Steph Curry leads the NBA in 3-pointers made this season.
FanDuel and Mountain Dew have teamed up to bring you Mountain Dew Super Trey Day fantasy contests, celebrating one of the most exciting plays in basketball: the 3-point shot! Enter the $3.33 Mountain Dew Clutch Shot contest by building your best nine-player lineup to compete for a share of the cash prizes. Lineups with the most made 3-pointers will also win a share of the $33,000 3-Point bonus. The fun doesn’t stop there. FanDuel’s free Mountain Dew NBA 3-Point Challenge gives allows to compete for a share of $3,333 in cash prizes simply by selecting three players who you believe will hit the most 3-point shots on March 3.
Before the action tips off on March 3, check out some players to consider for your lineups.
Point guards
Stephen Curry ($9,900): On a night that 3-point shooting counts more in fantasy, one of the best long-distance shooters in NBA history should be a lock. Curry has shot an absurd 46% from deep against Portland over his career, and the load he has to carry on offense has never been heavier. And have we mentioned that the Blazers sport the third-worst defensive rating in the league?
Trae Young ($9,500): If you need to free up an extra $400 elsewhere in your lineup, pivoting from Curry to Young is an option. Orlando’s own point guard situation is a mess, leaving their defense against opposing playmakers in shambles. The Magic are a bottom-10 team in defense and 3s given up.
LaMelo Ball ($7,600): The newest Ball brother is quickly shedding the wildcard label, but under $8,000 is a steal for a stat-sheet stuffer against the struggling Timberwolves. In its last three games, Minnesota has given up 15 assists to Chris Paul, a triple-double to Russell Westbrook, and a 20-8-6 line to Coby White. Ball has also hit a 3-pointer in 15 consecutive games.
Shooting guards
James Harden has found his rhythm in Brooklyn and with Kevin Durant out, look for him to get even more looks from deep.
James Harden ($10,800): There’s no need to overthink this. One of the best offensive players of all-time is playing his former team for the first time since the Rockets traded him. Then there’s the added bonus of Kevin Durant being out due to injury, placing even more of a load on Harden’s shoulders. Lock him in.
Zach LaVine ($9,800): The Bulls’ newly minted All-Star was tailor-made for 3-point-friendly fantasy contests. LaVine is shooting an absurd 43.3% on a robust 8.1 downtown attempts per game. It just so happens Chicago’s opponent, New Orleans, gives up the most 3-point makes per game in the league.
Bruce Brown ($5,300): With Durant out, Brooklyn has compensated for its frontcourt shortcomings with… Brown? It’s true. The 6-foot-4 guard’s playing time has skyrocketed for the shorthanded Nets, and he’s delivering with 18.2 points, 5.6 rebounds, and 1.4 steals over his last five games. Brown is in that fantasy sweet spot where he should get big minutes no matter what happens against Houston.
Small Forwards
LeBron James ($10,500): Sacramento bleeds more paint points than any team in the league, and the Lakers happen to have one of the best interior scorers in league history. With Davis still out, it will be up to James to keep the Lakers afloat on the second night of a back-to-back. Don’t let that scare you off of James, who hasn’t shied from heavy minutes this season. With the Clippers and Suns right at their heels in the standings, every game will count.
Malik Monk ($4,900): Small forward is deep in bargains on Wednesday, but Monk may no longer qualify if he keeps this up. The resurgent former lottery pick is connecting on a ridiculous 44% of his 3-pointers, and he has scored 19 or more points in six of his last seven games. Monk could be another beneficiary of a juicy matchup with the Timberwolves.
Justin Holiday ($4,400): Did you know Holiday has hit a 3-pointer in all but two of his games this season? It’s true. His generous playing time (32.9 mpg) makes him one of the safer role players to roll out there as well. Toss in his defense (1.2 spg) against one of the most turnover-prone teams in the league (Cleveland), and Holiday is primed to provide extra bang for his cost-friendly buck.
Power forwards
Zion Williamson ($8,800): He doesn’t make 3-pointers, but Williamson also doesn’t cost a king’s ransom despite his recent tear. The most unstoppable interior force in the league faces a Chicago Bulls team giving up the fourth-most points in the paint this season. On a night boasting few ideal matchups at power forward, Zion might be your safest bet.
John Collins ($7,000): Atlanta has changed coaches and is trying to salvage the rest of its 2020-21 season. The Hawks take on the Magic to close out what has been a disappointing first half of the season. Collins, however, has been one of the bright spots for the Hawks of late, averaging 19.9 ppg and 7.5 rpg on 54.4% shooting in February. He has a chance to keep that rolling against Orlando’s frontcourt, who collectively rank among the NBA’s worst in defensive rating at their position.
Royce O’Neale ($4,400): It might surprise you to know that Utah’s do-all-the-dirty-work forward is second on the team in minutes (32.5 mpg). He doesn’t score a lot, but he’s an above-average rebounder (6.8) and passer (2.6 apg), hits nearly two 3-pointers per game, and he defends his heart out. He’s also essential against physical opponents like the 76ers. In their last meeting on Feb. 15, O’Neale played nearly 36 minutes and stuffed the stat sheet (11 points, eight rebounds, three assists, three steals).
Centers
Nikola Vucevic played his way into the All-Star Game and could be a smart choice at center.
Nikola Vucevic ($9,600): Orlando’s All-Star big man will get even more touches against the race-and-pace Hawks, who are a bottom-eight team in overall defense and points given up in the paint. The Magic don’t have a lot of options on offense, leaving Vucevic (who has added 3-point range to his arsenal) to carry the bulk of the considerable scoring they’ll need to keep up with Atlanta.
Al Horford ($6,300): How much does one bad game (a blowout against Denver) temper your expectations? In the 13 games prior, Horford had turned back the clock for averages of 17.0 points, 6.7 rebounds, 4.5 assists, 1.3 steals, and 0.8 blocks while hitting a whopping 2.4 long-distance bombs per contest. Dallas’ sixth-worst defense offers further opportunity for a guy that might not be heavily played by your competition.
Enes Kanter ($6,300): The Turkish rebounding machine has made a late-career habit of stepping up for injured squads. Without Jusuf Nurkic available, Kanter is once again feasting on the offensive glass. That’s bad news for the Warriors, who yield the fifth-most second-chance points in the league.
