This is the last Monday of March, which means that we suddenly only have three Mondays left in the NBA’s regular season. That being said, some teams checked out weeks ago, and it shows. In fact, this slate has Charlotte, Toronto, Detroit and Washington on it, so there’s a decent chance that we’ll have to learn a couple new player names.
However, that could equate to value. Let’s dive in and find out.
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PF/C Chimezie Metu, Detroit Pistons at New York Knicks, $4,100
Admittedly, the Knicks are a terrible matchup for DFS. Yet, we’ve reached a point where the Pistons’ rotation is somehow worse than it was during their 28-game losing streak. Maybe Detroit is limited to 90 points tonight, but even in such a scenario, someone on the weird remnants of this roster is going to have a big performance. Now it’s time to do the injury report house cleaning. Cade Cunningham ($8,000; knee) will probably be back in action after taking a maintenance day on Sunday, yet I’d be surprised to see Jalen Duren (back), Simone Fontecchio (toe) or Quentin Grimes (knee) return. That might mean Metu will be headed back to the bench on Monday, yet the veteran certainly opened some eyes in last night’s loss to the Pelicans, leading the Pistons in minutes (39.0) and points (17). All told, Metu finished with 34.5 DKFP — not bad for a guy currently on a 10-day contract. I expect he’ll be heavily involved again.
PG Jared Butler, Washington Wizards at Chicago Bulls, $4,400
The Wizards have won two straight games, which, in turn, has moved them past the aforementioned Pistons in the race for the worst record in the NBA. That’s bad news in tanking parlance, so you know some Washington players are sitting on Monday to right these recent wrongs. Kyle Kuzma (shoulder) has already been ruled out, while Jordan Poole ($6,700; ankle) is questionable to suit up. If the latter sits, that’ll leave the Wizards without the two highest usage options on the roster — the siren song of value opportunities in DFS. For me, Butler is the name to tabs on. Though the guard has yet to draw a start in 2023-24, Butler did log 30.8 minutes in a lopsided loss to the Rockets last week, scoring 15 points and dishing out nine assists. Butler has now seen at least 19 minutes in five consecutive contests and he’ll be very viable if Poole is sidelined.
C Zach Collins, San Antonio Spurs vs. Phoenix Suns, $5,000
Victor Wembanyama ($10,500; ankle) is questionable for tonight’s tilt against the Suns, and while the rookie has been far more durable and available than I initially assumed, it feels like a situation where the Spurs will be cautious will their young phenom. If Wembanyama does sit, Collins will be the man to step into the team’s starting five. Collins is averaging 29.7 DKFP as a starter this season. He’s also produced a very respectable 1.06 DKFP per minute played — a figure that jumps to 1.13 DKFP in the 929 minutes he’s logged without Wembanyama sharing the court. He’s too expensive to be considered a value, but Devin Vassell ($7,300) would see a spike in viability if Wembanyama is ruled out, as well. Vassell leads San Antonio with a 25.0% usage rate with Wembanyama off the court.
Set your DraftKings fantasy basketball lineups here: NBA $200K Micro-Max [$50K to 1st, 150 Entry Max]
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I am a promoter at DraftKings and am also an avid fan and user (my username is theglt13) 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 skill 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.
