Daily Fantasy

NBA DraftKings & FanDuel DFS Primer: March 6

FantasyPros considers the best player values for DraftKings and FanDuel NBA DFS.

Joel Bartilotta, FantasyPros

March 6, 2023 7:40 PM

Jimmy Butler and Miami Heat host the Atlanta Hawks on Monday night at 7:30 p.m. ET on NBA TV.

This week, we only have one slate with more than eight games, but we don’t have any with fewer than six matchups. That’s a godsend for DFS because I’ve always said that we prefer the slates with 6-8 games. It gives us plenty of players to pick from, but it’s not an overwhelming amount to get lost in. We also have a ton of superstars on this slate, so let’s go ahead and start there!

Injury Report

As of 10:30 a.m. ET:

Bojan Bogdanovic (achilles) OUT
Jalen Duren (ankle) OUT
Isaiah Stewart (hip) OUT
Kyle Lowry (knee) OUT
Zion Williamson (hamstring) OUT
Jonas Valanciunas (calf) Questionable
Josh Richardson (personal) OUT
Larry Nance Jr.(ankle) OUT
Jose Alvarado (tibia) OUT
Donovan Mitchell (hand) Questionable

Core Plays

Joel Embiid (PF/C – PHI): $11,300 DraftKings, $11,800 FanDuel
Embiid is battling Nikola Jokic and Giannis Antetokounmpo for MVP honors, establishing one of the highest DFS floors in the NBA. The big man has scored at least 37 DraftKings points in all 50 games this year, generating a 57-point average. Both of those should be easy to reach against Indiana, with the Pacers allowing the fifth-most fantasy points to opposing centers.

Damian Lillard (PG – POR): $11,600 DraftKings, $10,800 FanDuel
Lillard is on another level right now. The Portland point guard has scored at least 52 DK points in 17 of his last 22 games, averaging over 60 fantasy points per game in that stretch. He’s also averaging 40 raw points per game and is doing everything for the Blazers with Anfernee Simons, and Jusuf Nurkic both sidelined. Facing Detroit makes Lillard even more enticing, with the Pistons ranked 28th in defensive efficiency while allowing the second-most fantasy points to opposing guards.

Brandon Ingram (SF – NOP): $8,600 DraftKings, $8,500 FanDuel
Ingram has taken over this Pelicans offense since Zion Williamson went down. He leads the team with a 33% usage rate with Zion off the floor, averaging 1.2 DK points per minute in those circumstances. That’s clear when you see that Ingram has at least 29 DK points in 13 straight games while totaling a 39-point average in that span. Squaring off with Sacramento is the best part of this, though, with the Kings posting a 29th OPRK against opposing forwards.

Cash Game Considerations

Nikola Jokic (C – DEN): $11,800 DraftKings, $12,000 FanDuel
The Joker is on his way to his third straight MVP, averaging 24.5 points, 11.8 rebounds, and 10 assists per game. Providing a triple-double has given Jokic one of the highest floors in NBA history, scoring at least 40 fantasy points in all but a handful of games since the 2020 season. That makes him an easy play against anyone, but Jokic also had at least 53 DK points in his two meetings with Toronto last year.

Domantas Sabonis (PF/C – SAC): $10,000 DraftKings, $9,700 FanDuel
Sabonis earned an All-Star berth this year and has been playing his best basketball since tearing a ligament in his thumb. The big man has scored at least 42 DraftKings points in 39 of his last 41 games, averaging 20 points, 13 rebounds, and 7.2 assists per game. He’s playing a Jokic-type role for the highest-scoring offense in the NBA and should have another big night against a team with an 8-21 record across their last 29 games.

Jimmy Butler (SF – MIA): $8,900 DraftKings, $8,800 FanDuel
Jimmy is doing everything possible to get this Miami team climbing up the Eastern Conference standings. The perennial All-Star has scored at least 41 fantasy points in eight of his last 12 games, accruing a 43-point average in that span. He’s being asked to take over primary ball-handling duties with Lowry out, and he should have another big night against an Atlanta team that owns a 26th OPRK against opposing forwards. In their two matchups this year, Butler is averaging nearly 50 fantasy points per game!

GPP Targets

Hamidou Diallo (SG – DET): $4,900 DraftKings, $5,800 FanDuel
Diallo is one of the only players who’s not nicked up on Detroit right now, playing at least 27 minutes in three straight games. Diallo is also averaging 28 DK points per game in that stretch and has proven to be an elite per-minute producer throughout the year. Facing Portland is our favorite part of this, though, with the Trail Blazers ranked 27th in defensive efficiency ratings.

Cam Reddish (SG/SF – POR): $4,300 DraftKings, $5,500 FanDuel
With Josh Hart getting traded and Simons getting injured, Reddish is being asked to play big minutes every night. The former Top-10 pick is averaging 29 DK points per game across 31 minutes a night over his last seven outings. That’s all you can ask for from such an affordable player, and this kid should get better the more he gets acclimated with this offense. We obviously don’t mind that he faces the third-worst defense in the NBA, either.

Willy Hernangomez (C – NOP): $4,600 DraftKings, $4,900 FanDuel
This is risky, but if Jonas Valanciunas is out, Hernangomez should have a big night with Larry Nance nicked up. Hernangomez has played at least 20 minutes in 24 games since the start of last year, averaging 31 DK points per game in those outings. He’s also flashed a 50-point upside as well, and he’d be a lock for 20-plus minutes if Valanciunas and Nance remain out.

Value Plays

Marvin Bagley III (PF/C – DET): $5,500 DraftKings, $6,200 FanDuel
Detroit will give this former top pick every chance to succeed. The big man has scored at least 38 DK points in three of four games since joining the Pistons, scoring at least 47 DK points in two of those. That’s absurd from such an affordable player, and it looks even better since the majority of this Detroit roster is on the injury report, including big men like Jalen Duren, James Wiseman, and Isaiah Stewart.

Tyrese Maxey (PG/SG – PHI): $5,500 DraftKings, $6,800 FanDuel
We’ve finally got Maxey back into the starting lineup! This stud was relegated to bench duties for half of the year, but he’s averaging 39 DK points per game in the three outings since rejoining the starters. That’s no surprise since Maxey maintained a 36-point average in his 25 starts this year. As long as he’s getting 35 minutes and starting, Tyrese should never be this cheap. Not to mention, Indiana ranks 24th in points allowed and 25th in defensive efficiency.

Gabe Vincent (PG – MIA): $4,200 DraftKings, $4,600 FanDuel
Vincent is a bit risky, but this guy is too cheap. He is the starting point guard in Miami with Lowry injured, averaging 23 DK points per game across 33 minutes a night in his 17 starts. While his per-minute rate isn’t ideal, it’s tough to fade a starting point guard playing 30-35 minutes a night in this price range. The matchup is the icing on the cake, with Atlanta allowing the second-most fantasy points to opposing point guards.

Advantageous Pricing