Daily Fantasy Basketball 2015: Last-Minute NBA DraftKings Picks for March 21
There's only five games on Saturday's schedule, and two of the contests stand out as hotbeds for DraftKings studs. The Houston Rockets host the Phoenix Suns, and the Chicago Bulls travel to Motown to take on the defenseless Detroit Pistons.
Between these two games, I've tabbed five players for my optimal lineup. Here's the best last-minute DK lineup for March 21:
| PG | Damian Lillard | Memphis Grizzlies | $7,600 |
| SG | James Harden | Phoenix Suns | $11,200 |
| SF | Mike Dunleavy | Detroit Pistons | $4,000 |
| PF | Nikola Mirotic | Detroit Pistons | $7,200 |
| C | Joakim Noah | Detroit Pistons | $6,100 |
| G | Trey Burke | Golden State Warriors | $4,200 |
| F | Josh Smith | Phoenix Suns | $5,700 |
| UTIL | Solomon Hill | Brooklyn Nets | $4,000 |
H-Town Heat
At 211.5, the Rockets-Suns tilt has the highest over/under of any game on Saturday's schedule, per Odds Shark. With that many points expected on the board, you owe to it yourself to select the stars from this game. The star of stars in H-Town on Saturday will be James Harden.
In three games against the Suns this season, Harden is nearly averaging a triple-double at 29.3 points, 10 rebounds and 8.7 assists. That has equated to 63.8 fantasy points per contest with Phoenix. Harden will cost you $11,200, but he's an automatic stud.
Another Rocket who is primed for a big game is Josh Smith. Terrence Jones suffered a partially collapsed lung on Thursday against the Denver Nuggets, per Jonathan Feigen of the Houston Chronicle. Jones is out indefinitely, and his absence should increase minutes for Smith.
During his time with Houston, Smith has done well with extended minutes. When he has played at least 30 minutes per game, he's averaged 15 points and nine rebounds. For $5,700 of DK salary, drafting Smith should prove to be a worthy investment.
Money in Motown
In Detroit, the best players to align with this lineup play for the visiting team.
With the Bulls battling a ton of injuries, multiple players have stepped up as potential values over the last month. Nikola Mirotic is the obvious top performer, but he's not alone.
On Saturday, the surging Mike Dunleavy Jr. is my pick to click (shout out to Ken "Hawk" Harrelson for the reference). ESPN Chicago's Nick Friedell says "he's on fire."
For just $4,000 in salary, you can have a guy who has put together back-to-back 21-point games and knocked down eight of 14 shots from beyond the arc in that time. Dunleavy Jr. is hot and the Pistons' defense is not.
Detroit hasn't been defending on the perimeter very well lately. According to Team Rankings, opponents are shooting 45.8 percent from long range in the Pistons' last three games. Drafting Dunleavy Jr. might be the biggest bargain of the day.
Dunleavy's teammate Joakim Noah has regained his point-center prowess from last season, and it has helped to produce three-straight strong fantasy performances.
On Friday against the Toronto Raptors, Noah just missed a triple-double, as he had eight points, 10 rebounds and 14 assists. He's had at least 30 fantasy points three games in a row. Until Rose comes back and the Bulls begin to run their offense through him, Noah is a solid option—especially at just $6,100 in salary.
Dame Dash
The Portland Trail Blazers' Damian Lillard is due for a big game. He hasn't exactly struggled in his most recent games, but they haven't been Dame-like. It's been three games since he eclipsed the 20-point mark, and Saturday's game looks like the time to break that trend.
Lillard has faced the Memphis Grizzlies three times this season and produced an average of 40.8 fantasy points per game.
That would be a nice return on investment for his $7,600 DK salary.
Unless otherwise stated, statistical information per DraftKings.
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