NBA DraftKings & FanDuel DFS Primer: Thursday (3/21)

I stayed up late and watched baseball last night, but basketball is my true passion. I play basketball a few times a week and am utterly addicted to the sport. That’s why I feel lucky to be put in this position because writing about hoops makes me happy. I hope I can make some money for you guys along the way, but these final few weeks are the most challenging of the year. These injury reports are completely bizarre, but we will try to capitalize off of it from here on out! With that in mind, let’s get into this Thursday card!

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

NBA DraftKings & FanDuel DFS Primer:

Schedule and Odds

• NOP at ORL (NOP -1) O/U: 210
• SAC at WAS (SAC -10.5) O/U: 238
• CHI at HOU (HOU -2.5) O/U: 213
• BKN at MIL (MIL -9) O/U: 222
• UTA at DAL (DAL -13.5) O/U: 238
• NYK at DEN (DEN -8.5) O/U: 210
• ATL at PHX (PHX -9) O/U: 227

Check out our consensus game odds and the odds from each sportsbook at BettingPros.

Injury Report

• Kyle Kuzma (shoulder) Probable
• Tyus Jones (back) OUT
• Marvin Bagley (back) OUT
• Deni Avdija (knee) Questionable
• Kevin Huerter (shoulder) OUT
• Zach LaVine (foot) OUT
• Coby White (hip) Questionable
• Alperen Sengun (leg) OUT
• Cam Whitmore (leg) OUT
• Khris Middleton (B2B) Questionable
• Lauri Markkanen (quad) Questionable
• Jordan Clarkson (groin) Questionable
• John Collins (head) Questionable
• Julius Randle (shoulder) OUT
• OG Anunoby (elbow) OUT
• Trae Young (hand) OUT
• Saddiq Bey (knee) OUT
• Giannis Antetokounmpo (B2B) Questionable
• Nic Claxton (illness) Questionable

Core Plays

Dejounte Murray (PG/SG – ATL): $9,500 DraftKings, $NA FanDuel
This Atlanta roster has been bombarded by injuries, but Trae Young‘s absence has allowed Murray to take over. Dejounte has returned to the usage stud we saw in San Antonio, scoring at least 41 DraftKings points in 12 of his last 13 games. Murray also maintained a 49-point average in that span and should continue that hot stretch against the Suns. He has at least 38 DK points in all three matchups with Phoenix since the start of last year.

Kevin Durant (SF/PF – PHX): $9,400 DraftKings, $NA FanDuel
KD has one of the highest floors in fantasy, scoring at least 32 fantasy points in 60 of 62 games this year. That has him averaging 50 DraftKings points per game, showcasing a 70-point ceiling just last week. One of those upside games could happen against Atlanta, with the Hawks ranked 28th in defensive efficiency and 29th in points allowed.

De’Aaron Fox (PG – SAC): $9,300 DraftKings, $9,600 FanDuel
Fox struggled just before the All-Star break, but that time off got this speedy point guard healthy. The Kings ball-handler has scored at least 51 DraftKings points in nine of his last 13 fixtures, posting a 51-point average in that span. That’s a tremendous total from a player in this price range, and this couldn’t be a better matchup. Washington is last in points allowed and defensive efficiency while surrendering the second-most fantasy points to opposing point guards. That was on full display when Fox finished with 54 DK points in their most recent matchup.

Cash Game Considerations

Luka Doncic (PG – DAL): $12,700 DraftKings, $12,800 FanDuel
Doncic has been destroying the rest of the NBA, leading the league with 66 DraftKings points per game. He’s done that while establishing a 50-point floor, averaging over 70 DK points since the break. We saw him shoot 6-of-27 on Tuesday, but he still had 60 fantasy points. That shows how absurd the Slovenian is, and he shouldn’t have any issues against a 28th-ranked Utah defense. We saw Doncic drop a 40-point triple-double against them earlier in the year!

Nikola Jokic (C – DEN): $12,000 DraftKings, $11,900 FanDuel
The Joker has been the most reliable option in DFS for five years, with the big man about to take down his third MVP. Jokic is averaging over 60 DK points per game and has only finished below 40 DK points a few times over the last five years. That’s hard to fathom, but we can’t fade him against anyone. We saw Joker collect 33 points and 11 rebounds last time he faced the Knicks!

Domantas Sabonis (PF/C – SAC): $11,000 DraftKings, $11,000 FanDuel
We had Domas here yesterday, and we’re going back to him for all the same reasons after another monster triple-double. The Sacramento center has recorded a double-double in 50 straight games, averaging nearly 60 fantasy points per game in that superb stretch. That would make him a tantalizing target against anyone, but facing the worst defense in the NBA makes him one of the best options on the slate. Sabonis scored nearly 70 fantasy points last time he played this woeful Washington defense.

GPP Targets

Jordan Poole (PG/SG – WAS): $7,000 DraftKings, $7,000 FanDuel
It’s been a nightmarish season for Poole, but he’s been much better in the second half. The volatile guard has done thrived since being relegated to the bench, but injuries to Tyus Jones and Kyle Kuzma should allow him to take over even more. JP is posting a 32 percent usage rate over the last month, averaging 34 DraftKings points per game across his last 13 outings. We don’t mind the matchup with Sacramento, sitting 22nd in total defense.

Daniel Gafford (C – DAL): $5,700 DraftKings, $6,900 FanDuel
It’s hard to understand why Gafford remains so cheap on DraftKings. The big man averaged nearly 35 DK points per game as Washington’s starting center before the trade, and he’s returned to that role recently. DG has scored at least 31 fantasy points in six of his last eight games, seeing his minutes creep closer to 25-30 in that span. That’s all he needs to be successful, especially since Utah has the second-worst defense in the NBA.

Taylor Hendricks (PF/C – UTA): $5,400 DraftKings, $5,200 FanDuel
Utah is starting to tank, and it sounds like they’ll be without Markkanen, Collins, and Clarkson in this game. That should boost Hendricks, who’s already playing over 30 minutes a night in a newfound starting role. He’s scored at least 22 DK points in all six games he’s finished, playing at least 27 minutes in each of those. Dallas is no daunting defense either, ranked 23rd in points allowed.

Value Plays

Josh Hart (SF/PF – NYK): $7,300 DraftKings, $7,700 FanDuel
There aren’t many players in this price range who are as reliable as Hart. What’s made him so trustworthy is his floor, playing nearly 45 minutes a night over the last three weeks. We saw him play a full 48 minutes in NY’s most recent game, and he’s averaging over 40 DK points per game with this ridiculous workload. Denver is a challenging matchup, but it doesn’t really matter since Hart is locked into 40 minutes!

Keyonte George (PG/SG – UTA): $6,900 DraftKings, $6,700 FanDuel
We just mentioned how Utah will miss three key players in this game, which should force George to run the show. He’s been doing that anyway, averaging 36 DraftKings points per game in the last seven games he’s finished. This guy is playing 35 minutes and taking 20 shots in this expanded role, and it could get even higher with Clarkson and Markkanen missing.

Richaun Holmes (C – WAS): $5,100 DraftKings, $5,500 FanDuel
This Washington frontcourt was destroyed when they traded Gafford, but it became even worse once Marvin Bagley got injured. That’s made Holmes the starting center, and we’ve seen this guy play at an $8K level in that type of role in the past. He’s scored at least 25 DK points in three of five games since the promotion, but we expect that to be his floor from here on out with so many Washington players on the injury report.

Advantageous Pricing

• Daniel Gafford (C – DAL): $5,700 DraftKings, $6,900 FanDuel
• Amen Thompson (PG/SF – HOU): $6,300 DraftKings, $7,900 FanDuel
• Andre Drummond (C – CHI): $4,700 DraftKings, $6,400 FanDuel
• Dennis Smith (PG/SG – BKN): $3,500 DraftKings, $5,300 FanDuel
• Isaiah Hartenstein (C – NYK): $5,400 DraftKings, $6,600 FanDuel

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