RADIO
We keep rolling along with "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.
It's shaping up to be a Giannis Antetokounmpo-centric slate tonight. He's the only true mega-ceiling star on the board, and there's not much to love at the top besides him. That means our roster construction will be him, another stud (or a few mid-range players), and a rotation of the punt options everyone will be deploying. We'll need to hit on those mid-range plays, and thankfully, we have plenty of options to sort through. None of the game environments are popping off the page, which opens up the entire slate for consideration tonight.
This article will provide my daily fantasy basketball lineup picks for DraftKings and FanDuel on 3/30/25. 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.
The Hawks-Bucks game is the top game environment on the slate, holding a high 236-point implied total and the fastest projected pace. We have a ton of value available, so we can comfortably get to the two stars in this game, Giannis and Trae Young. Giannis has been up-and-down while he deals with a foot injury, but he's still hit 60+ DK points frequently enough, and he's the only player on this slate with 70+ DK point upside. The matchup is prime for him to post another ceiling game tonight as Atlanta allows the fifth-most fantasy points per game.
Young has exceeded what he needs for 5x value tonight in nine of his last 11 games, including two games with at least 57 DK points. As mentioned, the game environment will boost his production, and a matchup against a Bucks team that has allowed the seventh-most fantasy points per game to PGs certainly doesn't hurt.
Onyeka Okongwu is popping as an excellent option in the same game environment as Young. The Bucks defend centers well, but Okongwu is too cheap for his median projection and potential upside with Clint Capela out of the lineup. He averages 1.14 FPTS/min with the veteran off the floor, and that rate will push him well over 5x value at his current salary.
Top Core Plays:
- Giannis Antetokounmpo, MIL vs. ATL - PF/C ($11,900 DK; $11,900 FD)
- Trae Young, ATL @ MIL - PG ($9,500 DK; $9,300 FD)
- Onyeka Okongwu, ATL @ MIL - C ($7,400 DK; $7,700 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:
Check out all of that value! Injuries to Mark Williams, Damian Lillard, Zion Williamson, CJ McCollum, and others have given significant value to the Hornets, Bucks, Pelicans, and Spurs for tonight's action. Ryan Rollins and Jeremy Sochan project the best due to their starter-level minutes projections, but I give the edge to Rollins due to his elite game environment in a showdown with the Hawks. Sochan looks excellent if he's starting again, as he produced 35.5 DK points over 31 minutes in his last time out.
Jusuf Nurkic and Moussa Diabate are wildly underpriced now that Williams is sitting out. Both are great bets for 20+ DK points and well over 5x value, but Nurkic is the preferred option as he should start and play more minutes.
Elfrid Payton is worth taking shots on in a tank-a-thon matchup against the Hornets. The vet has scored 39 and 23.25 DK points heading into tonight's game, and the Hornets have allowed the third-most fantasy points per game to PGs over their last 30, 15, and 7 games. Yves Missi is another option in New Orleans, as the rookie has exceeded what he needs for 5x value in four of his last five games.
Top Value Plays:
- Ryan Rollins, MIL vs. ATL - PG ($4,100 DK; $5,000 FD)
- Jusuf Nurkic, CHA @ NOP - C ($3,800 DK; $4,700 FD)
- Moussa Diabate, CHA @ NOP - C ($3,100 DK; $4,100 FD) Prefer on DraftKings
- Elfrid Payton, NOP vs. CHA - PG ($3,300 DK; $4,500 FD) Prefer on DraftKings
- Yves Missi, NOP vs. CHA - C ($4,700 DK; $5,200 FD) Prefer on DraftKings
- Wendell Moore Jr., CHA @ NOP - SF/PF ($3,000 DK) DraftKings Only
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Today's NBA DFS Picks: Point Guard
Young and Rollins are two of the best plays on the slate. Rollins is the cream of the crop among value options, while Young arguably holds the second-highest projection and ceiling on the slate behind Giannis. I will get heavy exposure to both players in lineups tonight.
We have a big group of punt PG options tonight: Elfrid Payton, Mike Conley, Chris Paul, AJ Green, KJ Simpson, Nick Smith Jr., Terance Mann, Jordan Hawkins, and Jamal Shead. Payton. Payton, Paul, Simpson, and Shead are my favorites from the group, as they've all shown some consistency with scoring 30+ DK points and have upside for more. They're all solid options, though, and diversifying these cheap picks is a solid tournament strategy.
Shead is a sneaky one that may get overlooked. He has at least 30 DK points in three of his last four games, and he gets a Philly defense that has allowed the seventh-most fantasy points per game to PGs over their previous 15 games.
Top PG Options:
- Ryan Rollins, MIL vs. ATL ($4,100 DK; $5,000 FD)
- Trae Young, ATL @ MIL ($9,500 DK; $9,300 FD)
- Elfrid Payton, NOP vs. CHA ($3,300 DK; $4,500 FD) Prefer on DraftKings
- KJ Simpson, CHA @ NOP ($4,400 DK; $4,800 FD)
- Jamal Shead, TOR @ PHI ($9,500 DK; $9,300 FD)
- Mike Conley, MIN vs. DET ($3,400 DK) DraftKings Only
Today's NBA DFS Picks: Shooting Guard
Dennis Schroder will get slept on with the bevy of value PGs available on this slate. While his production has been volatile on the Pistons, he has shown an ability to go off for 40+ DK points occasionally, and the likelihood of that happening goes up with Cade Cunningham off the floor. He finished with 43.75 DK points in a difficult matchup against Cleveland last game, and his 1.06 FPTS/min (with Cade out) will get the job done, even in a tough matchup against the Wolves.
Nick Smith Jr. and Bruce Brown feel underpriced, and I like them as punt value-fillers on this slate. Both should play at least 30 minutes on their tanking squads, though I prefer Brown as he has shown more consistent upside lately.
Top SG Options:
- Dennis Schroder, DET @ MIN ($5,800 DK; $6,000 FD)
- Bruce Brown, NOP vs. CHA ($4,700 DK; $4,900 FD)
- Nick Smith Jr., CHA @ NOP ($4,300 DK; $4,300 FD)
- Gary Trent Jr., MIL vs. ATL ($4,600 DK; $4,700 FD)
Today's NBA DFS Picks: Small Forward
Wendell Moore Jr. stands out as the top value at SF, and it makes a ton of sense. He's minimum-priced on DraftKings and needs just 15 DK points for 5x value, and he has games with 20, 24.5, and 17.75 DK points over his last four outings. His minutes are not set in stone, but he's a good bet to hit 5x value with the Hornets severely injured-depleted to close out the year.
Terance Mann becomes an interesting flyer at his dirt-cheap pricing if Caris LeVert were to be ruled out. He scored 21.75 DK points over 27 minutes last game with LeVert in, and, as mentioned before, the game environment should boost fantasy points for everyone.
It doesn't seem like AJ Green will suit up, which means we get another night of Gary Trent Jr. He's a terrible per-minute producer at 0.75 FPTS/min. Still, he has games of 38.25 and 33 DK points over his last five outings, and the favorable game environment against the Hawks should benefit him.
Top SF Options:
- Wendell Moore Jr., CHA @ NOP ($3,000 DK) DraftKings Only
- Terance Mann, ATL @ MIL ($3,500 DK) DraftKings Only
- Bruce Brown, NOP vs. CHA ($4,700 DK; $4,900 FD)
- Gary Trent Jr., MIL vs. ATL ($4,600 DK; $4,700 FD)
- Ja'Kobe Walter, TOR @ PHI ($4,200 DK; $4,400 FD)
Today's NBA DFS Picks: Power Forward
Top PF Options:
Giannis can be played at PF and C, so I will rotate him between the two positions tonight. He'll likely be at PF more since we have solidified value picks with Nurkic and Diabate at the position.
Jeremy Sochan and Keldon Johnson are worth a look for the Spurs. They both average over 1.00 FPTS/min on this current iteration of the team, and they're both cheap enough to take shots on the 35+ DK point upside they bring to the table. The matchup against the Warriors is awful, so I won't go too crazy with them.
- Giannis Antetokounmpo, MIL vs. ATL - PF/C ($11,900 DK; $11,900 FD)
- Wendell Moore Jr., CHA @ NOP ($3,000 DK) DraftKings Only
- Tidjane Salaun, CHA @ NOP ($3,300 DK) DraftKings Only
- Patrick Williams, CHI vs. DAL ($3,800 DK; $3,900 FD)
- Keldon Johnson, SAS vs. GSW ($5,100 DK; $5,400 FD)
- Jeremy Sochan, SAS vs. GSW ($4,900 DK; $5,600 FD)
Today's NBA DFS Picks: Center
Top C Options:
We've already discussed the top picks at center: Giannis, Nurkic, Diabate, Okongwu, and Missi. Adem Bona, Jonathan Mogbo, Orlando Robinson, and Karlo Matkovic are also worth considering, but we can only play two centers on DraftKings (and only one on FanDuel).
- Giannis Antetokounmpo, MIL vs. ATL - PF/C ($11,900 DK; $11,900 FD)
- Jusuf Nurkic, CHA @ NOP - C ($3,800 DK; $4,700 FD)
- Onyeka Okongwu, ATL @ MIL - C ($7,400 DK; $7,700 FD)
- Moussa Diabate, CHA @ NOP - C ($3,100 DK; $4,100 FD) Prefer on DraftKings
- Yves Missi, NOP vs. CHA - C ($4,700 DK; $5,200 FD) Prefer on DraftKings
Today's Top NBA DFS Game Stacks
- Warriors @ Spurs (233 o/u; 102.3 projected pace)
- Hawks @ Bucks (236 o/u; 104.5 projected pace)
Today's Top NBA DFS Avoids
Quentin Grimes. There is a zero percent chance I will be including Grimes in my player pool today. He's finally off his surprising heater, scoring 36.75 and 24.5 DK points over his last two games. The Raptors are terrible, but they're not as favorable of a matchup as you'd think. They're allowing the 15th-most fantasy points per game over their last 15 games, and their defensive rating is #1 in the league during that stretch. Get to Young for $100 more on DraftKings and don't think twice about it.
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 Antetokounmpo
- My favorite CASH play on the slate: Giannis Antetokounmpo
- My favorite GPP play on the slate: Dennis Schroder
- My favorite value play: Jusuf Nurkic
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