Sunday, March 8 (3/8/20) has split lock times depending on your DFS site of choice. Before you lock in your NBA DFS lineups and NBA DFS picks on DraftKings, FanDuel, Yahoo and SuperDraft, make sure to check out Awesemo’s NBA DFS rankings and projections. Let’s dig into some NBA DFS Picks, including Khris Middleton, Eric Bledsoe, Pascal Siakam and more.
Prime Time Players
Khris Middleton and Eric Bledsoe: Milwaukee Bucks at Phoenix Suns
Middleton: DraftKings $6,500, FanDuel $6,600, Yahoo $29; Ownership Rating (preliminary run): DraftKings 90.0%
Bledsoe: DraftKings $5,400, FanDuel $6,000, Yahoo $20; Ownership Rating (preliminary run): DraftKings 90.0%
OK, the 90% ownership is really what I am planning on doing with my lineups if Giannis Antetokounmpo (knee) does indeed sit out. Currently he is listed as doubtful and there is truly no need for him to play tonight. Milwaukee plays again tomorrow in Denver so if the Bucks want they can hold him out for that game. The next game after that is on Thursday, back in Milwaukee against Boston.
DraftKings, SuperDraft and FantasyDraft lock at 6 p.m. ET and will be the main places to play the Bucks, unless you are in the “all day” contests on FanDuel or Yahoo.
This year in 630.3 minutes without Giannis Antetokounmpo on the court, Khris Middleton is averaging 1.44 fantasy points per minute. While his overall efficiency drops, his usage rate increases from 20.7% to 32.3% and his assist rate from 17.3% to 25.3%.
Eric Bledsoe has played 434.7 minutes without Giannis and he too is averaging 1.44 fantasy points per minute under these conditions. Similarly, his usage rate increases from 19.9% to 31.5% and his assist rate from 24.2% to 36.5%.
The real question is how much over the field do we want to be tonight? Marvin Williams seems to be the likely candidate to move into the starting lineup over Ersan Ilyasova, but we will have that information before the contests lock.
Nikola Vucevic: Orlando Magic vs. Houston Rockets
DraftKings $8,900, FanDuel $8,400, Yahoo $40; Ownership Rating (preliminary run): DraftKings 16.9%, FanDuel 40.1% Yahoo 20.3%
The easiest place to find leverage against the field tonight on FanDuel will be at the center position. However, it will be a terrifying decision as the options thin out dramatically after Nikola Vucevic. Potential pivot moves include Myles Turner, Mitchell Robinson and Tristan Thompson. Turner is the most trustworthy, but that is not saying a whole heck of a lot. Robinson has blocks upside but is foul prone and who really knows what is going on in Cleveland on the second half of a back-to-back.
This makes Vucevic stand out even more than most nights. The matchup against the center-less Rockets should not be too much of a threat to the nine-year veteran’s production. While he missed the other meeting against Houston this season, last year in the one game without Clint Capela he dropped 50 with 19 points, 17 rebounds, five assists, two steals and a block. That game featured Kenneth Faried for 36:13 minutes and P.J. Tucker for 38:55 minutes.
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Good Value
Jimmy Butler: Miami Heat at Washington Wizards
DraftKings $8,100, FanDuel $8,000, Yahoo $36; Ownership Rating (preliminary run): DraftKings 20.4%, FanDuel 30.9% Yahoo 27.8%
We will definitely want to look at players from Phoenix such as Ricky Rubio, Devin Booker, Dario Saric and Aron Baynes, however that game is not available across the main slates. The Cavaliers are available, but we are still waiting on news for the availability of their frontcourt, so let’s focus on what we do know for this next recommendation.
Jimmy Butler checks all the boxes today with a reasonable price point and a phenomenal matchup against the Wizards. This game is in Washington where they have been hanging around just long enough in games to keep the other teams starters in play. Through the first three matchups of this series, Butler is averaging 35:20 with 26.3 points, 8.0 rebounds, 8.3 assists and 1.3 combined blocks/steals for nearly 1.5 fantasy points per minute. While Washington’s defense has gotten a little better with everyone healthy, they are still playing at the fourth-fastest pace in the league over their last 15 games. Miami is projected for 118.3 points and we know that Butler will have his hand in a lot of the production.
Yahoo Fantasy NBA DFS Discount Dandies
- Matthew Dellavedova: Cleveland Cavaliers vs. San Antonio Spurs – $10
- Cedi Osman: Cleveland Cavaliers vs. San Antonio Spurs – $10
- Derrick White: San Antonio Spurs at Cleveland Cavaliers – $12
NBA DFS Picks: SuperDraft
- Christian Wood: Detroit Pistons at New York Knicks – 1.50x multiplier
- Luka Doncic: Dallas Mavericks vs. Indiana Pacers – 1.10x multiplier
- James Harden: Houston Rockets at Orlando Magic – 1.10x multiplier
Our standout SuperDraft recommendations for today include Christian Wood who has a ridiculous 1.50x multiplier in a matchup against the toothless Knicks frontcourt. Then we have two superstars in Luka Doncic and James Harden, who for some reason are both receiving a 10% kicker today, albeit in pedestrian matchups. Finally, be sure to get a few players from the Milwaukee-Phoenix game as they are going to be wildly popular and likely wildly productive as well.
Final Thoughts
Things are a little tricky with regards to a combined overall main slate assessment with the sites split down the middle with 6 p.m ET and 7 p.m. ET contest lock times.
Be sure to tune into the Live Before Lock show featuring Fast Eddie Fear beginning at 4:45 p.m. EST for all of your up-to-date information and analysis.
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