Daily Fantasy DraftKings and FanDuel NBA Picks - Friday, March 24, 2023

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Point Guard/ Shooting Guard

Damian Lillard FD - $10300 DK - $11000
Opponent - CHI
Proj Pts FD - 54.89 DK - 60.62

Shaedon Sharpe FD - $6000 DK - $5400
Opponent - CHI
Proj Pts FD - 23.63 DK - 25.87

Technically, the Blazers aren’t out of the playoffs yet, though it’s looking very, very unlikely at this point. Damian Lillard has even admitted as much. But they still put the best foot forward last game and actually beat the Jazz. Without Anfernee Simons in the lineup, Dame still stands to see massive usage in this offense and though he is priced in the upper tier, represents a cash game play because of the overall makeup.

He’s dropped 30 or more in three of the last four games and has been able to dial up the assists as well. The Bulls have been a good defense on the season, but that doesn’t have me walking away from this play.

And then there is Shaedon Sharpe who got the start at shooting guard last game and turned in the best performance of his rookie season. He played 40 minutes, took 19 shots and finished with 24 points and nine rebounds. This was something of a breakout for the dude who should stick with this kind of run and opportunity to close out the season. The price has climbed some but I think he’s still very much a value, especially on DraftKings.

Monte Morris FD - $5300 DK - $4900
Opponent - SA
Proj Pts FD - 32.85 DK - 35.43

The Wizards are going to be without Bradley Beal and Kyle Kuzma once again which is already set to open up significant opportunity for the rest of the lineup. Then couple that with them getting the best DFS matchup around and we have a smash spot for this Washington team. Monte Morris will start at point guard and is thankfully coming cheap because the minutes can be a bit all over the place. The Wiz have long-run somewhat unconventional rotations with some of their starters and Morris falls into that group. That being said, he’s in a good enough spot that playing him in cash doesn’t represent a massive risk here and I think he will have ownership.

The Raptors are in a great spot against the Pistons and could be without Scottie Barnes and maybe some role players as well. Fred VanVleet (FD 8900 DK 8700) would make a great play in this situation if it breaks right.

If James Harden is out again then Tyrese Maxey (FD 7000 DK 7000) and De'Anthony Melton (FD 6500 DK 6000) would make for strong cash game options.

Both Terry Rozier and Kelly Oubre are doubtful for this game which could put Dennis Smith Jr. (FD 5800 DK 5200) in line for the start. The Hornets stink, of course, but there could be a lot of minutes and usage on the cheap here.

Small Forward

Deni Avdija FD - $6000 DK - $5900
Opponent - SA
Proj Pts FD - 35.88 DK - 38.31

As with Monte Morris, the Wizards are in a prime fantasy spot here against the Spurs who are one of the worst defensive teams we’ve seen, really ever. Stacking Washington guys at their current price points with this kind of opportunity without Beal and Kuzma is likely to be a very popular play.

Deni Avdija got the start last game, ran 32 minutes and finished with 16 points, eight rebounds, and six assists. He was a popular play last time out and that’s going to be the case once again. The floor is very high considering how he scores his fantasy points, and the minutes are much safer with him in the starting lineup.

Like with Fred Vanvleet, the Raptors could be down multiple guys in this game and get a great matchup against Detroit. That would put OG Anunoby (FD 6700 DK 6400) as a great play at small forward. Though the fantasy line was underwhelming last time around, he did run 37 minutes against the Pacers.

Svi Mykhailiuk (FD 3800 DK 3000) should get the start for the Hornets and is SF eligible on DraftKings at the minimum.

Power Forward/ Center

Kristaps Porzingis FD - $8900 DK - $9000
Opponent - SA
Proj Pts FD - 55.39 DK - 57.47

Daniel Gafford FD - $5400 DK - $4700
Opponent - SA
Proj Pts FD - 33.7 DK - 33.97

All Wizards all the time? That could definitely be the case even on a big Friday NBA slate. Sometimes, even with a huge player pool, there is a certain situation that just lines up perfectly for these purposes. That’s the case with Washington here. Kristaps Porzingis is a clear spend-up option on both sites and is probably just underpriced considering the opportunity. The overall line wasn’t amazing against the Pacers, but that should dissuade us from running him here considering the usage rate set to spike again and the matchup against the Spurs being the best around.

Daniel Gafford is a bit riskier because the Wizards will shift the run around for him depending on the situation. But he did play 29 minutes last game which is a welcome sign. It wasn’t amazing that he ended up doing very little with that play, scoring only six points and grabbing just five rebounds. But that does seem like something of an outlier outcome with these projected minutes against the Spurs.

Pascal Siakam FD - $9100 DK - $9300
Opponent - DET
Proj Pts FD - 48.4 DK - 51.73

We said it above with some of the other Raptors’ considerations, but Toronto is definitely a team to target in DFS on Friday. The Pistons have played the third-worst defensive efficiency in the league this season and the Raptors definitely want to keep their foot on the gas when it comes to Eastern Conference play-in seeding. Pascal Siakam has double-doubled in each of the last four games, averaging 24 points and 12 rebounds in that stretch. He’s a candidate to run 40 minutes if the game stays close and has a very high floor against such a weak team.