NBA DraftKings & FanDuel DFS Primer: Saturday (3/11)

It’s already shaping up to be a wild Saturday night with injuries to the top end of players. Luka Doncic is out and Kyrie Irving may sit too, and a court mishap is going to cost the newly-returned Kevin Durant another 2-3 weeks as well. We also have a bevy of Detroit injuries to wade through and an important Q tag for Tyrese Haliburton, so let’s see what we can come up with for this nine-gamer.

Also, take a look at our other best bets for Saturday:

Saturday’s NBA DraftKings & FanDuel DFS Primer

Top Plays

Giannis Antetokounmpo (PF, C – MIL) ($11,900 DK/$11,800 FD)

Giannis has to play first, but if he does, he should be considered the top overall play in the marquee matchup of the night against Golden State. With Luka Doncic out, Giannis has an unrivaled ceiling on this slate, and this is a big-time pace-up spot (Golden State ranks first). In their first meeting this year, Giannis went 30-12-5 (56.5 DK points). He’s more valuable on FD, where he has small forward eligibility.

Devin Booker (PG, SG, SF – PHO) ($9900 DK/$10,400 FD)

Devin Booker has been a beast in the last four games, and that was WITH Kevin Durant playing in three of them. In that span, he’s taken 98 shots, averaged 38 PPG, and posted no less than 57 DK points in all four. Sacramento ranks ninth in pace and 25th in overall team defense, and Booker’s sub-10k price tag on DK seems silly.

Cash Picks

Walker Kessler (C – UTA) ($7100 DK/$8000 FD)

A better value on DK, Walker Kessler still has paths to value on both sites with their different scoring systems. Kessler is now playing full minutes for the tanking Jazz, and his blocking prowess gives him a unique upside. (He has 26 blocks in his last six games.) Kessler is also facing off against a Charlotte squad that ranks 24th in rebounding rate while allowing the most FPPG to opposing centers. With a double-double in four straight, Kessler looks primed for a fifth tonight.

Tyus Jones (PG – MEM) ($7100 DK/$7600 FD)

Don’t be fooled by Dallas’ defensive rankings. They’re 26th in overall defensive efficiency over the last ten games, which is a direct result of the Kyrie Irving acquisition and pace boost. Desmond Bane has the “star” price tag with Ja Morant out, but it’s Tyus Jones that has really found his ceiling. In two of the three games he’s started with Morant out, Jones has posted DK scores of 60.75 and 51, and he has defensive upside as well (eight steals in those two games).

Value Plays

Tim Hardaway Jr. (SG, SF – DAL) ($5300 DK/$5600 FD)

Luka Doncic is out, and Kyrie Irving is looking highly questionable with a foot injury as well. Someone is going to have to take the lead in scoring against Memphis, and Tim Hardaway should be looking at minutes in the upper 30s in this one. With both Doncic and Irving off the court, Hardaway experiences a whopping 12.6% usage increase while averaging 9.9 more DK PPG. Even if Kyrie plays, this is a smash spot at a mid-tier price tag.

Cory Joseph (PG – DET) ($4600 DK/$5200 FD)

Figuring out how the tanking Pistons are going to handle things is not for the faint of heart. However, Jaden Ivey has now joined a laundry list of injured/sick players, which includes Alec Burks, Bojan Bogdanovic, Isaiah Stewart, and Hamidou Diallo. The pick may very well end up being Killian Hayes, but Cory Joseph has played 25 or more minutes in six straight games. Joseph is not the best fantasy contributor (0.78 fantasy points per minute), but we have to figure that his minutes will approach the higher end tonight, and Indiana ranks fifth in pace factor.

DFS DraftKings FanDuel NBA Uncategorized Luka Doncic Kyrie Irving Kevin Durant Tyrese Haliburton Giannis Antetokounmpo (PF, C – MIL) Devin Booker (PG, SG, SF – PHO) Walker Kessler (C – UTA) Tyus Jones (PG – MEM) Desmond Bane Ja Morant Tim Hardaway Jr. (SG, SF – DAL) Cory Joseph (PG – DET) Jaden Ivey Alec Burks Isaiah Stewart Hamidou Diallo Killian Hayes