Daily Fantasy NBA Basketball Picks for FanDuel and DraftKings - 3/26/17

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Point Guard

Chris Paul FD - $8900 DK - $8100
Opponent - SAC
Proj Pts FD - 43.55 DK - 46.08

Paul and the Clippers will start us off here against the Kings, who have all but lost interest in the 2017 season. The Clippers on the other hand, need to win. With the Thunder and Grizzlies both breathing down their necks, you can bet Rivers will have his stars out there. Paul hasn't had many big games recently, out of convenience. The last 3 games where Paul saw under 35 minutes were huge blowouts, which make sense. He's an older guard with an injury history and will be rested if given the opportunity. While this game does have the potential to turn into a blowout, I don't think it does. The Clippers are enduring the 2nd half of a back to back and the bench is very worn out. I expect Rivers to rely on the starters here for around 35 minutes and Paul to have a big game. While the safety is basically built in, this is one of the best match-ups for his upside. Collison is not a good pick and roll defender, and as we know, Paul is a PNR orchestrator. Paul is the top option at PG, though there are plenty of ways to go.

Jrue Holiday FD - $7200 DK - $7200
Opponent - DEN
Proj Pts FD - 35.06 DK - 37.51

Holiday has taken advantage of the acquisition of DeMarcus Cousins, finishing with 40 fantasy points on a regular basis since his addition. Holiday has done a terrific job of spreading the ball around and feeding the hot hand, which is hard to do with 2 superstars. He has also taken his own lane and done a bit of scoring, with so much attention on the big men. Holiday doesn't come off as a guy with huge upside, but he does have it, scoring over 60 fantasy points on 3 different occasions just this season. The Nuggets are atrocious against point guards and neither Jameer Nelson or Jamal Murray are physical enough to slow down Holiday. They will both be bullied by on-ball screens and be forced to switch on a big man. The Nuggets could struggle in this one and it will be in big part to Holiday. He's the beating heart of this offense and the 2 stars need to him to deliver them the ball properly. He is a safe option in both cash games and tournaments.

Tyler Ulis FD - $6000 DK - $6700
Opponent - CHA
Proj Pts FD - 36.86 DK - 38.78

Ulis is going to be our pick for the early slate PG, taking on the Hornets in what figures to be an interesting DFS match-up. Ulis has definitely shown his floor last game, finishing with only 13 fantasy points in 34 minutes. Devin Booker shot almost every possession and Ulis rarely saw the ball down the stretch.  He should return back to the 25%+ usage rate he had in the past two weeks. Ulis will face off with Kemba Walker, who is one of the worst perimeter defenders in the league. Booker, who is the only scorer on this Suns team, will be covered by Nicolas Batum. Batum is one of the better perimeter defenders, so some of the offense should definitely be funneled towards Ulis. You can expect at least 36-38 minutes with a realistic possibility of 40+. There aren't too many options on the early slate and Ulis is one I will have in both cash games and tournaments.

Shooting Guard

James Harden FD - $12500 DK - $12500
Opponent - OKC
Proj Pts FD - 56 DK - 61.3

He's expensive, so it's hard. Sitting at $12.5k on both FD and DK, it definitely makes you use your money responsibly. This is a very interesting match-up for Harden, who should be matching with Andre Roberson early and often. Roberson will guard Harden and do his best to limit him, while also staying out of foul trouble Harden is an extremely lethal scorer and can score on literally anyone. Harden hit 75 in 2 of the last 5 games, so the upside is absolutely there. This game figures to be very fast-paced and competitive, which is what you want at this price. Harden may make you nervous at his price, but it'll pay off if the game stays close.  The Thunder play extremely fast and no amount of good defense will keep me out. Harden is a tremendous option tonight against a Thunder team that runs at one of the fastest rates in the league. Harden and Westbrook will match off and we will take the side of the Rockets and James Harden.

C.J. McCollum FD - $6900 DK - $7400
Opponent - LAL
Proj Pts FD - 35.51 DK - 38.13

McCollum may not be as lethal or dangerous as Damian Lillard, but he makes up for it in consistency. McCollum will play around 36 minutes on a nightly basis and typically put up 35-40 fantasy points. This match-up with the Lakers is an exquisite one, as they are a team that has ranked 2nd to last in terms of defensive efficiency. they are a tanking team that could care less about defense. McCollum should be able to get as many open shots as he wants and hit value with ease. I do think the Lakers keep this one close, as I don't see the Blazers having an easy answer for Randle. McCollum has been grabbing some emore poing guards minutes as wel recently, bumping his usage % up over the last week. This is a game I will be targeting a lot in tournaments as it has a ton of fantasy potential if it stays close. McCollum is a great cash game option and does provide the necessary upside for tournaments.

Tim Hardaway Jr. FD - $5900 DK - $6300
Opponent - BKN
Proj Pts FD - 30.61 DK - 32.65

Hardaway has been tremendous from the field over the last 2, topping 25 real-life points in each. He has been needed with Kent Bazemore and Paul Millsap on the bench, where they will remain for at least another game. Hardaway will be relied on as a source of scoring against a Nets team that gives up points in bunches. You can expect 35 minutes out of Hardaway as he has seen at least that many in 3 straight. Caris LeVert will likely garner the responsibility of covering Hardaway, but won't have much success. He's still extremely raw and hasn't done a good job on defense thus far. The early slate is very limited at SG's, but I do think Hardaway will go somewhat low owned. Booker and Batum are both guys who will pick up a decent amount of ownership. As for the all-day slate, Hardaway is a great tournament option.

Small Forward

Jimmy Butler FD - $10000 DK - $9700
Opponent - MIL
Proj Pts FD - 49.96 DK - 52.13

The Bulls are in must-win mode, looking for the outside-in at the playoffs. Butler has definitely realized that over the last 3 and had some big games. He is the only hope they have and will be needed if they want a chance here. hile the price is definitely way high for Jimmy Butler, it's not wrong. This is a guy who is going to play close to 40 minutes here and take a ton of shots. Giannis Antetokounmpo will likely guard Butler and while he's a goo defender, he's struggled with Jimmy in the past. I think Butler has a floor around 45 tonight with a ceiling well over 70. This Bucks team isn't an all-around defensive stalwart, allowing nearly 52 FP per game to the average SF. Butler is going to have another huge game here and I ill do my best to get exposure in all formats.

Trevor Ariza FD - $5000 DK - $5000
Opponent - OKC
Proj Pts FD - 25.85 DK - 27.61

There's nothing too flashy about Ariza, but he get's it done. 20 fantasy points is the absolute floor for Ariza in this match-up and while that's not great, it doesn't kill you. He should get around 3o against a Thunder team who will be switching around match-ups to get Harden and Roberson matched. Victor Oladipo could be covering Ariza and he is far too big. Ariza will be able to use his size and strength to bully Oladipo down low and get a few quick scores. There is no reason to not want exposure to this game. it offers the highest over/under on the slate nad has the real potential to be a shootout. Ariza is a glue guy for the Rockets and will be on the floor in big spots. I am a fan of Ariza in all formats here, though he is generally better in cash games

Andre Roberson FD - $3800 DK - $3900
Opponent - HOU
Proj Pts FD - 19.4 DK - 20.46

No, Roberson isn't fun to roster. He does a whole lot of standing in the corner and will often disappear for minutes at a time. However, that's not the case in this match-up. Roberson is one of the absolute best defenders in the league. He is the answer(lol) for James Harden, at least as the Thunder see it. In the 3 previous match-ups this season, Roberson has seen 32, 36, and 37 minutes. He will see another 35 tonight and is priced at a point you just can't ignore. the Rockets are a fast-paced team and Roberson should be able to get involved in transition scoring. Sitting near minimum on both sites, I think Roberson is a very interesting way to go in all formats. With all of that being said, don't go out expecting 35-40 fantasy points. this is a guy you plug in because you have to and are looking for a solid 20 fantasy points.

Small forward is absolutely atrocious on the early slate. If T.J. Warren plays, he is safe. Thabo Sefolosha is also a pretty decent cash game option and Taurean Prince has plenty of upside against the Nets. RHJ, MKG, and Belinelli are all guys I will have exposure to in tournaments.

 

Power Forward

Anthony Davis FD - $10800 DK - $10000
Opponent - DEN
Proj Pts FD - 50.57 DK - 52.75

Anthony Davis did his best to keep the Pelicans in that game against the Rockets, finishing with 33 points on 12-24 to go along with 16 rebounds and 64 fantasy points. He'san impossible match-up against almost everyone and finds himself in another match-up that begs for production. The Nuggets are absolutely atrocious down low, often playing small with Wilson Chandler at the 4. You have to think that lineup will be adjusted as Wilson Chandler has absolutely no chance of covering AD. At all. Davis will go crazy until Chandler is switched out. At that point, Hernangomez or Jokic could be covering AD. Neither of which are great defenders and Davis should be able to continue on his roll. The Nuggets are a weak defense overall and I expect the Pelicans team to have a big offensive night. The game should stay close, as the Pelicans are pretty horrible on defense. Davis is a top option in both cash games and tournaments, with an insane floor and ceiling. If you'replaying on both FD and DK and want exposure to both AD and Cousins, Davis is a better option on DK. Cousins is $1400 cheaper on FanDuel and makes more much sense over there. UPDATE - Cousins is now listed as questionable. If Cousins is out, play Anthony Davis.

Julius Randle FD - $6900 DK - $7100
Opponent - POR
Proj Pts FD - 35.27 DK - 37.03

Randle has shown us an insane amount of consistency lately and more than he has over his entire career. Randle looks to be turning into the player we were all hoping, which is a Zach Randolph that can run the floor and jump. His moves are precise and thought out, which is rare to see for young forwards in this time. Randle has been putting up between 30-45 every night and is usually ending up on the high end. His price is still far too low and the match-up is far too good. Clarkson and Russell have both fed Randle whenever he has wanted and it has worked quite well. Randle has been given the reigns of this offense as the season is over and they would love to see what type of upside he has. The Blazers, like the Nuggets, are a team that's known to be horrible down low. Noah Vonleh is a great shot-blocker, but doesn't play much defense. Randle will be able to dice him up and score easily. The peripherals are a guarantee against the Blazers, who miss a lot of 3's and turn it over a ton. Randle is a fantastic play in all formats and I might end up with 100% exposure.

Ersan Ilyasova FD - $4800 DK - $5700
Opponent - BKN
Proj Pts FD - 29.01 DK - 30.98

Paul Millsap has been out for 4 games. In those 4 games, Ilyasova has finished with 34, 21, 21, and 24. While the upside hasn't been shown, the consistency has been there. Millsap will miss at least another game tonight against the Nets, who aren't much of a worry for the Hawks. You can lock in 26 minutes and expect 30 if it stays remotely close. Ilyasova has actually done a pretty good job on the defensive side of the ball and I'm sure Budenholzer would like to get him going before the playoffs. At just $4.8k on FanDuel, you have to love Ersan. There are 4 or 5 options at PF, so hopefully some will get off of him. I'm a fan in both cash games and tournaments, where he only needs about 25 to satisfy you. Ronda-Hollis Jefferson will cover Ilyasova in what is a huge mismatch. While RHJ is a great individual defender, he's a through and through small forward. Ilyasova will be able to post him up and score regularly, which gives me some hope for an upside.

Center

Jusuf Nurkic FD - $6700 DK - $7700
Opponent - LAL
Proj Pts FD - 35.66 DK - 37.52

I have roster almost every single night since the trade and it sure has paid off. I don't plan to stop now, as he sees a tremendous match-up with the interior-less Lakers. Ivica Zubac is definitely considered a center, but not to Nurkic. He will be able to move him with words and get rebounds with ease. Randle is the only real muscle down low and those two will be battling quite a bit. The Blazers have forced the ball to Nurkic over and over and he has become extremely comfortable on this offense. Lillard and McCollum have both praised Nurkic and his ability to adjust in such a small time. With his price still pretty fair on both sites, I will have a lot of Jusuf Nurkic. He's just a very good center that can fill up the stat sheet and hit value with ease against the Lakers. Nurkic will likely be highly owned and rightfully so. However, I don;t really care. He is an elite cash game lock and a great option for tourneys.

DeMarcus Cousins FD - $9400 DK - $10100
Opponent - DEN
Proj Pts FD - 48.76 DK - 51.85

Cousins will initially match-up with Nikola Jokic andI'm guessing one of them gets into foul trouble quickly. If Cousins starts off hot, this could be one of his big games. Like I've mentioned countless times, the Nuggets sport an atrocious interior defense. Jokic and Plumlee are both stagnant defenders that will struggle to stay with the speed and athleticism of Cousins. With that being said, I do think Anthony Davis is a bit safer. Cousins has a tendency to get into foul trouble and will be matching up with one of the more promising young stars in the game. Either way, both of these guys are great plays against this interior. Cousins will likely be the lesser owned of the two, as centers are harder to come by and Nurkic should be very highly owned.Cousins is now listed as questionable. If he misses, the pelicans will likely move AD to the 5 and plug in someone else at the 4. While Ad will have to face-off with Jokic, the usage bump more than makes up for it.

Dwight Howard FD - $7200 DK - $7600
Opponent - BKN
Proj Pts FD - 38.52 DK - 40.73

The Hawks have been a pretty popular target here, but it makes sense. The Nets are the worst defensive team in the league and the Hawks are without 2 of their biggest offensive players. Howard has done a good job of stepping up since Millsap went out, sitting above 30 in each contest. This is the bets match-up he will see yet against Brook Lopez, who is easily one of the worst defenders in basketball. Aside from his defensive ineptitude, he doesn't care at this point. Howard should be able to do whatever he wants on both sides of the ball and has the potential for a huge game. With Millsap out, Howard has picked up 3 or 4 shots each game and has touched the ball on the low block a ton more. I like Howard in all formats in a tremendous match-up with the fastest pace team in basketball.

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