NBA DFS Picks: FanDuel Plays and Strategy for Saturday, March 29

NBA DFS Picks: FanDuel Plays and Strategy for Saturday, March 29

This article is part of our FanDuel NBA series.

We have a solid mid-sized seven-game slate on tap Saturday night, and only one team will be on the back end of a back-to-back set. The injury report isn't inordinately large in terms of relevant potential absences, and the status of both Ja Morant and P.J. Washington have improved enough in recent days to give them a chance to play.

Slate Overview

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Listed spreads/totals are from FanDuel Sportsbook and current as of Saturday, 3/29 @ 2:00 a.m. EDT:    

*Brooklyn Nets at Washington Wizards (-1) (O/U: 221.5)
Miami Heat (-7.5) at Philadelphia 76ers (O/U: 218.5)
Dallas Mavericks at Chicago Bulls (-2.5) (O/U: 237.0)
Boston Celtics (-12.5) at San Antonio Spurs (O/U: 229.5)
Indiana Pacers at Oklahoma City Thunder (-10.5) (O/U: 239.5)
Los Angeles Lakers at Memphis Grizzlies (-2.5) (O/U: 237.5)

* - denotes team on second night of back-to-back set

While there are a couple of double-digit favorites Saturday, we also have three games with much narrower spreads than usual and another contest in Heat-76ers that's a middle ground between the two extremes. Additionally, the Pacers-Thunder game could be a bit more competitive than projected and also carries the highest projected total of the night. 

In terms of the best games to focus on for DFS production, both the Nets-Wizards and Lakers-Grizzlies clashes at either end of the slate could prove rewarding, although the Mavericks-Bulls battle also holds plenty of potential in that regard.

Injury Situations to Monitor   

For all the latest updates, visit RotoWire's NBA Injury News page and our comprehensive NBA Injury Report.

Ja Morant, MEM (hamstring): QUESTIONABLE

If Morant remains out, Scotty Pippen will continue to start at point guard.

Austin Reaves, LAL (ankle): QUESTIONABLE

If Reaves can't suit up, Dalton Knecht and Gabe Vincent could handle the majority of minutes at shooting guard.

P.J. Washington, DAL (ankle): QUESTIONABLE

If Washington can't return Saturday, Naji Marshall should continue to enjoy a prominent role at small forward.

Andrew Wiggins, MIA (hamstring): OUT

In Wiggins' absence, Haywood Highsmith and Jaime Jaquez may handle most of the minutes at small forward.

Other notable injuries:

Tyrese Maxey, PHI (back/finger): OUT
Kelly Oubre, PHI (knee): OUT
Kyshawn George, WAS (ankle): OUT
Aaron Wiggins, OKC (Achilles): OUT
Bennedict Mathurin, IND (calf): OUT
Andre Drummond, PHI (toe): OUT
Khris Middleton, WAS (knee): OUT
Payton Pritchard, BOS (hip): QUESTIONABLE
Brandon Williams, DAL (back): PROBABLE
Anthony Davis, DAL (adductor): PROBABLE

Elite Players

We have four players with five-figure salaries on Saturday's slate: Luka Doncic ($11,600), Shai Gilgeous-Alexander ($11,500), Jayson Tatum ($10,100) and Anthony Davis ($10,000).

Doncic has scored over 50 FD points in three straight and has upside befitting an even higher salary than what he's carrying, making him an intriguing play against what could be a short-handed Grizzlies backcourt if you're paying up.

Gilgeous-Alexander has recorded 52.6 to 58.6 FD points in three of the last four games, and he could be due for a solid workload in what may be a competitive game against the Pacers.

Tatum has compiled 42.4 to 60.3 FD points in three straight games and is off the injury report after missing Wednesday's contest against the Suns, a development that has afforded him some extra rest heading into this matchup against the Spurs.

Davis is listed as probable for Saturday and performed reasonably well over his first two games back from injury, but he's also played under 30 minutes in each of those contests and could be in for similar limitations Saturday.

Expected Chalk

Other likely chalk plays include:

LeBron James, LAL ($9,800)

James has been over 41 FD points in each of his last two games, and both his name value and four-figure salary should lock in a high roster rate for him Saturday.

Josh Giddey, CHI ($9,700)

Giddey is going to be at the forefront of DFS players' minds after his memorable game-winning half-court heave against the Lakers on Thursday, but he should also be popular after scoring 47.9 to 74.5 FD points in his last four games.

Tyrese Haliburton, IND ($9,200)

Haliburton should find his way into plenty of lineups for a showdown with the Thunder, and he also checks in having scored 44.6 to 51 FD points in his last four contests. 

Quentin Grimes, PHI ($8,800)

Grimes has seen his production skyrocket due to the 76ers' slew of injuries, and he's produced at least 35.6 FD points and as many as 70.6 in every game since March 9. 

Tyler Herro, MIA ($8,400)

Herro has been over 47 FD points in two of his last three games and will be operating without Andrew Wiggins on Saturday, which should lead to the former being even more highly rostered than usual.

Key Values     

Justin Champagnie, WAS vs. BKN ($5,500)

Champagnie is currently handling the starting power forward role with Kyshawn George sidelined, and he's also seen time at small forward. The 23-year-old looks to be a lock for the first unit again Saturday with Khris Middleton (knee) also out of action, and Champagnie checks in having scored 33.5 and 28.9 FD points in his last two contests. Champagnie also has tallies of 29.8, 38.3 and 39.6 FD points within his last 10 contests, a span during which he's shooting 46.8 percent, including 37.5 percent from distance. The Nets are also conceding 43.3 FD points per contest to power forwards in the last seven games, and Brooklyn has also yielded 38.6 percent three-point shooting in the last three contests.

Ziaire Williams, BKN at WAS ($5,200)

Williams makes for a viable play on the other side of the Nets-Wizards matchup, as he's averaged 24.8 FD points over his last nine games and has scored at least 26 FD points in five of those contests. Williams is also draining an impressive 39.7 percent of his three-point attempts during that stretch, and he posted 34 FD points over 34 minutes against the Wizards in his one previous encounter with them this season. Washington is also allowing the seventh-highest offensive efficiency rating to small forwards (23.9), along with 39.5 percent three-point shooting in the last three games.

Luguentz Dort, OKC vs. IND ($4,800)

Dort has delivered at least a 5x return on his current salary on 28 occasions this season, one of the main reasons he's appealing as a value option Saturday. The defensive-minded veteran has also been getting it done on the other end of the floor of late, shooting a blistering 52.2 percent, including 47.1 percent from behind the arc, over the last three games. Dort also tallied a season-high 49.4 FD points against the Nuggets six games ago, and in a game where the Thunder is projected for just under 125 points, he makes for a very viable cost-savings alternative at small forward.

ALSO CONSIDER: Jaden Hardy, DAL at CHI ($4,100)

The author(s) of this article may play in daily fantasy contests including – but not limited to – games that they have provided recommendations or advice on in this article. In the course of playing in these games using their personal accounts, it's possible that they will use players in their lineups or other strategies that differ from the recommendations they have provided above. The recommendations in this article do not necessarily reflect the views of RotoWire. Juan Carlos Blanco plays in daily fantasy contests using the following accounts: DraftKings: jcblanco22, FanDuel: jc_blanco22, DraftPot: jc_blanco22, FantasyDraft: jc_blanco22, OwnThePlay: jcblanco22.
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ABOUT THE AUTHOR
Juan Carlos Blanco
Winner of the FSWA 2016 Newcomer of the Year Award, Juan Carlos Blanco has been playing fantasy sports for over 20 years and covers NBA, MLB, NFL, CFL and Arena Football for Rotowire.com, including serving as the beat writer for teams in multiple sports. He has previously written for KFFL.com and remains an avid season-long and daily fantasy player in multiple sports as well.
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