DFS NBA Lineups for March 11, 2017 at Draftkings.com & Fanduel.com
On days that there’s a nice slate of DFS NBA games, we’ll give you the game totals, point spreads, and pertinent injury news to follow for NBA daily fantasy, as well as some players that we’re considering for our lineups on DraftKings and FanDuel.
We have nine games on the main slate in DFS NBA for Saturday, 3/11/17. As you see below, Steve Kerr has decided to rest his big three, so between the Warriors and the Spurs (Kawhi out), they will provide all the value you need to cram in multiple stars. The Center position is absolutely loaded yet again, and will likely be difference in the winning lineups tonight. Keep an eye on Tyreke Evans and Nerlens Noel. Both got the day off yesterday, and could provide nice value tonight if they decide to suit up.
Looking at the DFS NBA tournaments for March 11, DraftKings has a $4 buy-in, $400k guaranteed and a $40 buy-in with $300k guaranteed. At FanDuel, you’ve got a $3 buy-in, $300k guaranteed. They’ve also got some nice mid level tournaments, highlighted by a $7 buy-in, $150k guaranteed.
As always, be sure and monitor any of the injury news that breaks throughout the day, as value plays and player upgrades can arise in a moments notice.
PLAYERS RULED OUT
Kyle Lowry (wrist)
Kevin Durant (knee)
Steph Curry (rest)
Draymond Green (rest)
Klay Thompson (rest)
Andre Iguodala (rest)
Kawhi Leonard (concussion)
Kevin Love (knee)
Frank Kaminsky (shoulder)
Evan Turner (hand)
Ed Davis (shoulder)
Michael Beasley (knee)
Malcolm Brogdon (back)
Kenneth Faried (back)
INJURY NEWS TO MONITOR
Nikola Vucevic (Achilles)
Nerlens Noel (knee)
Kyle Korver (foot)
Kyle Anderson (leg)
Tony Parker (back)
NBA GAME SPREADS, TOTALS & START TIME FOR TODAY’S GAMES
Pelicans @ Hornets -2.5 (7:00p): 202.5
Cavs @ Magic (7:00p): TBD
Timberwolves @ Bucks -2.5 (8:00p): 203
Raptors @ Heat -5 (8:00p): 203
Warriors @ Spurs (8:30p): TBD
Hawks @ Grizzlies -5 (9:00p): 201.5
Suns @ Mavericks -7 (9:00p): 213.5
Wizards @ Blazers -2.5 (10:00p): 226
Nuggets @ Kings (10:30p): TBD
Best NBA Picks for March 11, 2017
LeBron James ($11k DraftKings, $11.6k FanDuel)
The King has returned with four consecutive massive performances and the good news for DFSers is that his team lost 3 of those 4 contests. That means LeBron will have to continue to put his head down and grind in the hopes that his transcendent talent can overcome the Cavs many weaknesses on both ends of the floor and carry Cleveland’s frontcourt with Kevin Love (knee) still out. James is averaging 27.4 PPG, 10 APG and 9.9 RPG since the start of February and sporting a 32.2% Usage rate while averaging 1.39 FPs per minute with Love off the floor this season. Tonight he should have his way against a Magic team that ranks 25th in total rebounding and 20th in defensive rating while fading rapidly down the stretch.
DeMarcus Cousins ($10.1k DraftKings, $10.5k FanDuel)
The Hornets defense has generally been poor since the first month of the season, but they have one glaring weakness: No true center. With Cody Zeller attempting to match up with the biggest humans on the planet while battling a nagging quad injury, Charlotte is coughing up the fifth-most FPPG (49.39) and third-most RPG (16.2) to opposing centers this season. Cousins torched that soft interior D for 35 points and 18 boards back when he was a usage monster with the Kings, and while he’s seeing less opportunities to shoot while playing alongside Anthony Davis, Boogie is capable of exceeding value in this juicy matchup even with a somewhat diminished workload.
Kemba Walker ($8.1k DraftKings, $8.4k FanDuel)
He was quiet in a 40-point blowout win over the Magic last night, which should help Kemba preserve his energy for the second half of this B2B set. Tonight the Hornets are hosting a Pelicans team that can score with anyone, but remains extremely vulnerable on the defensive end, especially against opposing guards. New Orleans coughs up the fourth-most FPPG (45.62) and fifth-most PPG (24.32) to opposing PGs this season and Walker went for 25 points, 7 rebounds and 5 assists the last time he faced the Pels. He’s always more dangerous at home and is almost assuredly going to carry the Hornets offense in any close games, so give him a look as a correlation play with Boogie or The Brow.
Mid Tier DFS NBA Plays
Jusuf Nurkic ($6.7k DraftKings, $6.8k FanDuel)
While he finally draws a tougher matchup against a bully his own size in Marcin Gortat, Nurkic is still very much under priced on both main DFS sites right now. The Bosnian Beast went for a career-high 28 points with 20 boards, 8 assists, 6 blocks and 2 steals to post a monstrous 81 DK points (77 FD points) in a fantastic matchup against the Sixers on Thursday and he’s capable of at least producing half of those totals to exceed value as a mid-tier play tonight. Washington plays at a pretty good pace and coughs up an above average 15.17 RPG along with 46.68 FPPG to opposing centers this year, so it’s not unreasonable to keep rolling with Nurk regardless of the matchup until his price tag rises.
Dirk Nowitzki ($6.1k DraftKings, $6.2k FanDuel)
Dirk is turning back the clock and having a lot of fun while reaching the 30,000-point milestone and cementing his status as one of the greatest international players in NBA history. He’s now averaging 14.4 PPG and surprisingly enough, 10.6 RPG over his last 5 appearances, which indicates that he’s found his competitive spirit while hoping to lead the Mavericks to the wide-open eighth seed in the WCF. Tonight Dallas should find plenty of opportunities to score and rebound against a Suns team that plays at the third-fastest pace and coughs up the second-most PPG (112.9) in the NBA this year and Dirk’s role might continue to expand with Nerlens Noel likely inactive.
Value DFS NBA Plays
Jonathan Simmons ($3.9k DraftKings, $3.6k FanDuel)
With Kawhi Leonard (concussion) out and Kyle Anderson (leg) headed towards a game-time decision, Simmons become a no-brainer option against a shorthanded Warriors team that’s expected to sit basically their entire starting lineup tonight. Simmons is averaging 12.6 points, 4.5 rebounds, 3.2 assists and 1.4 steals per 36 minutes this season and sporting a 20.6% Usage Rate with Leonard off the floor this year. Tony Parker (back) is also questionable, so the Spurs might use more of a makeshift offensive game plan tonight against the suddenly vulnerable Warriors and if you’ll recall, Simmons was at the heart of San Antonio’s beatdown of a healthy Warriors team on opening night.
Golden State Warriors
With Kevin Durant out and the Warriors next Big Four (Steph Curry, Klay Thompson, Draymond Green and Andre Iguodala) all resting tonight, the Dubs roster will be full of values worth considering despite a tough matchup at the Spurs. Patty McCaw ($3.3k, $3.6k) was knocking on the door as a consistent value play with KD out and both he and Matt Barnes ($3.3k, $4.2k) will see a boost in their matchup with Kawhi Leonard out for the Spurs. Ian Clark ($3k, $3.5k) and Shaun Livingston ($3.2k, $3.5k) will be worth a look as reliable plays, while big men such as David West ($3k, $3.5k) and Zaza Pachulia ($3.5k, $4.3k) are bound to see a rise in playing time and usage as well.
If, Then Player
If both Michael Beasley and Malcolm Brogdon are indeed out, Giannis Antetokounmpo will continue to see a huge workload along with mid-tier option Khris Middleton, while Matthew Dellavedova will be worth a look as a value play.
