DraftKings Daily Fantasy Basketball Picks (3/14/21): NBA DFS Lineups

The NBA schedule has six games on the main slate for Sunday night. Four have an implied point total of 230 or more. One game you'll definitely want exposure is the Los Angeles Clippers versus the New Orleans Pelicans. Here are three tips on how to attack the overall slate when assembling lineups.

First of all, it’s important to look at the pace and Vegas lines. Second, it’s also useful to understand the number of fantasy points a team gives up to a specific position. The final tip is to identify value plays that are critical on a slate of any size. You don’t have to necessarily go for the cheapest value, but you want to identify players who have a high floor and a high ceiling. 

This article will supply you with my daily fantasy basketball lineup picks for the DraftKings on 3/14/21. You can also check out today’s FanDuel lineup picks. It’s also important to monitor injury news as a result of COVID-19 as the slate can completely change before line-up lock. Without further ado, let’s dive into the picks! 

DraftKings DFS Guards

Paul George - SG, LAC vs NO ($8,100)

George missed the Clippers game on March 4th for dizziness and returned to action last Thursday against the Warriors. He scored 17 points with seven rebounds, five assists, and three steals in 27 minutes. George played limited minutes because the game against Golden State was a blowout. He has a Usage Rate of 29% this season. This metric is an estimate of the percentage of team plays used by a player while he was on the floor. George has the highest ceiling of any guard on the slate. He faces a Pelicans team that has allowed the sixth-most DraftKings fantasy points to shooting guards his season.

Kemba Walker - PG, BOS vs HOU ($7,400)

Walker scored 11 points, gathered three rebounds, two assists, one steal, and one block in 34 minutes against the Nets last Thursday. He's scored 41 or more DraftKings fantasy points in three out of his last five games. Walker has the 15th highest Usage Rate (27.6%) among point guards this season. He faces a Rockets team that has allowed the eighth-most DraftKings fantasy points to points guards this season. He's a nice value on tonight's slate.

Lonzo Ball - PG, NO vs LAC ($6,500)

Ball scored three points, accumulated four rebounds, six assists, one steal, and one block in 25 minutes during the Pelicans blowout win against the Cavaliers last Friday. He's averaged 14 points per game while shooting 41.8% from the field in 35 games. Ball is also shooting 38% from beyond the arc. Did you know that all of these are career-highs? Ball can also accumulate steals and blocks on defense. His assist average has dropped this season when compared to last season, but that is a byproduct of the Pelicans personnel and scheme rather than Ball. He faces a Clippers team that has allowed the 10th most DraftKings fantasy points per game to point guards.

Bonus Guards: Zach LaVine ($9,200), Collin Sexton ($7,800), Kevin Porter Jr. ($5,000), Michael Carter-Williams ($5,900)

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DraftKings DFS Guards

Kawhi Leonard - SF, LAC vs NO ($9,000)

Leonard scored a game-high 28 points in 31 minutes against the Warriors last Thursday. He also compiled nine rebounds, four assists, and three steals. Leonard has scored 46 or more DraftKings fantasy points in three out of his last four games. The only other small forwards with a higher Usage Rate than Leonard (30%) are Jayson Tatum (30.6%), Kevin Durant (31.4%), and LeBron James (32%). He has the highest ceiling of any forwards on the slate.

Jaylen Brown - SF, BOS vs HOU ($8,200)

Brown struggled to find his shot last Thursday night against the Nets. He scored 13 points, garnered six assists, five rebounds, and four steals in 40 minutes. This game was an aberration for Brown. He has a Usage Rate of 30.3% and should bounce back against the Rockets. Brown has one of the higher ceilings at the forward position on the slate.

Brandon Ingram - SF/PF, NO vs LAC ($7,900)

Ingram scored 28 points, amassed seven rebounds, four assists, and one block in 25 minutes against the Cavaliers last Friday. This was his 17th game with 25 or more points and 17th game with three or more three-pointers. Ingram has a Usage Rate of 27.7% this season. He's scored 42 or more DraftKings fantasy points in two out of his last three games. Ingram faces a Clippers team that has allowed opponents to score the sixth-fewest points per game. This may prompt some DFS players to fade him, but you shouldn't let that deter you from targeting Ingram while assembling your lineups.

Bonus Forwards: Zion Williamson ($8,600), Jae'sean Tate ($5,800), Sterling Brown ($4,900)

DraftKings DFS Centers

Nikola Vucevic - C, ORL vs MIA ($9,900)

Vucevic totaled 26 points, stockpiled nine rebounds and three assists in 29 minutes last Friday against the Spurs. The only other centers with a higher Usage Rate than Vucevic (29.8%) this season are Andre Drummond (31.3%) or Joel Embiid (34.3%). The last game Vucevic scored less than 40 DraftKings fantasy points was back on February 14th. He has five games with 50 or more points over that time frame. Vucevic has the highest ceiling of any center on the slate.

Jarrett Allen - C, CLE vs ATL ($8,200)

Allen scored five points, acquired seven rebounds, two assists, three blocks, and a steal in 33 minutes against the Pelicans last Friday. Were you aware this was the first time he hasn't scored 10 or more points since February 6th? Allen can contribute in multiple statistical areas and has been very efficient this season. He has the eighth highest Player Efficiency Rating (25.8) among centers. This metric sums up all a player's positive accomplishments, subtracts the negative accomplishments and returns a per-minute rating of a player's performance. In his previous 10 games, Allen has averaged 17.6 points, 12.4 rebounds, 2.1 assists, 0.5 steals, 1.7 blocks, and 32.4 minutes.

Bonus Center: Kelly Olynyk ($6,100), Justin Patton ($5,400), Steven Adams ($5,300)

NBA DFS News and Injury Alerts

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