FanDuel & DraftKings NBA Daily Picks: Fantasy lineup & advice 3/9/18

PG – Lonzo Ball, Los Angeles Lakers @ Denver Nuggets

Ball hasn’t taken much time to get back to full speed. The Lakers rookie had easily his worst game since returning from an MCL sprain against the Blazers, but he bounced back with an impressive line of 16 points, six rebounds, five assists, two blocks, and two steals against the Magic. 

Ball has now had 35 or more fantasy points in FanDuel in four of his last five games, and a matchup against the fast-paced Nuggets should help him reach that level of production again. Ball picked up his second of two triple-doubles this season against the Nuggets earlier this season as he had 11 points, 16 rebounds, 11 assists, and two blocks.

Also consider: Rajon Rondo, New Orleans Pelicans vs Washington Wizards

It’ll be all hands on deck for the Pelicans if Davis does miss out against the Wizards. That likely means more touches for Rondo, who had been playing very well prior to his slightly disappointing outing last time out against the Kings. He’s reached 5x value or higher in four of his last six outings, and with his fairly reasonable price, could provide a lot of value.

SG – Khris Middleton, Milwaukee Bucks vs New York Knicks

Middleton has admittedly been pretty inconsistent for the past couple of weeks. But after a couple of poor games in a row, he bounced back with a terrific line of 18 points, 12 boards, five assists, and three steals against the Rockets. The Knicks will be another fairly advantageous matchup for him which could see him provide similar value to some of the more expensive SG options tonight. Add his still relatively cheap price and that combination will be tough to ignore.

Also consider: Will Barton, Denver Nuggets vs Los Angeles Lakers

Barton had a rare off-night against the Cavs as he finished with just four points, two rebounds, and three assists. However, don’t expect another stinker from Barton, who has not had too many bad games back-to-back for quite a while. Prior to that Cavs game, he had provided 33-50 fantasy points in 12 of 15 games. Moreover, the fast pace and shaky wing defense of the Lakers should be an ideal matchup to get him back on track.

SF – Kevin Durant, Golden State Warriors @ Portland Trail Blazers 

With Stephen Curry going down with yet another ankle sprain last night against the Spurs, Durant once again stepped up and delivered a huge night with 37 points, 11 boards, four assists, and four blocks. Even though he’ll be on the second night of a back-to-back, Durant, with the type of usage he’s likely to enjoy, can rival the likes of LeBron and Giannis in terms of upside at a much lower price. Durant gave a nice taste of that upside the last time he faced the Blazers as he burned them for 50 points, seven boards, six assists, and a couple of blocks.

Also consider: Bojan Bogdanovic, Indiana Pacers vs Atlanta Hawks

Bogdanovic had a predictably lukewarm game last time out against the Jazz as he finished with 'just' 13 points and four rebounds. Those 13 points were a big dip from the 19.5 points Bogdanovic had been averaging for well over a month now. Bogdanovic just recently went off for 29 points against the Mavs prior to the Jazz game and also burned the Hawks for 26 points at the end of last month. Given how hot he’s been recently, it’s well worth a gamble to see if he can do it again tonight.

PF – Draymond Green, Golden State Warriors @ Portland Trail Blazers

Curry’s absence will mean the likes of Durant and Green will need to be the team’s point guards. However, Green shouldn’t have too much of a problem with that role with the way he’s been playing recently. He had a terrific line of 11 points, 12 rebounds, ten assists, two blocks, and two steals last night against the Spurs, which is his fourth straight game of at least nine assists. Green will also need to be a bit more aggressive offensively with the loss of Curry’s scoring, but he’s shown he can do that against the Blazers, as well as just about everything else. He had 16 points, 12 rebounds, seven assists, four blocks, and two steals against them last month.

Also consider: Nikola Mirotic, New Orleans Pelicans vs Washington Wizards

Obviously, it’ll be wise to snap Mirotic up if Davis does miss out against the Wizards. Mirotic has had a very nice start to March, averaging 21 points and seven boards off the Pelicans' bench. He had a similarly productive night the last time he faced the Wizards as he had 21 points, four boards, and four assists. But with added usage he’ll likely enjoy with Davis out, he should have a good chance of exceeding those numbers.

C – DeAndre Jordan, Los Angeles Clippers vs Cleveland Cavaliers

Jordan has been all sorts of dominant on the glass lately. He had another 20-rebound game against the Pelicans, his second game of 20 boards in his last three games. Jordan had 22 rebounds the last time he faced the Cavs, and also added 20 points, three blocks, and a steal. While Larry Nance has been impressive for the Cavs lately, it’s going to be tough to see him keeping DJ quiet on the glass.

Also consider: Enes Kanter, New York Knicks @ Milwaukee Bucks

Kanter is back on one of his impressive runs to start March. He’s averaging 16.7 points, 13.7 rebounds, 1.3 steals, and 1.0 block in the first three games of the month. He should have a great matchup to help him keep that great run going as he takes on the Bucks. Kanter crushed Milwaukee to the tune of 18 points and seven rebounds per game in two meetings against them last month. 

What do you think of tonight’s DFS picks? Share them in the comments below!