RADIO
Thursday’s six-game slate has everything. A showdown between two anemic New York teams, Cleveland’s dynamic offense against Utah’s stout defense, even a Serge Ibaka revenge game. Golden State’s healthy big three of Stephen Curry, Klay Thompson and Draymond Green are all strong options against a weak Magic team, but the chance of a blowout is certainly a concern. Only Russell Westbrook, Nikola Jokic and LeBron James are over $10k, so there’s plenty of value to be found for a reasonable price.
In this article, I will be providing you with my daily fantasy basketball lineup picks for DraftKings on 3/16/17. The DFS lineup picks will range from some of the elite players to mid-priced options and value plays on DraftKings.
If you have any questions or comments, feel free to reach out to me on Twitter @hayudi18.
DraftKings DFS Guards
Chris Paul- PG, @ DEN ($8,800)
CP3 is rolling lately, with 103.75 total Draftkings points over his last two games (heading into Wednesday night)— against the Sixers and the Jazz (!). He dropped over 30 points in each of those contests, and could be in line for another big scoring night Thursday against the Nuggets, who allow the second-most fantasy points to the point guard position. Paul, who is averaging 9.3 assists — good for fourth in the league — is of course capable of double-digit dimes, as well. The 31-year-old Paul is a solid bet to hit value in this appealing matchup.
Gary Harris- SG, vs. LAC ($5,800)
Harris has been a reliable source of production lately, managing just over 30 DK points, on average, across his last five games. Over that span, he has posted 17.2 points, 3.0 rebounds, 3.4 assists and 2.0 steals per game, totaling at least 35 minutes of court action in each contest. The 22-year-old is more than capable of hitting threes in bunches— he connected on six of his nine attempts from long range against the Wizards last week — so the upside is there for a big night against the Clippers on Thursday.
Iman Shumpert- PG/SG, vs. UTA ($3,500)
Shumpert has taken on a larger role since Kyle Korver went down with a foot injury, surpassing 20 DK points in three straight games. Not typically much of an offensive threat, the 26-year-old has dropped at least 15 points in two of those contests and has hit at least one three pointer in seven straight showings. If Rodney Hood, who left Wednesday’s game early, were to sit out Thursday, Utah’s defense would become a whole lot softer, particularly at the shooting guard spot. J.R. Smith hasn’t appeared to have returned to form just yet, so the Cavs could continue to rely on Shumpert for production beyond James and Kyrie Irving.
DraftKings DFS Forwards
Carmelo Anthony- SF/PF, vs. BKN ($8,100)
With Kristaps Porzingis sitting out of Thursday’s game against the Nets, many Draftkings users will flock to Willy Hernangomez and Kyle O’Quinn, but Anthony should be the biggest beneficiary of KP’s absence. The 10-time all-star is averaging 29 points and five rebounds across the last three games in which Porzingis has been sidelined. Additionally, Melo recently posted 41.25 DK points against Brooklyn on Sunday, despite shooting just 1-for-5 from deep and playing alongside the 7’3” fan favorite. The price jump may negate the appeal of not having Porzingis on the floor, but Anthony is certainly worth the $8,100 given his upside and the fact that the Nets rank 28th in the NBA against small forwards.
Gordon Hayward- SF, @ CLE ($6,900)
Hayward has surpassed 35 Draftkings points in five of his last six games, including 47.25 in Wednesday’s win over the Pacers. He has shot 14-for-25 from three in his last five games, and continues to rack up rebounds and assists, as well. For whatever reason, his cost has dropped below $7k heading into a tough meeting with the Cavaliers. Matching up with LeBron James is always a difficult task, but Cleveland only ranks 19th against the small forward position. Given his recent play, Hayward should have no problem hitting value in cash games, and could even have appeal in tournaments, especially if Rodney Hood were to miss Thursday’s game.
Taj Gibson- PF, @ TOR ($4,400)
Gibson is finding his role in the Thunder offense of late, with 32 points and 14 boards across his last two games. He had been playing decent minutes since joining the Thunder at the deadline, but the 31-year-old appears to be earning more touches, putting up a season-high 17 shot attempts on Tuesday against the Nets. His two biggest competitors for playing time are Domantas Sabonis and Doug McDermott, both of whom are averaging under six points per game this month. Toronto’s frontcourt defense is undeniably better with Serge Ibaka slotted at the four spot, but it’s not as if the Raptors are suddenly a defensive juggernaut— Ibaka is not the rim protector he once was. Despite the mediocre matchup, Gibson is a guy to take advantage of while his price tag remains well below $5k, as he is capable of hitting 6x or even 7x value on a given night.
DraftKings DFS Centers
Brook Lopez- C, @ NY ($6,800)
Lopez, who has accounted for almost one-fifth of Brooklyn’s shot attempts in the second half of the season, is not only the Nets’ top scoring option, but also one of the most dangerous offensive big men in the game. The 28-year-old has managed at least 35 Draftkings points in three consecutive games played — including 40.5 against the Knicks on Sunday — and is capable of much more (63.5 vs. Milwaukee on Feb. 15). The Knicks’ frontcourt defense has been mediocre, at best, all season, and the absence of Kristaps Porzingis — as well as Joakim Noah, who has been sidelined since early February with a knee injury — means Lopez should feast Thursday night.
Mason Plumlee- C, vs. LAC ($5,500)
Plumlee has flashed moments of heavy production since coming over to Denver right before the trade deadline. In 12 games, he has scored in double-digits six times, pulled down at least 10 boards four times and dished out at least five assists six times. He is also coming off of back-to-back games with multiple blocks. In the two games Wilson Chandler has missed — he’ll sit out again Thursday night — since Plumlee joined the Nuggets, the former Duke standout has averaged 13 points, 9.5 rebounds and 1.5 blocks in 70 total minutes. Danilo Gallinari will also miss the game against the Clippers, meaning Plumlee should be even more involved.
NBA DFS News & Injury Alerts
NBA & DFS Premium Subscription
Get an edge on your NBA DFS competition, every single night of the week:
- DFS Cheat Sheets and Lineup Picks: Access to 10 deeply researched lineup picks, and sample lineups - seven days a week! Includes advanced stats to unlock NBA player values, and boost DFS success.
- DFS Optimizer Tool: Generate optimal DFS lineups in seconds. Use advanced features and stats for including/excluding players, cash games vs. GPPs, stacks and more.
- DFS Value Picks: Our Optimizer helps you find, sort and filter the best lineup values and DFS sleeper picks. Premium stats like "Usage Rate" and "Points/$1K" give you a leg up on the DFS competition.
- Daily NBA Projections: Our secret sauce - the Optimizer Tool provides DFS points projections for FanDuel, DraftKings and Yahoo scoring.
Lineup Optimizer/Generator & Sleepers Tool
Click here to see a full size version of the tool
Click here to see a full size version of the cheat sheet
Premium NBA DFS Lineup Picks & Cheat Sheet
Click here to see a full size version of the cheat sheet
