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Wednesday brings a loaded nine-game schedule in the NBA. Both DraftKings and FanDuel will include the first seven games of the evening in their main slates.
The key to being successful in NBA DFS comes down to making adjustments during the day as injury information becomes available. But it's always really important to have a game plan, and the best players and spots circled first before making those adjustments. To keep up with all the latest developments and get access to updated projections, grab an NBA season pass and also gain access to our RotoBaller Premium Discord, where @chiefjustice6 is talking about the slate up until lineups lock!
This article will provide you with my daily fantasy basketball lineup picks for DraftKings and FanDuel on 3/13/24. Remember to monitor NBA injury news and our awesome NBA injuries report tool, as the slate can completely change before lineups lock at 7 p.m. EST on FanDuel and DraftKings. Good luck, RotoBallers!
Today's NBA DFS Core Picks
Let's first take a look at our matchup ratings to see who we want to target for our top spend-ups tonight.
There is no stopping Luka Doncic right now, given that he has posted seven straight triple-doubles. He will take on the Warriors, who he roasted for 39 points, eight rebounds, and 10 assists earlier this season. His salary is difficult to build into a lineup, but there is enough value across the board to make it work. His upside is too high to ignore.
Another point guard with plenty of upside is Cade Cunningham. He is finishing the season on a high note, averaging 23.1 points, 5.0 rebounds, and 7.8 assists across his last 14 games. Don’t expect him to be slowed down by a Raptors team that has the seventh-worst defensive rating in the league.
Moving over to forward brings us to DeMar DeRozan. Ignore his disappointing stat line against the Mavericks on Monday. He only logged 22 minutes because of the lopsided score. For the season, he has logged 38 minutes per game. Expect a much closer game against a Pacers team that will be playing the second leg of a back-to-back set.
- Luka Doncic, DAL vs. GS – PG ($12,800 DK; $12,800 FD)
- Cade Cunningham, DET vs. TOR – PG ($8,600 DK; $8,600 FD)
- DeMar DeRozan, CHI at IND – SF/PF ($8,400 DK; $8,600 FD)
Today's NBA DFS Value Picks
Nick Richards continues to play well as the Hornets’ starting center. In that role, he has averaged 10.4 points, 8.9 rebounds, and 1.3 blocks. A great matchup awaits him against the Grizzlies, who have given up the second-most rebounds per game in the league.
Simone Fontecchio continues to fill a significant role for the Pistons, averaging 29 minutes over 13 games since joining the team. He has thrived in the scoring department, averaging 15.2 points and 2.6 three-pointers. With how much the Raptors have struggled on defense, Fontecchio could provide noteworthy value.
The Raptors are running out of healthy bodies. They are happy to have Bruce Brown Jr. back after he missed four games with a knee injury. In his first game back, he posted 13 points, 10 rebounds, and three assists against the Nuggets. He logged 38 minutes and should continue to play a lot against a Pistons team that has the third-worst defensive rating in the league.
Top Value Plays:
- Nick Richards, CHA at MEM – C ($5,700 DK; $5,900 FD)
- Simone Fontecchio, DET vs. TOR – SF/PF ($5,100 DK; $6,100 FD)
- Bruce Brown Jr., TOR at DET – PG/SF ($5,100 DK; $5,100 FD)
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Today's NBA DFS Picks: Point Guard
Working our way down the salary scale from Doncic and Cunningham gets us to Chris Paul. Stephen Curry (ankle) will be out again, which should mean another start for Paul. In the last two games without him, Paul averaged 14.5 points, 6.5 rebounds, 8.5 assists, and 2.0 steals. Also helping his cause is that the Mavericks have played at the eighth-fastest pace in the league.
Luka Doncic stuffed the stat sheet in the Mavericks' win over the Pistons 🪄
39 PTS | 10 REB | 10 AST | 3 STL
▪️ Doncic becomes the first player in NBA history to record SIX consecutive triple-doubles with 30+ PTS pic.twitter.com/RwpggmQM1o
— NBA (@NBA) March 10, 2024
Top PG Options:
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- Luka Doncic vs. GS, ($12,800 DK; $12,800 FD)
- Cade Cunningham vs. TOR, ($8,600 DK; $8,600 FD)
- Chris Paul at DAL, ($6,900 DK; $7,800 FD)
Today's NBA DFS Picks: Shooting Guard
There is a lot of value to be had at shooting guard, so this might be a position to spend down on. Another member of the Bulls who could exploit their matchup with the Pacers is Ayo Dosunmu. He has been playing nearly as much as DeRozan, averaging 37 minutes over his last 19 games. During that stretch, he averaged 15.0 points, 3.5 rebounds, 4.9 assists, and 1.1 steals.
Trey Murphy III can hit three-pointers in bunches when he is locked in. He has been feeling it of late, putting up 22.8 points, 5.7 rebounds, and 5.3 three-pointers over his last six games. As one of the key members of the Pelicans’ second unit, Murphy should continue to have the green light to put up plenty of shots from behind the arc.
The Grizzlies have been hammered by injuries and will be playing the second game of a back-to-back set. Don’t be surprised if they give significant playing time to DeJon Jarreau, who is on a 10-day contract. He has logged at least 21 minutes in both of the last two games, averaging 7.5 points, 7.5 rebounds, 5.5 assists, and 2.5 steals. At his cheap salary on both sites, he’s worth considering in tournament play.
Top SG Options:
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- Ayo Dosunmu at IND, ($6,100 DK; $6,300 FD)
- Trey Murphy III vs. CLE, ($5,900 DK; $6,600 FD)
- DeJon Jarreau vs. CHA, ($5,300 DK; $4,700 FD)
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Today's NBA DFS Picks: Small Forward
We’ve already touched on why we like DeRozan and Brown. Another option to consider in tournament play is Georges Niang. The Cavaliers continue to have depth issues up front with Evan Mobley (ankle) and Dean Wade (personal) out. That has helped Niang start each of the last four games. His numbers still didn’t jump off the charts, but he has averaged 14.3 points, 3.8 rebounds, 2.8 assists, and 2.5 three-pointers in his new role.
Top SF Options:
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- DeMar DeRozan at IND, ($8,400 DK; $8,600 FD)
- Bruce Brown Jr. at DET, ($5,100 DK; $5,100 FD)
- Georges Niang at NO, ($5,000 DK; $4,900 FD)
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Today's NBA DFS Picks: Power Forward
Not having Mobley is huge for a matchup against Zion Williamson. Other than Jarrett Allen, the Cavaliers don’t have a ton of size right now. Expect them to have a difficult time slowing down Williamson, who has averaged 22.3 points, 6.3 rebounds, and 7.0 assists over his last 10 games.
Zion Williamson protects the paint with a forceful block 🚫
Pelicans-Sixers | Live on the NBA App
📲 https://t.co/PqnyhAHImy pic.twitter.com/Rbh9HpMFML— NBA (@NBA) March 9, 2024
In addition to Fontecchio, Davis Bertans is a target at cheap salaries. While he barely played for the Thunder, he has averaged 26 minutes over his last six games with the Hornets. Don’t count on him to provide much in the way of rebounds or assists, but he has averaged 11.8 points and 3.3 three-pointers during that six-game span.
Top PF Options:
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- Zion Williamson vs. CLE, ($8,300 DK; $8,600 FD)
- Simone Fontecchio vs. TOR, ($5,100 DK; $6,100 FD)
- Davis Bertans at MEM, ($4,900 DK; $4,700 FD)
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Today's NBA DFS Picks: Center
Jakob Poeltl (finger) being out has paved the way for Kelly Olynyk to start for the Raptors. He has a versatile skillset, but getting enough playing time has been an issue for him for most of the season. That hasn’t been the case lately with him starting and logging at least 28 minutes in each of the last four games.
The Raptors being down to Olynyk at center leaves Jalen Duren with the potential for a juicy matchup. Let’s look at the last three centers who the Raptors have faced without Poeltl. Jusuf Nurkic posted seven points, 14 rebounds, five assists, and two blocks. Deandre Ayton recorded 30 points, 19 rebounds, and one block. Finally, Nikola Jokic finished with 35 points, 17 rebounds, and 12 assists against them Monday.
Top C Options:
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- Kelly Olynyk at DET, ($7,000 DK; $6,800 FD)
- Jalen Duren vs. TOR, ($6,700 DK; $7,400 FD)
- Nick Richards at MEM, ($5,700 DK; $5,900 FD)
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Today's Top NBA DFS Game Stacks
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- Warriors at Mavericks (233 total)
- Raptors at Pistons (232.5 total)
- Bulls at Pacers (230 total)
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Today's Top NBA DFS Avoids
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- Stay away from Bam Adebayo, who will battle Nikola Jokic and a Nuggets team that has given up the sixth-fewest rebounds per game in the league.
- This is not the night to roll with Mikal Bridges, who will face a Magic team that has the fourth-best defensive rating in the league and held him to four points in their last meeting.
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My Favorite NBA DFS Picks for Today
Here is where I leave you with some of my favorites.
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- My favorite overall play on the slate: Luka Doncic
- My favorite CASH play on the slate: Cade Cunningham
- My favorite GPP play on the slate: Zion Williamson
- My favorite value play: Bruce Brown Jr.
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