I won’t sugarcoat it. This isn’t exactly a night of sports where NBA comes first. Not only is it MLB Opening Day, but it’s the Sweet 16 tips off this evening, as well. Stiff competition.
Still, we’ve got a six-game featured slate on DraftKings with a big prize pool. You’re obviously going to make a couple lineups even if you aren’t planning on watching the action. I’m here to help with that. Let’s dive in.
Set your DraftKings fantasy basketball lineups here: NBA $150K Fadeaway [$50K to 1st]
Key Injury News
QUESTIONABLE: Anthony Davis, Jalen Williams, Josh Giddey, Malik Monk, Nikola Vucevic, Amen Thompson, Ty Jerome, Caleb Martin, Lonzo Ball, Cason Wallace, Toumani Camara, Devin Carter
DOUBTFUL: Cole Anthony, Jerami Grant
OUT: Evan Mobley, P.J. Washington, Jordan Clarkson, Marcus Smart, Kyshawn George, Rui Hachimura
Click here for the slate’s full and updated injury report
Matchup Analysis
Best Defensive Rating (Last 10 Games)
- Oklahoma City Thunder vs. MEM (107.8)
- Chicago Bulls vs. LAL (110.7)
- Indiana Pacers at WAS (111.0)
Worst Defensive Rating (Last 10 Games)
- Dallas Mavericks at ORL (122.6)
- San Antonio Spurs at CLE (122.1)
- Los Angeles Lakers at CHI (120.0)
Fastest Pace (Last 10 Games)
- Washington Wizards vs. IND (102.6)
- Chicago Bulls vs. LAL (102.5)
- Dallas Mavericks at ORL (101.6)
Slowest Pace (Last 10 Games)
- Miami Heat vs. ATL (95.9)
- Orlando Magic vs. DAL (96.3)
- Los Angeles Lakers at CHI (98.5)
Highest Game Total
- Memphis Grizzlies at Oklahoma City Thunder (237.5)
- San Antonio Spurs at Cleveland Cavaliers (237)
- Indiana Pacers at Washington Wizards (235.5)
Top DFS Pick
PG Tyrese Hailburton, Indiana Pacers at Washington Wizards, $8,700
The fact that Haliburton’s salary isn’t back up over $9,000 yet is wild. I mean, what does this man have to do to get a little respect? Haliburton is currently riding a streak of 12 consecutive double-doubles dating back to February 23 against the Clippers. It’s a stretch where Haliburton has exceeded 45 FPTS on 10 different occasions, culminating with a season-high 18 dimes in yesterday’s narrow loss to the Lakers. Needless to say, the man is locked in at the moment. It would be nearly impossible for Haliburton to draw a better matchup on Thursday, too. Not only have the Wizards conceded the most FPTS per game to opposing point guards so far in 2024-25, but they’ve also surrendered the fifth-most opponent assists per contest (28.4). Haliburton is going to absolute eat.
Top Value Pick
PG/SG AJ Johnson, Washington Wizards vs. Indiana Pacers, $4,200
Johnson has been a vital part of the Wizards’ rotation across the team’s past six games. How vital? Well, the rookie, who had appeared in just seven contests for the Bucks prior to being a part of the Kyle Kuzma trade, actually leads Washington in minutes per game dating back to March 17 (29.3). It’s a span where Johnson also ranks third to only Alex Sarr ($6,400) and Bub Carrington ($4,900) in touches per game (53.3). That’s a pretty large role for a 20-year-old. Johnson hasn’t translated this opportunity into a ton of fantasy output, though he is averaging 24.0 FPTS in this six-contest run with a high of 31.0 FPTS against the Raptors this past Monday. He’s solid. That’s enough to be viable in an uptempo matchup with the Pacers, especially considering Johnson’s price tag is down $300 in the last 24 hours.
