DraftKings NBA Picks March 16: Go Go Gobert Dunk

NEW YORK, NEW YORK – JANUARY 02: Julius Randle #30 of the New Orleans Pelicans reacts after a call against the Pelicans during the fourth quarter of the game against the Brooklyn Nets at Barclays Center on January 02, 2019 in the Brooklyn borough of New York City. NOTE TO USER: User expressly acknowledges and agrees that, by downloading and or using this photograph, User is consenting to the terms and conditions of the Getty Images License Agreement. (Photo by Sarah Stier/Getty Images) /

DraftKings NBA Picks March 16: Go Go Gobert Dunk

We have another strong seven game DraftKings NBA slate with the Hawks-Celtics relegated to showdown duty during the day. We miss out on Kyrie against Trae Young defense and Horford revenge night, but there is still plenty to like about this slate. Like what? Well, there is only one player in five figures, and I’m not sure we need to pay for his services. We could see a lot of wacky builds!

The Ides of March was not kind. Marvin Williams and Bobby Portis were complete duds. The lineup that I switch to Harden in placed, but not much over the money line of 304.75. The only real bust of the Brutus picks was LeBron because he sat like I thought he would. Drummond and Giannis were strong, and Harden was the best play of the night. However, with CP3 out, I knew he wasn’t going to bust anymore.

ChipotleAddict was back at the top tonight wtih 395.75 DraftKings points. He built with Harden like a lot of us did when Paul was ruled out. He got a huge night from Julius Randle as well, the triple double from Elfrid Payton (again), and huge value from Rondo, Danuel House, McGee, and Montrezl. This lineup even survived the dud from Mudiay.

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!

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NEW ORLEANS, LA – FEBRUARY 18: Stephen Curry #30 of the Golden State Warriors greets Russell Westbrook #0 of the Oklahoma City Thunder during practice for the 2017 NBA All-Star Game at the Mercedes-Benz Superdome on February 18, 2017 in New Orleans, Louisiana. (Photo by Ronald Martinez/Getty Images) /

DraftKings NBA Point Guards:

Best Bets:

Russell Westbrook ($10,800): That didn’t take long to find our five digit guy. I can see both sides of this. Russ only put up 53.25 DraftKings points in his only meeting with the Warriors this year. However, he is back doing Russ things lately. Westbrook has 140.5 DraftKings points over the last two games. I will likely have one build with Westbrook in it, but I don’t see him as a must-play tonight either.

Stephen Curry ($9,200): Curry showed up Russ in that first game, going for 58.5 DraftKings points. I kind of expect that to be the case again tonight. It will be either Curry or Durant, I would think. Most of the action is probably going to be centered around this game for DFS, so no small part of me wants to fade the entire thing. That’s a massive risk, but if it works out, we’re getting paid. The Rockets-Warriors was disappointing from a DFS standpoint the other night. It may happen again.

Damian Lillard ($8,800): We could see Lillard be kind of ignored here, and he has better stats against the Spurs this year than the other two have against each other. We can save a few bucks and get Lillard’s 52.2 DraftKings point per game average in the three games against the Spurs and likely at lower ownership. Sign me up!

Honorable Mention:

Elfrid Payton ($6,900): I do like Conley’s matchup with Washington, but I still wonder how long the Grizzlies are going to let him carry the team. What do they have to gain? The Pelicans are going to play Payton because he is still developing. His triple double streak now stands at three in a row. At this point, I find it very hard to bet against Payton. He has rounded into an excellent all around player.

Derrick White ($6,300): Don’t worry about the earlier numbers for White against the Blazers. This is still a great matchup, and White has at least 35 DraftKings points in five of the last six games. His price is starting to come around, but not as quickly as his production has. There are lot of great mid range options at the point tonight if you don’t want to pay for the stars.

Darren Collison ($6,200): Collison is usually a solid but uninteresting DFS option, but that may be changing. Collison has topped 40 DraftKings points twice in a row now and gets a Denver team that has a lot of guards but none who defend the point particularly well. This isn’t usually one of those situations I chase since Collison is usually about the same no matter the opponent. If this trend holds though, he’s a great value.

Dark Horses:

Collin Sexton ($5,500): Sexton has four straight games with 32 or more DraftKings points. His price is starting to rise a little, but not to the point that he’s not worth using. This is still a good matchup with Dallas. This team is starting to look the part of a decent team. It took a while, but the Cavs may not be as much of a pushover down the stretch.

Ricky Rubio ($4,900): In an effort to keep Rubio healthy, the Jazz are limiting his workload. That has caused his price to plummet, but the production really hasn’t. The upside takes a massive hit, but how often was Rubio really hitting his upside anyway? At this price, Rubio only needs 30 DraftKings points to hit 6x value. He’s worth the bit of risk attached here.

My pick: Lillard(PG), Payton(G); Payton(PG)

NEW YORK, NEW YORK – DECEMBER 03: Bradley Beal #3 of the Washington Wizards reacts after making a basket during the fourth quarter of the game against New York Knicks at Madison Square Garden on December 03, 2018 in New York City. NOTE TO USER: User expressly acknowledges and agrees that, by downloading and or using this photograph, User is consenting to the terms and conditions of the Getty Images License Agreement. (Photo by Sarah Stier/Getty Images) /

DraftKings NBA Shooting Guards:

Best Bets:

Bradley Beal ($9,300): There are a lot of things to be nervous about here. First off, Beal only had 41.25 DraftKings points against Memphis the first time around, which was after Wall went down. Second, Memphis has allowed the least fantasy points to shooting guards this year. Oh, and it’s the second night of a back to back. It’s hard to fade Beal when he is the offense, but this is probably the night to look for different ways to attack Memphis, or just avoid this one altogether.

Devin Booker ($8,000): Booker was the Suns offense last night with Tyler Johnson out, and could be again. Even if Johnson plays, this is a good place for Booker against New Orleans. You could use Mitchell, but the Nets have shut down some pretty good SG’s lately. The caveat here is that the Suns have nothing to play for. Booker went all out last night staying with the Rockets. Don’t be shocked if he ends up resting or limited here.

Klay Thompson ($7,400): I do get nervous when Thompson’s price gets up this high, but it deserves to be here. Klay has 150 DraftKings points over the last three games, and is playing a Thunder team that allows plenty of shots from the wing. We all know that Klay can come crashing back to earth at any moment, but he certainly looks to be worth the risk tonight. Especially if Kevin Durant is out, which looks to be the case right now.

Honorable Mention:

C.J. McCollum ($6,800): C.J. continued his hot streak last night with his third straight game of more than 40 DraftKings points and his second straight over 50. He’s way too hot right now to consider fading. Yeah, the Spurs shut down the Knicks guards last night, but the Knicks guards just aren’t very good. This is also the second night of a back to back. Even if the Spurs rest players, I see C.J. hitting value before this gets out of hand. I obviously like it more if the Spurs try to remain competitive though.

Bojan Bogdanovic ($6,200): Bojan has only been under 30 DraftKings points once since the All Star break, and he still hit 27 in that one. He is the perfect DFS player right now. Bojan has a high floor and huge upside with Oladipo out. He has been in all of my lineups when he plays lately, especially since his price hasn’t gone up at all.

Jalen Brunson ($5,900): Brunson has been every bit as hot as Bojan over the last week. Brunson has at least 5x value in all four of those games, and even smacked the Spurs for almost 50. There is massive upside here against Cleveland. Brunson went for 28 DraftKings points on the Cavs earlier this season before he and Doncic really took off. He should be well above that tonight.

Dark Horses:

Delon Wright ($5,000): Uh oh. DraftKings finally caught on. Wright has averaged 31 DraftKings points per game over the last five games. His price is finally to the point where we have to think about who he is playing before just throwing him out there. Washington remains one of the worst defenses out there, so Wright is safe to use once again. The only question is whether we can safely play him and Avery Bradley. They both coexisted just fine until last week. Now it looks like Wright has the most upside of the two.

Mikal Bridges ($3,800): When Tyler Johnson was ruled out, most assumed that Melton would draw the start. He didn’t even see the court! What happened is that Troy Daniels and Jamal Crawford were so ineffective that Booker ran the points and Bridges ate up the minutes at the two. If Johnson is out again, Bridges could be in for more of a run again tonight. Bridges was already a good bargain. Now he has the upside to go with it!

Brandon Knight ($3,700): Knight still got the kind of minutes that he has been seeing lately. He just didn’t do as much with them against Orlando. An off game can be expected here and there. To me, it doesn’t become a trend unless the minutes diminish. I still see Knight as a viable punt option here against Dallas.

My pick: Brunson(SG), Bogdanovic(SF); Thompson(SG), Knight(G)

INDIANAPOLIS, IN – JANUARY 19: Luka Doncic #77 of the Dallas Mavericks shoots the ball against the Indiana Pacers at Bankers Life Fieldhouse on January 19, 2019 in Indianapolis, Indiana. NOTE TO USER: User expressly acknowledges and agrees that, by downloading and or using this photograph, User is consenting to the terms and conditions of the Getty Images License Agreement. (Photo by Andy Lyons/Getty Images) /

DraftKings NBA Small Forwards:

Best Bets:

Paul George ($9,700): I can say that I would use George over Westbrook, but I’m still not sure how crazy I am about this matchup. George’s output was about the same with Westbrook on the court as off against the Warriors, which is comforting. However, the fact that he was under value makes me a little nervous. If KD is out, there is a chance that George gets Draymond defensively. If that happens, it could be a disaster for George’s value.

Luka Doncic ($8,700): Doncic mauled Cleveland for 62.25 DraftKings points in the first meeting, and I don’t really see anything in Cleveland that can stop him. The only thing that might slow Luka down is his sore knee. It didn’t really bother against Denver, so as long as Luka is a go, he is the kind of player you want to build around tonight.

Honorable Mention:

Kelly Oubre ($6,100): Oubre put up 35.75 DraftKings points against the Pelicans the first time around. He is such a big part of the Suns offense right now that there is really no reason to think he can’t do it again. Oubre’s output picked up a little last night with Johnson out, but it really hasn’t mattered who is on the court with him. Oubre has done nothing but produce 30+ DraftKings points games while in a Suns uniform.

Joe Ingles ($6,000): The pattern for Ingles is holding true. If Rubio plays, Ingles has a much better game. Even in the limited capacity for Rubio, Ingles has managed to up his production. Ingles has at least 5x value in four of the last five games. In a relatively weak position, Ingles is a solid middle tier play.

Rudy Gay ($5,700): This would usually be a place for the Spurs to rest veterans, but we may be safe since last night was a blowout. Gay only played 19 minutes last night. That’s a good thing. Gay has averaged 28.3 DraftKings points per game in the three outings against Portland. So long as gay isn’t limited, this is a good spot for him.

Dark Horses:

Tim Hardaway Jr. ($4,600): Hardaway has had some trouble fitting in with the Mavs. Partially because they are already loaded at guard. Partially because they use him at SF. Hardaway seems more effective as a guard. At any rate, Hardaway is cheap, and is a decent dart throw against a Cleveland team that he fared very well against when he was in New York. If THJ starts, I don’t mind using him here.

C.J. Miles ($3,700): I try to make it a point to not use a guy immediately after a career game, but Miles is so cheap, it’s hard to pass. Miles torched Atlanta for 39.75 DraftKings points on Wednesday, but in the game before that he had 21.5. Miles had also gone over 20 twice in the previous four games. It didn’t quite come as unexpected as you may think. Miles was trending in this direction anyway. That also makes him a good candidate to pull it off again.

Rodney Hood ($3,300): Hood played 28 minutes with Harkless out last night and responded with 20 DraftKings points. That kind of production at this price makes Hood a terrific punt play. However, I would only use him if Harkless is out. Hood’s minutes were all over the place prior to last night.

My pick: N/A; Doncic(SF)

DraftKings NBA /

DraftKings NBA Power Forwards:

Best Bets:

LaMarcus Aldridge ($8,400): Expect some good gamesmanship between LMA and Lillard, but I don’t know if that will amount to a big game from the big man. Truth be told, Aldridge has been below average in all of his games against his former team. However, it was the same story for Paul George, and he just obliterated the Pacers the other night. Can Aldridge follow suit?

Julius Randle ($8,100): How do you fade Randle right now? Randle ate Portland alive last night. He has also picked up 78.5 DraftKings points in just 65 minutes against Phoenix this year. He’s not going to drop 70 here, but if Randle plays minutes in the high 30’s again, he could flirt with 50.

Kevin Love ($7,800): Love had a disappointing return after missing a game last week, but it wasn’t because of another injury or the Cavs holding him back. Love picked up five fouls less than halfway through the third quarter, which really limited his minutes. This isn’t a great matchup against Dallas, but it’s good enough to put Love out there. Prior to Thursday’s game, Love had at least 32 DraftKings points in eight straight games. That’s a solid floor.

Honorable Mention:

Paul Millsap ($6,700): Denver has worked Millsap’s minutes load back up to where he’s playing in the mid 30’s again. Millsap can do a lot of damage when the minutes are this high. He went for 50 DraftKings points on Dallas on Thursday. I don’t know that Millsap will put up that many on Indiana, but 40 is likely.

Derrick Favors ($5,600): Stacking Utah’s front is going to be very popular tonight against the Nets. Favors only plays between 22 and 28 minutes per game, so there is a cap on his upside. However, he has 79.5 DraftKings points in just 53 minutes over the last two games. The Nets can’t handle him. I’m all over Favors for this price.

Dark Horses:

Jerami Grant ($4,700): Grant is one of the few Thunder players that have participated in both games against the Warriors this year. Grant has 56.25 DraftKings points over those two games. That’s not a huge number, but when you factor in the price, it’s over 6x value. Like I mentioned before, I’m pretty sure that Draymond will handle George. That should leave Grant with an easier matchup.

Al-Farouq Aminu ($4,200): Aminu had a nice game against the Pelicans and could tonight as well if Mo Harkless is still out. Even if Harkless plays, I still like Aminu here. In three games against the Spurs this year, Aminu has 28.3 DraftKings points per game. That’s flirting with 7x value.

Davis Bertans ($3,400): Bertans is guaranteed at least 20 minutes a game. While his upside is capped coming of the bench, Bertans has hit at least 5x value in four straight. I doubt the Spurs rest LMA tonight, but if Gay is held out, Bertans will still soak up a lot of those minutes. Keep an eye on that situation.

My pick: Favors(PF), Aminu(F); Aminu(PF), Bertans(F)

DENVER, COLORADO – FEBRUARY 26: Nikola Jokic #15 of the Denver Nuggets drives against Steven Adams #12 of the Oklahoma City Thunder in the fourth quarter at the Pepsi Center on February 26, 2019 in Denver, Colorado. NOTE TO USER: User expressly acknowledges and agrees that, by downloading and or using this photograph, User is consenting to the terms and conditions of the Getty Images License Agreement. (Photo by Matthew Stockman/Getty Images) /

DraftKings NBA Centers:

Best Bets:

Nikola Jokic ($9,600): No matter how bad a matchup looks on paper, it’s hard to just ignore Jokic. Even though he only scored 11 points on Thursday, he still picked up 43 DraftKings points. That also helps reiterate the issue. Indiana is top ten in the league against centers, and Jokic has only hit value at this price twice in the last seven games. This looks like a fade spot, especially considering some of the matchups we have below him.

Rudy Gobert ($8,000): HE’S PLAYING THE NETS! Rudy ravaged the Nets for 58.5 DraftKings points in just 33 minutes in the first meeting. Gobert is a free space at this price. He’s a lock for at least 6x value and likely a lot more.