While the basketball world has begun to set its gaze on college hoops with anticipation of the NCAA Tournament, the NBA action continues. Ten games will be taking place on the Friday night.
Starting at 7 p.m. ET, the Miami Heat will host the Boston Celtics while the Philadelphia 76ers take on the Indiana Pacers. A half-hour later, the Los Angeles Clippers are set to play the Atlanta Hawks.
Four games will be tipping off at 8 p.m. ET. Most notably, the Cleveland Cavaliers will take on the Memphis Grizzlies. In addition, the Rockets will face the Mavericks, the Spurs will play the Hornets and the Mavericks will take on the Rockers. At 9:30 p.m. ET, the Los Angeles Lakers will take on the Denver Nuggets in an intriguing Western Conference battle. At the same time, the Toronto Raptors will face the Utah Jazz. The final matchup of the night’s slate, Phoenix Suns vs. Sacramento Kings, will tip off at 10 p.m. ET.
There are plenty of opportunities to get involved in the action this evening. One of the more unique features on DraftKings this year is Pick6 Fantasy Basketball!
This article will look at my top Pick6 plays for action on March 14. You simply choose whether each set statistic will be more or less than the number set. With the stage set, here are my favorite picks across the 10-game slate.
Kelly Oubre Jr. Less Than 15.5 Points
It has been a disastrous season for the Philadelphia 76ers. After starting the year with deep playoff aspirations, they now hold the sixth-worst record in the league and have fully waived the white Flagg (pun intended) on the season. Joel Embiid has been shut down for the remainder of the season with his knee issues, while reports surfaced yesterday indicating that Paul George seems set for a similar fate. There are only six fully healthy players on the Sixers roster out of their 15 full-time players and three two-way options. Kelly Oubre Jr. does not crack this list as he is questionable with a knee injury, but he was questionable for Wednesday’s game against the Raptors and ended up playing a reduced role. Expect a similar outcome tonight.
Oubre is averaging 15.1 points per game this season and has been held to less than 15.5 points in 37 of the 60 games he has played. He saw his role grow in the Sixers offense with injuries taking a toll on the rest of the roster. Oubre tallied more than 15.5 points in five straight games from Feb. 24 to March 6. The outlook for the Sixers shifted since this point as reality set in for the organization. Oubre was limited to just six points in 19:35 of game time in the following game. He also was held to 13 points most recently against the Raptors.
Expect Oubre’s opportunity to remain limited tonight as the Sixers prioritize giving their young players opportunities. The 10-year NBA veteran deserves credit for his continued professional approach to the game but Philadelphia knows what they have with him and has a more vested interesting in evaluating the players behind him. Take advantage of the number remaining at 15.5 points despite Oubre’s reduced role. Count on him being held to less than this for the 38th time this season.
James Harden More Than 9.5 Assists
It will be a battle of some of the premier playmakers tonight as James Harden and the Clippers face off with Trae Young and the Hawks. Young currently leads the NBA in assists with 11.5 per game while Harden is fifth in this category with 8.7 per game on the season.
While Harden has been forced to play in attack mode for a large part of this season, he is at his best when serving primarily as a playmaker at this stage of his career. He is passing the ball at an extremely high level and has tallied 39 assists across his past three games. This includes a 17-assist performance against the Pelicans on Tuesday. Overall, Harden has tallied more than 9.5 assists in 25 games this season. He also tallied 15 assists in the previous matchup with the Hawks this year.
Norman Powell remains out for this matchup but Kawhi Leonard is set to return to the floor after missing the previous game. Dyson Daniels is a terrific defender, but expect Harden to hunt Young on switches whenever he has a chance and create an advantage against the small guard. Harden is playing 38.9 minutes per game this month, up from the 35.1 he is averaging on the season. Expect Harden to remain at the center of everything and lead the charge as a playmaker tonight. Count on him to log more than 9.5 assists for the fourth straight game and the second time against the Hawks this season.
Kel’el Ware Less Than 7.5 Rebounds
The Miami Heat selected Kel’el Ware with the 15th overall pick in the 2024 draft. It took some time for the Indiana product to settle in, but he has provided a nice spark in this second half of the season. Ware is averaging 8.4 points and 6.5 rebounds in 20.5 minutes per game. Since Jan. 19, Ware has seen his level of opportunity grow to 28.7 minutes per game in which he is producing 10.5 points and 9.6 rebounds.
Miami will travel to face the defending champion Boston Celtics who are showing some signs of peaking at the right time. The absence of Kristaps Porzingis is the biggest concern, but there is plenty of talent and a defined identity on the team. Ware can share the floor with Bam Adebayo or serve as the lone big man in other lineups. But, Boston’s five-out offense will make it difficult for Ware to see expanded opportunity. Boston ranks 10th in total rebounding and 14th in opponents rebounds allowed on the season.
Ware gave a nice spark to this Heat team, but has shown some regression of late. In the last matchup, the rookie played just 18:24 of action, finishing with four points and seven rebounds. He also had two points and five rebounds the game before. Ware has been held to less than 7.5 rebounds in 30 of the 47 games he has played including the previous matchup with the Celtics. Expect his level of opportunity to be reduced based on this matchup and for Ware to be held to less than 7.5 rebounds against the defending champions tonight.
Nikola Jokic More Than 23.5 Assists + Rebounds
The Los Angeles Lakers will take on the Denver Nuggets tonight with their lack of production at the big man position proving to be more and more evident. LeBron James remains out with his groin injury and Jaxson Hayes is set to miss his fourth straight game. Alex Len will be the only true center on the Lakers’ roster and has been wildly underwhelming in his first six games with the team. Len played 19:29 of game action last night against the Bucks and finished with two points and three rebounds. The Bucks out-rebounded the Lakers 48-38, which is especially concerning for tonight against Nikola Jokic.
Jokic is averaging 29 points, 12.9 rebounds and 10.4 assists per game. The three-time MVP has seen his rebounding output grow to 14.8 per game in March, including logging 21 rebounds last week against the Suns. Expect this to be the driving force of the production with the Lakers ranking 25th in the NBA in total rebounds as a whole. There also is no answer from a personnel standpoint for how the Lakers will match up with Jokic in the regular flow of play. Expect this to result in multiple bodies being thrown in his direction and for Jokic to need to beat the Lakers as a playmaker — where he is arguably most dangerous.
This is a bad matchup for the Lakers and one I don’t see a solution to. Expect Jokic’s fingerprints to be all over the game as the three-time MVP may be playing the best basketball of his career. The Nuggets star has tallied more than 23.5 assists and rebounds in 31 of the 60 games he has played this year. Expect him to be at the heart of all of Denver’s production tonight and for a monstrous statline to be on the way. Take advantage by backing him to record more than 23.5 assists and rebounds in this Western Conference battle tonight.
Isaiah Collier More Than 7.5 Assists
The Toronto Raptors and Utah Jazz will face off tonight in a matchup that holds some weight in the lottery odds. While the race to the bottom of the standings may not be as exciting, the door is open for young talents on each team to showcase their abilities and prove they belong in the NBA. Isaiah Collier has done a really nice job doing this and has been extremely impressive as a playmaker.
Collier is averaging 7.6 points and 6.2 assists in 24.8 minutes of play. During his 33 games as a starter, Collier is averaging 30.3 minutes per game and producing 10.8 points and 8.1 assists per game. He has tallied more than 7.5 assists in 22 games, including 12 of his past 19.
Expect Collier to continue seeing an expanded role and for him to make his case for being the point guard of the future. The USC product has shown some high-level playmaking instincts and has a real knack for making the right read in the offense. He has seen the ball in his hand at an increased rate of late, and this will continue to be the case tonight. Expect both teams to lean on their young players often and for Collier to lead the pack for the Jazz. Look for him to record more than 7.5 assists for the 13th time in the past 20 games and the 23rd time overall.
Zach LaVine More Than 21.5 Points
The Sacramento Kings simply need to get more production from Zach LaVine. The prized trade deadline acquisition has been far too passive since joining his new team with this being especially evident in recent games. Just last night, LaVine scored just 14 points on six shots against the Warriors. Jimmy Butler deserves some credit for limiting his impact, but LaVine was too passive in his approach and finished with a team-worst -34 in the loss.
LaVine is averaging 23.7 points per game on 16.6 field goal attempts this season. He has recorded more than 21.5 points in 35 of the 58 games he has played. Since joining the Kings, LaVine is averaging 22.8 points per game and has recorded more than 21.5 points in nine of the 16 games he has played. The former All-Star had 30+ points in back-to-back games before being held to 16 total shot attempts across his past two games.
Look for the Suns’ vulnerable defense to jumpstart LaVine’s offense. Phoenix ranks 23rd in opponents’ points per game, 16th in opponents’ field goal percentage and 19th in opponents’ three-point percentage on the season. This will be the first time LaVine plays the Suns this season. Look for him to be far more aggressive without the same level of defensive attention sent his way. Buy in on the bounceback opportunity and look for LaVine to record more than 21.5 points again tonight.
What is DraftKings Pick6?
Pick6 is a peer-to-peer fantasy variant where you build a lineup (your “Pick Set”) of at least two players and select whether you believe each will outperform their listed stat projection. Enter your Pick Set in Pick6 contests to compete against other users. Get enough picks correct and win a share of cash prizes.
How to Play DraftKings Pick6
Create a Pick Set
Create a Pick Set by choosing 2+ players from the same sport and Pick Group (a set of picks available from a group of set competitions). For each player, simply select if you think they’ll have more or less than their listed stat projection. In each Pick Set, you cannot pick the same player twice and you must select players from at least two different teams.
Enter an Amount
Once you finalize your Pick Set, choose your entry fee amount. Your entries will be automatically distributed into available contests, subject to your confirmation.
Sweat Your Picks
When the games go live, use the My Picks tab to follow your picks in real time to track how your players are performing against their projections and how they stack up against other users.
Compete for Prizes
Make enough correct picks and win a share of the contests’ guaranteed prizes. Any prizes won will be credited to your DraftKings account after contests are finalized.
Play at DraftKings Pick6 or by downloading the DraftKings Pick6 app on Apple or Google!
