This article is part of our DraftKings NBA series.
Here we go with a brief two-game slate on Thursday, March 14.
Per usual, we have some injuries to monitor with potential for more while moving closer to tip-off. You'll want to stay in the loop with Rotowire's NBA News Feed before setting your final lineups. As of Thursday morning, these are the situations we are looking at:
- Marcus Smart and Daniel Theis are questionable. They are both battling an illness. Smart is the one to watch, as Jaylen Brown and Gordon Hayward would look to step up in his absence.
- Josh Hart is questionable. The Lakers rotation is tough to predict, and his minutes would likely get spread to numerous players if he's out.
- Andrew Wiggins is questionable. Keita Bates-Diop has started the past three games in his absence while averaging 35 minutes and 26 fantasy points. He would be a reasonable bargain if Wiggins remains sidelined.
- Jeff Teague and Derrick Rose are questionable. I wouldn't be surprised if they both missed this game with the Timberwolves falling further out of the playoffs. Tyus Jones would make an excellent DFS value if that's the case.
- Serge Ibaka is out. He has been suspended. Marc Gasol and Pascal Siakam will see an uptick.
- Luka Doncic is playing through an injury? He's not listed on the injury report, but Doncic mentioned that he played through pain in a tough outing on Tuesday. Food for thought.
- Marvin Bagley will play. We aren't sure how many minutes he'll see. However, his presence is a blow to the value of Nemanja Bjelica.
These notable players will continue to miss time: Tristan Thompson, Larry Nance, Matthew Dellavedova, Victor Oladipo, Tyreke Evans, Luol Deng
With that, I'll be breaking down the best fantasy choices on DraftKings for Thursday. The following write-ups contain a blend of cash game staples, bargain fillers, and tournament pivots.
GUARDS
Tyus Jones ($4,200) makes for a strong bargain if Teague and/or Rose are out. The Teague news is key here.
Kyrie Irving – BOS vs. SAC ($8,900): Sacramento makes for a great matchup to opposing guards. You probably don't need a reminder at this stage of the season. The Kings rank third in pace and 23rd in defensive efficiency to point guards, and Irving could take full advantage tonight. This is the highest over/under of the slate at 231 total points. There's enough value to comfortably blend Irving into lineups of all formats, and I highly recommend doing just that.
Monte Morris – DEN vs. DAL ($3,500): Morris has come up big for the Nuggets while averaging 28 minutes and 33 fantasy points over his last two games. We need to take that with a grain of salt, as both of those contests turned into blowouts. However, Morris remains near minimum salary, and he should see somewhere in the neighborhood of 25 minutes with Denver guard Isaiah Thomas deemed out of the rotation. I believe Morris represents a fine bargain through all formats to help make room for the top dollar stars.
D.J. Augustin – ORL vs. CLE ($4,400): Take note that Tyus Jones would supersede Augustin for a similar price if he's starting tonight. Having said that, the Orlando guard is a reasonable fallback candidate while seeing around 30-34 minutes against a Cleveland team that ranks 29h in defensive efficiency to point guards. Augustin has been pretty mediocre this season, but he usually cashes in on promising matchups. He posted 30 fantasy points at Washington yesterday, and 33 FP on March 3 against the same Cavaliers team he'll see tonight.
Other guards to consider: Donovan Mitchell – UTA vs. MIN ($8,300), Collin Sexton – CLE at ORL ($5,000)
FORWARDS
Keita Bates-Diop ($3,500) would represent solid value if Wiggins misses tonight's tilt at Utah.
Paul George – OKC at IND ($9,700): It's not ideal to have Paul George playing the second leg of a back-to-back away from home. However, returning to his old stomping grounds of Indiana should be enough to get him going. He checks in at a substantial discount from teammate Russell Westbrook while holding realistically similar upside. This is a competitive draw that should require plenty of minutes and all-around production from George.
Kawhi Leonard – TOR vs. LAL ($8,700): I believe there's enough value on this slate to comfortably squeeze Irving, George, and Leonard into the same lineup. Leonard finds himself in a favorable home matchup against a Lakers team that ranks fourth in pace and bottom ten in overall defensive efficiency. There's a chance he could see some extra work in the frontcourt with Ibaka not playing, but it's not like Leonard really needs more opportunities to be deemed fantasy worthy.
Bojan Bogdanovic – IND vs. OKC ($6,200): Bogdanovic has been red-hot for the Pacers, and they'll need him to keep it going in a primetime home draw against the Thunder. The price remains moderate despite the recent success, and tonight's matchup looks good against an Oklahoma City squad that ranks below average in defensive efficiency to small forwards.
Other forwards to consider: Pascal Siakam – TOR vs. LAL ($6,900), Maxi Kleber – DAL at DEN ($3,700)
CENTERS
Marc Gasol – TOR vs. LAL ($5,900): Gasol has been battling Ibaka for playing time (and a starting role) ever since he joined the Raptors. Ibaka has been ruled out tonight, so Gasol should be free to log at least 30-33 minutes. This is an excellent matchup to unleash him, as the Lakers rank fourth in pace and 25th in defensive efficiency to centers. Go ahead and comfortably target Gasol through all formats this evening.
Al Horford – BOS vs. SAC ($6,300): Horford is more of a tournament pivot away from Gasol tonight. You never really know what his role looks like on a nightly basis, but there's inherent upside if he decides to do the heavy lifting. Tonight's matchup against Sacramento is hard to deny, as the Kings rank 23rd in defensive efficiency to centers and 27th in rebound rate. Horford posted 50 fantasy points at Sacramento last week, but that came without Irving in the lineup. Will he be aggressive in this encouraging matchup or fade into the background? That's the question in DFS tournament formats.
Other centers to consider: Nikola Vucevic – ORL vs. CLE, Ante Zizic – CLE at ORL ($4,000)
