NBA DraftKings & FanDuel DFS Primer: Tuesday (3/1)

The first few days after the All-Star break was frustrating but Monday was my best day yet. That has me excited and ready to finish the season strong because most teams only have 20-some games remaining.

Games have been spread out ever since the break, and this is the smallest card we’ve seen yet. There are just five games making up this Tuesday slate, but some fascinating teams are in action. Unfortunately, there’s a laundry list of injuries as well, and it’ll be interesting to figure out exactly who will be suiting up. With that in mind, let’s kick things off with the schedule and odds!

View the best player prop bets for tonight’s slate with our NBA Prop Bet Cheat Sheet

• DET at WAS (WAS -4.5) O/U: 221
• ATL at BOS (BOS -5.5) O/U: 224.5
• BKN at TOR (TOR -6) O/U: 217
• LAC at HOU (LAC -6.5) O/U: 229
• GSW at MIN (MIN -1) O/U: 230
• DAL at LAL (DAL -4.5) O/U: 217.5

Check out our consensus game odds as well as the odds from each sportsbook at BettingPros

Injury Report

• John Collins (foot) OUT
• Marvin Bagley (ankle) Questionable
• Bradley Beal (wrist) OUT
• Kristaps Porzingis (foot) OUT
• Al Horford (old) Probable
• Ben Simmons (personal) OUT
• Kevin Durant (knee) OUT
• Kyrie Irving (vaccine) OUT
• Fred VanVleet (knee) Questionable
• OG Anunoby (finger) OUT
• Paul George (elbow) OUT
• Kawhi Leonard (knee) OUT
• Norman Powell (foot) OUT
• Kevin Porter Jr (ankle) Questionable
• Draymond Green (back) OUT
• Klay Thompson (illness) Questionable
• Tim Hardaway Jr (foot) OUT
• Anthony Davis (ankle) OUT

Core Plays

Luka Doncic (PG – DAL): $12,000 DraftKings, $10,800 FanDuel
Doncic has been on a different level recently. He led the NBA with a 36 percent usage rate before Porzingis was traded, and it’s even higher now. That’s led to the best stretch of his season, averaging 61 DraftKings points per game across his last 12 outings. That’s bad news for LA, with the Lakers ranked third in pace, 29th in OPRK against opposing point guards, and 28th in total defense.

Pascal Siakam (PF – TOR): $8,900 DraftKings, $8,300 FanDuel
Sia has been running things for the Raptors, scoring at least 34 DK points in 37 of his last 39 games played. He’s also flirting with a 50-point average in that span, playing nearly 40 minutes a night. That’s scary since he could be asked to do more in the absence of Anunoby and VanVleet, opening up even more usage for Sia.

Seth Curry (PG/SG – BKN): $6,400 DraftKings, $6,200 FanDuel
We discussed this yesterday, and all the same rules apply. With Kyrie, KD and Simmons all missing this game, Curry will be running the show for the Nets. That should put him in line for 35 minutes, 15-20 shots, and a team-leading usage rate, which are tricky things to find from a $6K player. He’s also averaging 28 DK points per game for the season when he was limited in Philly, and we genuinely believe he could be a 40-point player in this expanded role.

Cash Game Considerations

LeBron James (SF/PF – LAL): $11,200 DraftKings, $11,000 FanDuel
The Lakers just had one of the ugliest losses of the season on Sunday, but LeBron still had 49 DraftKings points. That shows how amazing his floor is, with James scoring at least 38 DK points in every game this season. The simple fact is, he was already doing everything for the Lakers and needs to do even more in the absence of AD.

Jayson Tatum (SF/PF – BOS): $9,800 DraftKings, $8,900 FanDuel
Tatum has been on a different level recently, scoring at least 34 DK points in 22 of his last 23 games. He’s also generating a 45-point average in that span, carrying Boston to their impressive run. Facing Atlanta is astounding, too, with the Hawks ranked 20th in points allowed and 26th in defensive efficiency. That’s on full display when you see that JT is averaging 53 DK points per game in their three meetings this season.

Patrick Beverley (PG – MIN): $5,000 DraftKings, $4,700 FanDuel
You always want a 5X floor out of a cash game option, and Beverley is undoubtedly an excellent bet for just that. In fact, Pat has scored at least 23 DraftKings points in 24 of his last 26 games, averaging nearly 30 fantasy points per game in that stretch. That’s fantastic from a $5K player, and it’s hard to understand why he remains so cheap. His eyes always light up when facing the Warriors too, averaging over 25 DK points per game in their two matchups this season.

GPP Targets

Dennis Schroder (PG – HOU): $5,900 DraftKings, $5,500 FanDuel
This is strictly a GPP play if Porter ends up sitting. Schroder has started three games for KPJ, averaging 36 DK points per game in those outings. We’ve seen this guy do that in the past, and it would make him impossible to fade at this sub-$6K price tag. We also love that he faces a Clippers team that owns a 26th OPRK against opposing ball-handlers.

Kevon Looney (C – GSW): $4,500 DraftKings, $4,700 FanDuel
Loon is always a better option when facing a traditional center. That’s certainly the case here, opposing Karl-Anthony Towns. In the three matchups with the T’Wolves this season, Loon is averaging 27.3 DK points per game across 26 minutes a night. That’s easy to see why with the Timberwolves ranked third in pace and 22nd in total defense. If he reaches 27 DK points again, Loon will be one of the best values out there at this $4,500 tag.

Daniel Gafford (C – WAS): $3,600 DraftKings, $4,800 FanDuel
This $3,600 price tag on DraftKings is nuts. Gafford has reemerged as the starting center in Washington, averaging 27 DK points per game since recapturing that job. That’s the guy we saw earlier in the season, and they’re going to need big minutes from him with KP out, Montrezl Harrell traded, and Thomas Bryant limited. Not to mention, Detroit ranks 26th in points allowed and 25th in defensive efficiency.

Value Plays

Jalen Green (PG/SG – HOU): $5,500 DraftKings, $5,200 FanDuel
Green has been much better recently, and he should continue to thrive whether KPJ plays or not. We obviously like him more if Porter sits, but Green has been great with him anyway. In fact, JG has at least 21 DK points in nine straight games, falling just shy of a 30-point average in that span. This is a 19-year-old kid that’s getting better by the day, and we have to believe this price will increase as time progresses.

Grant Williams (PF – BOS): $3,800 DraftKings, $3,700 FanDuel
Williams isn’t very productive, but it’s hard to overlook his workload. He’s played at least 26 minutes in six straight outings, playing 31 minutes a night in that span. He’s also averaging 20 DK points per game, which is quite the total from a sub-$4K player. Getting 20 DK points might not sound like much, but it’s stellar from someone this cheap because it makes it so much easier to get the expensive studs into your lineup!

Dwight Howard (C – LAL): $4,300 DraftKings, $4,400 FanDuel
Howard was excised from the rotation throughout the season, but now he’s the starting center. Over the last two games, Howard has 66.3 DK points across 48 total minutes. He’s shown that per-minute production all season, but we love that he’s finally getting the playing time to perform. Those numbers should be easy to duplicate against Dallas, with the Mavs owning one of the worst frontcourts in the NBA.

Advantageous Pricing

• Luka Doncic (PG – DAL): $12,000 DraftKings, $10,800 FanDuel
• Daniel Gafford (C – WAS): $3,600 DraftKings, $4,800 FanDuel
• Deni Avdija (SF – PF): $4,900 DraftKings, $5,900 FanDuel
• Precious Achiuwa (PF/C – TOR): $4,000 DraftKings, $5,600 FanDuel
• James Johnson (SF/PF – BKN): $4,300 DraftKings, $5,400 FanDuel
• Andrew Wiggins (SG-SF – GSW): $6,600 DraftKings, $5,500 FanDuel
• Reggie Jackson (PG – LAC): $8,200 DraftKings, $7,000 FanDuel
• Russell Westbrook (PG – LAL): $8,300 DraftKings, $6,600 FanDuel

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