NBA DFS Picks: FanDuel Plays and Lineup Strategy for Sunday, March 19

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Published on March 19, 2023

FanDuel will exclude Sunday's early games for its main slate and offer five matchups tipping off at 6:00 p.m. EDT. If you're like me, you'll be licking your wounds from your broken bracket and looking for some DFS distraction - we've got you covered!

SLATE OVERVIEW

For the latest spreads and over-unders, visit RotoWire's NBA Odds page. There, you can also find player props, futures, picks articles and sportsbook bonus codes.

The Raptors and Bucks project the highest total today. And since we went light on the Bucks in our endorsements, their starters are a decent place to get unique. As one might expect, Miami and Detroit sport the lowest expected total, so there are more exciting places to find fantasy value.

INJURIES

For all the latest updates, visit RotoWire's NBA Injury News page and our comprehensive NBA Injury Report. Below are some of the most recent and relevant injuries on today's slate. Aside from some ongoing injury scenarios from players like LeBron James, Jerami Grant and Bojan Bogdanovic, Sunday's player pool is largely free from injury, which makes player values difficult to come by.

ELITE PLAYERS

Anthony Davis ($11,400) is probable to play against the Magic, and I like him just a bit more than Giannis Antetokounmpo ($11,800) at $400 higher and a tougher matchup against Toronto. I believe their final result will be comparable and their exposure will be extremely high in the slimmer player pool.

A slightly less-expensive frontcourt option is Pascal Siakam ($8,600), who's worthwhile at this salary despite coming short of 5x value in two appearances against the Bucks. Bam Adebayo ($8,100) is the only other big man I'm confident at 8k and above.

At guard, I'll take CJ McCollum ($8,100) against Houston over Damian Lillard ($10,600), who faces a much tougher matchup against the Clippers. An injury tag will linger for Kawhi Leonard ($9,900), but it should be gone later in the day. Both he and Paul George ($9,000) represent excellent spend-up considerations.

Also consider: D'Angelo Russell, LAL ($8,000) vs. POR

EXPECTED CHALK AND VALUE PLAYS

Paolo Banchero, ORL ($7,600) @ LAL

Banchero's success is largely dependent on who lines up against him. I would temper my expectations if Jarred Vanderbilt handles him for the majority of the game. Still, Banchero could fare much better against LA's second unit even if Vanderbilt covers. It's been seven games since Banchero eclipsed 40 FDFPs, so he's due for another high number and will need to ramp up production with Jalen Suggs (concussion) still sidelined.

Jalen Green, HOU ($7,400) vs. NOR

Green rebounded from a poor performance against the Lakers with a 25-point outing in the front end of this head-to-head with the Pelicans. All of his performances against New Orleans have been decent, and he generally shoots much better at home. It's rare to see two consecutive games against the same opponent without a venue change, but we should expect a similar result for Green and his great value at this salary.

Anfernee Simons, POR ($6,700) vs. LAC

Simons' numbers have jumped around a bit since returning to action, but the guard had one of his best performances of the season against the Clippers with 50.4 FDFPs back in November. He heaved up 16 3-point attempts then, which will be a slightly more difficult task with Damian Lillard alongside. Lillard was out for Simons' blow up, but I'm sure the coaching staff will recognize and remember his success and provide him a full 40 minutes. While we're on Portland, I'll also give some exposure to Trendon Watford ($6,200), who has been playing well amid Jerami Grant's absence. Cam Reddish ($5,200) is riskier, but also playable.

Herbert Jones, NOR ($6,000) @ HOU

Jones' result against the Rockets wasn't great last time out, but he managed FDFP totals of 32.9 and 35.3 in the two previous games and has shown an uncanny ability to exceed 30 FDFPs since the All-Star break. He seems to have a firm grip on the starting job at the four and is worth a shot tonight.

Also consider: OG Anunoby, TOR ($7,000) @ MIL, Dennis Schroder, LAL ($5,600) vs. ORL

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.