Daily Fantasy Basketball 2015: NBA DraftKings Strategy for March 20
There are 16 NCAA tournament games Friday and 12 NBA games Friday night.
Draft Kings is offering up a bountiful array of daily leagues for both college and pro hoops.
It might be a good idea to call in sick and put a dent in your couch.
Just sayin'.
| Studs | Opp. | Price | Values | Opp. | Price | |
| Steph Curry | vs. NO | $9,600 | Ish Smith | vs. NYK | $5,000 | |
| Alexey Shved | @ Phi | $6,600 | Langston Galloway | @ Phi | $4,800 | |
| Jeff Teague | @ OKC | $6,500 | Greivis Vasquez | @ Chi | $3,100 |
Ish Smith ($5,000) vs. Knicks
Stop the presses. The ongoing point guard debate in Philly that seems to have everyone in a tizzy (just kidding, nobody cares about Philadelphia's professional hoops team) has been put to rest. Ish Smith has assumed the starting role after three weeks of post-deadline flip-flopping between him and Isaiah Canaan.
According to www.statmuse.com, in 13 games with Philadelphia, Smith is averaging 24.2 minutes, 11.3 points, 5.8 assists and a steal. His minutes should continue to rise, and with more playing time comes more production.
Expect a nice night from Philly's on-court ringmaster. Per www.rotogrinders.com, over the last week, New York has allowed a whopping 65.65 fantasy points per game to opposing point guards. That's mostly due to the fact that Alexey Shved took over and can't defend for the life of him.
| Studs | Opp. | Price | Values | Opp. | Price | |
| Dwyane Wade | vs. Den | $7,900 | Gerald Henderson | @ Sac | $5,300 | |
| Randy Foye | @ Mia | $4,300 | ||||
| Kent Bazemore | @ OKC | $4,300 |
Gerald Henderson ($5,300) @ Kings
I'm playing a hunch here. I expect the Kings to let Ben McLemore guard Henderson (and put Rudy Gay—a longer defender—on Charlotte's lengthier swingman Michael Kidd-Gilchrist).
McLemore, whose playing time has increased dramatically under George Karl, is a terrible defensive player. Opposing shooting guards have averaged 47.2 fantasy points per game against the Kings over the last three weeks. That's the most in the league by a neat margin.
| Studs | Opp. | Price | Values | Opp. | Price | |
| Nicolas Batum | @ Orl | $6,900 | Paul Pierce | @ LAC | $4,900 | |
| Michael Kidd-Gilchrist | @ Sac | $6,000 | Andre Iguodala | vs. NO | $4,400 | |
| DeMarre Carroll | @ OKC | $5,800 | Maurice Harkless | vs. Por | $4,000 |
Andre Iguodala ($4,400) vs. Pelicans
Raise your hand if you were fooled by Steve Kerr's insertion of Justin Holiday into the starting lineup against the Hawks? (Nervously raising my hand.)
Turns out Kerr was pulling our leg. Holiday did start, but Iguodala played the majority of Klay Thompson's minutes. And, boy, did he perform. Iggy had his best all-around game of the season in his faux starter role.
The 10-year veteran jumped passing lanes and poked away several drives. His defense led to instant offense, which led to oodles of fantasy points. Look for Iguodala to log more minutes and fill up the stat sheet in Friday night's bout with the Pelicans.
| Studs | Opp. | Price | Values | Opp. | Price | |
| Lamarcus Aldridge | @ Orl | $8,900 | Ersan Ilyasova | @ Bkn | $5,200 | |
| Paul Millsap | @ OKC | $7,700 | Mitch McGary | vs. Atl | $3,800 | |
| Tim Duncan | vs. Bos | $6,800 |
Lamarcus Aldridge ($8,900) @ Magic
With all these low-priced options, we have to spend up somewhere. I'll be shelling out the big bucks for Mr. Aldridge.
Portland's No. 1 offensive option has been playing very well recently. Aldridge has notched at least 45 fantasy points in four of his last five games. Friday night he'll head to Disney World to terrorize the Magic frontcourt that has been slightly stingier over the past three weeks.
With double-doubles in seven of his last 10 games, Aldridge virtually ensures his owners a floor of 30 fantasy points. That's dependability you can trust.
| Studs | Opp. | Price | Values | Opp. | Price | |
| Marc Gasol | @ Dal | $7,500 | Steven Adams | vs. Atl | $4,500 | |
| Jonas Valanciunas | @ Chi | $5,300 | ||||
Steven Adams ($4,500) vs. Hawks
According to CBSSports.com's Ted Leshinski, Thunder starting center Enes Kanter did not practice Thursday and is questionable Friday night against the best team in the Eastern Conference.
That opens the door for Steven Adams. According to Basketball-Reference.com, the young Kiwi is averaging a double-double—11.1 points and 10.5 boards—for every 36 minutes he plays. With Ibaka still sidelined, Adams should see plenty of action as the sole rim protector against the slash-and-kick Hawks.
He also fits this newish Thunder system perfectly. All Russell Westbrook wants to do right now is attack the hoop without regard for human life. Adams is perfectly happy setting the initial screen, then rolling to the rim for the tip-slam.
