centers

Center is a tricky position this Thursday night as there is a big discrepancy between the High Salary and Low Salary players. With this in mind I have selected three players who I believe will earn the most points for their tier (i.e. the top High Salary, Middle Salary, and Low Salary players). For example, I picked Pau Gasol over DeAndre Jordan because I believe Jordan could have a hard time getting going against a Thunder squad that has been the 2^nd best defense against centers in the last 10 games (along with the Thunders improved defense, Jordan could be tired after having played 2 games in the last 3 days). Hopefully these rankings will help you by allowing you to pick the player who’ll give you the biggest bang for your buck.

$7,300-Pau Gasol- (Chicago Bulls @ Houston Rockets)

Despite the high price of Gasol I believe he is worth the cost as he seems to be getting his game back together, since returning from a short absence, and is playing one of the worst rated defenses in the league. Gasol showed he was capable of exploiting this weak Rockets defense earlier this year (March 6^th) when he recorded a monster, 17 rebounds, 6 assists, and 28 points for a total of 63.75 fantasy points. If Gasol can come close to these numbers again he is well worth the price; and one could make the argument that he should be a building block for any lineup.

$5,200-Ian Mahinmi- (Orlando Magic @ Indiana Pacers)

Besides Gasol there are not too many enticing options at the center position, however Ian Mahinmi could be in for a big game. Mahinmi has been very effective for the Pacers lately and gets a matchup versus one of the few teams he has found success against all year. In the Pacers only three games against the Orlando, Mahinmi has averaged 29 fantasy points. Mahinmi’s history, coupled with the fact that Orlando has struggled to contain centers since Nikola Vucevik went down, makes him an interesting play in fantasy. Although he is not as consistent as an elite center, I believe that if he is given the opportunity (and minutes) he should be able to come away with a very productive fantasy outing…especially at his price.

$3,900-Steven Adams- (Los Angeles Clippers @ Oklahoma City Thunder)

By no means do I expect Steven Adams to go off for a crazy amount of Fantasy points, but if you need a sub-$4000 player that will get 20+ points he’s your guy. Adams has been very consistent lately and should be able to squeak out with at least 20 fantasy points against a Clippers team who has ranked 26^th against centers in Draftkings points allowed/average stats during their last five games.