DraftKings NBA Picks March 14: KAT’s got the slate
By Mike Marteny
DraftKings NBA Picks March 14: KAT got the slate
Another day, another six game slate for our DraftKings NBA tournaments. This is nice! We have the Thunder in action, so there are two of the five highest prices on the slate. There are three others that also inhabit the five digit price tier. Are any of them worth using? Let’s take a look!
Kenneth Faried was a total mutt last night which killed my lineups before they even had a chance. A horrid game from Avery Bradley, who infiltrated both lineups as well, made damn sure I had one of the worst nights in years, so thanks for that. It’s very disappointing since the money line was just 248.5 DraftKings points.
rbx88 took this down with a modest 324.5 DraftKIngs points. He built with Boogie and John Collins, got decent totals from PG13, Noah, and Chris Paul, and capped it off with monster value from C.J. Miles.
By popular demand, I am switching back to the old format. As always, if you have suggestions to improve the article (besides making better picks), let me know!
If you would like to try DraftKings for the first time, use this link for the referral bonus! It is good for $10 in free DraftKings entry tickets with your first deposit of $5 or more.
DraftKings NBA Point Guards:
Best Bets:
Kyrie Irving ($8,900): I know the risks in fading Westbrook. However, there is no part of me that wants to play him against Indiana. Not when we have Irving just sitting there $2,000 cheaper and against the team that has allowed the most fantasy points to point guards this season. Irving’s upside has to be close to that of Westbrook so long as this game stays close. It should. The Kings are a competitive squad now.
Luka Doncic ($8,400): I think I want some kind of update on Doncic’s knee before I go all in on him. The matchup and the price are right. Doncic lit up Denver for 53 DraftKings points the first time around. However, you could see that Doncic wasn’t 100% last game. He admitted as much after the game. I wouldn’t be shocked if Dallas held him out, but if Doncic is out there, this is a good place to play him.
Kyle Lowry ($7,700): Lowry insists that he’s good to go tonight. Lowry was a bit of a dud against Cleveland, but he didn’t totally destroy our lineups. We saw Lowry put up 59.5 DraftKings points against the Lakers earlier this year. Don’t be shocked if he comes close so long as his ankle is right.
Honorable Mention:
Jamal Murray ($6,400): It’s hard to pass on Rajon Rondo with Ball out, but I refuse to put any of my hard earned money on a team like that. It seems like a better idea to roll with a guy like Murray that has 89.5 DraftKings points in two games against Dallas this year. He probably wont get quite that high with all of the Denver guards healthy, but this is a solid price for Murray considering the upside he has.
Jalen Brunson ($5,300): Brunson has been starting alongside Doncic, and it is working wonders for Brunson’s value. Brunson has 180.25 DraftKings points in the four games Dallas has started him with Doncic. He’s way too cheap for the production right now. With the pressure of running the offense off of his shoulders, Brunson has flourished in his role, providing a little bit of everything along the way. He is a superb value for this price.
Collin Sexton ($5,000): I’m not sure why Jordan Clarkson is still more than Sexton, but you can play both of them if you want. Clarkson is the main scoring threat off the bench, but Sexton has been outstanding over the last week, and against playoff bound teams. Cleveland played Toronto, Philly, and Miami. Sexton put up a combined 108.5 DraftKings points in those games. So no, Orando’s point defense doesn’t scare me.
Dark Horses:
D.J. Augustin ($4,400): For as improved as Sexton has been offensively, he’s still not there defensively. Augustin puts up some big numbers here and there, but don’t expect anything huge here. D.J. has 50.5 DraftKings points in two games against Cleveland. That is solid 6x value though. There’s nothing wrong with that from a value play.
Tyus Jones ($4,100): With most of Minnesota’s backcourt questionable (and most of Utah’s), it’s a rough game for point guards all around. I’m only on Jones if both Teague and Rose are out. If they are both in, Dante Exum is a solid pivot at $3,200, but he’s likely still on a minutes limit of about 20.
My pick: Sexton(PG); Sexton(PG), Brunson(G)
DraftKings NBA Shooting Guards:
Best Bets:
Donovan Mitchell ($8,300): Mitchell has a strong 45.3 DraftKings point per game average in three games against Minnesota this year. Mitchell has also been huge over the last three games with the Utah backcourt almost completely gutted. Rubio returned last night, and it’s going to be tempting to use him against Minnesota, but Rubio has struggled against Minnesota this year. I also don’t expect the Jazz to push him hard in a back to back. They need Rubio for the playoffs, not in a back to back against Minnesota in March. There’s a chance Rubio sits, which pushes Mitchell’s ceiling well over 6x value.
Buddy Hield ($7,300): Hield put up 40.5 DraftKings points in the first game against Boston, and despite his strong February, I have no intentions of betting on him doing it again. Hield had his worst game in over a month against a sketchy Washington defense in his last outing. If Hield’s hot streak is over, there is no way he’s hitting value here.
Honorable Mention:
Terrence Ross ($5,300): There is a steep drop at SG. A lot of that has to do with Schroder facing a tough Indiana defense and Evan Fournier continuing to be ice cold. Actually, the struggles of Fournier make me feel a lot better about Ross. Ross couldn’t hit much of anything last night, but the minutes were still there. We all know what the upside of Ross is. That makes him worth a look at this price.
Bogdan Bogdanovic ($5,300): Bogdan still sees enough minutes to make him dangerous, but this isn’t as good of a play as it was a couple of weeks ago when Bogdan was consistently getting double digit shots per game. I can see that trend coming back if Hield starts to struggle, and if you play Bogdan here, that’s essentially what you are hoping for. It’s not a bad idea though. Stats say Hield should struggle here. Bogdan could be in for a nice game for the price.
Dark Horses:
Jaylen Brown ($4,600): Brown was huge on Monday night with Tatum out, but Tatum is back tonight. So why play Brown? Well, I’m only playing him if Marcus Smart is out. Otherwise the minutes just wont be there. There is a chance that Boston could go with Rozier instead, so make sure you are watching the lineups. If Brown starts though, he’s a huge bargain for the price.
Brandon Knight ($3,500): Knight has 80.5 DraftKings points over the last three games, and his price has risen a grand total of $400. The pricing is way out of whack here. This is value we have to take advantage of, no matter how high the ownership is. Get your differential somewhere else.
My pick: Mitchell(SG), Knight(G), Brown(F); Knight(SG)
DraftKings NBA Small Forwards:
Best Bets:
Paul George ($9,700): George’s numbers have dropped a little, but this is revenge time. Sure, George was a complete bust against the Pacers last year, but this is a different PG this year. I trust him a lot more than LeBron right now. The Raptors shut down the King in the first meeting this year. The Lakers are also supposedly limiting his minutes. If you’re paying up at PF, George is the way to go.
Kawhi Leonard ($8,700): This is a pretty good matchup for Kawhi, but he has only been over 5x value twice since the beginning of February. It’s a little concerning that Leonard is still priced this high. I try to make a habit of not playing guys in a situation where they need a ceiling game to hit value unless it a center against the Nets. Kawhi is not a center and is not playing the Nets.
Honorable Mention:
Bojan Bogdanovic ($6,200): Yes, it’s the return of the stackable Bogdanovic’s. Bojan is the one you really want though, so pay attention to the name (or the picture) when selecting on DraftKings. Bojan has been a steady force with Oladipo out. He just doesn’t drop below 30 DraftKings points anymore. When your floor is 5x value, it hardly matters what the ceiling is. It’s still a good value.
Joe Ingles ($6,000): Ingles has done well against Minnesota this year in no small part because Rubio hasn’t. Ingles has been far more inconsistent this year than he was the second half of last year, but his floor is still 20 DraftKings points. That’s decent enough to take a shot here when Minnesota still doesn’t defend the position well.
Andrew Wiggins ($5,900): I hope Wiggins is back tonight since he has averaged 42.5 DraftKings points in three games against the Jazz this year. Wiggins was listed as probable on Tuesday, so I would expect him to play. However if he doesn’t, I’m all over Keita Bates-Diop in Wiggins’ stead. KBD has been a strong producer for the price while starting.
Cedi Osman ($5,700): I keep ignoring Osman in tough matchups, and I guess I shouldn’t. Osman seems to play better in those scenarios. Both Philly and Toronto were tough matchups for Osman and he came away with 79.25 DraftKings points in those two games. Osman has 57 DraftKings points in two games against Orlando so far, so it looks like 5x value is about his floor.
Dark Horses:
Jae Crowder ($5,100): Jonathan Isaac has plateaued. You could say the same thing for Crowder, but Crowder has done it at a higher plateau. Crowder has only been under 26 DraftKings points twice in the last ten games. You can’t say the same for Isaac. If you’re shopping on this budget, Crowder is the better purchase.
Dorian Finney-Smith ($3,400): The dropoff is massive at SF is Wiggins isn’t out. There isn’t much to like after Crowder. I don’t see a lot of upside with DFS, but he is consistently getting in the low 20’s. Yeah, that doesn’t sound like much, but at his price, it’s still 7x value.
My pick: Bogdanovic(SF); Osman(SF)
DraftKings NBA Power Forwards:
Best Bets:
Kevin Love ($8,100): Love put up 39.5 DraftKings points in just 28 minutes in the first meeting with Orlando. Love has been a beast since coming back. The Cavs are making the right decision and giving him regular rest, but the whole team has rallied around Love. They are showing fans that it wasn’t just LeBron and 14 no names. There is some talent on this team.
Pascal Siakam (6,900): Siakam put up 39.25 DraftKings points in the first meeting with the Lakers this year. One of the few bright spots for the Lakers has been their job defensively against power forwards. Siakam is pretty much an automatic 30 now with a few ventures into the 50’s. There’s enough upside to use him in GPP and that floor is appealing.
Honorable Mention:
Paul Millsap ($6,600): I will admit that Millsap is pretty tempting here. He racked up 45.75 DraftKings points in the first meeting in just 32 minutes. The issue is that Millsap has only gone over that total once since that February 22nd meeting and that was in the game immediately after. I do expect another strong showing from Millsap here, but expect closer to 6x than 7x.
Aaron Gordon ($6,500): How do you know when it’s safe to use Aaron Gordon? When he’s consistent. Gordon has eight straight games of 30 or more DraftKings points and has hit that mark in 11 of the last 12. One of those games was against Cleveland. Gordon hasn’t had a big game in a while, and it likely wont happen here either, but it looks as though 5x value may be his floor. That’s good enough for GPP usage as well as cash.
Domantas Sabonis ($5,400): I do like Thad Young, but not at $600 more than Sabonis. Young’s production has declined since the return of Sabonis. Not to the point where he’s not a strong bet for 5x value, just to the point where he’s not going to hit 6x. It’s better to chase the upside of Sabonis is GPP formats.
Dark Horses:
Nemanja Bjelica ($4,900): Bjelica has come up big over the last two games, but Marvin Bagley is actually listed as questionable. If Bagley plays, Bjelica loses almost all value. Even if Bagley remains out, this could be where the Kings run Harrison Barnes more against a team like Boston. It’s probably best to just avoid this entire situation, though it is very tempting to take a run if Tatum is out.
Marcus Morris ($4,500): It’s probably to the point where I would only trust Morris if Tatum is out. You can chase Hayward if you want, but he has pissed in my Cheerios one too many times. The value tier is a minefield tonight with two Minnesota guys splitting time against a stout Utah front and Moritz Wagner, a guy that the Lakers allegedly want to develop but don’t give consistent minutes to. I can see taking a stab with Wagner since that game may not stay close, but Bjelica and Morris need things to go their way to have any value.
My pick: N/A; Love(PF)
DraftKings NBA Centers:
Best Bets:
Karl-Anthony Towns ($10,200): Towns has racked up 171 DraftKings points in only three games against Utah this year. As of now, KAT is considered probable. If he is out there with no restrictions, I think we get the most bang for our buck with Towns tonight. The place to attack Utah is at center, as we can see from how Towns has done against them so far. He’s a guy to build around.
Nikola Jokic ($10,000): Jokic has piled up 115.25 DraftKings points in two games against Dallas this year, and that’s when he had Jordan to contend with. The Dallas front is a little softer defensively now. Not enough that it will make a huge difference, but we should see Jokic clear 50 easily tonight.
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
Honorable Mention:
NIkola Vucevic ($9,200): Yes, center is that strong tonight when Vucevic is considered a middle tier consolation prize. The fact that Thompson is likely out and Nance is probably out only strengthen the case for Vucevic. He still comes in third. That’s how good the top two options are.
Rudy Gobert ($8,000): Gobert has been good enough to give Towns problems this year. He has averaged 48.3 DraftKings points against him in three meetings. When you consider the $2,200 savings, I have no issue playing Rudy over Towns, but I think I would rather run them together. We have a UTIL spot for a reason! This will definitely be a night I play two centers.
Al Horford ($6,300): Why mess with the enigmatic Myles Turner when you have have Horford even cheaper? Horford destroyed the Kings for 49.75 DraftKings points in the first meeting. I wont say that he will have a bigger game than that, but it’s certainly possible that Horford gets close to this again if Tatum is out. Even if Tatum plays, center is the place to attack the Kings. Horford is going to be a very strong per dollar play.
Dark Horses:
Marc Gasol ($5,900): This is what we’ve been waiting for. Serge Ibaka is suspended for three games, and the Raptors have claimed “heavy minutes” for Gasol. He’s going to eat the Lakers. Like literally chew them up and spit out 8x value or more.
Ante Zizic ($4,000): Zizic is really only in play if both Nance and Thompson miss this game. It is expected that Thompson will, but rumors are going that Nance will play. If he does, Zizic isn’t worth the risk. Hell, he might not be anyway.
My pick: Towns(C), Horford(PF), Gasol(UTIL); Jokic(C), Horford(F), Gasol(C)
Next. FanDuel NBA Picks March 14. dark
Stay tuned to Fantasy CPR for a ton of NFL advice and DFS plays for the EPL, PGA tour, and much more!