Daily Fantasy NBA Basketball Picks for FanDuel and DraftKings - 3/6/18

Welcome to NBA Wednesday! We’re looking at a smaller Wednesday slate for sure with just 6 games on the table. I’m not complaining, though. There is still plenty to decipher through and I like this size slate more than a 12-15 gamer.

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Point guard

Chris Paul FD - $8100 DK - $8000
Opponent - MIL
Proj Pts FD - 42.44 DK - 42.98

We’ll open things off at point guard with a low-$8k Chris Paul. He’s playing 30-35 minutes a night and has posted 35-42 fantasy points more often than not. He now sees a match-up against Eric Bledsoe and the Bucks, who rank 18th against the position. The only real concern is the back to back, but I’m not too worried. For one, they do have this win streak and I’m sure it’s a big deal to them. Two, Chris Paul saw 33 and 32 minutes in his last back to back. They run a tight rotation and Chris Paul isn’t a guy you can just shift around without major consequences. He should continue seeing 30 minutes and is in play in all formats at just over $8k.

D.J. Augustin FD - $4900 DK - $5000
Opponent - LAL
Proj Pts FD - 25.12 DK - 26.26

D.J. Augustin is giving us consistent production at a very nice price tag. Still sitting below $5k, he’s put up 20 fantasy points in four of the last four and 30 in two of them. He now sees a better match-up than any of those with the Lakers in Los Angeles. We are looking at a 226 total, however, so don’t be surprised if we come back to this game relatively quickly. Augustin is locked into 28-32 minutes and can be played in all formats. He’ll see a match-up with Lonzo Ball and Isaiah Thomas, who’ve teamed up to allow the 4th most fantasy points to opposing point guards. He’s not the most explosive option with upside, but you shouldn’t be disappointed as long as the game stays close.

De'Aaron Fox FD - $5800 DK - $5600
Opponent - NO
Proj Pts FD - 29.81 DK - 30.18

We close off PG with a game we’re going to target quite a bit. The Kings and Pelicans face off with a 224 total and a five-point spread, so we have to pay attention. The Pelicans are playing faster than even the Suns since the ASB and you can count on 100-110+ a night. De’Aaron Fox hasn’t been crazy, but he’s seeing consistent minutes and putting up close to 30 in most games. He now faces off with a Pelicans team that ranks dead last against the position over the last 20 games. They play extremely fast and it’ll be tough for Fox to not take advantage. His price is fair across the board and I couldn’t blame you for playing him in any format at all.

Shooting Guard

Gary Harris FD - $7200 DK - $6300
Opponent - CLE
Proj Pts FD - 32.87 DK - 32.7
Will Barton FD - $7900 DK - $7000
Opponent - CLE
Proj Pts FD - 30.23 DK - 30.59

This is an easy combo to get behind at the SG position. We witnessed this same match-up go down a few games ago in Cleveland and it was a thriller. Both Barton and Harris put up 42-45 points and obliterated value. It’s not much of a surprise against a team in the Cavs that has no perimeter defense. George Hill is fine, but he’ll be on Jamal Murray. That leaves the likes of Rodney Hood, J.R. Smith, and Kyle Korver to cover these pair. Barton is always the more volatile one as he truly does rely on his jumper falling. Harris, on the other hand, can still put up 30 fantasy points without a double-digit scoring total. We’re right back with a 230 total and 2.5 point spread, so you’re braver than I if you fade either of these guys. Personally, Gary Harris sits in 100% of lineups with Barton in 30%.

Evan Fournier FD - $6000 DK - $5700
Opponent - LAL
Proj Pts FD - 29.25 DK - 30.45

We’re right back to this Orlando side with a very friendly price tag on Evan Fournier. He hasn’t been blowing anyone out of the water, but he’s been over 30 minutes in every single game and is locked into around 10 shots. They sit 24th in basketball against the SG psi toon and it has most to do with the porous team defense that LA has dealt with for 5 years now. Even at just $6k, Fournier is looked at right next to Nikola Vucevic in this offense. He can put up 40 fantasy points on any night and this is a position without much opportunity cost. Fournier is a safe bet for 25 in cash games and has plenty of a ceiling for tournaments. If you think this game ends up close, Evan Fournier is one of the safer guys to consider.

Small forward

LeBron James FD - $12500 DK - $11400
Opponent - DEN
Proj Pts FD - 57.96 DK - 58.91
Giannis Antetokounmpo FD - $11500 DK - $10400
Opponent - HOU
Proj Pts FD - 53.97 DK - 54.79

There is no denying either of these options tonight. I can’t sit here and take a stand on just one and tell you to fade the other. Nope. I’ll personally have exposure to both and recommend you do the same. Starting with LeBron, he travels to Denver to face off with a team that just beat him a game ago. He put up a huge triple-double against them and nearly 65 fantasy points. The Nuggets play as fast as anyone in this league and it’s why we see a 230 total in the game. LeBron can be counted in for another 50 with the upside for 70 if it can stay close again.

As for Giannis, he sees a match-up with the fast-paced Houston Rockets. At a 216 total, this is a slight pace-up game for Milwaukee. It’ll be a combo of Trevor Ariza and P.J. Tucker on Giannis and neither have much of a chance. Personally, LeBron is my favorite play on this slate and I’ll have 100% exposure. If you watched that game against the Nuggets less than a week ago, you’ll have trouble doing anything different. Giannis is scattered in, but I think I get my 60-ish FP just fine from the king and I can stack the game with some other options I absolutely love like Harris/Barton and some we haven’t discussed yet.

Dillon Brooks FD - $4500 DK - $4200
Opponent - CHI
Proj Pts FD - 23.09 DK - 23.87

If you're a CBB fan, you're just as surprised as I am that Dillon Brooks hasn't played better. He was a phenomenal scorer at Oregon but hasn't materialized as such for Memphis. He has, however, picked up extremely consistent minutes and is seeing around 20 fantasy points on most nights. You can lock those minutes in once again with both Harrison and Chalmers ruled out. His price is still extremely low on both sites and you're only looking for 20-25 fantasy points in cash games. The match-up against Denzel Valentine and David Nwaba is excellent considering they rank 24th against small forwards over the last 20 games. Dillon Brooks is far from exciting to roster, but he's a safe 20 fantasy points and does have a ceiling close to 40 if he gets hot from behind the arc.

Jonathon Simmons FD - $4200 DK - $4500
Opponent - LAL
Proj Pts FD - 23.66 DK - 24.15

It’s obviously frustrating to see such a talented player struggle so much, but the minutes are consistent and this is a phenomenal match-up. Jonathan Simmons isn’t playing the same role he did early in the season but has held his minutes around that 28-33 mark without worry. He does flash 35+ point upside a bit too often for this price tag, but I guess that’s what happens why you put up a few terrible games and are already a volatile player. Simmons is still going to see substantial minutes and this match-up with the Lakers is obviously tremendous. Ranking dead last against the SF position, you don’t have anything to worry about. He’s never safe, but I’ll have a lot of exposure in both cash games and tournaments to a cheaper-than-ever Jonathan Simmons. He makes a ton of sense at a position that lends itself to stars and scrubs.

Power forward

Kyle Kuzma FD - $6100 DK - $6100
Opponent - ORL
Proj Pts FD - 31.77 DK - 32.67

We now get to power forward, where things tend to go downhill. This isn’t a position we necessarily love tonight, but there are some solid options. We’ll start in Los Angeles with one of the better rookies in the league. Ever since Brandon Ingram went out, Kyle Kuzma has picked up 33 and 37 minutes. He put up 27 and 32 fantasy points in two tough match-ups and now sees a great one against Orlando. On the year, they rank 21st against the position and have been even worse recently. Kuzma has been extremely efficient when on the floor at 1.22 fantasy points per minute and it always just comes down to the opportunity. With Ingram confirmed out, I’d say it’s safe to bet on 30 minutes and 30 fantasy points against a weak Orlando frontcourt. As we sit, I can’t imagine a lineup without Kuzma at the very friendly price tag. Let’s move on to some tougher guys to consider.

Larry Nance Jr. FD - $7500 DK - $6300
Opponent - DEN
Proj Pts FD - 34.38 DK - 32.76

You don’t have to love Larry Nance Jr. at his new price, but you have to pay attention at the very least. With Tristan Thompson out last game, he drew the start at Center, played 31 minutes, and put up 22 points and 15 rebounds. That’s 48 easy fantasy points against a tough Andre Drummond-led Pistons interior. He now gets a match-up with Denver, who has one of the weaker team defenses in all of the league. Nance is a bit too athletic for Jokic on the offensive side and should have no issue putting up another huge game. Nance isn’t just very talented, but he has extreme energy and “want to” as some would describe it. He makes himself involved and it’s just tough to think of him burning you. They don’t have anywhere else to go and he fits the style of the game perfectly. The price is high, but you’ll find Nance scattered around all of my teams tonight as I think he put up another 35+ FP.

Anthony Davis FD - $13000 DK - $11300
Opponent - SAC
Proj Pts FD - 62.87 DK - 62.84

I feel like we should touch on Anthony Davis. He did play 37 minutes last night and played through some pain, but you still can’t just fade him. He’s seen big minutes in back to backs recently and he’s the only real scorer on the entire offense. Holiday and Mirotic can score, but the only way they are ever open is if Davis is occupying the defense. He’s playing the best basketball of his career, putting up 77, 83, 96, and 97 all in the last two weeks. Tonight, he sees a match-up with a Kong’s squad that is without WCS and possibly Labissiere. He will be close to two fantasy points per minute on the floor and it just comes down to whether or not they can keep it a close contest. With a 225 total and 4.5 point spread, I would say it’s a fair best that the staters see a full allotment of minutes, or close to it with the B2B last night.

Center

Nikola Vucevic FD - $8400 DK - $7700
Opponent - LAL
Proj Pts FD - 37.71 DK - 37.42

I doubt the center position is one of your favorites on this slate. Like any Wednesday, we have options, but they don’t stack up to the rest of the slate. We’ll start in Orlando, where we’ve already touched on a couple guys. The Lakers have a bottom 5 team defense in basketball and there is no worry about targeting them from different angles. Ever since Nikola Vucevic returned from injury, he’s put up a consistent, boring 30-40 fantasy points a night. For a guy that put up 50 when healthy, we are just waiting. His price has not begun to fall and I have no problem banking on 35 here with the ceiling for far more if he catches stride. The Lakers rank 28th against centers on the year and can be relied on as a solid play in all formats. Let’s see what to do if you want to get cheaper.

Kosta Koufos FD - $4500 DK - $4400
Opponent - NO
Proj Pts FD - 26.43 DK - 26.04

With Willie Cauley-Stein already ruled out Kosta Koufos could see at least 20 minutes. When you consider a questionable Skal Labissiere as well, he may get closer to 30. He’s extremely cheap on both sites and is always producing when on the floor. He faces off with Emeka Okafor and Anthony Davis, so the immense size will certainly be necessary. In the NBA lineup optimizer, he’s sitting as the top point per dollar play on the entire slate. I would like to pay up a bit if possible, but will have my fair share of Koufos if Labissiere is eventually ruled out. Good luck tonight and feel free to comment down below for any questions or comments!

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