DraftKings NBA Picks March 22: Double Nikolas On The Dime

LOS ANGELES, CA – FEBRUARY 18: Karl-Anthony Towns #32 of Team Stephen and Andre Drummond #0 of Team LeBron battle for a rebound during the NBA All-Star Game 2018 at Staples Center on February 18, 2018 in Los Angeles, California. (Photo by Jayne Kamin-Oncea/Getty Images) /

DraftKings NBA Picks March 22: Double Nikolas On The Dime

We have another solid seven game slate for our DraftKings NBA tournaments tonight. There are four players over five figures tonight, and as of now, all of them are playing. That’s key information this time of year. The NBA season is winding down, and it’s all the rage to rest half of your team trying to win the Zion Williamson sweepstakes.

Jabari Parker was a dud last night and Okogie wasn’t much better. My core builds were fine, but we needed to hit the value tonight, especially with Cauley-Stein going nuts in the nightcap. I still put up a solid score of 283.25, but was still three points shy of the money line.

Kobe4MVP took this down with 347.75 DraftKings points, which was 7.5 better than second place. He built with Drummond as KATman’s Robin and got huge value out of Tyreke Evans, Bagley, Miles Bridges, Thomas Bryant, Hield, and Kemba.

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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CHARLOTTE, NORTH CAROLINA – FEBRUARY 17: Russell Westbrook #0 of the Oklahoma City Thunder and Team Giannis reacts as they take on Team LeBron during the NBA All-Star game as part of the 2019 NBA All-Star Weekend at Spectrum Center on February 17, 2019 in Charlotte, North Carolina. Team LeBron won 178-164. 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 Streeter Lecka/Getty Images) /

DraftKings NBA Point Guards:

Best Bets:

Russell Westbrook ($10,800): Westbrook played 44 minutes and took 29 shots against the Raptors on Wednesday. However, that was without Kyle Lowry on the floor. It looks as though Lowry is out again, so this is the place to go after the Raptors. Russ’s numbers were pretty average in regulation, so don’t expect another 70+ night, but he could hit 60.

Mike Conley ($7,800): Conley put up 46.75 DraftKings points on the Magic the first time around. Conley has gone for more than 50 DraftKings points in back to back games and his only game under 45 in the last six was in a blowout of the Hawks. There is zero reason to fade Conley right now. He is riding one of the best stretches of his career.

Honorable Mention:

Chris Paul ($6,900): The upside on Paul isn’t all that high, but he has at least 30 DraftKings points in six straight games. Paul has 72.25 DraftKings points in the first two games against the Spurs this year. I would expect him to be right I that range again which makes Paul a strong 5x value, but not much more. He is probably better suited for cash games tonight.

Collin Sexton ($6,200): Sexton’s streak of 30+ DraftKings points games is up to seven, and I think it’s going to last through the end of the season. Sexton doesn’t have huge upside, but everyone can use a 5x value floor. The Clippers present a very favorable matchup, so we could see Sexton go for at least 6x here.

Dark Horses:

Goran Dragic ($5,800): The Heat are already in the playoffs, so they have no need to play Winslow before he is fully healthy. I’m guessing that Winslow is out, which gives Dragic solid upside again. The Heat aren’t going to push Dragic all that hard either, so the upside is pretty limited. All they want right now is to make sure Dragic is in game shape.

Shai Gilgeous-Alexander ($5,300): SGA has been on my radar a few times this year. He has at least 20 DraftKings points in 11 of the last 12 games and has hit at least 5x value at this price in eight of those and five straight. SGA is playing well, and the Cavs give up a ton of fantasy points to point guards. SGA is one of the better values out there tonight.

Fred VanVleet ($5,300): FVV has 75.5 DraftKings points starting over the last two games with Lowry out. Lowry has now been ruled out for tonight, so expect another strong game out of VanVleet. He may not hit 30 again, but 5x value is certain and there is decent upside.

My pick: Sexton(PG), VanVleet(G)

NEW YORK, NEW YORK – FEBRUARY 08: D’Angelo Russell #1 of the Brooklyn Nets reacts during the second half of the game against the Chicago Bulls at Barclays Center on February 08, 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 Shooting Guards:

Best Bets:

James Harden ($11,400): Harden went bonkers on Memphis on Wednesday but a good chunk of that damage was done in overtime. Harden would have barely hit value in regulation. He’s not a bad play by any means, but I’m more inclined to trust the recent trends. I would expect Harden in the mid to high 50’s. We likely wont be able to pay for both Russ and Harden, so if you have to choose one, Westbrook has more upside.

D’Angelo Russell ($8,300): Why pay the extra $3,100 when you can have D-Russ revenge on the Lakers? Russell racked up 50 on them in the first meeting. This one is in L.A. and it’s the perfect chance to stick it to the organization once again. Russell will be in every lineup I make tonight.

DeMar DeRozan ($8,000): DDR has played very well during this recent Spurs run. He has averaged a solid 38.3 DraftKings points in three games against the Rockets this year. He may go bigger than that tonight. DeRozan has at least 45 DraftKings points in six of the last ten games.

Honorable Mention:

Damyean Dotson ($5,500): Allonzo Trier is out tonight and so is Dennis Smith, so the Knicks are going to be thin enough at guard that they have no choice but to run Dotson big minutes. It doesn’t seem like Fizdale will be able to sabotage this. I still don’t trust Mudiay, but for the same reason, he could be in play as well. Still, if anyone can screw up this seemingly dreamy DFS situation, it’s Fizdale.

Patrick Beverley ($5,300): Beverley isn’t the most consistent guy around, and with SGA taking on more of a role, Beverley isn’t putting up the huge games that he was right after the Clippers first dealt Harris. Still, Beverley has topped 28 DraftKings points in 7 of the last 11 games and has not been under 20. That’s a solid floor for a value play and Beverley still has pretty good upside against a porous Cleveland defense.

Dennis Schroder ($5,300): Schroder doesn’t start, but if he going to keep flirting with or hitting 30 DraftKings points per game, he’s worth using. Beverley and SGA do have more upside, but with Toronto still thinner at guard tonight, there is decent upside for Schroder, though he may be better suited for cash games.

Dark Horses:

Kentavious Caldwell-Pope ($4,400): KCP single handedly destroyed any value that Alex Caruso had with his monster game on Wednesday. However, the chances of catching lightning in a bottle twice, especially with LeBron back, are virtually zero. KCP will get first crack at the starting job though, so if he shoots anywhere close to what he did Wednesday, he’s the Lakers value guard you want to shoot for.

Danny Green ($4,100): Green had one of his better games of the year against the Thunder on Wednesday with Lowry out. Green racked up 37.75 DraftKings points in the win and was an assassin from beyond the arc. If Green is hot again, he is going to destroy value for this price. Green is one of my favorite values, especially since you can use him at forward too if you want.

My pick: Russell(SG), DeRozan(UTIL), Green(F)

LOS ANGELES, CALIFORNIA – MARCH 06: A detail of the jersey of LeBron James #23 of the Los Angeles Lakers during the first quarter against the Denver Nuggets at Staples Center on March 06, 2019 in Los Angeles, California. (Photo by Robert Laberge/Getty Images) /

DraftKings NBA Small Forwards:

Best Bets:

LeBron James ($10,300): LBJ is going to play, but how much and how hard? Not to say that LeBron wont give it his all while on the court, but the Lakers have no stake left in this season. James wants to play, so they will likely appease him, but the Lakers really have no reason to run him over 30 minutes. James racked up 68.25 DraftKings points against the Nets the first time around, so if playing multiple lineups, I can see taking a risk here. There is clear upside.

Kawhi Leonard ($8,900): Kawhi locked down PG13 on Wednesday. George only had 35 DraftKings points in a game that went into overtime. I would rather go with Leonard, who had a solid 48.5 DraftKings points in that game. Still, it was Green and VanVleet that soaked up most of Lowry’s production. There are better places to spend money tonight since Kawhi barely hit 5x value while playing 42 minutes.

Honorable Mention:

Danilo Gallinari ($7,000): Aaron Gordon is on a nice run, but that price almost requires a ceiling game against Memphis. I don’t think that happens. I’m much more comfortable using Gallinari in a good matchup here. Gallo has at least 5x value in eight straight games. That’s the kind of floor I want in my lineup.

Eric Gordon ($5,400): On paper, this isn’t a great matchup for Gordon. However, in three games against the Spurs this year, Gordon has racked up 105.25 DraftKings points. That’s a really good return for the investment. The Spurs aren’t doing a good job of guarding Gordon, so I don’t really care if he comes off the bench or not. This is one of the spots that we want to use him.

Dark Horses:

Kevin Knox ($4,800): The Knicks are playing Knox big minutes again because they really have no choice. Knox played 47 of the 48 minutes against the Jazz on Wednesday. It really doesn’t matter if he gets more than one fantasy point per minute or not. If Knox is playing that much, he has the potential to destroy value at this price.

Mario Hezonja ($3,900): You can tell the Knicks are in full tank mode since they are starting Hezonja again. However, he can still be useful to us as a DFS punt. Hezonja is dirt cheap, and he has 82.75 DraftKings points in the last three games since he rejoined the starting lineup. Hezonja is one of the better Knicks starters right now, and seems immune to the maddening Fiz rotations.

Chandler Parsons ($3,400): Memphis has fallen off of everyone’s radar, but maybe they shouldn’t have. Memphis has gradually increased Parsons’ minutes to the point where he is playing about 25 minutes for a very low price. Parsons has 62 DraftKings points over the last two games. Don’t expect a miracle against Orlando, but Parsons could flirt with 7x value at this price.

My pick: Parsons(SF)

CHARLOTTE, NC – NOVEMBER 26: Giannis Antetokounmpo #34 of the Milwaukee Bucks runs onto the court against the Charlotte Hornets before their game at Spectrum Center on November 26, 2018 in Charlotte, North Carolina. 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 Streeter Lecka/Getty Images) /

DraftKings NBA Power Forwards:

Best Bets:

Giannis Antetokounmpo ($11,300): The Bucks rested Giannis and accidentally lost to the Cavs on Wednesday, so you can expect tonight to be the return of the Freak. Milwaukee doesn’t want to give away the one seed in the East. Giannis “only” has 52.1 DraftKings points per game in three meetings with the Heat this year, but in the last two games that he has played, Giannis is averaging over 80. Giannis is a sure 50 with the potential for a lot more.

Kevin Love ($7,700): This is a pretty good matchup for Love here so long as he is going to play 30 minutes. Cleveland hasn’t mentioned Love being limited after exiting Wednesday’s game early. Love was still putting up decent numbers in 18 minutes despite going a horrid 1-10 from the floor. His rebounding prowess is going to keep Love’s floor pretty high.

Honorable Mention:

Pascal Siakam ($7,200): Siakam torched the Thunder on Wednesday for 63.75 DraftKings points. He was easily the best bang for the buck in that entire game, and was long before the overtime period. In fact, if the game had ended in regulation, Siakam would have been the top scorer of the entire game. Considering the Thunder couldn’t figure Siakam out in 48 minutes on Wednesday, I’m not sure they could in the 48 hours since. Siakam should be huge again.

Paul Millsap ($7,000): For those of you worried about Millsap against the Knicks, don’t be. Millsap put up 324.25 DraftKings points in just 22 minutes the first time around. This game is going to be a blowout, but the Knicks are pretty much running a skeleton crew. Hezonja on Millsap is the biggest mismatch on the court, so if any Denver guy is going to hit value, it’s likely to be Millsap.

Dark Horses:

Kelly Olynyk ($5,400): PF is the weakest link for the Bucks defensively, but I’m still only thrilled about Olynyk if Bam misses this game. The Heat are trying to hang on to the eight seed and the Bucks are trying to hold down the best record in the East, so I imagine that Bam will play if he can. If Bam is in, it hurts the value of all of the Miami bigs. Bam is then the only one worth playing.

Jerami Grant ($5,300): Grant put up 30.5 DraftKings points against the Raptors on Wednesday despite shooting an atrocious 3-14 from the floor. That leaves a pretty high ceiling tonight. If Grant raises his shooting percentage to close to 50%, he hits 40 DraftKings points.

D.J. Wilson ($3,900): Nikola Mirotic is likely out for the rest of the regular season, so it’s going to be on Wilson and Ilyasova to hold down the fort at the four. Wilson has far more upside than Ilyasova, but I do expect Ersan to draw the starts and see more minutes. Neither one are a bad play for the price, but temper your expectations against a solid Miami front.

My pick: Siakam(PF)

SAN ANTONIO,TX – APRIL 1 : Clint Capela #15 of the Houston Rockets hangs on the rim after a dunk against the San Antonio Spurs at AT&T Center on April 1 , 2018 in San Antonio, Texas. 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 Ronald Cortes/Getty Images) /

DraftKings NBA Centers:

Best Bets:

Nikola Jokic ($9,800): There is risk here because of the massive blowout potential, but Jokic ran roughshod over the Knicks in the first game. Jokic had 69.5 DraftKings points in 34 minutes! Even if Jokic only plays 30 minutes, 60 DraftKings points is a very real possibility. I can’t fault using him here.

Nikola Vucevic ($9,600): Vucevic had a solid 5x value game against Memphis the first time around, but the Grizzlies have been a handful up front on defense even with Gasol gone. Vucevic is still a solid play, but for practically the same price, I’m more inclined to chase the massive upside and savory matchup of Jokic.