Top NBA DFS Picks & Lineups on DraftKings Today: Best Plays & Value
Joel Bartilotta of Filmogaz.com offers a concise guide for building DraftKings lineups on Sunday. He highlights matchups, injuries, and top NBA DFS picks with an eye toward best plays and value.
Slate overview
- Orlando at New Orleans — Orlando has dominated this matchup recently. The Magic have won eight straight here.
- Charlotte at Minnesota — The Timberwolves hold a three-game edge in the series.
- Utah at Oklahoma City — The Thunder have taken 13 of the last 14 meetings.
- Los Angeles at Dallas — The Lakers have won five straight games in this matchup.
Injuries to monitor
- ORL — Anthony Black (abdomen).
- NOP — Dejounte Murray (Achilles).
- CHA — Moussa Diabate (ankle).
- MIN — Jaden McDaniels (knee).
- UTA — Lauri Markkanen, Jaren Jackson, Keyonte George, Jusuf Nurkic, Walker Kessler, Isaiah Collier.
- LAL — Luka Doncic (hamstring), Marcus Smart (ankle), Austin Reaves (ribs).
- DAL — Kyrie Irving (knee).
For up-to-the-minute spreads and props, visit Filmogaz.com’s NBA Odds and Injury News pages.
Elite options
Cooper Flagg — Mavericks ($9,800) vs. Lakers
Flagg exploded for a 51-point game recently. That performance translated to 74 DraftKings points.
He averages about 40 DK points per game. He has posted at least 37 fantasy points in 10 of 11 recent outings.
Desmond Bane — Magic ($7,200) at Pelicans
Bane is averaging roughly 35 DraftKings points this season with Orlando. He scored 51 DK points in his latest game.
Across 25 contests he has a 38-point average. New Orleans ranks among teams allowing the most fantasy points to wings.
LeBron James — Lakers at Mavericks
LeBron is a go-to option with several Mavericks sidelined. With Luka off the floor, his usage rises to 33 percent.
He averages about 26.9 points, 7.3 rebounds and 10.2 assists when Doncic sits. He posted a 28-10-12 line in a February meeting.
Paolo Banchero — Magic ($9,000) at Pelicans
Banchero has been steady over the last two months. He reached at least 34 DraftKings points in 21 of 24 games.
In that stretch he averaged roughly 43 DK points and showed a high ceiling. The Pelicans rank in the lower third in defensive efficiency.
Expected chalk and mid-range plays
Shai Gilgeous-Alexander — Thunder ($10,500) vs. Jazz
SGA is the slate’s lone player above $10K. He offers a high floor near 35 DraftKings points and a big ceiling.
Utah ranks among the worst defenses in points allowed. SGA posted nearly 70 fantasy points in their recent meeting.
Brandon Williams — Mavericks ($5,200) vs. Lakers
Williams has stepped in as primary ball-handler amid injuries. He logged 35 DK points in two of his last three games.
Before a March 16 injury, he averaged 29 DK points across 12 contests. He produced 29 and 32 DK points in prior matchups with L.A.
Jeremiah Fears — Pelicans ($5,100) vs. Magic
Fears has increased minutes and production late in the season. He posted at least 26 DraftKings points in five of six games.
His career-high came in the most recent outing with 46 fantasy points. If Murray misses time, Fears becomes a higher-priority target.
Value plays
Derik Queen — Pelicans ($4,600) vs. Magic
Queen flashed scoring at moderate minutes recently. He produced 34 and 36 DraftKings points in back-to-back contests.
He played 28 minutes in those games. In 44 contests with 25-plus minutes, he averaged about 36 DK points.
Ryan Kalkbrenner — Hornets ($4,000) at Timberwolves
Kalkbrenner is viable if Moussa Diabate is unavailable. He would slide into a starting center role.
Since Diabate’s injury, Kalkbrenner posted 26 and 28 DraftKings points. He averages roughly 29 DK points when granted 25 minutes.
DFS strategy notes
Prioritize Top NBA DFS picks based on matchup and salary. Balance high-priced stars with mid-range and cheap value.
Use these names when constructing DraftKings lineups for the slate. Focus on best plays and value to maximize lineup upside.
Author disclosure: Joel Bartilotta plays daily fantasy contests. His rosters include DraftKings: Joelbartilotta and Yahoo: Joelbartilotta.
