Friday wraps up the workweek with a seven-game featured slate, with the fun tipping off at 7:00 p.m. ET on FanDuel and DraftKings. Let’s get into the top NBA DFS picks and building blocks, including Karl-Anthony Towns and Giannis Antetokounmpo squaring off in Milwaukee, with KJ Simpson leading the early value charge!
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: Friday, March 28
NBA DFS Picks Today: Building Blocks
Karl-Anthony Towns: Knicks at Bucks
NBA DFS Projections
DraftKings: 52.63 | FanDuel: 49.82
NBA DFS Ownership Projections
DraftKings: 25.1% | FanDuel: 12.1%
DFS Salary
DraftKings: $10,200 | FanDuel: $10,100
Considering this game is listed as a pick’em, the expectation would be that Giannis Antetokounmpo is playing, though at this point in the season everything is tenuous. If the two-time MVP is starting, then he is a priority play with the best median fantasy point projection in the player pool.
Focusing on key things, New York now has a 2.5-game lead on Indiana and a 4.5-game edge over Detroit for the third-best record in the Eastern Conference. Milwaukee is five games back, so a victory here would be a bonus.
Karl-Anthony Towns has been carrying the load with Jalen Brunson sidelined, highlighted by back-to-back 60-fantasy point efforts. Crushing Dallas was no surprise, but then taking care of business a day later against the tough Clippers defense, well, that was something. Seven of his last 10 games saw the former Minnesota star record a 30% or better usage rate, with KAT ranking second in the league at a personal-best 12.9 rebounds per game. It is always tough recommending a center other than Nikola Jokic when the three-time MVP is in the player pool, yet here we are … with no regrets.
Cam Payne (ankle) was hurt in the last game, which means he is joining Brunson and Miles McBride on the sidelines. That leaves veteran Delon Wright and rookie Tyler Kolek as the only viable point guards on the roster. We know what we are getting with Wright, which is more defense than anything else at this point in his career. That leaves Kolek, who celebrated his 24th birthday yesterday as the more traditional facilitator. In the last three games off the bench, he took a grand total of 10 shots, but he has dished out two dozen dimes, with a trio of steals. He is most intriguing on DraftKings ($3,200, 12.1%) where he is $200 above the minimum salary. FanDuel ($3,900, 8.1%) has him a little higher, though still effectively as a tertiary target. This duo is likely to split the point guard minutes, with Landry Shamet likely helping out as well.
O.G. Anunoby, Josh Hart and Mikal Bridges are solid selections, though their salaries have all adjusted for the absence of Brunson, who has missed the last 10 games.
Wagner posted strong DFS production in the same timeframe with 22.7 points, 5.7 rebounds, 4.5 assists and 1.1 stocks in 35.5 minutes of run. This duo looks good across the various DFS sites, with a strong likelihood of seeing increased popularity, depending on who is available in the Lakers-Bulls matchup.
Per the F-R-E-E Stokastic Starting Lineups page, the expectation is that Kolek will start, though there is no guarantee that he will play more than 23 to 24 minutes. Crunch time will be the real variable, with coach Tom Thibodeau potentially choosing to go without a “true” point guard down the stretch, depending on the situation.
Kevin Porter Jr. is likely to be on 25%-to-30% of all tournament rosters, particularly if he starts again over Ryan Rollins. The duo split the point guard role, though we have seen them play alongside each other sporadically. Even with Lillard out, Rollins does not really have enough upside to be more than a placeholder value who is likely to be forgotten by the late-afternoon news cycle.
Gary Trent Jr., Kyle Kuzma and Brook Lopez can be sprinkled across tournament lineups, though it would take Antetokounmpo being out for any to crest into double-digit popularity in Friday’s featured tournaments.
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 at Raptors
NBA DFS Projections
DraftKings: 25.42 | FanDuel: 24.44
NBA DFS Ownership Projections
DraftKings: 42.1% | FanDuel: 43.1%
DFS Salary
DraftKings: $4,000 | FanDuel: $4,400
The only people who will willingly be watching this game are those with a DFS or sports wagering interest. Even those attending live cannot be automatically included in that category.
Charlotte has ruled out LaMelo Ball, which means KJ Simpson and DaQuan Jeffries will be getting backcourt minutes. Damion Baugh is currently with the G-League, though that could change prior to tipoff.
Jeffries is mostly an afterthought with unpredictable minutes ranging from 20 to 30. If we knew he was going to push towards the upper bounds, then he would be in play, but he averaged only 22.7 minutes and nine field goal attempts over the last three games, despite being with the first five. Simpson averaged 11.2 points, 4.8 rebounds, five assists and 1.4 steals in the last five games where he played over 30 minutes, four of which were starts. He needs to be in the starting lineup to be trusted, otherwise we are assuming too much risk.
Miles Bridges could make some noise if he can put the biscuit in the basket. He played between 32 and 34 minutes in three of his last four games, with an average of 18 field goal attempts in those appearances. Mark Williams tallied 50 fantasy points in two of his last five games, including reaching that milestone in 24 minutes on the road against the Clippers. He is best left for those crafting north of two dozen rosters, but there is potential against a tanking Toronto squad. If Williams gets a night off, then Jusuf Nurkic will become the punt du jour at the pivot position.
The Craptors really cannot be trusted since they are unabashedly dropping games. Even when they are alternating excuses for RJ Barrett, Jakob Poeltl and Immanuel Quickley, the rotation is running nine or 10 players deep, with hardly anyone topping 25 minutes. Rookie Ja’Kobe Walter could get there since he missed some time with injury and the team wants to give him minutes for experience, but we have seen them hold back fellow youngster Jamal Shead out of nowhere, adding to the downside.
Today’s Top Sports Betting Picks
Tonight we can look to Devin Booker and the under for his 37.5 points + rebounds + assists (PRA) prop at Hard Rock.
With the combination of today’s matchup variables and the -115 odds, there is a favorable 4.0% expected value when factoring in the -125 “True Odds,” along with the 6.3% 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 Booker projected for 36.2 minutes, 24.13 points, 4.01 rebounds and 6.47 assists for 34.61 PRA. Minnesota continues to have one of the better defenses in the league, plus Anthony Edwards and Jaden McDaniels are both strong on-ball defenders who can focus on Booker if he starts to get frisky.
Booker is averaging 35.1 PRA in 37.8 minutes over his last 14 games, reaching 38-plus PRA five times (36%), with one outing being exactly 38 PRA. The heavy workload, lack of any consistent scoring support aside from Kevin Durant and the absence of Beal have been taking a toll. Despite being in “must win” mode, Phoenix was only able to post an 8-6 record in this stretch, including the Suns’ third loss to Minnesota at the start of this timeframe.
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!
