It’s Friday, March 7th. The National Basketball Association (NBA) has a total of eight games on the schedule.
There is a nationally televised doubleheader on ESPN, with the Memphis Grizzlies and Dallas Mavericks tipping off at 7:30 p.m. ET and the Phoenix Suns and Denver Nuggets hooking up at 10:00 p.m. ET. We have a total of three games tipping off at 10:00 p.m. or later.
Here are our top NBA DFS lineup picks and advice for tonight’s slate.
View the best player prop bets for tonight’s slate with our NBA Prop Bet Cheat Sheet
NBA DraftKings & FanDuel DFS Primer
NBA DFS Core Plays
James Harden (PG, SG – LAC)
- DraftKings: $9,800
- FanDuel: $9,500
Honestly, James Harden isn’t my favorite play, but all of the big-money options are either sidelined or questionable due to nagging injuries.
The Beard has a somewhat favorable matchup against the Knicks, who have an opponent rank of 16th. He is averaging 46.4 fantasy points per game and is brimming with confidence after dropping 50 points on the Detroit Pistons on Wednesday night, while also contributing six three-pointers, five assists, four rebounds, a blocked shot and a steal.
Kevin Durant (SF, PF – PHO)
- DraftKings: $8,900
- FanDuel: $9,300
Including Kevin Durant in your lineup on Friday night is a good move. He is averaging a respectable 45.2 fantasy points per game and faces a Denver defense that was just torched by James Harden. In addition, Nikola Jokic carries a questionable tag into Friday’s game due to a bum ankle. If he isn’t in the paint gumming up the works, Durant could have a monster performance with little defensive resistance.
Durant has averaged 30 points, 8.5 rebounds, 4.0 assists and 2.0 blocks in two March outings while hitting a total of seven three-pointers in the two games. In a back-to-back with Denver in December, even when Jokic was on the court, Durant averaged 25 points, 6.5 rebounds, 4.0 assists and 2.0 steals.
Ja Morant (PG – MEM)
- DraftKings: $8,300
- FanDuel: $8,100
Ja Morant posted 24 points with six assists, three rebounds, a steal and a pair of three-pointers last time out against Oklahoma City on Wednesday night. He was also a perfect 6-of-6 from the free-throw line. Morant is a ridiculous 36-of-36 from the charity stripe in the past five games, last missing in a game at Indiana on February 20th.
Morant has scored 20+ points in the past five games. If there is a knock on his game, it has been his three-point shooting, which he is just 6-of-46 (13%) across the past seven outings.
NBA DFS Cash Game Targets
Evan Mobley (PF, C – CLE)
- DraftKings: $8,100
- FanDuel: $8,500
Evan Mobley was back in the lineup on Wednesday after resting earlier in the week in Chicago. He was an efficient 7-of-10 from the field, finishing with 16 points, 13 rebounds and three assists in 36 minutes against the Miami Heat. The rest did him some good.
Mobley has scored 16+ points in seven consecutive outings with at least eight boards during the same span. More often than not, he meets or exceeds DFS salary expectations. Against Charlotte, he faces a team with an opponent rank of 27th.
Scottie Barnes (PG, SF – TOR)
- DraftKings: $7,900
- FanDuel: $9,100
Scottie Barnes is more of a value on DraftKings, but facing a Utah Jazz defense, he is worth adding either way. The Jazz allow 119.8 points per game (PPG), which is 28th in the NBA, while teams hit 47.7% against them from the floor, ranking 26th. Barnes should be able to roll up some massive offensive totals.
Jamal Murray (PG, SG – DEN)
- DraftKings: $7,800
- FanDuel: $8,300
The “Blue Arrow” is a strong play in this nationally televised tilt against the Phoenix Suns. The 28-year-old is having a solid month, averaging 25 points, 7.5 assists and 5.0 rebounds in two March games against the contending Boston Celtics and Sacramento Kings. There have been no free lunches. Jamal Murray has knocked down two or more three-pointers in each of his past eight games since.
NBA DFS GPP Targets
Naji Marshall (SF, SG – DAL)
- DraftKings: $6,000
- FanDuel: $6,300
It appears Anthony Davis might be shut down for the remainder of the season, joining Kyrie Irving on the shelf.
Marshall is a big body who you will want to key on, as long as he can stay healthy. He went 10-of-18 from the field in Wednesday’s game at Milwaukee, going for 22 points, 11 rebounds, two assists, one steal and a pair of three-pointers in 32 minutes. The former Xavier product certainly has double-double upside. As long as he stays healthy and out of foul trouble, he could gobble up 30-35 minutes on the regular the rest of the way.
Jonas Valanciunas (C – SAC)
- DraftKings: $6,900
- FanDuel: $7,500
Jonas Valanciunas is expected to be in the starting five for the immediate future, as Domantas Sabonis is nursing a Grade 1 hamstring strain. Valanciunas went for 19 points, 13 rebounds and six assists in Denver on Wednesday. He is averaging 16 points, 12 rebounds, 3.3 assists, 2.0 steals and 1.7 blocks in three games this month. He should more than pay for himself with a double-double.
Walker Kessler (C – TOR)
- DraftKings: $6,600
- FanDuel: $7,200
This game between the Utah Jazz and Toronto Raptors could be surprisingly entertaining, even though both teams stink in terms of win-loss records.
Walker Kessler was rested last time out, but he is a full-go for this one. In his most recent showing Monday against the Detroit Pistons, he bagged 14 points with nine rebounds and a blocked shot on an efficient 7-of-9 shooting across 28 minutes. He is a rebounding machine, going for eight or more boards in 26 straight games while posting 12 or more rebounds in nine of his past 11 games. He’ll also swat a shot or two, so there’s that.
NBA DFS Value Plays
Alex Caruso (PG, SF – OKC)
- DraftKings: $4,400
- FanDuel: $4,300
The Thunder plan to rest Shai Gilgeous-Alexander, so look for swingman Alex Caruso to have a much bigger offensive role. He is certainly capable of going for double-digit points, a handful of assists with a smattering of rebounds when leaned upon for 20-25 minutes. He’ll occasionally hit a three-pointer or two.
Brice Sensabaugh (SF – UTA)
- DraftKings: $5,200
- FanDuel: $4,800
Brice Sensabaugh continues to see a healthy amount of minutes with Lauri Markkanen on the shelf. The 31-year-old former Buckeyes forward went for 15 points with four boards and two three-pointers last time out.
In the past six games when he has logged at least 23 minutes, Sensabaugh has scored double-digit points, while grabbing a handful of rebounds. He has two or more three-pointers in six of his past seven outings.
Spencer Dinwiddie (PG, SG – DAL)
- DraftKings: $5,900
- FanDuel: $6,000
Spencer Dinwiddie is expected to move into the starting five with Kyrie Irving done for the season due to a torn anterior cruciate ligament suffered in Monday’s setback against the Sacramento Kings.
Dinwiddie came on for 10 points, six assists, three rebounds and a steal in 27 minutes against the Kings, but he was a bit erratic from the field. In Wednesday’s game in Milwaukee, he was good for eight points, six assists, and four steals in 29 minutes, while also swatting a shot and knocking down a three-pointer.
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