RADIO
We’re set for a five-game slate Thursday that would have had a lot more star power if not for several big-name absences. Stephen Curry, LeBron James, Joel Embiid and Anthony Davis all remain out of action, but we’ll still have some elite players to pay up for thanks to the fact the 76ers, Trail Blazers, Wizards and Clippers are all in action.
Due to some of the massive usage that those injured players typically absorb, we’ll have plenty of mid-salary and value-level plays that could pay off nicely on a fantasy-point-per-dollar basis Thursday. The flip side is that the production those top-shelf options usually provide is so difficult to replace, their teams could ultimately end up on the wrong side of routs.
In this article, I will be providing you with my daily fantasy basketball lineup picks for FanDuel on 3/25/21. I’ll be providing multiple player suggestions for players at guard, forward and center on FanDuel, aiming to highlight one option apiece at the high, middle and lower end of the salary scale. You can also check out DraftKings lineup picks and injury news before lineups lock. Good luck, RotoBallers.
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FanDuel DFS Guards
Ben Simmons PG – at LAL ($8,200)
Simmons is averaging 37.7 FD points over the five games Joel Embiid has missed thus far, and he’s delivered over 5x his current salary on 13 occasions already this season. The 2016 first overall pick has been on an extended stretch of torrid efficiency as well, draining 59.5 percent of his shots over the last 18 games, a stretch during which he’s shot under 50.0 percent in a contest in only five instances. What’s more, Simmons has been a more productive scorer on the road, putting up exactly three more points per game when traveling (17.6 PPG) than at home (14.6 PPG). Finally, consider the Lakers make for an appealing matchup as well, as they’re ranked in the bottom 10 in offensive efficiency allowed to PGs (27.3 percent) and have given up the second-most FD points per game (54.7) to the position in the last 15.
Alec Burks, SG – vs. WAS ($6,000)
Burks has been offering some excellent returns on investment whether he slots into the starting five or comes off the bench, putting up 30.8 FD points per contest over the last seven games on averages of 17.7 points, 4.4 rebounds, 2.7 assists and 1.1 steals. The versatile veteran just put up 30.1 FD points against this same Wizards team Tuesday in a second-unit role, and Washington checks in ranked in the bottom 10 in offensive efficiency allowed to bench players (43.1 percent) while also allowing the fifth-most points (26.0) and second-most made threes (4.1) to two-guards over the last 15 contests.
Kendrick Nunn, PG – vs. POR ($5,500)
Nunn is always a bit of an adventure to roster, but when he pays off, he often does so spectacularly and at a very reasonable salary. The potential for such exists Thursday for a number of reasons, including the fact Goran Dragic remains questionable with a back injury. Additionally, Nunn faces a Trail Blazers squad that’s ranked dead last in offensive efficiency allowed to PGs (32.6 percent), partly the byproduct of surrendering the second-highest field-goal percentage (47.4) and the highest three-point shooting percentage (41.3) to the position. The Blazers are also giving up the third-most FD points per game (53.3) to ones over the last 15 games, so even though Nunn undeniably carries some risk, this is the type of matchup where he’s worth considering for large-field tournament play in particular.
Also consider: Russell Westbrook ($11,100); Buddy Hield ($6,400); Tyler Herro ($5,200)
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FanDuel DFS Forwards
Tobias Harris, PF- at LAL ($8,800)
Harris is now averaging 45.2 FD points per 36 minutes and sporting a 28.3 percent usage rate with Joel Embiid off the floor this season, and he’ll come into Thursday’s game having scored 42.8 to 60.2 FD points in five of the six games Embiid has sat out with his knee injury thus far. The floor-spacing veteran is shooting a blistering 50.0 percent from behind the arc (3.3 three-point attempts per game) in that span, and he posted a solid 36.9 FD points across 37 minutes the one previous time he tangled with the Lakers this season. Los Angeles also checks in showing some clear vulnerability to power forwards recently, having given up the third-most FD points per game (48.4) to the position in the last seven.
RJ Barrett, SF – vs. WAS ($6,500)
Barrett is another Knick who enjoyed his time on the floor versus the Wizards on Tuesday in the first installment of the two-game set, racking up an impressive 38.5 FD points across 39 minutes. His salary did see a slight bump as a result, but Barrett has delivered over 5x his current figure on 17 occasions already, falling two-tenths of an FD points of meeting the goal on two other occasions. Washington has also been generous to small forwards of late, allowing the third-most points (24.5) and most assists (5.4) per game to the position over the last 15 games on its way to surrendering the fourth-most FD points per game (45.2) to threes during that span.
Marcus Morris Sr., PF – at SA ($5,000)
Morris’ contributions have been a bit up and down this season, but he entered Wednesday’s first installment of a back-to-back set against San Antonio with four consecutive double-digit scoring efforts and averages of 14.3 points, 4.8 rebounds, 2.0 assists and 25.4 FD points over that span. Morris has also shot an improved 48.9 percent overall in that sample, and he’s draining a career-best 44.8 percent of his 5.1 three-point attempts per game as well. Thursday, he gets a crack at a Spurs team that he put up 20 points against Wednesday and that checked into that contest giving up the second-highest three-point shooting percentage (39.2) of any team on its home floor while also surrendering the fourth-most FD points per game (48.1) to power forwards in the last seven. Sporting a salary he’s already delivered over 5x return on in 12 games this season, he’s an intriguing value consideration, particularly for tournaments.
Also consider: Kawhi Leonard ($9,700); Bam Adebayo ($8,000); Draymond Green ($7,000)
FanDuel DFS Centers
Richaun Holmes– vs. GS ($8,000)
Holmes eviscerated the Cavaliers on Tuesday for a 17-point, 16-rebound double-double that netted 48.7 FD points, the 10th time this season he’s exceeded the 40-mark. Two of these instances – tallies of 56.2 and 61.0 FD points – have come within the last five games as well, and Holmes will enter Wednesday’s matchup versus the Hawks having just seen a streak of eight straight games with double-digit shot attempts snapped. The matchup could hardly line up better for him, as the Warriors’ pace should give him some extra possessions to work with, and Golden State is also allowing the fourth-most FD points per game (61.1) to centers in the last 15, and the third-highest offensive efficiency (60.2 percent) in the paint. The latter figure is especially relevant in Holmes’ case, considering 73.5 percent (10.3 points per game) of the big man’s scoring emanates from that part of the floor.
Mitchell Robinson — vs. WAS ($6,200)
Robinson apparently needed just one game to get back into the swing of things after a month-plus absence with hand injury; after getting his legs back under with him with 17 minutes versus the 76ers on Sunday, Robinson went off for 40.4 FD points Tuesday against the Wizards while seeing his workload bump to 31 minutes off the bench. The big man could well be ready to return to the first unit Thursday, but irrespective of whether he does, he’s in play at his salary against a Wizards team giving up the second-most FD points per game (62.4) to centers over the last 15 games, along with the second-highest offensive efficiency (60.9 percent) in the paint for the season.
James Wiseman– at SAC ($4,200)
Speaking of strong returns from multi-game absences, Wiseman made one Tuesday against the 76ers with 21.8 FD points after missing the three prior games for conditioning purposes following a bout with COVID-19. Wiseman had also scored 20.4 to 30.2 FD points in three of the four prior games to his absence, and the rookie put up 22.5 FD points across just 17 minutes against the Kings back on Jan. 4. Sacramento could facilitate a strong return for Wiseman at his very reasonable salary Thursday, considering the Kings went into Wednesday’s contest against the Hawks allowing the sixth-most points (23.5), most rebounds (16.9) and most assists (4.5) to centers on the season on their way to surrendering 56.1 FD points per contest to the position.
Also consider: Enes Kanter ($6,800); Ivica Zubac ($5,600); Jakob Poeltl ($5,400)
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