NBA DFS Picks: Yahoo plays and strategy for March 31
On Friday at 7 p.m. ET, Bennedict Mathurin and the Pacers will be hosting the Thunder.
Following a calm Thursday, the NBA makes a grand return with 13 games scheduled for Friday. Given the plethora of choices available on Yahoo, let’s dive straight into highlighting some players that you might want to consider for your lineups, as well as a few that you might want to steer clear of.
Guards
Josh Giddey, OKC at IND ($31): Shai Gilgeous-Alexander (ankle) has been ruled out again, leaving the Thunder without their best player as they try to secure a spot in the Play-In Tournament. With SGA out the last two games, Giddey scored 54.5 and 37.5 Yahoo points, respectively. Both the Thunder and the Pacers rank inside the top 10 in pace of play, so he should have plenty of opportunities to stuff the stat sheet.
Shaedon Sharpe, POR vs. SAC ($17): With the Trail Blazers missing so many of their starters, Sharpe has taken on a leading role. He’s started five straight while averaging 23.8 points, 6.6 rebounds, 3.2 assists and 1.0 steal. That includes a matchup against these same Kings where Sharpe posted 48.9 Yahoo points on Wednesday. With the Kings inside the bottom 10 for defensive rating, he’s primed to continue providing significant value.
Guard to Avoid
Tyus Jones, MEM vs. LAC ($20): Jones didn’t play Wednesday against the Clippers in what was the second game of a back-to-back set for the Grizzlies. He’s not on the injury report for Friday, so expect him to be deployed as usual. The problem for DFS purposes is that Ja Morant is also healthy, meaning Jones should carry a limited role off the bench.
Forwards
Jalen Williams, OKC at IND ($27): Giddey isn’t the only OKC player who has stepped up with Gilgeous-Alexander out. Over the last two games, Williams registered 51.6 and 44.6 Yahoo points, respectively. A Giddey-Williams pairing is appealing not only because of their significant upsides, but also because neither of their salaries will hurt your budget.
Bennedict Mathurin, IND vs. OKC ($11): We may have seen the last of Tyrese Haliburton (ankle) this season. Chris Duarte (ankle) is also sidelined, leaving the Pacers with limited depth. Mathurin has managed 35.8 and 48.8 Yahoo points the last two matchups, making him a great option in tournament play at near the minimum salary.
Forward to Avoid
Aaron Gordon, DEN at PHX ($22): Thursday was a quiet performance from Gordon where he logged 32 minutes with Nikola Jokic (calf) sitting out, but only produced 11 points, six rebounds and four assists. Over his last six games, he’s only provided 11.3 points, 4.5 rebounds and 2.8 assists. There’s a chance Gordon sits Friday for rest. But even if he does play, he’s too cold right now to consider rostering.
Centers
Walker Kessler, UTA at BOS ($27): This is the second game of a back-to-back set for the Celtics, who beat the Bucks on Thursday. Robert Williams III and Al Horford both appeared in that matchup, so both could sit Friday considering neither has played both halves of consecutive nights this season. That means Kessler could be left to battle with Blake Griffin, Mike Muscala and Luke Kornet, and that means the potential to dominate this matchup.
Isaiah Jackson, IND vs. OKC ($11): Myles Turner (back) joins Haliburton as another starter on the Pacers who may not play again this season. Jackson has started two of the last three games that Turner has missed while averaging 10.3 points, 6.7 rebounds, 1.3 steals and 1.3 blocks. The Thunder have allowed the most rebounds per game, so Jackson is worth pursuing for those who don’t want to allocate a significant portion of their budget at center.
Center to Avoid
Draymond Green, GSW vs. SAS ($23): This game has blowout potential as the Warriors are 31-8 at home while the Spurs are 6-31 on the road. The Spurs have also ruled out Jeremy Sochan (knee) and Zach Collins (foot) while Devin Vassell (knee) is questionable. If this matchup does get out of hand early, we might not see much of Green in the second half.
***
Mike started covering fantasy sports in 2007, joining RotoWire in 2010. In 2018, he was a finalist for the 2018 FSWA Basketball Writer of the Year award. In addition to RotoWire, Mike has written for Sportsline, Sports Illustrated, DK Live, RealTime Fantasy Sports, Lineup Lab and KFFL.com.
