NBA Daily Fantasy Basketball Sleeper Lineup Picks for 3/6/19
*Mike Barner — @rotomikebarner*
We have plenty of action in the NBA on Wednesday with 10 games on the schedule. That leaves us with a ton of cheaper value play options to wade through. Here are a couple that stand out at each position as having particularly favorable matchups. 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
Reggie Jackson, DET vs. MIN
FanDuel = $5,800
DraftKings = $5,400
Not only have the Pistons worked their way into a playoff spot, but they are also currently tied with the Nets for the sixth seed in the Eastern Conference. Jackson has been stellar during their recent run of success, averaging 19.6 points, 2.4 rebounds and 5.7 assists across his last 15 games. Even though he can’t be counted on for much in the way of defensive stats, his offensive upside is high Wednesday with the Timberwolves allowing an average of 121 points across their last 10 games.
Tyler Johnson, PHO vs. NY
FanDuel = $5,400
DraftKings = $5,200
It’s hard to figure out what Johnson is going to provide on a nightly basis. Since joining the Suns, he’s scored nine points or fewer in six of nine games. However, he averaged 20 points across the other three contests. The good news is that he’s been able to maintain some success in DFS by averaging 4.1 rebounds, four assists and 1.5 steals across his last eight games. With the Knicks allowing sixth-most points per game (114.3) in the league, Johnson has a chance to have one of his better scoring outputs in this matchup.
SHOOTING GUARDS
Luke Kennard, DET vs. MIN
FanDuel = $5,300
DraftKings = $4,700
It took awhile, but Kennard is finally starting to receive expanded playing time. He’s averaged 28 minutes across nine games since the trade deadline, which is up significantly from his season mark of 22 minutes a night. He’s made his case to remain an important part of their rotation down the stretch, averaging 14.9 points, 2.9 rebounds, 2.4 assists and 3.1 three-pointers over those nine contests.
Josh Hart, LAL vs. DEN
FanDuel = $4,400
DraftKings = $3,300
The wheels are starting to come off for the Lakers. They find themselves 5.5 games out of the eighth seed in the Western Conference and will be without Kyle Kuzma (ankle) on Wednesday. To make matters worse, Brandon Ingram (shoulder) is listed as questionable. If he is unable to play, that could leave significant minutes for Hart. That could be huge considering he’s averaged 11.9 points, 6.4 rebounds, 1.9 assists and 1.6 steals over 18 games in which he has logged at least 30 minutes.
SMALL FORWARDS
Will Barton, DEN at LAL
FanDuel = $5,900
DraftKings = $5,600
The Nuggets’ improved health situation hasn’t had a negative impact on Barton, who has still logged at least 32 minutes in four straight games. With his ability to contribute in multiple areas, he can continue to have a high ceiling as long as he gets enough playing time. Add in the fact that the Lakers play at the fourth-fastest pace (103.8 possessions per game) in the league and Barton is an appealing option to consider.
Mikal Bridges, PHO vs. NY
FanDuel = $4,800
DraftKings = $3,800
Bridges has moved into a reserve role for the Suns, but he’s still playing the same amount of minutes. That’s helped his production remain largely unchanged with averages of 7.3 points, 3.3 rebounds, four assists and two steals across his last six games. With the defensive mess that is the Knicks, Bridges might actually have a little higher scoring upside in this game, so don’t sleep on him in tournament play.
POWER FORWARDS
Harry Giles, SAC vs. BOS
FanDuel = $4,700
DraftKings = $4,300
The Kings remain without one of the key parts of their rotation with Marvin Bagley (knee) not yet ready to return. They’ve looked to Giles for added production, who hasn’t disappointed with averages of 16.7 points and 6.3 rebounds across his last three games. Any added playing time that he can get is huge considering his 23.4 percent usage rate ranks third-highest on the team. With the Celtics set to play the second game of a back-to-back set, the fresher Giles could once again be productive.
Mike Scott, PHI at CHI
FanDuel = $4,500
DraftKings = $4,500
Putting all of the funny The Office references aside, Scott is extremely important for the Clippers right now. Joel Embiid (knee) and Boban Marjanovic (knee) have missed their last three games, leaving Scott to average 27 minutes a night. His production hasn’t been off the chart, but with averages of 14 points and four rebounds during that stretch, he could provide value in tournament play against a Bulls team that has struggled defensively of late.
CENTERS
Robin Lopez, CHI vs. PHI
FanDuel = $5,700
DraftKings = $5,000
The Bulls couldn’t pull out the win over the Pacers on Tuesday, but Lopez once again had a great performance with 20 points, nine rebounds and three blocks. That’s impressive considering he had to face Myles Turner. He faces a much easier matchup against the depleted Sixers on Wednesday. The only concern here is if the Bulls decide to play small with Lauri Markkanen spending added time at center. However, Lopez’s upside in tournament play is undeniable.
Alex Len, ATL vs. SA
FanDuel = $4,100
DraftKings = $4,500
The Hawks are running out of healthy frontcourt players. Omari Spellman (ankle) will be out for at least a month and Dewayne Dedmon (knee) is listed as doubtful for this contest. There is also some concern around John Collins (illness), who is questionable after missing their last three games. Even if Collins does play, Len is going to spend extra time on the floor with Dedmon out. Across 27 games in which Len has logged at least 20 minutes this season, he’s averaging 13.9 points, 7.7 rebounds and 1.4 blocks.
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.