Daily Fantasy Basketball 2015: NBA DraftKings Strategy for March 27th
This has been a weird week for professional basketball. It feels like every night half the league is either injured or "injured" (code for resting).
It has opened the door for some monster performances from some relative unknowns. Heck, Lorenzo Brown is averaging 40 minutes and nearly 30 fantasy points over his last two games. Ten points to the first person who can tell me where Lorenzo Brown went to school.
Don't know? I didn't either. Turns out Brown attended North Carolina State (still alive in the NCAA Tournament as of this article's release date) and declared for the NBA draft in 2013 after his junior season.
But enough about Minnesota's interim starting point guard, let's get into today's picks. It's a doozy of a slate.
| Studs | Opp. | Price | Values | Opp. | Price | |
| Chris Paul | @ Phi | $9,900 | Goran Dragic | @ Atl | $7,000 | |
| Reggie Jackson | @Orl | $8,000 | Greivis Vasquez | vs. LAL | $4,400 | |
| Damian Lillard | @Pho | $7,800 | C.J. McCollum | @ Pho | $3,500 | |
| Tyreke Evans | vs. Sac | $7,600 | Lorenzo Brown | @ Hou | $3,100 |
Damian Lillard ($7,800) @ Suns
The Blazers have been absolutely decimated by injuries. Take a look at the starting lineup they ran out when the Warriors rolled into town on Tuesday.
| Warriors | Blazers |
| Steph Curry (PG) | Damian Lillard (PG) |
| Klay Thompson (SG) | Arron Afflalo (SG) |
| Harrison Barnes (SF) | Dorell Wright (SF) |
| Draymond Green (PF) | Alonzo Gee (SF) |
| Andrew Bogut (C) | Robin Lopez (C) |
Starters Wes Matthews, Nic Batum and Lamarcus Aldridge all missed the heavyweight Western Conference bout due to injuries.
Fortunately for DFS players, Lillard has picked up a lot of the offensive slack. Check out his last three fantasy performances:
Lillard takes and makes a lot of three pointers, and he handles the ball even more now that some of his best offensive weapons are on the bench (or in the hospital.)
| Studs | Opp. | Price | Values | Opp. | Price | |
| James Harden | vs. Min | $11,600 | Eric Gordon | vs. Sac | $5,800 | |
| Victor Oladipo | vs. Det | $7,900 | Quincy Pondexter | vs. Sac | $4,000 | |
| DeMar DeRozan | vs. LAL | $7,800 | Elijah Millsap | @ Den | $3,200 | |
| J.J. Redick | @ Phi | $6,500 |
Quincy Pondexter ($4,000) vs. Kings
Pondexter has bounced around the league a fair amount, but he has a knack for contributing to contending teams down the stretch. Let's see if he can give the Pelicans the lift they need to catch the Thunder for that coveted eighth seed in the rugged west.
The sharpshooter from the University of Washington has averaged over 30 minutes per game in his team's last 10 games. In that span, he's posting a stout 19.9 fantasy points per game.
Tonight, the Kings come to New Orleans. Since George Karl took over, the Kings have allowed an average of 103.8 points per game. According to Rotogrinders.com, they're also allowing a league-worst 45.8 fantasy points per game to opposing shooting guards over the last three weeks.
| Studs | Opp. | Price | Values | Opp. | Price | |
| LeBron James | @ Bkn | $10,200 | Chase Budinger | @ Hou | $4,500 | |
| Kawhi Leonard | vs. Dal | $8,100 | Dorell Wright | @ Pho | $3,700 | |
| Andrew Wiggins | @ Hou | $6,500 | Joe Ingles | @ Den | $3,200 | |
| Trevor Ariza | vs. Min | $6,200 |
Kawhi Leonard ($8,100) vs. Mavericks
Kawhi Leonard forced his way onto my list of top five most likeable players in the league.
1.) Steph Curry: It's not really that close.
2.) Damian Lillard: Did you see/hear him rap!?!?!?!?
3.) Kevin Durant: I love that Durant doesn't let his foot injury let him miss a huddle, much less a game. What a teammate!
4.) Kawhi Leonard: Plays with so much tenacity, heart, intelligence...you name it, he plays with it.
5.) Anthony Davis: Purely for his ability on the court. I'm getting really sick of his unibrow.
I watched the first quarter of San Antonio's game in Dallas earlier this week. Anytime the ball was within seven feet of Kawhi Leonard, he was determined to take it.
Leonard is so good defensively and on the glass that he doesn't need to have an effective shooting night to be a positive daily fantasy player. That's why I'm playing him tonight against Dirk & Co.
| Studs | Opp. | Price | Values | Opp. | Price | |
| Blake Griffin | @ Phi | $8,900 | Markieff Morris | vs. Por | $6,400 | |
| Derrick Favors | @ Den | $8,100 | Marcus Morris | vs. Por | $5,800 | |
| Nerlens Noel | vs. LAC | $7,800 | Robert Covington | vs. LAC | $4,500 | |
| Kevin Love | @ Bkn | $7,000 | Amir Johnson | vs. LAL | $4,500 | |
| Jason Smith | vs. Bos | $3,000 |
Markieff Morris ($6,400) vs. Blazers
Actually, both Morris twins are hot right now. Marcus Morris hasn't posted fewer than 24 fantasy points in his last seven outings. But for just $600 dollars more, Markieff provides a significantly higher ceiling.
Check out his last five games:
He has accomplished the rare feat of hitting value and improving in four straight contests. He should thrive at home tonight against Portland's pu pu platter.
| Studs | Opp. | Price | Values | Opp. | Price | |
| DeAndre Jordan | vs. Phi | $8,600 | Jonas Valanciunas | vs. LAL | $5,700 | |
| Nikola Vucevic | vs. Det | $7,800 | Andrew Bogut | @ Mem | $4,600 | |
| Brook Lopez | vs. Cle | $7,100 |
Andrew Bogut ($4,600) @ Grizzlies
The Aussie is coming off his second-best fantasy performance of the season. In Portland on Tuesday, Bogut scored 10 points, grabbed 16 rebounds and had six assists. It was good enough for 41.5 fantasy points. He keyed a huge third-quarter run by challenging nearly every shot and recovering to grab the board.
Memphis surrenders almost nothing to opposing big men, but I suspect Bogut will play a lot in this game. He sat out in the Warriors' only other game against the Grizzlies this season—a game the Warriors lost.
In fact, the Grizzlies are the only team in the league that hasn't lost to the Dubs this year. I imagine Coach Kerr will pull out all the stops to give his team the best chance to win tonight. That means more minutes for Bogut to combat the two behemoths Memphis employs down low.
If Bogut can stay out of foul trouble, he should hit value in Graceland tonight.
