NBA DFS: Top Daily Fantasy Expert Picks for DraftKings, FanDuel (3/1/25)

Welcome to "Silly Season" in the NBA, where we see a lot of instances of teams resting starters to tank for a better draft pick or preserve health for the playoffs. In these articles, I focus on the top plays, traditionally geared toward cash games. However, with over a decade of NBA DFS experience under my belt—and as someone who rarely dives into cash formats—I'm selecting picks that also typically come with high upside. That means they offer the steady floor needed for cash games while packing the high ceiling we need for tournaments.

Let's dive into the slate on this fine Saturday. It's a modest five-gamer featuring a high-paced, high-implied total showdown between the Wemby-less Spurs and the suddenly scuffling Grizzlies in Memphis. No one is priced above $8,700 in that game, so we'll have plenty of opportunity to stack it up if that's the route we want to take. The Bucks-Mavericks game holds some intrigue as it has the second-highest implied total and a healthy Giannis Antetokounmpo, so we'll have to take a hard look there since Cade Cunningham and Kyrie Irving are the only other players with a reasonable chance of outscoring him tonight.

This article will provide my daily fantasy basketball lineup picks for DraftKings and FanDuel on 3/1/25. Remember to monitor NBA injury news and our excellent NBA injuries report tool, as the slate can completely change before lineups lock at 7:00 p.m. EST on DraftKings and FanDuel. Good luck, RotoBallers!

Today's NBA DFS Core Picks

Here is a look at some of the higher-priced players we can use as building blocks for cash and GPP contests.

Giannis and Kyrie Irving are my targets at the top of the player pool, but I'd like to see more value open up before squeezing them into the same lineup. Giannis is averaging 62 DK PPG over his last seven games with at least 30 minutes, and we don't have any reason to believe he'll have his minutes restricted tonight. He had a masterful 28-point, 19-rebound game for 65.25 DK points on 2/27 against the Nuggets, and he gets a Mavericks squad that has (unsurprisingly) struggled to defend since losing all of their bigs to injury or trade. They're allowing the 11th-most fantasy points per game over their last seven games and the second-most field goal attempts (31.9 FGA) and makes (21.6 FGM) in the restricted area over that time frame.

Irving looks excellent on the other side of the same game. He needs 42 DK points to hit 5x value, and he has hit that mark in five of his last six games. He also carries a heavy 28.2% usage rate with Luka Doncic and Anthony Davis off the floor, and that will play up against a Bucks defense that allows the seventh-most fantasy points per game to PGs this season. He's rested, playing heavy minutes, and fully capable of matching or exceeding Giannis' fantasy point total in what should be a high-scoring affair tonight in Dallas.

I'm also interested in getting to some pieces in the Spurs-Grizzlies game, which projects as the top game environment on the slate. Ja Morant is still plenty affordable, but his true ceiling games have been infrequent, and he hasn't shot the ball well for a long stretch coming into tonight. Tonight is his best shot at going off, though, as both teams play at a top-10 pace, and the Spurs have allowed the second-most fantasy points per game over their last 15 games. Jaren Jackson Jr. and Desmond Bane are intriguing for the same reasons, as the Spurs have bled fantasy points to all positions since losing their star big man.

Top Core Plays:

1. Giannis Antentokounmpo, MIL @ DAL - PF/C ($10,800 DK; $11,400 FD) Prefer on DraftKings
2. Kyrie Irving, DAL vs. MIL - PG ($9,200 DK; $9,400 FD)
3. Jaren Jackson Jr., MEM vs. SAS - PF/C ($7,700 DK; $8,600) Prefer on DraftKings
4. Desmond Bane, MEM vs. SAS - SG ($7,600 DK; $8,000 FD) Prefer on DraftKings
5. Ja Morant, MEM vs. SAS - PG ($8,300 DK; $8,300 FD)

Today's NBA DFS Value Picks

This is where we talk about saving salary. Whether it's a severely underpriced backup or even as simple as a guy playing like someone who should be priced higher, this is where you'll find guys who make lineups work.

Sorting the best value picks of the day by fantasy points per dollar:

As you can see from the optimizer above, the value options on this slate are very slim. Unexpected injury news will open things up as the day goes on, but this is what we're working with right now. I don't have much confidence in players like Zach Edey, Santi Aldama, Keldon Johnson, Moses Brown, and Keon Johnson, but they'll have to be players we mix in with the lack of value. Draymond Green, Ausar Thompson, and Jalen Duren are easier to get to, as they all have more guaranteed workloads and have shown some level of consistency in their production.

Top Value Plays:

1. Draymond Green, GSW vs. PHI - C ($5,800 DK; $6,600 FD)
2. Ausar Thompson, DET vs. BKN - SF/PF ($5,100 DK) DraftKings Only
3. Jalen Duren, DET vs. BKN ($6,400 DK) DraftKings Only
4. Zach Edey, MEM vs. SAS - C ($4,400 DK; $4,900 FD)

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Today's NBA DFS Picks: Point Guard

Cade Cunningham has put up some monster totals over the last few weeks, but he also needs over 50 DK points for 5x value at his current price tag, and he has failed to hit that mark in five of his last seven games. He gets a favorable matchup against the Nets tonight, but the game environment is the worst on the slate as it holds the lowest implied total and a snail-slow projected pace.

Instead, I'll save some money by getting to Irving and Morant, with both players capable of scoring the most fantasy points at the position tonight. Morant holds a 1.32 FPTS/min rate this season, and that metric should see an uptick against a Spurs team that can't defend anyone lately. I'll let others chase Stephen Curry's explosion game or De'Aaron Fox's bounceback game.

Top PG Options:

1. Kyrie Irving, DAL vs. MIL ($9,200 DK; $9,400 FD)
2. Ja Morant, MEM vs. SAS ($8,300 DK; $8,300 FD)

Today's NBA DFS Picks: Shooting Guard

Desmond Bane feels underpriced, especially in his glorious matchup with the Spurs tonight. The sharpshooting guard hasn't lived up to his billing lately, but he has still exceeded what he needs for 5x value in three of his last five games. I'm primarily interested in him because of his solid 1.18 FPTS/min rate and the incredible game environment. This will be a fast-paced, high-scoring affair, and Bane has a clear path to a massive game with the Spurs allowing the second-most fantasy points per game over their last 15 games.

The Kings have allowed the ninth-most fantasy points per game over their last 15 contests, so there's some appeal in getting to the Rockets' side tonight. One intriguing option for us is Jalen Green, who's underpriced, considering he's averaging 43.8 DK PPG over his last four games. He's second on the team in FPTS/min (1.24) and usage rate (29.6%) during that stretch, and he's at a modest enough price point for us to have interest tonight.

Keon Johnson and Ziaire Williams are playing around 30 minutes per game and hitting 5x value more often than not, so they're both workable - if uninspiring - options at SG tonight as well.

Top SG Options:

1. Desmond Bane, MEM vs. SAS ($7,600 DK; $8,000 FD)
2. Jalen Green, HOU vs. SAC ($7,500 DK; $7,300 FD)
3. Keon Johnson, BKN @ DET ($5,100 DK) DraftKings Only

Today's NBA DFS Picks: Small Forward

Small forward is a tricky position tonight, which seems to be the case more often than not. Amen Thompson is too expensive for my tastes, Zach LaVine is too inconsistent, Jimmy Butler might not even play, and Paul George has hit value once over his last ten games. That leaves us with mid-range and punt options at the position.

Amen's brother, Ausar, is a solid play at his cheap price tag. He should play mid-20's minutes and has averaged 27.9 DK PPG over his last five games, which is well above what he needs for 5x value tonight.

It's ugly, but we must consider a player like Kelly Oubre Jr. He averages a decent 0.85 FPTS/min with Joel Embiid off the floor this season. While his usage rate is only 19.6% in such scenarios, the 76ers need him to produce with their star big man off the floor. The Warriors are hot and have defended well all year, but we must play someone at the position.

Keldon Johnson is a mid-range/punt option for the Spurs to consider. He has 32.75, 27, and 40 DK point games over his last four outings, and the Grizzlies play at a blistering pace (#1 in the NBA). His minutes are slightly volatile, but he's one of the primary scorers on this iteration of the Spurs, and the game environment doesn't get any better than it is set up to be tonight.

Top SF Options:

1. Ausar Thompson, DET vs. BKN ($4,700 DK; $5,300 FD)
2. Kelly Oubre Jr., PHI vs. GSW ($6,000 DK; $6,800 FD)
3. Keldon Johnson, SAS @ MEM ($4,700 DK; $5,300 FD)

Today's NBA DFS Picks: Power Forward

Giannis and Triple-J are the plays here. Giannis has the top median projection and ceiling projection on the slate, and he gets a solid game environment with a high total in what should be a competitive matchup. Jackson Jr. gets the top game environment on the slate and a Spurs team that has allowed top-eight marks in fantasy points per game to PF's and C's this season.

Top PF Options:

1. Giannis Antentokounmpo, MIL @ DAL ($10,800 DK; $11,400 FD) Prefer on DraftKings
2. Jaren Jackson Jr., MEM vs. SAS ($7,700 DK; $8,600) Prefer on DraftKings
3. Jimmy Butler, GSW @ PHI ($7,400 DK) DraftKings Only

Today's NBA DFS Picks: Center

Here's where we can get a little spicy. Zach Edey is always limited to around 20 minutes per game, which typically wouldn't be something we're remotely interested in. However, his 1.13 FPTS/min rate makes things interesting, particularly against a Spurs squad that has allowed the fifth-most fantasy points per game to C's over their last 30 games. He only needs 22 DK points to hit 5x value tonight, an attainable number in this great matchup.

Jalen Duren is also appealing, as he should have no issue continuing his hot streak against the Nets at home. He ran into foul trouble in his last game against Denver, but he is putting up 40+ DK point games with some regularity now that he's getting starter-level minutes more consistently. He's also at a mid-range price point that fits builds with Giannis and/or Irving, so I'll take the salary savings and hope he notches another big game here.

Top C Options:

1. Giannis Antentokounmpo, MIL @ DAL ($10,800 DK; $11,400 FD) Prefer on DraftKings
2. Jaren Jackson Jr., MEM vs. SAS ($7,700 DK; $8,600) Prefer on DraftKings
3. Jalen Duren, DET vs. BKN ($6,400 DK) DraftKings Only
4. Zach Edey, MEM vs. SAS ($4,400 DK; $4,900 FD) Prefer on DraftKings

Today's Top NBA DFS Game Stacks

1. Spurs @ Grizzlies (243.5 o/u; 105.0 projected pace)
2. Bucks @ Mavericks (233.5 o/u; 102.6 projected pace)

Today's Top NBA DFS Avoids

I can't get to Tyrese Maxey against the Warriors tonight. He has been either right at 5x value or well, well below value lately, posting games with 17.5 and 14.25 DK points over his most recent five-game stretch. The Warriors are playing elite defense lately (least fantasy points per game allowed over their last seven games), and the game environment is poor with a low implied total and slow projected pace. Pay for Irving or save some money with Fox or Morant at the position tonight.

My Favorite NBA DFS Picks for Today

Here is where I leave you with some of my favorites.

• My favorite overall play on the slate: Giannis / Irving
• My favorite CASH play on the slate: Giannis
• My favorite GPP play on the slate: Jalen Green
• My favorite value play: Ausar Thompson

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