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Basketball Lineups Daily Fantasy Expert Advice

03/02/2023
Chris Durell

DFS NBA Picks for FanDuel and DraftKings - Thursday 3/2

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Guards

Luka DoncicLuka Doncic FD - $12000 DK - $11900
Opponent - PHI
Proj Pts FD - 55.64 DK - 60.04

We have another small slate Thursday so it might just be in the cards to lock in the massive floor that Luka provides. There were a few bumps in the road but not only did Luka enter the break red-hot, he picked up where he left off as well averaging 32.6 points, 8 rebounds, and 7.2 assists over his last five games while providing a 58 fantasy point average as well. It is a tougher matchup against the 76ers but the good news is that they are playing on a back-to-back and Luka's price is back down after exceeding $13K earlier in the year. In the end, it will depend on the value that arises so stay tuned for starting lineups later in the day.

Bradley BealBradley Beal FD - $9400 DK - $8000
Opponent - TOR
Proj Pts FD - 38.25 DK - 41.42

If that value doesn't pop up to where we can comfortably fit Luka, there is a nice selection of mid-tier guard plays starting with Bradley Beal who has returned to fantasy prominence over the last month. Going back to late January(10 games), Beal has averaged 26.2 points, 4.1 rebounds, 6.0 assists, and a combined 1.7 steals + blocks while tallying 40+ fantasy points seven times(43.5 average). He is also set to see more big-time usage with Monte Morris set to miss his third straight game which offsets the rising price when looking at the PTS/$ projection. All things considered, Beal is my favorite play at the guard position tonight.

Klay ThompsonKlay Thompson FD - $8300 DK - $7800
Opponent - LAC
Proj Pts FD - 37.29 DK - 41.65

With Steph Curry out of the lineup, I have gone back and forth between Poole and Thompson continuously and while both get a huge boost in usage, it really just comes down to price. Klay is not only cheaper on DraftKings tonight but he also provides a bit more safety as Poole is playing through a knee bruise. One downside is that Klay is very shooting dependant but as I mentioned the usage is most definitely there as he has taken 19 or more shots in eight of nine games since Steph went down with injury while averaging just over 40 fantasy points a game which includes a couple of duds mixed in. Like Beal, Klay may not get the best matchup on the slate but the opportunity more than makes up for it on this small slate making him in play in all formats.

Small Forward

Buddy HieldBuddy Hield FD - $5900 DK - $5600
Opponent - SA
Proj Pts FD - 31.77 DK - 34.96

There will be a ton of focus on this game tonight as it features two teams who both rank outside the top 25 in defensive efficiency and top 10 in pace on the season. It is tough to fully know where to go here as there is a lot of injury news hanging out there but let's start with one player who should be fine no matter how the news falls. I won't go as far to say he is "safe" considering he has taken just 11 shots over the last two games but even with that, has tallied 24 fantasy points in each and not totally killing your lineup. What really intrigues me here isn't that Haliburton might sit, it's that Hield leads the league in three-pointers taken and made while facing a Spurs team that gives up a league-high 39.5% from beyond the arc. At a sub $6K price tag on both sites, I will have exposure to Hield in all formats.

Power Forward/Center

Pascal SiakamPascal Siakam FD - $9300 DK - $9000
Opponent - WAS
Proj Pts FD - 43.94 DK - 47.37

There may be a few knocks on this game as it has the lowest total on the slate combined with the Raptors' very balanced lineup but there is still a ton to like about Pascal Siakam for fantasy. He was on an MVP-like pace early in the season and saw his price top $10K on both sites and despite remaining consistent has seen that price plummet to the low $9K range. I don't quite understand it as he has been tremendous over the last month(11 games) and it starts with the volume as he is averaging 19.7 shots per game. He has delivered on that volume, as well, averaging 26.3 points to go with 6.7 rebounds and five assists per game for over a 45 fantasy point average. At these prices, Siakam is a core play for me in all formats.

Zach CollinsZach Collins FD - $6800 DK - $6400
Opponent - IND
Proj Pts FD - 35.16 DK - 37.87

We may end up playing four or more players from this game once all the news gets sorted out but as of now, it's more of a wait-and-see approach. One player who I am targeting no matter what is Zach Collins who has looked good since joining the starting lineup in early February. During that seven-day stretch, he has taken double-digit shot attempts in six times while averaging 14 points a game and he has also been terrific on the boards averaging 8.0 per game. The price is on the rise but this is an elite matchup against the Pacers who are 26th in defensive efficiency and 24th in rebounding.

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