Daily Fantasy Basketball 2015: Best NBA DFS DraftKings Lineup for March 17
Sorry to spoil St. Patrick's Day for everyone, but there's no pot of gold waiting under a rainbow. If you want to leave the day richer, you'll have to earn it.
Tuesday's five-game NBA slate provides daily fantasy gamers a chance to profit on DraftKings. The offerings, however, are dangerous. Several stars can win a contest or bloat your budget, and three Western Conference juggernauts may take it easy against weak Eastern Conference prey.
Options are limited, but let's identify the top value plays from each position.
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PG Alexey Shved vs. Spurs ($6,200)
Tony Parker's revival is well documented, but his opponents have also reaped the rewards of his offensive renaissance. According to RotoGrinders, the San Antonio Spurs rank last with 29.3 points per game allowed to opposing point guards over the past three weeks.
Kyrie Irving inflicted most of the damage during a 57-point outburst, but Zach LaVine also mustered 18 points, six assists and six rebounds while relieving an inactive Ricky Rubio on Sunday. Against Parker and the Spurs, a soaring Alexey Shved will stay hot.
Playing for his third team this season, the 26-year-old journeyman is averaging 13.4 points, 4.8 boards and 3.3 assists with the New York Knicks. He has enjoyed even greater success since getting inserted into the starting lineup.
| 5 | 30.8 | 17.2 | 2.4 | 6.0 | 4.4 | 1.2 |
His price has accordingly torpedoed to $6,200, but Shved remains a solid play.
Other PG Plays: Chris Paul vs. CHA ($9,700); Tony Parker at NYK ($6,600); Tyler Ennis at NO ($4,000, if Michael Carter-Williams is out); Patty Mills at NYK ($3,100)
SG Khris Middleton at Pelicans ($6,800)
Not a tantalizing source of daily production at full strength, the Milwaukee Bucks are nursing injuries to several key contributors. While Michael Carter-Williams may return to spar with the New Orleans Pelicans, swingmen O.J. Mayo and Jared Dudley won't make the trip.
Charles F. Gardner of the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel confirmed their planned absence:
This is usually the time to dig down the depth chart for the next man up. Yet Chris Johnson has done nothing with the opportunity, so instead look to Khris Middleton, who is playing massive minutes and compiling lucrative numbers.
| 40.1 | 22.4 | 8.2-16.8 | 4.2 | 2.4 | 1.6 | 34.9 |
Jason Kidd began to trust Middleton before ailments plagued his squad. Before the All-Star break, the 23-year-old netted an 18.4 percent usage rate. Since then, the rate has skyrocketed to 22.6 percent.
Injuries aside, it behooves the Bucks to play the 23-year-old. ESPN Stats & Info observes Milwaukee's vast improvement with him in the lineup:
As long as he remains an active component of Milwaukee's offense, Middleton is a high-ceiling play with a limited floor.
Other SG Plays: Eric Gordon vs. MIL ($6,000); Danny Green at NYK ($5,600); Evan Fournier at ORL ($3,000, if active)
SF Dante Cunningham vs. Bucks ($3,100)
Small forward is scarce on Tuesday night. The New York Knicks are surprisingly good against the position, so Kawhi Leonard isn't a strong bet to justify his $8,600 price tag. He'll especially fall short if the Spurs jump to an early lead and coast with their reserves.
Trevor Ariza or Michael Kidd-Gilchrist would serve fine as a mid-level play, but neither small forward has consistently hit value lately. For someone more interested in punting altogether, roll the dice on Dante Cunningham.
Averaging 6.1 points per game over his seven-year career, the 27-year-old isn't particularly good. He has also transitioned in and out of the Pelicans' rotation, most recently receiving 41 minutes on Sunday night.
Even then, he produced 16.75 DraftKings points. When last given regular minutes, however, he surmounted 26.6 DraftKings points per game through a four-game stretch from Feb. 25 to Mar. 2.
If this seems like grasping for straws, it probably is. The position offers no great plays, so a $3,100 player who could log 30-40 minutes catches the eye.
Other SF Plays: Kawhi Leonard at NYK ($8,600); Michael Kidd-Gilchrist at LAC ($6,200); Trevor Ariza vs. ORL ($5,800); Tony Allen at DET ($4,200)
PF Tim Duncan at Knicks ($6,800)
Anthony Davis has now entered Russell Westbrook territory. He'll consume 43.9 percent of a gamer's budget, which means merely living up to his 49.5-point season average isn't good enough. Then again, it'll be tough to win without him if he repeats Sunday's 84.5-point outburst.
Whether or not to play him depends on the contest, but everyone knows Davis is awesome. Let's instead devote this section to this unknown up-and-comer named Tim Duncan.
The old man has finally stopped slapping the snooze button, averaging 13.3 points, 10.0 rebounds, 5.3 assists and 2.7 blocks over his past three tilts. He needed only 22 minutes to amass 34 DraftKings points against the Minnesota Timberwolves.
Playing any San Antonio star is risky, as he may not accrue more than 22 minutes in a blowout. But hey, this is a New York squad that surrendered a combined 52 points on 63.6 percent shooting to Branden Wright and the Morris twins.
Other PF Plays: Anthony Davis vs. MIL ($11,400); Zach Randolph at DET ($7,200); Boris Diaw at NYK ($3,500)
C Marc Gasol at Pistons ($7,400)
Grass is green, and the Detroit Pistons are still terrible at defending big men. According to RotoGrinders, they've surrendered 21.6 points, 15.1 rebounds, 2.4 blocks and 51.1 DraftKings points per game to centers.
Marc Gasol has registered 15.3 points in March—below his season's 17.8 average—but the matchup makes him a valuable buy on Tuesday night. Although he didn't like taking a seat last Thursday, as he told The Commercial Appeal's Ronald Tillery, it will help the All-Star going forward.
"No, I don’t like rest. It’s not my call. It’s never been my call. It will never be my call. I don’t like resting. I know I have a small window. Basketball, itself, gives you a small window because you have a certain amount of games. I take pride in playing every game. To me, it’s important to play every game. But I don’t run the show. There are other people that make those decisions and I’ll respect it.
"
After the Memphis Grizzlies rested their starters, Gasol returned to tally 12 points, seven boards and seven assists on Saturday against the Bucks. He'll receive more scoring chances against Detroit's futile interior defense.
Other C Plays: Nikola Vucevic at HOU ($8,300); Cole Aldrich vs. SA ($4,200)
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