DraftKings NBA Picks for March 9
By Mike Marteny
DraftKings NBA Picks for March 9
There are five games in the main DraftKings tournament tonight. The way the schedule is working out now, we have a lot of good point guards playing in short slates. It was this way on Tuesday as well. Who can we use as bargain plays and who should we try to afford? Let’s crunch some numbers!
More from DFS
- DraftKings Open Championship picks 2023: Best PGA DFS golf lineup
- Genesis Scottish Open DraftKings picks 2023: Best PGA DFS golf lineup
- Rocket Mortgage Classic DraftKings picks 2023: Best PGA DFS golf lineup
- US Open DraftKings picks 2023: Best PGA DFS golf lineup
- RBC Canadian Open DraftKings picks 2023: Best PGA DFS golf lineup
The money line was up a bit to 267.5 last night, which is a bit low for a full night. Guys like Bismack Biyombo and Jrue Holiday had high ownership, but produced little. One of my lineups finished comfortably above the line. The other had both Holiday and Biyombo.
The winning lineup was all the way up at 374.5. It combined huge nights from Giannis and Elfrid Payton with great bargains from David Lee and Jeremy Lin. Simple, right?
I can’t stress enough how important it is to watch our Twitter feed right up until lock time. We will try and relay the information out to you as soon as we can, along with any lineup changes. If you aren’t able to do that, my best advice is to lay off of anyone that may be injured.
If you would like to try DraftKings for the first time, use this link for the referral bonus! It is good for $10 worth of free entry tickets. We have plenty of advice on the site to help you turn that into a solid bankroll!
Point Guards
Best Bets:
Russell Westbrook ($12,500): Westbrook racked up a career-high 58 points en route to yet another DraftKings point total over 80. He “only” picked up 57.5 in the first meeting with the Spurs, and the Spurs will be well rested after sitting many starters last night. However, I find it hard to move away from Westbrook right now. I faded him on Tuesday, and it was a bad decision. His floor is in the 50’s, but his ceiling is made of glass. He routinely scores well above 6x value. If you fade him, you have to pick right everywhere in your lineup to beat those that use him.
Eric Bledsoe ($8,700): Bledsoe has 148.5 DraftKings points in three games against the Lakers so far this year. Don’t be shocked if he flirts with 50 DraftKings points again tonight. We all know that Bledsoe is not very consistent, but he almost always performs well in favorable matchups. I trust him more than Lillard tonight.
Honorable Mention:
Damian Lillard ($8,900): Sure, Lillard only picked up 38.25 DraftKings points in the first game against Philadelphia this year. That would put him under 5x value. However, he is riding a streak of six consecutive games of more than 40 DraftKings points. Getting 5x value against a decent Sixers team may be a little too lofty of a goal, but Lillard should still be around 40. That makes him a solid option if you are thinking of fading Westbrook.
Kyrie Irving ($8,600): Irving has 84.75 DraftKings points in two games against Detroit so far this year. That would leave him a little under average, but his numbers are up across the board with Kevin Love out. He has been over 5x value in five of the last seven games. In three of those games, he was above 7x value! Irving is an intriguing option tonight.
Mike Conley ($7,400): Conley has abused the Clippers this year. He has averaged 52.8 DraftKings points in three games against them. In one of those games he didn’t have to deal with Chris Paul, but honestly, his numbers weren’t that much better. He just loves picking on the Clippers.
Dark Horses:
D’Angelo Russell ($7,100): Russell has 63.25 DraftKings points in two games against the Suns this year. That makes him a bit of an anomaly since his numbers aren’t markedly better against the Suns. However, Russell’s numbers have been up overall since the break. He has averaged 37.1 DraftKings points per game in that span. If he manages to up his numbers against the Suns, he could be around 6x value.
Jordan Clarkson ($5,300): Do you not trust Tyler Ulis? Or the Detroit backcourt situation? Then I present you with Clarkson, who is about as consistent as they come. He has not been under 20 DraftKings points since February 6th against Detroit. He has only been under 5x value once since Lou Williams was dealt. Clarkson lacks the upside of Ulis or Ish Smith, but he also wont torpedo your lineup.
My picks: Conley (PG); Bledsoe(PG), Clarkson(G), Smith(UTIL)
Shooting Guards
Best Bets:
Devin Booker ($6,600): Booker’s price has stabilized with his production. He has averaged 36.7 DraftKings points per game in three games against the Lakers so far this year. Booker snapped out of a bit of a rough stretch against Washington on Tuesday, but he also had some tough matchups in there. The Lakers aren’t so tough. Booker should see at least 5x value tonight.
Kentavious Caldwell-Pope ($5,600): KCP’s inconsistency has at least been consistent. Since the beginning of the month he has altered good and bad games. The good news is that he was terrible against the Bulls on Monday. Even better news is that the Cavs are in the bottom five of the league defending shooting guards. He should be back to good for this one game.
Honorable Mention:
Victor Oladipo ($5,200): Oladipo missed three weeks with a bad back, but the Thunder waited to bring him back until he wouldn’t be limited. He put up a solid 23.75 DraftKings points against Portland on Tuesday. In the first meeting against the Spurs, Oladipo came up with 32.5 DraftKings points. Expect him to be somewhere in between those two numbers tonight.
Nick Young ($4,000): Young is still starting on a team full of youngsters, and he isn’t shy about hoisting up shots. Whether they go in or not is another matter. However, in two games against the Suns this year, he is 10-24 from the field with 49.75 DraftKings points. That makes him an intriguing option tonight.
Dark Horses:
Justin Anderson ($4,000): Anderson has worked his way into the Philadelphia rotation, but as long as Nik Stauskas continues to start, Anderson is a risk. Over the last four games, he has played an average of 26 minutes. He has had two games at 15 DraftKings points and two games in the 30’s. Are you feeling lucky?
J.J. Redick ($3,900): After Jamal Crawford went hot for two games, Redick saw his minutes take a hit. Now that Crawford crashed back to earth last night, Redick is safe to throw back out there. He has averaged 27.2 DraftKings points in three games against Memphis. Crawford has also played pretty well against Memphis, but Redick as the starter has better upside and only costs $100 more.
My pick: Young(SG), Redick(G); Oladipo(SG)
Small Forwards
Best Bets:
Kawhi Leonard ($9,700): I was all over Leonard last night with his great matchup against the Kings, only to see him get a day of rest. My optimism still carries over against the Thunder. Leonard torched them for 55 DraftKings points in the first meeting. He is also riding a streak of four straight games with at least 54 DraftKings points. LeBron James failed to hit value in a blowout in the first game against Detroit earlier this year. I’m saving $1200 for somewhere else and playing Kawhi instead.
Robert Covington ($6,900): Covington has benefitted the most from all of the deadline dealing that Philadelphia did. Up until the last two games, he had been over 30 DraftKings points in ten straight games. The poor showings against Detroit and Milwaukee should keep the ownership down, but the silver lining here is that both teams are really good defending forwards. Covington picked up 35 DraftKings points in the first meeting with Portland. He should be in that area tonight.
Honorable Mention:
T.J. Warren ($6,100): Warren just keeps right on producing. He has averaged 30.8 DraftKings points per game since the trade of P.J. Tucker. In two games against the Lakers this year, Warren has 63.75 DraftKings points. Warren has been very consistent, falling between 26 and 34 DraftKings points in all seven of those games. He is a solid base, but doesn’t provide any significant upside.
Maurice Harkless ($5,500): Harkless was held in check by the Thunder twice and by Detroit, but those teams are both good against small forwards. He has done a solid job of filling in for Evan Turner, and continues to provide solid production. He is much like Warren, consistent but not capable of going way over value.
Dark Horses:
Brandon Ingram ($4,900): Ingram is much more of a value over on FanDuel. On DraftKings, his price more reflects his potential than what he has actually done. Ingram has just 49 DraftKings points in 84 minutes over three games against the Suns this year, but he should see at least 35 minutes in this one. That means 5x value is a solid bet, and we all know the kind of potential Ingram has.
Derrick Williams ($3,800): Williams has lost a lot of his luster since being pushed around by Miami twice and Atlanta. The minutes are still there with Kevin Love sidelined, but Williams lack upside as well, just like most options at the position tonight.
My Pick: Warren(SF); Leonard(SF), Ingram(F)
Power Forwards
Best Bets:
Dario Saric ($7,700): The rookie has exploded with all of the frontcourt minutes opened up at the deadline. Saric has averaged 38.1 DraftKings points per game over the last ten games, and only Miami has been able to hold him under 5x value in that span. This high of a price tempers his upside, but if you can get over 5x value for this on a light night, it can go a long ways towards helping you top the money line.
Julius Randle ($7,000): Randle has battled inconsistency this year, but he seems to be getting it together. He has over 55 DraftKings points in two of the last four games, so Randle has one of the highest ceilings of anyone at any position. What about the floor, you ask? Randle has 67 DraftKings points over three games against the Suns, so it appears to be a shade under 5x value. That’s a pretty good floor when you are talking this kind of upside.
Honorable Mention:
LaMarcus Aldridge ($6,400): Aldridge rested last night as well, and should be in top shape against a Thunder team that he put up 37.5 DraftKings points on in the first meeting. The going could be a little tougher with Enes Kanter available for the Thunder tonight after missing the first meeting. 5x value is very likely though, but Aldridge doesn’t have the upside of the younger guys anymore. He is more of a cash game play tonight.
Zach Randolph ($5,800): Randolph leads the league with 16 double-doubles off the bench, so even though he doesn’t start, he is a far more reliable DFS play than starter JaMychal Green. He rested a little more than usual with the last two games being blowouts, but when the games stay close, Randolph consistently sees 26-30 minutes. Randolph will spend most of his time grappling with someone not named Blake Griffin, so 5x value seems very likely.
AL-Farouq Aminu ($5,700): Starter Noah Vonleh has played better lately, but Aminu’s minutes have not suffered. He has more than 30 DraftKings points in five of the last eight games, and the only team to hold him under 5x value was a stout Detroit team. Like Randolph, coming off of the bench caps his upside, but they are two of the more consistent options in tonight’s slate.
Dark Horses:
Tobias Harris ($5,400): Harris only put up 47 DraftKings points in two games against Cleveland earlier this year, but Kevin Love played in both of those games. Harris is not the most consistent player, but he does have a lot of upside. He has more than 6x value in four of the last ten games, but he has also been below 4x value in four of those. I do like the potential with Love out though.
Marquese Chriss ($4,900): Much like Ingram, I feel that Chriss’s price is up based on potential. He had back to back games of over 30 DraftKings points right after being named the starter, but he has only reached 5x value once in five games since. The Lakers are statistically the worst team in the league against power forwards, so there is potential here.
Jon Leuer ($4,600): I like Leuer for the same reason I like Harris: Love is out. Leuer has 50 DraftKings points in two games against Cleveland this year tangling with the likes of Channing Frye. With Frye starting, Leuer may have even more upside against Derrick Williams.
My pick: Randle(PF); Saric(F); Leuer(PF)
Center
Best Bets:
Marc Gasol ($7,600): Statistically, this is not the best place for Gasol, but he has 135 DraftKings points in three games against the Clippers. DeAndre Jordan has problems with Gasol’s athleticism and trying to guard him outside of the paint. Look for Gasol to exploit that again tonight.
Jusuf Nurkic ($7,000): We seem to have found Nurkic’s level place. That is right between 32 and 36 DraftKings points, which means he is priced just right. However, he has put up a couple of huge games since his arrival in Portland. The Sixers have struggled patrolling the middle with Nerlens Noel gone and Joel Embiid out. That bodes well for another good game for Nurkic tonight.
Honorable Mention:
Andre Drummond ($6,800): Tristan Thompson is one of the better defensive centers in the league, but Drummond succeeds against Cleveland where others do not because he isn’t much of a scorer anyway. Drummond has 69.75 DraftKings points in two games against the Cavs this year despite only scoring 19 points combined. Others may shy away from Drummond tonight, but he makes for an interesting contrarian play.
Alan Williams ($6,500): The Lakers still haven’t found an answer for their woes at center. The Suns have in Alan Williams. He has been over 6x value three times in his seven starts, with his lowest score still being in the 20’s against Memphis. He has the potential for a huge game against the Lakers. 7x value is not out of the question judging by what he did to the Thunder and Bucks up front.
Dark Horse:
DeAndre Jordan ($6,200): Yes, Memphis is statistically strong up front, but Jordan’s main talents lie in rebounds and blocks. He has averaged 18.3 rebounds and two blocks in the three games against the much smaller Marc Gasol. Expect Jordan to get the bulk of his fantasy value on the defensive end. Good thing they don’t detract for points allowed!
Tristan Thompson ($4,700): Thompson has 59 DraftKings points in two games against Detroit so far this year. His production has also been up with Love out, though he is still not a key component of the offense. Most of his value still lies in rebounds. If nothing else, it will be fun watching him and Drummond fighting for boards.
My pick: Gasol(C), Jordan(UTIL); Nurkic(C)
Stay tuned for our FanDuel picks, and our picks for NHL and the PGA tour! We even have some EPL picks coming your way! Once again, make sure to follow our Twitter feed leading up to tipoff!