NBA DraftKings & FanDuel DFS Primer: March 10
Pascal Siakam scored 53 DK points in his previous matchup against the Lakers.
Core Plays
Joel Embiid (PF/C – PHI): $11,600 DraftKings, $12,000 FanDuel
Embiid has finished second in MVP voting in the last two years and might be the bridesmaid again this year. Being the second-best player in the world is nothing to be ashamed of, though, with Embiid averaging over 57 DraftKings points per game. He’s also established a 50-point floor and should go nuts against this pitiful Portland defense. Not only do the Blazers rank 27th in defensive efficiency, but they also own a 28th OPRK against opposing centers.
Pascal Siakam (PF/C – TOR): $8,700 DraftKings, $8,900 FanDuel
It’s strange to see Siakam below $9,000 on both sites. The All-Star has been running things in Toronto, averaging 46 DK points per game this year. That average makes it hard to understand why he’s below $9,000, and it looks even more bizarre since Pascal has a pristine matchup. The Lakers rank second in pace and 23rd in points allowed while surrendering the sixth-most fantasy points to opposing power forwards. That was on full display when Siakam scored 53 DK points in their one matchup earlier in the year.
Jamal Murray (PG/SG – DEN): $7,600 DraftKings, $8,200 FanDuel
Using players against San Antonio is a cheat code. This team regularly allows 130 points per game, ranked last in points allowed, defensive efficiency, and fantasy points surrendered. That’s bad news with how Murray has been mauling his opponents, averaging 39 fantasy points per game across his last 27 outings. He scored at least 41 DK points in 16 of those, which should be his floor in such a fantastic matchup.
Cash Game Considerations
Nikola Jokic (C – DEN): $11,700 DraftKings, $11,700 FanDuel
We just talked about how sensational it is to play San Antonio, making Jokic impossible to fade against them. This guy is the frontrunner for his third-straight MVP, averaging 59 DraftKings points per game. He’s also posting a triple-double average for the year and should slice right through the Spurs. Despite playing just 30 minutes a night in their two matchups, The Joker is averaging over 54 DK points per game against them.
Kristaps Porzingis (PF/C – WAS): $9,100 DraftKings, $9,800 FanDuel
Porzingis is having a wonderful season in Washington. The Lithuanian has career-highs across the board and comes into this matchup scoring at least 51 DK points in three of his last four outings. That might look like an outlier, but KP is providing a 46-point average across his last 15 games. That would put him in play against anyone, but he should go nuclear against a 24th-ranked Atlanta defense. When they played a few days ago, KP collected 43 points, five rebounds, and five assists in one of the best games of his career.
Jakob Poeltl (C – TOR): $6,900 DraftKings, $7,400 FanDuel
The Poeltl trade was massive for Toronto. They’ve turned their season around since he was brought in, with the big man regularly playing 30 minutes a night. His workload was the one thing holding him back in San Antonio, but this increased minute total has Jakob averaging 40 DK points per game in a Raptors uniform. Facing a lackluster Lakers defense only adds to his intrigue, owning a 26th OPRK against opposing centers.
GPP Targets
Delon Wright (PG/SG – WAS): $5,400 DraftKings, $5,600 FanDuel
We’re unsure if Wright will maintain his role as the starting point guard in Washington, but he’s been brilliant since the promotion. The stat-stuffing guard is averaging 32 DK points per game since taking over for Monte Morris. That’s an absurd total from a sub-$6K player, and he’s done that damage with almost no raw scoring. Atlanta is an amazing matchup, too, surrendering the seventh-most fantasy points to opposing point guards.
John Collins (PF/C – ATL): $4,200 DraftKings, $5,100 FanDuel
This role horrifies us, but seeing Collins this cheap is bizarre. This guy has been a $7K player throughout his career and is still averaging 27 DraftKings points per game this year. That’s usually what you see from a $6K player, and we know JC can go nuts whenever he’s given the opportunity. What has us encouraged is that he dropped 26 DK points across 29 minutes against Washington on Wednesday, and that sort of game would be a gem from such an affordable player.
Seth Curry (SG – BKN): $3,900 DraftKings, $4,200 FanDuel
Who knows what Brooklyn is going to do here? They played their starters one quarter on Thursday, and they have almost every rotation player on the injury report. Curry is one of the few who’s not, and he could be locked into a 30-minute role as a ball-handler if all of these guys sit. In the 13 games that Curry has played at least 26 minutes, he’s averaging over 26 DK points per game. Minnesota is a marvelous matchup, allowing the fourth-most fantasy points to opposing guards.
Value Plays
Zach Collins (PF/C – SAS): $6,600 DraftKings, $7,200 FanDuel
It’s hard to understand why Collins hasn’t seen a more significant price bump. This guy has taken over starting center duties since Poeltl was traded to Toronto, scoring at least 29 DraftKings points in seven straight games. He’s also averaging 35 DK points per game in this expanded role. That’s no surprise behind his brilliant per-minute averages, and he shouldn’t have any issues against one of the worst defensive centers in the league.
Daniel Gafford (C – WAS): $5,000 DraftKings, $5,600 FanDuel
Washington has finally made the wise decision of starting Gafford and Porzingis together. That has led to Gafford’s best stretch of his career, scoring at least 24 DK points in 14 of his last 20 games. GD also has a 34-point average in those 14 outings, and that’s all you can hope for from such an affordable player. We’ve already discussed how horrible the Hawks’ defense has been, and it looks even better since they own a 21st OPRK against opposing centers.
Advantageous Pricing
- Bogdan Bogdanovic (SG – ATL) $4,500 DraftKings, $6,000 FanDuel
- Deni Avdija (SF – WAS): $4,300 DraftKings, $5,500 FanDuel
- Trendon Watford (SF – POR): $3,500 DraftKings, $4,600 FanDuel
- Jarrett Allen (C – CLE): $6,200 DraftKings, $7,400 FanDuel
- Max Strus (SG – MIA): $3,400 DraftKings, $4,700 FanDuel
- Day’Ron Sharpe (C – BKN): $3,000 DraftKings, $5,400 FanDuel
- Bruce Brown (SG – DEN): $4,300 DraftKings, $5,500 FanDuel
- Austin Reaves (SG – LAL): $4,700 DraftKings, $5,900 FanDuel
- Rui Hachimura (PF – LAL): $3,900 DraftKings, $5,400 FanDuel
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Joel Bartilotta is a featured writer at FantasyPros. For more from Joel, check out his archive and follow him @Bartilottajoel.
