NBA DraftKings & FanDuel DFS Primer: Tuesday (3/5)

That Monday card was difficult to navigate. We had some of the most challenging rotations to dissect, but that won’t be as impactful here. We do have more games to discuss, though, with nine games in total. A player pool like that should have plenty of options, so let’s go ahead and get into it.

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

• ORL at CHA (ORL -8.5) O/U: 209
• BOS at CLE (CLE -6.5) O/U: 217
• DET at MIA (MIA -11) O/U: 221
• PHI at BKN (BKN -1) O/U: 219
• ATL at NYK (NYK -4) O/U: 218
• NOP at TOR (NOP -7.5) O/U: 229
• SAS at HOU (HOU -7.5) O/U: 229
• IND at DAL (DAL -3.5) O/U: 248
• PHX at DEN (DEN -8.5) O/U: 223

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

Injury Report

• LaMelo Ball (ankle) OUT
• Mark Williams (shoulder) OUT
• Nick Richards (foot) Questionable
• Kristaps Porzingis (quad) Questionable
• Donovan Mitchell (knee) OUT
• Tyler Herro (knee) OUT
• Joel Embiid (knee) OUT
• Cam Thomas (ankle) OUT
• Ben Simmons (who knows) Probably OUT
• Trae Young (hand) OUT
• Onyeka Okongwu (toe) OUT
• Julius Randle (shoulder) OUT
• Jalen Brunson (knee) Questionable
• OG Anunoby (elbow) OUT
• Scottie Barnes (hand) OUT
• Jakob Poeltl (finger) OUT
• Devin Booker (ankle) OUT
• Luka Doncic (ankle) Questionable
• Victor Wembanyama (shoulder) Questionable
• Jaylen Brown (knee) Questionable

Core Plays

Tyrese Haliburton (PG – IND): $9,000 DraftKings, $9,400 FanDuel
Haliburton has had some horrible games recently, but it’s lowered his price to a point we can’t fade. This guy was above $10K earlier in the year, averaging over 50 DraftKings points per game. A minute’s restriction killed his production around the All-Star break, but that’s been lifted recently. That means an upside game is right around the corner, and it’s much more likely against a 22nd-ranked Dallas defense.

Dejounte Murray (PG/SG – ATL): $9,400 DraftKings, $9,000 FanDuel
We said Murray will remain in this section until he’s $10K because he will play at that level with Trae Young out. The versatile guard is averaging over 45 DraftKings points per game without Young over the last two years, flirting with triple-double averages. A matchup with NY looks scary on the surface, but that’s a Knicks team that’s missing four of its starters! The last time Murray finished a game in Madison Square Garden, he had 68 DK points in one of the best games of his career!

Jimmy Butler (SF/PF – MIA): $8,100 DraftKings, $8,900 FanDuel
Playoff Jimmy is starting to come out of his shell! The All-Star has scored at least 49 DraftKings points in five of his last six outings, posting a 53-point average in that span. That’s the stud we always see at the end of the season, and we don’t want to avoid him against Detroit’s disastrous defense. The Pistons rank 27th in points allowed and defensive efficiency, with Jimmy dropping 47 DK points against them in their most recent meeting.

Cash Game Considerations

Luka Doncic (PG – DAL): $12,200 DraftKings, $12,700 FanDuel
Don’t be the person that doesn’t use Doncic. This guy leads the NBA with 66 DraftKings points per game and has an average north of 70 DK points over the last two months. He’s got at least 72 fantasy points in five of his last six outings and could flirt with 100 fantasy points here. That might sound outlandish, but Indiana plays at the fastest pace in the NBA while ranked 26th in total defense. This is bold, but a 40-point triple-double is what I expect to see from Luka here.

Nikola Jokic (C – DEN): $11,400 DraftKings, $NA FanDuel
The Joker has been the most reliable option in fantasy over the last five years, establishing a 50-point floor. He’s paired that pristine floor with a 60-point average, averaging 65 DK points per game across his last six fixtures. That’s why he will win his third MVP in four years, and he’s always had his way with the Suns. He’s averaging nearly 70 fantasy points per game against them over the last two years!

Paolo Banchero (SF/PF – ORL): $8,600 DraftKings, $8,600 FanDuel
Paolo has been one of the most improved players in the NBA, running the show in Orlando. The forward is averaging over 40 DK points per game in this playmaking role, scoring at least 43 fantasy points in five of his last seven outings. The best part about this is the matchup with Charlotte, sitting 24th in points allowed and 29th in defensive efficiency. That’s crystal clear because Banchero has at least 45 DK points in all four of their matchups since the start of last year.

GPP Targets

Fred VanVleet (PG/SG – HOU): $7,300 DraftKings, $7,800 FanDuel
VanVleet has seen his price drop with his production over the last month, but this guy is too good to be this cheap. The former All-Star is showing flashes of climbing out of his slump, scoring 52 DK points across 42 minutes in his most recent outing. That’s an absurd line from a player in this price range, but we’ve seen FVV creep closer to $9K on both sites over recent years. His hot stretch should continue against the Spurs, surrendering the most fantasy points to opposing guards. VanVleet is averaging 45 fantasy points per game in their two matchups this year.

Isaiah Hartenstein (C – NYK): $5,900 DraftKings, $5,800 FanDuel
Hartenstein has seen his minutes limited since returning from an Achilles issue, but that’s not likely to continue. This Knicks team is expected to be without Randle, Brunson, Anunoby, and Robinson, leaving Hartenstein as the only true center on this roster. He could play 30-40 minutes with how shorthanded this team is, and we saw Hartenstein average 40 DK points per game in the month before his injury. Atlanta is an astounding matchup, too, ranked 29th in points allowed and defensive efficiency ratings.

Bojan Bogdanovic (SF/PF – NYK): $6,000 DraftKings, $5,900 FanDuel
We just talked about how NY might be missing four starters, which could finally earn Bogey a full workload. He’s been stuck on the bench in his first two weeks with the Knicks, but this sharpshooter could play 40 minutes as a starter here. We’ve seen Bogdanovic play at a $7K level with this type of role in the past, and if that’s the case, we’d have to use him against the second-worst defense in the NBA. We saw Bogey drop 32 DK points across 39 minutes in his last matchup with Atlanta, and he was closer to $7K at that point in the year!

Value Plays

Josh Hart (SG/SF – NYK): $7,900 DraftKings, $8,100 FanDuel
Thibs is running his healthy players into the ground, but we must use Hart until we see something different. This guy regularly plays 40-45 minutes a night for this shorthanded team, averaging 35 DK points per game over the last month. We also saw him score at least 49 DK points in three of his last four fixtures, stuffing the stat sheet in each of those. We also don’t mind that Atlanta allows the second-most fantasy points to opposing wings, making Hart the safest play in this 45-minute role.

Clint Capela (C – ATL): $5,700 DraftKings, $6,100 FanDuel
Capela has been staring at a minute’s restriction over the last week, but he’s creeping closer to a full workload. The Hawks need him to get back to 30 minutes because Okongwu is out for the next two weeks. When CC plays at least 30 minutes, he averages close to 40 fantasy points per game. We’re not scared of the Knicks either because they’re missing both of their starting frontcourt players.

Dennis Schroder (PG – BKN): $6,000 DraftKings, $6,400 FanDuel
Here we are with another player stepping up for an injured team. Brooklyn will likely be without Simmons and Thomas, which has moved Schroder into the starting lineup. He’s scored 33 and 45 DK points in the two games in this newfound role, which is no surprise since Schroder scored over 30 DK points per game as the starting point guard for Toronto earlier in the year. The Sixers used to be a scary matchup, but they’ve been in the bottom 10 since Joel Embiid got injured.

Advantageous Pricing

• Derrick White (PG/SG – BOS): $6,600 DraftKings, $7,800 FanDuel
• Jrue Holiday (PG/SG – BOS): $6,100 DraftKings, $7,100 FanDuel
• Paul Reed (PF/C – PHI): $5,100 DraftKings, $6,100 FanDuel
• Victor Wembanyama (PF/C – SAS): $10,700 DraftKings, $12,000 FanDuel
• Amen Thompson (SG/SF – DET): $5,200 DraftKings, $7,300 FanDuel
• Zach Collins (PF/C – SAS): $4,500 DraftKings, $6,500 FanDuel
• Daniel Gafford (C – DAL): $4,300 DraftKings, $5,500 FanDuel

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