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Fantasy Basketball Value Picks: Top DraftKings NBA DFS Bargain Plays for Monday 3/16/26

Fantasy Basketball Value Picks: Top DraftKings NBA DFS Bargain Plays for Monday 3/16/26

Chicago Bulls DraftKings Fantasy Advice DFS NBA Rail

Published:

By: Alex Hunter

DraftKings’ main NBA DFS slate for Monday starts at 7:00 PM EST and features the first six games of the night. DraftKings continues to offer huge contests for DFS players, and below, I dive into two of my favorite bargain plays for this slate.

Set your DraftKings fantasy basketball lineups here: NBA $300K Fadeaway [$100K to 1st]

SF, Jaylen Wells, Memphis Grizzlies at Chicago Bulls, $4,800

Wells (shoulder) has been removed from the Grizzlies’ injury report and will play tonight vs. the Bulls. Meanwhile, Ja Morant (elbow), Santi Aldama (knee), Kentavious Caldwell-Pope (finger) and Scotty Pippen Jr. (toe) are out, and Ty Jerome (shoulder) and GG Jackson (foot) are doubtful, leaving Memphis extremely understaffed. Wells has topped 30 FPTS in three of his last five and with a featured role tonight, he should have another strong outing.

Since the All-Star break, Wells is producing 1.0 FPTS per minute with a 21.8% usage rate. Given tonight’s situation, he should see an even higher usage rate and Wells should log over 30 minutes in this terrific matchup vs. the Bulls, who rank fourth in pace and 23rd in defensive rating this season. This game’s 243.5-point total on DraftKings Sportsbook is the highest on the slate and Wells has a ceiling near 40 FPTS in this projected shootout.

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C, Jalen Smith, Chicago Bulls vs. Memphis Grizzlies, $5,200

Opposite of Wells, Smith is another great target from this slate-high total between the Bulls and Grizzlies. Smith sat out the Bulls’ last game given it was the second night of a back-to-back set, but the center has been removed from Chicago’s injury report and will be in action tonight. Smith has missed games recently with a lingering calf injury, but he has looked healthy in his last two starts, logging over 30 minutes in each contest. In these tilts, Smith posted a double-double worth 35.5 FPTS vs. the Warriors and then 20 FPTS vs. the Lakers.

Smith hasn’t played since last Thursday and he should see over 30 minutes tonight in this elite matchup vs. the Grizzlies. Since the All-Star break, Memphis ranks 26th in defensive rating and the club is allowing the most points in the paint in the NBA. In this perfect spot, Smith could destroy his $5,200 salary. The big man is scoring 1.2 FPTS per minute with a 19.5% usage rate this season and he is averaging 30.7 FPTS per game for the last 10 times he has logged at least 25 minutes.

Alex Hunter
Alex Hunter is an avid DFS player and sports handicapper, who has been a proud member of the DraftKings Network team since 2020. He is a data-driven analyst, who earned his bachelor’s degree in communications at Worcester State University and has been in the sports content business for nearly a decade, covering the NBA, NFL and PGA TOUR. Alex is a diehard Boston Celtics fan, who loves to be on the golf course when he isn’t grinding lineups or producing content. For all of Alex’s work or if you need any lineup advice, be sure to follow him @Hunta512 on X.
Disclaimer

I am a promoter at DraftKings and am also an avid fan and user (my username is Hunta512) and may sometimes play on my personal account in the games that I offer advice on. Although I have expressed my personal view on the games and strategies above, they do not necessarily reflect the view(s) of DraftKings and do not constitute a representation that any particular strategy will guarantee success. All customers should use their own skills and judgment in building lineups. I may also deploy different players and strategies than what I recommend above. I am not an employee of DraftKings and do not have access to any non-public information.