Daily Fantasy NBA Basketball Picks for FanDuel and DraftKings - 3/14/18

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Point guard

Terry Rozier FD - $7300 DK - $7100
Opponent - WAS
Proj Pts FD - 36.19 DK - 36.67
Welcome to NBA Wednesday. The NBA has shaken things up with just 4 games tonight. There’s still a lot to look at and a few spots worth capitalizing on. With Kyrie Irving out, Terry Rozier is going to be one of the more popular plays on the entire slate. Already seeing around 30 minutes in most games, Rozier could very easily get to 40 minutes. He’s a dynamic player when on the floor and I see no reason why he can’t maintain the 1.21 fantasy points per minute he has on the year. The Wizards and Satoransky rank 20th against PG’s over the last 20 games and are far from anything to be scared of. Rozier stuffs the stat sheet like no other and is so, so safe because of it. His price is already up there a little bit, but 40-50 tonight is most definitely in the books. As of now, you won’t find a lineup of mine without Rozier.

Lonzo Ball FD - $7300 DK - $7600
Opponent - GS
Proj Pts FD - 36.31 DK - 36.42
There’s no evidence the Lakers go anywhere other than the 6-7 man rotation tonight. We did see them play huge minutes in Denver last night, so it’s definitely something you’ll want to pay attention to as the day progresses. Facing a Warriors team without Curry, Draymond, and possibly Klay, they will have the chance to stay in the game. As for these 2 point guards, it’s hard to say which one is liked more. Lonzo is on the court all game and is going to consistently put up numbers. He’s far from reliant on any 1 stat and will rarely disappoint in a fast-paced match-up. Ball ran 41 minutes last night against Denver with a five-point, nine rebound, eight assist line with steals and blocks thrown in. If the scoring rounds out even a little, his upside is tremendous in a game the Lakers should be able to keep close.

Quinn Cook FD - $3500 DK - $3300
Opponent - LAL
Proj Pts FD - 14.14 DK - 15.94
If you need to pay down, you can do a lot worse than Quinn Cook. While the production hasn’t been there in the slightest, 29 and 30 minutes in the last 2 is at the very least noteworthy. He’s been dead cold from the field and won’t shoot like this for much longer. Assuming he continues seeing around those minutes, you have to like him against the Lakers. I guess he could disappoint again, but it’s far more likely he put up 20-25 points in a perfect match-up for a utility PG. he’s not very good and the Warriors don’t give him the ball much, but a 12% usage at minimum-price isn’t the worst. He will be in quite a few of my tournaments where I need to pay down and would still like some substantial upside.

Shooting Guard

Kentavious Caldwell-Pope FD - $6300 DK - $6000
Opponent - GS
Proj Pts FD - 30.94 DK - 30.98

Like I said, the Lakers have been running a tight rotation and KCP has been the biggest beneficiary. Over the last five games weeks, Caldwell-Pope has been at 39 minutes and is getting up double-digit shots per game. Unless some news comes out before the game, it's very safe to expect 35+ minutes again out of KCP. His price is still extremely affordable on both sites at $6k and you're only looking for 30 fantasy points in cash games. He has a ton of upside in tournaments if he gets hot and we know this match-up has a high ceiling. Shooting guard is typically one of the weaker spots on the slate and tonight is no different. I'll be plugging him in in both cash games and tournaments with 0 worry.

Nick Young FD - $3800 DK - $3200
Opponent - LAL
Proj Pts FD - 17.32 DK - 18.15
Klay Thompson is questionable to play with an injured thumb. With Draymond Green and Stephen Curry already being out, he will see a bunch of shots if he plays. Now, assuming Thompson sits, Nick Young will get at least close to 30 minutes, if not well over. They’re also without Patrick McCaw, so there is only Shaun Livingston and Quinn Cook to steal his minutes. He’s still the same Wild West shooter he always has been but can be considered safe when you’re as cheap as he and shoots as much. Shooting guard is one of the weaker positions on the slate and Nick Young is one of the top ways to pay down on the night. Only if Klay Thompson is eventually ruled out. If Thompson plays, take a tourney flier on him at what should be sub-10% ownership.

Small forward

Kevin Durant FD - $10500 DK - $11400
Opponent - LAL
Proj Pts FD - 59.8 DK - 60.23
Kevin Durant is easily the top play per $ on the slate. Still, in the mid-$10k’s, he’s been everything we expected with Stephen Curry out of the lineup. Over the last 3 games, he’s played 36+ minutes in each and has put up fantasy point totals of 57, 65, and 66. Now you add Draymond Green to the list and possibly Klay Thompson. Durant is going to have the ball in his hands all night long and is a lock for 50 fantasy points. If the game stays close, 70 wouldn’t shock me in the slightest. The Lakers rank 2nd to last in all of the NBA against the small forward position and that’s with the stingy Brandon Ingram at the three. Without him, it’s even worse. Durant is going to absolutely dominate while on the floor and is going to see a usage rate over 30%. You won’t find a roster of mine without Kevin Durant at the three.

Justise Winslow FD - $5800 DK - $5900
Opponent - SAC
Proj Pts FD - 22.75 DK - 22.69
Winslow has been extremely effective as of late after playing horribly early in the season. He's now passed Josh Richardson in pricing and rightfully so. He's played a normal 28-32 minutes a night and is posting 20-30 on most nights with the occasional breakout 40+. Tonight, he sees a very average match-up against the Kings. On the season, they rank 22nd against the position. Justin Jackson and Vince Carter are two guys I'm very fine targeting. The price on Winslow is still fair at $6k as you only need 30-35 in cash games. He's a fine play in all formats, though I certainly prefer him in cash games.

Jayson Tatum FD - $6500 DK - $5700
Opponent - WAS
Proj Pts FD - 28.93 DK - 29.1
Tatum is going to be forced into some run tonight. It's the only thing that ever matters for him. Typically seeing around 25-30 minutes a night, he's hard to trust. If you're able to guarantee me the 30+ minutes tonight, he's a lock in all formats. The Wizards rank 27th against the SF position and play with a top 10 PACE. Tatum is extremely cheap on both sites and can be played in either format. I do like Justice Winslow just a bit more, but Tatum admittedly has more upside. Small forward is an interesting position tonight and one that may make or break the slate.

Power forward

Bam Adebayo FD - $4300 DK - $4300
Opponent - SAC
Proj Pts FD - 21.02 DK - 20.64
Adebayo isn’t ever exciting to roster, but he’s most definitely viable with Whiteside out. He saw 24 minutes last game and played well, but shot just 1-10 from the field. He still figured out a way to put up 23 fantasy points and exceed value at the price. If he hits a normal four or five of those shots, we’re looking at a 30+ FP performance. He will be back out there 24+ tonight and will be needed for his size with Willie Cauley-Stein down low. Bam's been solid while on the floor and you have to trust he hits a couple more shots. I still do prefer Looney and Bell, but just slightly. Power forward is a spot I could go without and I’m sure you feel similarly. Because of that, I love using it to pay down for some other earlier positions.

Kevon Looney FD - $3500 DK - $3100
Opponent - LAL
Proj Pts FD - 17.01 DK - 16.04
Jordan Bell FD - $3500 DK - $3800
Opponent - LAL
Proj Pts FD - 21.31 DK - 20.04
It just keeps getting tougher and tougher for the Warriors tonight. With Draymond joining Steph and possibly Klay, they'll be shorthanded in both the front and backcourt. If there's a way they will eventually lose in the playoffs, it's battling injuries down the stretch and being out of whack come April. I'm sure they will get things together, but it's at least interesting to monitor. As for tonight, with Curry out and Klay Thompson questionable, Durant and Casspi should already be stretched out a bit. With David West also out, it leaves Looney and Bell at the 4. Looney is almost guaranteed to see bigger minutes, but Bell has more upside per minute. The Lakers are obviously a solid match-up for bigs and both of these guys will demolish value if given 20+ minutes. Personally, I lean Looney for safety, but couldn't blame you for using either in any format.

Center

JaVale McGee FD - $3800 DK - $3900
Opponent - LAL
Proj Pts FD - 20.11 DK - 18.46
We'll stick in Golden State here with JaVale McGee. It's not pretty, but look at this position and come back to me. With Draymond Green out, you have to think McGee picks up another 10 or so minutes. He's already been seeing 15-20 minutes a game and coming through with solid per minute fantasy production. He can always give you 5 fouls in 5 minutes and ruin your night, but his price is so low and we know he matches up well with the size of Brook Lopez. McGee only needs you 15-20 in cash games and could very well grab 30 if his run is extended even a little. They need bodies on the floor and McGee is one that can make a real impact. If you need to go elsewhere as you just can't stomach JaVale McGee, let's look at 2 more guys that will get you so very excited to play.

Greg Monroe FD - $5000 DK - $4600
Opponent - WAS
Proj Pts FD - 18.9 DK - 19.07
Aron Baynes FD - $4500 DK - $3800
Opponent - WAS
Proj Pts FD - 15.96 DK - 15.74
Al Horford is currently questionable with an illness and it's looking like he's closer to out. On the off-chance that he does play. he's one of the top plays at Center. If he misses, these 2 guys will grab a bunch of minutes. With Daniel Theis ruled out for the season, it's going to open up a guaranteed 20+ minutes for both of these above guys. I personally like Monroe more and will be all over him, but I can't say he's safe. Baynes could very well get the run and be the guy you need. Against a Washington interior, both make sense match-up wise. I know all 3 of these guys were cheap here, but this position is just brutal. If you want to pay up, just go with a safe Willie Cauley-Stein or Nikola Vucevic. I would just rather spend my money elsewhere.

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