NBA DFS Today: Gems with Ghost & Adam 3/12
We have a late lock tonight at 8:00 p.m. tonight with seven games in front of us and one game stands out pretty clearly above the rest. There are other good game environments with totals that rival the Golden State Warriors hosting the Milwaukee Bucks but this game is going to be popular in the NBA DFS Today: Gems with Ghost & Adam 3/12!
One thing I want to clarify based on the questions I have received over the past few years is that I will never list a player under the $5,000 price tag simply because I use the projection model to identify all targets in this range and below. While there are often plenty of options that I like at $5,000 and less, since I often find myself with not only one – but multiple – in my NBA DFS lineups, you all have access to the very model I use to make my own selections, so when asking yourself: “Should I use player X or player Y?”, make sure to check the model because that is how I make all of my own decisions and I truly ride or die by it on a daily basis.
Before running to the DraftKings, FanDuel, or Yahoo lobby to construct your NBA DFS lineup after reading this article, please make sure to utilize the abundance of tools we have at Win Daily:
Bucks at Warriors
Bucks – You certainly won’t be able to full-stack this game with the salaries involved but this begins with Giannis Antetokounmpo, as it does for most slates. The Warriors have had a tough go against big men with Draymond Green and Kevon Looney is not going to be able to do a lot with Giannis tonight. He’s up to 1.73 fantasy points per minute on a 34.9% usage rate and Golden State is down to 14th in points allowed in the paint. Giannis is tied for 10th in post-ups per game and that’s not a good mix for the Warriors. The pace should be intense as the Bucks are sixth and even though Golden State is down to 15th, they can run with any team in the league. The other trio of Jrue Holiday, Khris Middleton, and Bobby Portis all feel slightly expensive but Portis would be my next favorite. An athletic big man that can shoot from deep (seriously, 41.7% this season) isn’t going to be an easy cover and Middleton should face Andrew Wiggins. While Wiggins isn’t a defender you totally run away from, Portis has the easier path on the offensive end to be sure.
Warriors – The floor is absolutely there for Steph Curry and we talked on Thursday about his career-worst season as far as shooting the ball goes, but the ceiling is more than there at $10,000. The Bucks allow the most 3-point attempts per game in the league and that’s not exactly what you want to see when Curry is on the other side. With Klay Thompson still getting back to his normal self, Curry needs to continue to carry the team and has a 30.5% usage rate and 1.31 FPPM on the season. The salary is a big shift for him and it’s worth the gamble, especially if we get the value to stack Giannis/Steph together. Jordan Poole would be my preferred secondary target as Klay at $7,000 on DK is just not appealing. Poole appears to have gotten his groove back in his role of bench scorer with at least 34 DK and 20 real points in each of his last five games. I want at least two players from this game and Giannis would be my priority followed by Steph if we can or Poole if the value isn’t there.
Pacers at Spurs
Pacers – Malcolm Brogdon has already been ruled out for this one which means the Win Daily favorite of Tyrese Haliburton is in play even at $9,000. When Brogdon has been off the floor for Indiana, Haliburton has racked up a 37.4% assist rate, 21.2% usage rate, and 1.22 FPPM. With the Spurs playing at such a fast pace (fourth), this is a pretty strong spot for him. Dejounte Murray does wait on the other side but Haliburton will play so many minutes and do so much to fill the sheet, I’m still perfectly fine with his salary. My interest past that is somewhat limited as I refuse to pay $7,300 for Buddy Hield and his 0.99 FPPM. The frontcourt is very mix-and-match with Jalen Smith, Oshae Brissett, and Isaiah Jackson, and they’re all capped around 26-30 minutes. Let’s keep an eye on who they have active and we can adjust through the day.
Spurs – We don’t need to say much more about Murray at this point and if you want to play him, by all means. The fact that Brogdon is sitting out with a concussion is a bit of a bump to Murray. We know he thrives in high total games and what’s going to be of interest is who’s active for the Spurs. They played last night but if Jakob Poeltl is active, he’s on the table. Indiana is in the top 12 in points and rebounds allowed in the paint but that was on the back of having Myles Turner and Sabonis. Lonnie Walker is always an option in GPP and tonight is no different as the $4,300 salary doesn’t reflect the upside. He must be hitting shots to do much of anything but he’s a primary scoring option off the bench.
Teams To Monitor
Bulls – They are still sort of a mess with Zach LaVine, Nikola Vucevic, Ayo Dosunmu, and Alex Caruso listed as questionable. Who is available for the Bulls has an effect on my interest in Darius Garland and Evan Mobley for the Cavs as well. Mobley has been playing center without Jarrett Allen and he’s got some serious upside at $7,500 against a Bulls team that is in the bottom half of the league in points and rebounds allowed in the paint.
The Wizards, Jazz, Raptors, and Heat are all also on the second leg of a back-to-back. I expect this slate to change quite a bit from 10:55 p.m on Friday until lock on Saturday so be sure to stay tuned.
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