Monday brings more NBA madness with the fun getting underway at 7:00 p.m. ET on FanDuel and DraftKings. Let’s get into the top NBA DFS picks and building blocks, including Bam Adebayo and Tyler Herro needing to carry a shorthanded squad in Washington, plus shenanigans with the tanking Charlotte Hornets and Utah Jazz should provide ample salary savers.
These picks are based on the latest available data. For real-time lineup updates, check out our NBA DFS Starting Lineups Page!
NBA DFS Picks Today – Building Blocks: Monday, March 31
NBA DFS Picks Today: Building Blocks
Bam Adebayo: Heat at Wizards
NBA DFS Projections
DraftKings: 43.1 | FanDuel: 42.12
NBA DFS Ownership Projections
DraftKings: 29.1% | FanDuel: 40.1%
DFS Salary
DraftKings: $8,600 | FanDuel: $8,300
Washington is content to continue losing games as it maximizes the probability of landing Cooper Flagg. Of course, the Wizards are not making it easy, and aside from a 162-109 drubbing by Indiana, the Wiz at least had respectable showings against teams that are actually trying, like Orlando and New York. They also pulled off a pair of upsets on the road in Denver and Detroit just two weeks ago.
Starters Andrew Wiggins and Duncan Robinson are out for Miami, along with Nikola Jovic and Kevin Love. While the latter two can be easily replaced, losing the former pair has put a lot of the offensive load on Bam Adebayo and Tyler Herro. Each should clear 40 fantasy points in Washington tonight, and there is a good chance one or potentially both will make a foray to the 50-fantasy point plateau, depending on how much opposition the home team puts up.
Kel’el Ware has had uneven stretches, though the rookie averaged a double-double over the last six games, having worked his way back into the starting lineup. Fellow rookie Pelle Larsson received a spot start in Philadelphia on Saturday, recording 14 points, six rebounds, four assists and a ridiculous six “stocks” (combined blocks and steals). That was an aberration, though he is in play if he sticks with the first five.
Haywood Highsmith had back-to-back games with 30 minutes, averaging 12 points, four rebounds, 2.5 assists and a pair of steals. He is the more proven player over Larsson, and his game style is well suited for this free-wheeling matchup against Washington.
Davion Mitchell and Alec Burks are also on the short list. The preference would be for Burks to start, which is what is currently projected per the F-R-E-E Stokastic Starting Lineups page.
If he is coming off the bench, it dampens his upside, though he will be a needed source of offense for the second unit.
Stokastic’s NBA DFS Single Lineup Simulator is a groundbreaking tool that revolutionizes lineup building by providing data-driven simulations, making it a must-have for serious players. Check out how the Simulator evaluates this single lineup for today’s slate:
NBA DFS Picks Today: Building Blocks
KJ Simpson: Hornets vs. Jazz
NBA DFS Projections
DraftKings: 30.28 | FanDuel: 29.19
NBA DFS Ownership Projections
DraftKings: 52.3% | FanDuel: 68.5%
DFS Salary
DraftKings: $4,900 | FanDuel: $4,800
Tonight is a back-to-back for the intentionally collapsing Charlotte Hornets, who lost last night in New Orleans 98-94. We know that LaMelo Ball is out for the rest of the season, and Miles Bridges is likely to get a night off, plus at some point he and Mark Williams are likely to be shut down for the season. Williams was out on Sunday, though he does not yet have an update on the injury report as of lunchtime. Josh Okogie is doubtful, while Seth Curry and Josh Green both questionable.
What we do know is that KJ Simpson saw 35 minutes of run yesterday, 25.2 and 32.7 minutes in his two most recent starts. Going against the uninterested Utah team should buoy his fantasy prospects, and if he gets even a little lucky from the field, he should push for 30 fantasy points tonight. Nick Smith Jr. also looks like a decent discount dandy with the Hornets looking to get him some additional experience. He lost his starting gig in early March while also being in the doghouse for a couple of sub-20-minute games. However, Charlotte needs depth, and this is a good chance to give the second-year combo guard some extra seasoning.
If Williams starts, he should see 28 to 29 minutes, which would be enough to make him a tournament target on FanDuel. He had double-doubles in three of his last four starts, even with a soft minutes cap, which is worthy of our attention. It would be better for the DFS world if he sat again since that would mean more Jusuf Nurkic, who ordered a 40-burger on Sunday in just 21 minutes of run.
The Jazz have ruled out Lauri Markkanen and Walker Kessler, which means Kyle Filipowski and Oscar Tshiebwe are going to be the main frontcourt options. The former at least has more upside, though he is no longer cheap, checking in at $6,500 on DraftKings with a $500 savings on the blue site. Tshiebwe is receiving double the popularity on both DraftKings ($4,000, 27.8%) and FanDuel ($3,900), but he feels like more of a placeholder option with all of the other pending news throughout the league.
Keyonte George and Collin Sexton would be better if the other were out, and it is harder to advocate for Isaiah Collier unless one or both of his counterparts gets the night off. Brice Sensabaugh is in play on DraftKings, and he could enter the picture on FanDuel, depending on how many Jazz players are available tonight.
Today’s Top Sports Betting Picks
It certainly seems that Hard Rock is being aggressive with a lofty 8.5 assists prop threshold for Spencer Dinwiddie, with the under available at -115.
With the combination of today’s matchup variables and the -115 odds, there is an absurd 11.7% expected value when factoring in the -149 “True Odds,” along with the 7.0% historical ROI.
Portfolio EV does all the heavy lifting when sorting through the endless opportunities across the various sports wagering operators, highlighting the best spots quickly and effortlessly.
Stokastic’s Advanced NBA Statistical Projections have Dinwiddie projected for 33.2 minutes and 5.51 assists. To his credit, the nomadic NBA combo guard did have double-digit assists in three of his last six games, but we have to reach back another 23 games before his next effort that would exceed todays benchmark of 8.5 helpers.
It helps having Anthony Davis back, and there is a strong probability that Daniel Gafford will return to action after a 21-game layoff, bringing a tremendous lob partner into the mix. However, even with guard Brandon Williams hurt, we have not seen Dinwiddie consistently reach these lofty assist heights this season, with ample opportunities where Luka Doncic and Kyrie Irving were injured.
Final Thoughts on NBA DFS Picks & Building Blocks Today
Tune into the Stokastic NBA Live Before Lock Show at 6:00 p.m. ET on YouTube for expert analysis, key insights and winning strategies to dominate tonight’s NBA DFS slate!
