Fantasy Basketball: DraftKings NBA Picks March 20

Jan 24, 2016; Denver, CO, USA; General view of Draft Kings logo on an advertising LED screen during the Denver Broncos game against the New England Patriots in the AFC Championship football game at Sports Authority Field at Mile High. The Broncos defeated the Patriots 20-18 to advance to the Super Bowl. Mandatory Credit: Mark J. Rebilas-USA TODAY Sports DraftKings /

DraftKings NBA Picks March 20

We have seven NBA games tonight to start our week. It was a chaotic weekend, with players sitting after lineups locked. I know a lot of you are boycotting DraftKings, and I completely understand. Believe me, I have thought about trying my hand at Yahoo. The tournaments are much smaller over there, but at least you can change players up until game start!

Point Guards

Best Bets:

Russell Westbrook ($13,300): Westbrook has 193.5 DraftKings points in just three games against the Warriors this year. He also has a string of four straight triple-doubles. He is averaging one against the Warriors over those three games, so don’t be surprised if he does it again. His price is so high that he wont go much above 5x value, but he at least gets to that mark.

John Wall ($9,600): Thomas should be back tonight, but Wall has 128.75 DraftKings points in three games against Boston already. Thomas was present in all of them. Wall’s assist totals were down on Saturday, but they are still high enough to keep him close to 5x value while his shooting slump persists.

Stephen Curry ($9,400): Curry comes up big in big games, and even though Kevin Durant isn’t on the court in Oklahoma City tonight, this is still a big game for the Warriors. Curry’s stroke is close enough to back that he has at least 40 DraftKings points in every games since February 27th. That would be his floor for tonight.

Honorable Mention:

Isaiah Thomas ($8,200): There has been no official word on his status yet, but it is generally thought that Thomas will return tonight. If he does, I want him in there somewhere. Thomas has 148.5 DraftKings points in three games against Washington this season. He should be well rested and ready to take it to the Wizards again.

Kemba Walker ($7,900): Walker has had two bad games in a row, but we had to know this was coming. Even at the end of his hot streak, his shooting started going cold. He has a nice matchup against a Hawks team that has given up 84.25 DraftKings points to him in two games. 5x value is within reach considering Walker shot just 36% from the floor over those two games.

Elfrid Payton ($7,500): Payton is on a roll lately, averaging 42.4 DraftKings points over the last ten games. That includes a game in which he has just 12 DraftKings points. He is a little under 5x value against Philadelphia this season, but I would put a little more stock into his current performance.

Dark Horses:

Lou Williams ($5,500): I trust him about as far as I can throw him, but this is Denver, and this will be a high scoring game. He is worth a flier for those of you building risk-based lineups.

Jamal Murray ($4,800): If he can ever get his shots to fall, Murray would be a huge bargain. I guess the think to take away here is that Murray is still getting plenty of minutes and plenty of shots in a rotation that has been everything but consistent this year. Murray is a nice flier pick just in case he starts shooting better than 30% from the floor.

My picks: Payton(PG); Westbrook(PG)

Mar 18, 2017; Denver, CO, USA; Houston Rockets guard James Harden (13) during the second half against the Denver Nuggets at Pepsi Center. The Rockets won 109-105. Mandatory Credit: Chris Humphreys-USA TODAY Sports /

Shooting Guards

Best Bets:

James Harden ($12,700): Harden racked up 73.5 DraftKings points on Denver on Saturday, and he now has four straight triple-doubles and has been over 50 DraftKings points in every game since March 1st. My only question is, can I work both him and Westbrook into a lineup? That would be over half my salary, but it may be worth it!

Klay Thompson ($7,200): Thompson has five straight games with 20 or more points. He is hot from the field right now, and is picking up a lot of slack with Durant out. He may not do much more than shoot, but Thompson is still worth using when he is hitting on shots like this.

Honorable Mention:

Nicolas Batum ($6,700): Batum has 73.25 DraftKings points in two games against Atlanta this year, which puts him right at 5x value. Which is where he is almost all the time. Batum’s consistency is appreciated more in cash games, but he is a big asset in all formats because you know what you are getting.

Victor Oladipo ($6,400): Oladipo is about the same as Batum. I would say that if you are torn between the two that Oladipo has more upside, but Batum is also eligible at small forwards. Sometimes that is important when building your lineups. Batum also relies a little less on scoring, which gives him a slightly higher floor.

Gary Harris ($6,100): A big game by Hernangomez made Will Barton a non-factor on Saturday, which hurt a whole lot of lineups. Harris still game through with 31.5 DraftKings points. Barton still has more upside if Wilson Chandler and Danilo Gallinari are out again, but Harris is much safer and much cheaper.

Dark Horses:

Tim Hardaway Jr. ($5,800): Hardaway will always carry some amount of risk because he is almost entirely a scorer. That also puts a little bit of a cap on his upside. However, as long as he is hitting his shots, he is a good source of 5x value.

Evan Fournier ($5,600): Fournier has averaged 36.8 DraftKings points in three games against Philadelphia so far this year. The Sixers continue to experiment with the players they have in what is effectively an open tryout for 2017-18, so Fournier has a chance to put up even better numbers than he did earlier this year.

Timothe Luwawu-Cabarrot ($3,800): As long as Luwawu-Cabarrot is starting, he is worth this price. He has five straight games of at least 5x value. He has yet to flash a lot of upside, but he seems to be a safe cheap pick, which is essential if you plan on using Harden and Westbrook.

My pick: Batum(SG), Oladipo(G); Harden(SG), Luwawu-Cabarrot(G)

Feb 11, 2017; Philadelphia, PA, USA; Philadelphia 76ers forward Robert Covington (33) reacts to his three pointer against the Miami Heat during the second half at Wells Fargo Center. The Philadelphia 76ers won 117-109. Mandatory Credit: Bill Streicher-USA TODAY Sports /

Small Forwards

Best Bets:

Robert Covington ($6,800): This position is littered with terrible matchups at the top. Carmelo Anthony hit value against the Clippers the first time, but he only has twice this month. Paul George struggled against Utah, and Gordon Hayward also struggled against George. That leaves Covington as the best one left standing. He has not played well against Orlando this year, but in two of those games he wasn’t even starting. He has the best chance of getting value at the top tonight.

Otto Porter ($6,400): Porter has averaged 41.7 DraftKings points in three games against Boston so far this year. Porter hits 5x value at this price about half the time, but he is usually at least in the low 20’s. His history against Boston this year gives us hope for a lot more though.

Honorable Mention:

Jae Crowder ($6,100): Crowder has 65.25 DraftKings points in two games against Washington this year. That would leave him right at 5x value if he can do it again. His production may tail off with Thomas back, but he should still be right around 5x value at least.

Joe Ingles ($5,000): It looks likely that Rodney Hood will be out again. Ingles has been right at 5x value with Hood out. He doesn’t have a lot of upside, but he is a solid producer with Hood on the sidelines. Ingles may be best left for cash lineups though.

Dark Horses:

Matt Barnes ($4,300): Barnes doesn’t provide much for upside either, but he is a big part of the Golden State rotation with Durant out. He is a double-double threat even though he only plays about half the game. There is some upside here since Barnes usually keeps playing even in blowouts, but he wont go a lot above 5x value, even in the best case scenario.

Doug McDermott ($3,300): McDermott is capable of big games off of the Oklahoma City bench, but he is one of the biggest risks in DFS formats since he is doesn’t play much at all if his shot isn’t falling. I doubt this game turns into a blowout, but if Dougie gets hot like he did on Friday, he is going to be a great bargain…….in someone else’s lineup. I want no part of this.

My Pick: Ingles(SF); Barnes(SF), McDermott(F)

Feb 26, 2017; Los Angeles, CA, USA; Los Angeles Clippers forward Blake Griffin (32) heads down court after a 3 point basket in the first quarter of the game against the Charlotte Hornets at Staples Center. Mandatory Credit: Jayne Kamin-Oncea-USA TODAY Sports /

Power Forwards

Best Bets:

Blake Griffin ($8,100): Griffin abused the Knicks for 54.5 DraftKings points in the first meeting. There is no reason that he can’t do it again. The Knicks may be even worse up front now than they were then. Griffin could have a huge game once again.

Draymond Green ($7,900): Griffin keeps stuffing a lot of everything into the stat sheet, which keeps his floor high. He is not much of a scorer, which hampers his double-double ability, but you can’t argue with the type of numbers he puts up.

Honorable Mention:

Dario Saric ($7,800): Saric has put up some big lines since becoming the starter for the Sixers around six weeks ago. He doesn’t always hit value, but he always gets at least 4x value. That kind of floor makes him a lot easier to use since he alone wont bust your lineup.

Kristaps Porzingis ($7,000): Porzingis picked up 43 DraftKings points in the first game against the Clippers, but he carries a healthy dose of risk here. He is just coming off of an injury, and is still questionable heading into this one. The Knicks are playing for a lottery pick, so they don’t really want to win anyway. Porzingis is part of the future of this franchise, so they have no reason to toy with his health.

Marvin Williams ($6,500): He had a miserable game against Indiana last week, but rebounded with a solid game against Washington on Saturday. With Paul Millsap out again, Williams could have a lot easier time facing some combination of Ilyasova and Mike Muscala. Williams could be a nice sleeper tonight.

Dark Horses:

Aaron Gordon ($5,700): Gordon has thrived since returning to power forward, yet he still hasn’t shown the ability to put up huge numbers. That said, he is usually at 5x value and offers some upside to go with it lately.

Ersan Ilyasova ($5,000): Ilyasova had a nice game with Millsap out on Saturday. He racked up 37 DraftKings points and should do the same to a below average Charlotte front. He will be used in a high percentage of lineups, but you need this bargain if you want a chance at placing in the money.

Juancho Hernangomez ($4,500): If Gallinari sits again, it appears that Denver will go with Hernangomez at SF. If he starts again, he is a sure 5x value with a decent amount of upside. Keep an eye out for updates heading towards lock tonight if you use him.

My pick: Williams(PF), Ilyasova(F); Ilyasova(PF)

Mar 18, 2017; Denver, CO, USA; Denver Nuggets center Nikola Jokic (15) reacts after being called for a foul during the second half against the Houston Rockets at Pepsi Center. The Rockets won 109-105. Mandatory Credit: Chris Humphreys-USA TODAY Sports /

Center

Best Bets:

Nikola Jokic ($10,200): Yes, I realize that he was held to 29.25 DraftKings poinst against this exact same team on Saturday. However, Jokic only played 22 minutes because he was in foul trouble the whole game. If he can stay out of foul trouble, his per minute numbers were pretty good. He could have a big game tonight if he can stay on the court.

Nikola Vucevic ($7,700): Philadelphia has been absolutely dreadful up front since trading Ilyasova and Nerlens Noel and losing Joel Embiid for the rest of the year. Vucevic has 136.5 DraftKings points in just three games against Philly this year. Vucevic is approaching must-play status tonight.

Honorable Mention:

Ruby Gobert ($7,200): Gobert picked up 35.25 DraftKings points in the first meeting with the Pacers. Gobert has two games in the 50’s and three more in the 40’s over his last seven games, only falling shy of that 35.25 mark once in that span. He is playing well right now, and gets one of the weaker fronts in the league right now. Gobert could perform way above value.

Dwight Howard ($7,000): The Hornets are finally healthy up front again, but that doesn’t mean they are good. Howard has 89.75 DraftKings points in two games against Charlotte this year. He also saw a nice uptick in production with Millsap out on Saturday. He should see increased production again tonight.

DeAndre Jordan ($6,900): Jordan destroyed the Knicks with 51.75 DraftKings points in the first meeting. The Knicks have little size up front, especially if Porzingis is held out again. Jordan dominates smaller teams, which is what the Knicks are without Joakim Noah up front. He should have a very good game for the price again tonight.

Dark Horses:

Mason Plumlee ($6,600): You may want to keep an eye on the starting lineup, and not just the health of Wilson Chandler if you want to use Plumlee. He is getting value lately, but if he is no longer starting, it becomes harder to take the risk at this price, especially with so many other good options at center tonight.

Clint Capela ($5,400): Capela put up 30 DraftKings points against Denver on Saturday, but Jokic was out for much of the game with foul trouble. He could reach this level again, but it is certainly not a given.

Richaun Holmes ($5,100): Jahlil Okafor left in the first quarter yesterday, and was unable to return. Holmes turned in his third straight game of more than 30 DraftKings points and sixth straight with at least 5x value. Holmes could be in for another nice game against Orlando. The Sixers are getting really thin up front!

My pick: Vucevic(C), Holmes(UTIL); Pachulia(C), Mahinmi(UTIL)

Next: FanDuel NBA Picks

Stay tuned for our FanDuel picks, and our picks for NHL and the PGA tour! We even have some EPL picks coming your way! I will also have the round by round picks for the NCAA Tournament, the place where your bracket is never busted. Once again, make sure to follow our Twitter feed leading up to tipoff!