DraftKings Early NBA Picks March 18

There are as many NBA as NCAA games today, but two of them are in the afternoon. That’s still big enough to make a DraftKings tournament out of it! And considering the Thunder and Blazers are in the afternoon tournament, there is plenty of star power. The Kings also play, so there are bargains available too!

Point Guards

Best Bets:

Russell Westbrook ($13,600): This price is ridiculous, but so is Westbrook. Especially on a small slate. He has 138.5 DraftKings points in two games against the Kings this year, which still puts him a shade over 5x value even at this salary. He has only been under 5x value, even at this price, once since the break. Yeah, maybe he’s worth it.

Honorable Mention:

Damian Lillard ($9,100): Lillard only had 36.5 DraftKings points in 41 minutes in the first meeting against Atlanta. The Hawks are not great against point guards either, but for whatever reason, they did a good job of making Lillard look average. There is potential here, but Westbrook is a safer bet for 5x value than Lillard.

Dennis Schroder ($6,800): Yes, Portland still has statistically the worst point guard defense in the league. Schroder still only had 32.5 DraftKings points against them. Now, Schorder has only been under 30 DraftKings points once this month, and that was against Memphis. He is excused for that. Schroder is playing well right now, so there is a great chance he does better this time around.

Dark Horse:

Darren Collison ($5,700): Collison rested on Wednesday, so he has not played since Monday when he went berserk on the Magic. The Magic! The same team that is in the top five in point guard defense. At any rate, Ty Lawson was uninspiring at best on Wednesday night, so don’t expect Collison to cede any minutes. He is worth a look at the G position if you have the money.

My picks: Westbrook(PG)

Shooting Guards

Best Bets:

C.J. McCollum ($7,200): Lillard may have struggled against Atlanta the first time around, but McCollum didn’t. He racked up 43.25 DraftKings points in that game despite going 9-24 from the floor. He is capable of going off in any given game. That makes him worth using in GPP formats, especially in this small of a slate.

Victor Oladipo ($6,600): Oladipo is remarkably consistent. He has between 31 and 41 DraftKings points in seven of the last nine games, and has been between 32 and 36 for the last four. You know exactly what you are getting here, though the lack of upside makes him more suitable for cash games.

Honorable Mention:

Tim Hardaway Jr. ($5,500): Hardaway racked up 43.25 DraftKings points on Portland the first time around. I really like the depressed price here. Portland is solid against SG’s, but the past history and the fact that Hardaway has at least 5x value in eight of the last night make him one of my favorites on this slate.

Dark Horse:

Buddy Hield ($4,800): I showed Buddy some love on Wednesday and he burned me. However, I have a really good reason for tonight. Hield is going to be starting in Oklahoma City, which is about 15 miles from the Lloyd Noble Center where he has some huge games in college. He will get to see his old coach, teammates, and friends, not to mention have a huge following at the game. I see him coming through in what is basically a home crowd for him.

My pick: Oladipo(SG), Hardaway(G), Hield(UTIL)

Small Forwards

Best Bet:

Tyreke Evans ($5,000): Evans played just 14 minutes in his return to the court on Wednesday, but if his ankle was still an issue then, it shouldn’t be now. The Thunder are good against small forwards though. Evans has 46.5 DraftKings points in two games against the Thunder while he was with New Orleans. That would still leave him a tad under value.

Honorable Mention:

Maurice Harkless ($4,400): Hark went nuts on Atlanta in the first meeting. He picked up 37.75 DraftKings points in that one, which still stands as one of his best games of the season. The caveat here is that Mo has struggled lately, and Evan Turner is supposed to play today. You are taking a big risk by using him, but he could have a good game if he plays enough.

Andre Roberson ($3,900): Roberson has 41 DraftKings points in two games against the Kings this year. He will never be a big part of the offense, but Roberson’s great defense means he will always play a healthy load of minutes, and he is more aggressive offensively than he was last year. He is almost always at value, but has very little upside.

Dark Horse:

Arron Afflalo ($3,200): The Kings rotation is far from a sure thing right now, but Afflalo is still getting a healthy dose of minutes. He has been over 5x value in seven of the last ten games. He is a great place to save money to pay for Westbrook.

My Pick: Roberson(SF), Afflalo(F)

Power Forwards

Best Bet:

Paul Millsap ($7,300): Millsap absolutely abused Portland in the first meeting. He picked up 51.75 DraftKings points in that one. He struggled against Memphis and San Antonio, but I’m guessing that Millsap will be back on track here against a fairly weak Portland front.

Honorable Mention:

Skal Labissiere ($4,500): Labissiere had his best game as a pro against Phoenix on Wednesday as well. He was 11-15 with a career-high 32 points, 11 rebounds, and two steals. This should help him stick in the rotation, and he is still far more affordable than Cauley-Stein.

Dark Horse:

Noah Vonleh ($3,100): The absence of Anthony Tolliver helped Labissiere to his monster night. If you don’t want the sure high ownership of Skal, Vonleh has quietly put up at least 5x value in five of the last six games. He has earned himself more minutes for the Blazers, and could be a sneaky value play today.

My pick: Millsap(PF)

Center

Best Bets:

Jusuf Nurkic ($6,700): Nurkic is a bit of a risk since he has struggled against larger centers, but his passing and rebounding usually give him a solid floor. We really don’t know what to expect against the Hawks since he hasn’t faced them this year. We all know what kind of games he is capable of though.

Dwight Howard ($6,500): Portland is pretty good up front, but they weren’t against Howard in the first meeting. He racked up 53 DraftKings points in that one. If he gets anywhere near that today, he will put you in the money.

Honorable Mention:

Willie Cauley-Stein ($6,100): His minutes no longer appear to be in flux, which leaves WCS as a hot commodity. He picked up a career high in steals, assists, and blocks against Phoenix en route to 51.25 DraftKings points. He is safe to use in any format. Finally!

Enes Kanter ($5,000): Center is the place to gain separation today. Kanter quietly has at least 5x value in five of six games. The presence of Taj Gibson caps Kanter’s value, but it has enable Kanter to come off the bench again where he has had most of his success this year. He is a solid cash game anchor right now.

Dark Horses:

Steven Adams ($4,500): The Taj Gibson move has helped the team in real life, but it has really muddled the fantasy situation. Kanter has been the most consistent and successful of the three lately, and he is the one that doesn’t start. At any rate, anyone over 6’7″ could have a monster game against the undersized Kings today.

Kosta Koufos ($4,000): Koufos has at least 5x value in five straight and seven of the last eight. His minutes remain consistent, but with the huge nights for Labissiere and Cauley-Stein while he and Tolliver rested, that could change. Stay tuned to As The Kings Turn.

My pick: Kanter(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!