Daily Fantasy NBA Basketball Picks for FanDuel and DraftKings - 3/27/16

Today it's a standard Sunday slate with a bunch of potential value on the board. We'll be keeping a close ear out for injury news tonight as a couple potential pieces will have a domino effect. Relatively short slate coming though when the Lakers are on tap then we know where to start looking. Namely, their opponent.

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Update: Hey everyone! There's been a ton of news since we posted this article last night. Check out our updates article that covers a lot of the injury news and how it will play out with lineups tonight.

POINT GUARD

John Wall - FD 9800 DK 9900
Opponent - LAL
FD Proj. Pts - 45.4 DK Proj. Pts - 46.7
Anytime you can get a guy like Wall against the worst defensive team in the league then you basically have to do it. The Wizards are scrambling to make the playoffs (it's a longshot) and are incentivized to play guys like Wall major minutes. The Lakers aren't the fastest team in the league but they make up for it by being the worst on defense by a large margin. Even on a day with some expensive plays out there, Wall is looking like a great place to start with cash games.

Rajon Rondo - FD 7700 DK 7700
Opponent - DAL
FD Proj. Pts - 36.16 DK Proj. Pts - 36.79
Besides the lack of communication and overall dysfunction of the Kings offense on a nightly basis, this guy is something to watch. He was battling a toe/foot injury early last week but I have no concern in that after seeing his stat line against Phoenix. Although the pace of the game was much faster against the Suns than it will be against Dallas, I still love his matchup especially against J.J Barea if Deron Williams sits. Regardless he’s one of the top tier point guards on the sheet for today’s slate, and he almost always exceeds his value.

Patrick Beverley - FD 5000 DK 4400
Opponent - IND
FD Proj. Pts - 24.01 DK Proj. Pts - 26.81
At only a $5000 price, he is a very safe starting point guard play on the night. His last few games have been either really hit or miss. With that being said, two of those 5 games he has seen 30+ point production and I certainly think he can meet his average of 20 against a Pacers team who isn’t stellar at guarding the point position. If you’re looking for a cheap play on a very slim slate, I see no reason not to play him and go expensive on another piece of your lineup.

With Deron Williams out again, J.J. Barea and Raymond Felton jump to the top of the list.

SHOOTING GUARD

James Harden - FD 11000 DK 10700
Opponent - IND
FD Proj. Pts - 48.81 DK Proj. Pts - 51.53
Man. On. Fire. His 11,000 price is scary to invest roughly 20% of your team’s salary on. With that being said, his performance over the past week has been absolutely incredible. I thought Dwight Howard was a better play the other night against Toronto, and Harden continuously proves me wrong after every single game. He’s hands down the top SG on the board tonight, and his ceiling continuously is extremely high, no matter the matchup.
Bradley Beal - FD 5500 DK 5400
Opponent - LAL
FD Proj. Pts - 26.71 DK Proj. Pts - 28.94
Remember what I was saying about the Lakers and their defense? It applies to shooting guard as well. LA is allowing about 15% more scoring and 8% more assists than league average to shooting guards. Beal is back to playing regular-ish minutes (a double OT game the other night against Minny included) and finding his shot around the perimeter. I love stacking him, Wall and Porter in this one because I think it's a great floor for a lower cost.

Wesley Matthews - FD 4400 DK 4800
Opponent - SAC
FD Proj. Pts - 23.4 DK Proj. Pts - 26.98
The guy has been sent out A TON of minutes with the recent loss of Chandler Parsons. He is almost a MUST own in 50/50 contests, and his ceiling with all of those minutes for GPP play are definitely worth a shot. His salary is cheap enough where he doesn’t have to fill the stat sheet to meet value on a night to night basis. And as of this writing he also has the highest Points/Dollar ratio compared to anyone, at any position tonight.

Strongly consider Jordan Clarkson

SMALL FORWARD

Paul George - FD 8700 DK 8300
Opponent - HOU
FD Proj. Pts - 41.2 DK Proj. Pts - 44.02
There is nothing really that attractive on the Small Forward slate tonight. I think while building a lineup, you’re going to have to target guys who play a ton of minutes and can produce on a consistent basis. A.K.A- Paul George. He’s the Pacers most reliable scoring threat, and can do everything you need across the board each and every night. I wouldn’t think twice about his price, as you simply can’t afford a no show of talent on a short slate like tonight.

Otto Porter - FD 5200 DK 5300
Opponent - LAL
FD Proj. Pts - 25.4 DK Proj. Pts - 26.36
Like I said with Beal, getting a Wiz stack going against the Lakers has a nice floor to it and Porter is part of that deal. He's completely reasonable in price for how many minutes he's getting and Washington's been able to mix him into the offense enough for the shot attempts to be there. Like every other position, the Lakers get housed by small forwards as well and Porter's mid range price works well with cash game safety.

Trevor Ariza - FD 5500 DK 5000
Opponent - IND
FD Proj. Pts - 25.04 DK Proj. Pts - 28.07
I often never find myself playing opposing matchups, but Ariza is the type of guy who can play a ton of minutes every single night. He may not light up the scoreboard with harden shooting majority of the shots, but his production on the glass as well as defensively is worth is sub-par price. I didn’t have a problem paying for him when he was in the 6,000 range, and I certainly don’t mind paying for him now. Get him active in all your lineups tomorrow night.

POWER FORWARD

Dirk Nowitzki - FD 8000 DK 7200
Opponent - SAC
FD Proj. Pts - 35.2 DK Proj. Pts - 37.43
I like to call this one; The Revival of Dirk. Have you seen what this guy has been doing lately? It’s like he just got to Dallas 10 years ago and has been tearing up no matter who the Mavericks have faced. He’s certainly getting older, which always gives me some concerns toward injuries and minutes he plays, but the level that he’s playing at is worth his play on both FD and DK until otherwise stated.

Julius Randle - FD 6600 DK 6400
Opponent - WAS
FD Proj. Pts - 32.06 DK Proj. Pts - 32.77
Byron Scott has been rolling him out there with confidence over the short term and dude's been going double-double all over the place in his last three. He's averaging a 15/16 in that time frame and crushing these prices. Look for it to keep up tonight against a fast-paced Wiz squad without much in the way of interior defense.

Myles Turner - FD 5700 DK 5300
Opponent - HOU
FD Proj. Pts - 23.23 DK Proj. Pts - 24.26
This guy has really impressed me so far this season. His usage is never in question and for a young guy he really adds a nice spark/compliment to the Pacers offensively. He is a tough physical power forward who for this mid-tier price is always a comfortable option. I frankly think his matchup against Houston is certainly favorable especially with all of the minutes that he plays, in what should be a very physical game inside. Gets enough looks in the offense

CENTER

DeMarcus Cousins - FD 10900 DK 10500
Opponent - DAL
FD Proj. Pts - 51.12 DK Proj. Pts - 51.73
What can’t this guy do? Dirk Nowitzki should be back in the lineup, but the quickness of Boogie and the lack of down-low presence on the Mavs is devastating if you’re trying to find a way to not play this guy. Besides his price being significant, he’s well rested and simply a game changer. You can make the case the offense runs through a play-maker like Rajon Rondo but honestly, the whole defense is aware of Boogie’s presence every second he’s on the court. His double-double consistency as well as triple-double potential no matter the matchup is what makes him the most appealing big man on the board.

Dwight Howard - FD 6900 DK 6500
Opponent - IND
FD Proj. Pts - 33.04 DK Proj. Pts - 33.67
Remember the guy that said to play him against the Raptors? Yeah that was me. I loved him and the sad part is I still do. On a short slate, again I recommend going after guys who have consistent production. After his performance against Toronto, I consider him a very good play at the center position as I don’t think he will be heavily owned and I think he can have a very solid bounce back performance. He’s projected around 35 minutes, against a Pacers team who is so inconsistent on the defensive side of the ball. Get him active.

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