Josh Engleman breaks down everything you need to know about tonight's NBA DFS schedule. That includes important information about Chet Holmgren for tonight. Today, Friday, March 22nd, let's jump into my NBA DFS advice.
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Today's NBA DFS advice: cream chet holmgren
BOS (-13.0) @ DET (223.0) | NBA DFS Tip of the Day
The Boston Celtics will play the Pistons in Detroit as 13-point favorites. The total points for the game is 223, with tipoff at 7 p.m.
It's hard to dig into Boston right now. Jaylen Brown, Al Horford, Kristaps Porzingis and Jayson Tatum are all questionable. Depending on who's in or out, the value for Boston will vary greatly, especially against the Pistons, who rank 26th in defense and fifth in pace.
If everyone was in, my attention would really be on Jayson Tatum. He has $9,900 small forward/power forward eligibility and is scoring around 1.4 fantasy points per minute at the spot, with a usage rate of over 30% and an assist rate of 25%.
The Pistons are without Simone Fontecchio, Quentin Grimes, Isaiah Stewart, Orser Thompson and Stanley Umude, who broke his ankle in the Pistons' final game. This should create some value for the Pistons based on their starting lineup, but they don't play overwhelmingly well.
Troy Brown is a potential $3,000 minimum wage option, but his per-minute performance is also incredibly poor. We need every minute we can get. Otherwise, the other option would be the value play of Chimezie Metu, who is eligible for $3,700 power forward center and recently made his Pistons debut.
OKC (-15.0) @ TOR (229.5)
The Oklahoma City Thunder will play the Raptors in Toronto as 15-point favorites. The total points for the game is 229, with tipoff at 7 p.m.
Oklahoma City appears to have all of its normal rotation available today. This is a great matchup against Toronto, who are incredibly undermanned, have poor defense, and play at a neutral pace. The Thunder don't have any options that stand out right away, but the entire starting lineup is fully rosterable.
Whether it's Chet Holmgren, Jaylen Williams, Josh Guidy, Lou Dort, or Shai Gilgeous-Alexander, all five look like plays that need to be active on today's slate. Masu. The value is still not that high today, so someone like Shai could look better by the end of today. Chet Holmgren, who costs $7,400 as a center only, is my preferred option, scoring 1.3 fantasy points per minute over the past 30 days and coming off a monster performance in his last game.
Toronto is still without Immanuel Quickley, who is out for personal reasons, and other players who have been sidelined recently. Gary Trent expects interest rates to rise the most if everyone leaves. He's the only guard shooting him at $6,200, but his usage rate will go up so much that he should be around his points per minute in fantasy even in this difficult matchup. The second option out of Toronto would be Grady Dick, but Kelly Olynyk and Ochai Agbaji look like secondary players.
NOP (+4.0) @ MIA (205.5) – NBA DFS Tip of the Day
The New Orleans Pelicans will face the Heat in Miami as a four-point underdog. The game will tip off at 8 p.m., with a total of 205 points available. This is the lowest total today.
The Pelicans will likely be without Brandon Ingram, who left last night's game with a knee injury. Unfortunately, there are no injury reports for the Pelicans yet, but assuming Ingram is out, that would create a small amount of value in CJ McCollum at $6,500 at point guard alone, but with a sizable bump in usage and assist rate. Brandon Ingram is sent off the floor.
Zion Williamson, Trey Murphy, and Herb Jones have all improved in stages, but I don't think any player stands out as much as McCollum. Bam Adebayo missed Miami's last game but is listed as questionable today. Nikola Jovic and Caleb Martin should both be available. Duncan Robinson is out again with left disc syndrome, but this sounds like a hoax.
This is a pretty bad place for Miami. Both teams play slowly. New Orleans has a top-five defense. In my opinion, Terry Rozier and Jimmy Butler are the only possible second options. If Bam Adebayo is sidelined again, they will try to find some value in either Nikola Jovic, Thomas Bryant, or Orlando Robinson.
CLE (+6.0) @ MIN (209.0)
The Cleveland Cavaliers are losing by six points in Minnesota. The game totals 209 points and tips off at 8 p.m.
Cleveland is still without Donovan Mitchell, Evan Mobley, Max Strus and Dean Wade. With them out, the Cavs' price continues to rise. Therefore, the value is relatively limited, especially against the league's No. 1 defense. Additionally, Cleveland currently plays at the slowest pace, while Minnesota plays at a neutral pace.
Isaac Okoro has played big with everyone out. He's a $4,500 small forward. That's a frightening rate of about 0.7 fantasy points per minute. However, his minutes, price and position make him the Cavaliers' most attractive option. Caris LeVert has been playing incredibly well in his absence, scoring 1.12 fantasy points per minute over the past 30 days with an assist rate of nearly 35%. But with the price going up, he looks like a good play, not a great play.
Anthony Edwards, Rudy Gobert, and Naz Reid are all questionable, so we're not entirely sure what the Minnesota Timberwolves will look like today. Gobert has missed the last three games and four of the last five, while Naz Reid missed his most recent appearance on March 19th. If they happen to be all in, my eyes immediately go to Anthony Edwards. He has $9,700 shooting guard/small forward eligibility and will be scoring around 1.35 fantasy points per minute in this game, as his usage rate will go up significantly in the absence of Karl-Anthony Towns. .
If Rudy Gobert or Naz Reid can be released, they could create more value elsewhere, but Edwards is the Timberwolves' only priority at this point.
MEM (+6.0) @ SAS (209.0) – NBA DFS Tip of the Day
Things are tough for Memphis, with Desmond Bane listed as questionable with a sore back. Luke Kennard is still out for personal reasons. John Conchar and Scottie Pippen are both listed as questionable. Also, Vince Williams, who has suspected left patellar tendonitis, is not expected to be seen yet.
Now, this is a matchup with an average but second-best defense in the league for the best defense, so Memphis has some interesting options, but I don't think there's one player who stands out above the rest right away. I think the Grizzlies have six separate plays and they all look similar compared to salary. Based on this information, the starting lineup becomes very important.
If you want to go to Memphis, GG Jackson, Jake LaRavia, Jaren Jackson Jr., John Conchar, Santi Aldama, and Scottie Pippen are your options. But choosing one man from that list becomes difficult. It's natural to want to go with Jaren Jackson, who has the highest ceiling in Memphis, but if you're looking for additional value, you'll need to consider multiple positions and price points.
The matchup with San Antonio is intriguing, but the Memphis Grizzlies' defense looks solid if Jaren Jackson is available. That leaves San Antonio with two options, and they are the two best players for the Spurs.
Victor Wembaneyama is a $10,600 center who is scoring over 1.75 fantasy points per minute. He has a usage rate of 33%, an assist rate of 24%, and a rebound rate of 18%. If you're looking to replace Wemby or just play alongside him, Devin Vassell is a great choice. $7,300 Points He Guards He qualifies as a shooting guard and plays in competitive games for over 37 minutes per night, fantasy points per minute.
IND (+4.5) @ GSW (239.5)
The Indiana Pacers are a 4.5-point underdog going into Golden State against the Warriors. The total points for this game is 239, which is the highest on the slate and 10 points higher than the next closest game. Tipoff will be at 10 p.m.
The Pacers are doing everything they can for now, but there aren't any options that stand out right away. They are similar to the Memphis Grizzlies in that they have some similar options relative to salary. Whether that's $5,100 shooting guard small forward Aaron Nesmith, $6,500 center Myles Turner, or potentially $7,800 Pascal Siakam. It's a great matchup for the Pacers with lots of scoring potential, but not overwhelming value that stands out right away.
The only real injury news we have in store for Golden State is a questionable tag on Moses Moody. That doesn't really matter today. I see Stephen Curry standing out as the Warriors' best option ($8,600 for point guard alone). But in this matchup, they have a No. 25 defense, the No. 1 team in terms of pace, but an admirable offense. Expect a competitive matchup that creates more scoring opportunities and possession for Curry. Who projects more than 1.35 fantasy points per minute? His usage rate is 32%.Jonathan Kuminga and Brandin Podzemski would be the second options.
LAC (-13.0) @ POR (217.5) – NBA DFS Tip of the Day
The LA Clippers are 13-point favorites in Portland and will take on the Trail Blazers. The game will tip off at 10 p.m. with a total of 217 points.
Terrence Mann and Norm Powell are both questionable. Both players also missed the most recent game against the Clippers. Even if everyone happened to play, I don't think there's any play the Clippers would prioritize. They can always add James Harden, Kawhi Leonard, and Paul George to the lineup, but I don't see them offering much value in this spot. The most likely scenario is to minimize the Clippers. I predict the Clippers will be one of the lowest ownership teams, especially with Mann and Powell on the roster.
Portland still has doubts about signing Jerami Grant, who is suffering from a right hamstring strain. He also awaits a questionable tag for right ankle soreness on Matisse Thybulle, who missed the most recent game. Unfortunately for us, Portland has some value, even in a difficult matchup against the Clippers. Especially the Clippers, who currently rank 28th on the slow pace. Point guard/shooting guard Anfernee Simons at $7,500 is my preferred option. Although he is dependent on scoring, his 28% usage rate and 30% assist rate make him the most valuable player of anyone on the Blazers.
Scoot Henderson is expected to play a starting role and will not have any minutes restrictions. He's a player who boasts around 0.95 fantasy points per minute, and a player that Portland is simply looking to get more playing time. Deandre Ayton has been exceptional as of late, and Chris Murray provides a bit of value at the hard-to-fill small forward position.
PHI (+8.5) @ LAL (224.0)
In Los Angeles, the Philadelphia 76ers will face the Lakers with an 8.5 point difference. The game will tip off at 10:30 p.m. with a total of 224 points.
76ers forward Tobias Harris is questionable with a sprained right ankle. Harris has missed the past three games with this injury. Even if he were to return, that would limit his value to Philadelphia. Tyrese Maxey would be my first choice. He's only an $8,700 point guard and is projected to score around 1.2 fantasy points per minute.
Everything else about Philadelphia seems like a tertiary work at best. If Harris is sidelined again, Nic Batum's expected minutes will increase significantly and Kelly Oubre's usage will increase, creating potential value by filling in for Harris' expected 33 minutes. .
It's clear the Lakers have a questionable tag on LeBron James. Anthony Davis has been mentioned as a likely candidate. Everyone else that is normally available to the Lakers is available. I think Anthony Davis is the best option for the Lakers. He's $10,300 but qualifies as a power forward center. A power forward's credentials are paramount at this spot, and he will fall just shy of 1.5 fantasy points per minute.
I think LeBron James' $10,200 price tag is hard to afford, and if I had to pay a comparable salary or Jayson Tatum's sub-$10,000 salary, I'd much rather pay SGA. No other player is attractive to the Lakers.
We hope you find the NBA DFS Advice Today column useful.
