NBA Daily Fantasy Basketball Recommendations for March 3 2020
Tuesday brings eight games in the NBA with injuries likely to play a key role in several contests. That leaves us with not only some excellent top-tier options, but also some cheap value plays worth considering. Let’s break down a couple of the top players to target at each position. Don’t forget to sign up for our Newsletter and try our NBA Lineup Optimizer to help build a winning entry on FanDuel and DraftKings.
POINT GUARDS
Kyle Lowry, TOR at PHO
FanDuel = $6,900
DraftKings = $8,100
Lowry’s gone into a bit of a shooting funk, hitting just 27.5 percent of his field goal attempts over the last three games. However, he did play a couple of good defensive teams in the Bucks and Nuggets. The same can’t be said for the Suns, who Lowry posted 13 points, five rebounds, 10 assists and one steal against less than two weeks ago. His price on DraftKings isn’t much of a bargain, but he’s very appealing on FanDuel.
Shake Milton, PHI at LAL
FanDuel = $5,700
DraftKings = $6,300
The Sixers are reeling because of injuries right now. They were a top-heavy team, to begin with, so losing Joel Embiid (shoulder), Ben Simmons (back) and Josh Richardson (concussion) is no small feat to overcome. Enter Milton, who has averaged 26 points, 3.3 rebounds, 4.3 assists and 5.3 three-pointers over the last three games. With plenty of playing time likely coming his way here, he’s still a viable option despite his rising price tag.
SHOOTING GUARDS
D’Angelo Russell, MIN at NO
FanDuel = $8,500
DraftKings = $9,000
Russell hasn’t seen his production tail off one bit since joining the Timberwolves, averaging 23.7 points, 4.6 rebounds, 7.7 assists and 1.4 steals across seven games. He averaged 18.4 shot attempts per game during that stretch and should remain very busy with Karl-Anthony Towns (wrist) out. With both the Timberwolves and Pelicans ranked inside the top-four in the league in pace of play, Russell is certainly an appealing option.
Norman Powell, TOR at PHO
FanDuel = $4,900
DraftKings = $5,700
Some news to monitor for heading into this game is the status of Fred VanVleet (shoulder), who is listed as questionable. He’s missed both of the Raptors’ last two games, which resulted in Powell starting and logging at least 36 minutes in both of those contests. He scored 22 points against the Hornets in the first game, then followed that up with 24 points and six rebounds against the Nuggets on Sunday. If VanVleet remains out, Powell should once again play an expanded role.
SMALL FORWARDS
LeBron James, LAL vs. PHI
FanDuel = $10,500
DraftKings = $11,400
Anthony Davis (knee) was unable to play Sunday against the Pelicans and is listed as questionable for this matchup against the Sixers. It’s important to note that the game against the Pelicans came on the heels of playing Saturday, so it might have just been a case of the Lakers giving him some extra rest. Even if he does return for this game, James is still a great option given his ability to contribute in so many areas and the Sixers’ injury woes.
Juancho Hernangomez, MIN at NO
FanDuel = $4,800
DraftKings = $5,500
Hernangomez is finally getting a chance to play now that he’s on the Timberwolves after being buried on the bench with the Nuggets. Outside of a couple of bad games, he’s largely been productive with averages of 13.8 points, 6.8 rebounds and 1.3 assists since joining the team. With secure playing time in hand, he could provide value based on his reasonable price on both sites.
POWER FORWARDS
Zion Williamson, NO vs. MIN
FanDuel = $8,200
DraftKings = $7,700
Williamson has quickly shown why everyone was so high on him heading into the draft. He’s been electric since returning from injury and has averaged 26.4 points, 6.3 rebounds and 2.4 assists across his last 11 games. While he hasn’t provided much in terms of defensive stats and he’s shooting just 64.8 percent from the charity stripe, he’s been efficient from the field at 59.3 percent. The Timberwolves don’t have much size up front right now, so look for Williamson to feast.
Trey Lyles, SA at CHA
FanDuel = $5,400
DraftKings = $5,200
The Spurs will be forced to play this game without LaMarcus Aldridge (shoulder) and Jakob Poeltl (knee), so expect Lyles to be busy. He’s logged at least 37 minutes in back-to-back games because of their absences, which enabled him to record at least 20 points and six rebounds in both contests. Add in the Hornets having the seventh-worst defensive rating and Lyles becomes a great target.
CENTERS
Marquese Chriss, GS at DEN
FanDuel = $6,000
DraftKings = $5,800
The Warriors don’t have much depth, to begin with, but could really be in trouble here with Draymond Green (knee) and Kevon Looney (hip) both listed as questionable. If they are both out, Chriss could play a ton. Even if they do take the floor, Chriss is locked into significant playing time now as the team’s starting center, which has resulted in him averaging 13.4 points, 7.4 rebounds and 1.6 blocks since taking on that role.
Harry Giles III, SAC vs. WAS
FanDuel = $4,900
DraftKings = $5,600
It remains slim pickings at center for the Kings with Richaun Holmes (shoulder) and Marvin Bagley III (foot) out. Giles and Alex Len are left to carry the load at the position with Giles gaining the starting role. He’s starting to settle into his new job nicely, averaging 14.8 points, 8.2 rebounds and 1.8 assists over the last five games. Of note, he is only eligible at center on DraftKings since he is listed at power forward on FanDuel.
Author Bio:
Mike has been covering fantasy sports since 2007, joining Lineup Lab in 2017. An avid player of both season-long fantasy leagues and DFS, Mike’s work has appeared on numerous sites, including RotoWire, SportsLine and Sports Illustrated. He’s also been featured on DraftKings’ nightly show, The Sweat, and was a finalist for the 2018 FSWA Basketball Writer of the Year award. Follow Mike on Twitter @rotomikebarner.