Daily Fantasy

NBA DraftKings & FanDuel DFS Primer: March 13

FantasyPros considers the best player values for DraftKings and FanDuel NBA DFS for Monday's slate.

Joel Bartilotta, FantasyPros

March 13, 2023 3:42 PM

Look for Killian Hayes to step it up for a Pistons team riddled with injuries.

This slate is going to be a battle. I’m not even sure how to approach it because so many superstars are on the injury report. Luka Doncic, Kyrie Irving, Giannis Antetokounmpo, Karl-Anthony Towns, Tyrese Haliburton, Ja Morant, and Kevin Durant might all be out here and we only have seven games to talk about. That’s a gluttony of talent, and it becomes more frustrating since we don’t know most of these guys’ status going into the card. We’ll try our best to break it down, though, so let’s get started.

Injury Report

As of 10:30 a.m. ET:

Myles Turner (back) OUT
Bennedict Mathurin (ankle) OUT
Tyrese Haliburton (knee) OUT
Isaiah Stewart (shoulder) OUT
Bojan Bogdanovic (achilles) OUT
Jaden Ivey (H&S) Questionable
Marvin Bagley III (ankle) Questionable
Cade Cunningham (shin) OUT
Karl-Anthony Towns (calf) OUT
Bogdan Bogdanovic (back) Questionable
Ja Morant (personal) OUT
Steven Adams (knee) OUT
Brandon Clarke (Achilles) OUT
Luka Doncic (thigh) OUT
Kyrie Irving (foot) Questionable
Collin Sexton (hamstring) OUT
Jordan Clarkson (hand) Questionable
Robert Williams (hamstring) OUT
Kevin Durant (ankle) OUT
Andrew Wiggins (personal) OUT
Jonathan Kuminga (ankle) Questionable
Giannis Antetokounmpo (hand) Questionable

Core Plays

Devin Booker (SG – PHX): $10,100 DraftKings, $10,700 FanDuel
Booker will be tough to fade as long as Kevin Durant is out. With KD off the floor this year, Booker has a 36% usage rate, averaging 1.6 DK points per minute. That’s evident in his recent form, scoring at least 57 DraftKings points in four of his last five games. He should reach that against a 25th-ranked Warriors defense, with Booker posting a 51-point average against them this year.

Jimmy Butler (SF – MIA): $8,700 DraftKings, $9,400 FanDuel
Miami has been hovering around .500 for most of the season, but Butler is doing his best to catapult this team up the standings. The perennial All-Star has scored at least 44 DK points in six straight games while generating a 49-point average in that span. Those are totals you usually see from a five-figure player, and it looks even better since he faces a Utah team that ranks 21st in points allowed and 23rd in defensive efficiency.

Killian Hayes (PG/SG – PHX): $5,700 DraftKings, $6,400 FanDuel
Detroit’s injury report is lengthy. What makes Hayes so valuable is that Cunningham and Ivey are both out, leaving Hayes with all the ball-handling duties he can handle. In the last game Ivey missed, Hayes had 49 DK points across 37 minutes. That’s one of the best games of his career, and it’s hard to understand why he’s still just $6,000. Facing Indiana is incredible, too, with Indiana ranked 26th in both points allowed and defensive efficiency. Not to mention, that 49-point gem over the weekend happened against this Pacers defense.

Cash Game Considerations

Jayson Tatum (SF/PF – BOS): $10,900 DraftKings, $11,000 FanDuel
All of the top-end options on this slate have an injury designation, except for Tatum. That’s why he’s one of the best cash game options on the board, averaging over 53 fantasy points per game this year. He’s also established a 40-point floor and should excel against the Rockets. Houston ranks 28th in points allowed and 29th in defensive efficiency ratings. In their one matchup earlier in the year, Tatum dropped 60 DK points if you needed any more incentive.

Chris Paul (PG – PHX): $7,700 DraftKings, $8,000 FanDuel
Chris Paul has been one of the best point guards for a decade now, and he will have to do more with KD out for the next 2-3 weeks. In the last two games that Durant has missed, Paul has collected 46 and 51 DraftKings points. That’s no surprise with the bump in usage, and you know he’ll be motivated against the Warriors. In his last six matchups with Golden State, he scored at least 41 DK points in four of those!

Isaiah Jackson (PF/C – IND): $4,600 DraftKings, $4,600 FanDuel
This guy will be in everyone’s lineup, and rightfully so. Myles Turner has been ruled out, and Jackson should be the starting center in his absence. In his last four starts for Turner, Jackson is averaging over 41 fantasy points per game. That would make him a worthy option at $9,000, but we’re paying half of that here. The matchup couldn’t be better either, with Detroit ranked 28th in defensive efficiency and 29th in points allowed.

GPP Targets

Buddy Hield (SG/SF – IND): $7,100 DraftKings, $6,500 FanDuel
It sounds like Indiana will be without half of their starters, which should allow Hield to feast. That means this sharpshooter could be looking at 35 minutes and 20-plus shots. That’s awesome with some of the upsides he’s shown this year, scoring at least 33 DK points in 38 games. That’s well over half of the year, and his shot should fall against the second-worst defense in the NBA.

Jalen Duren (PF/C – DET): $4,900 DraftKings, $5,600 FanDuel
Isaiah Stewart and Marvin Bagley III are both expected to miss this game, which should force Duren back into the starting lineup. This has been one of the most impressive rookies in a complimentary role, averaging 29 DK points per game across his last 18 outings. He’s doing that damage in just 26 minutes a night, but that should be his floor with Stewart and Bagley both out. We also don’t mind that Indiana owns a 27th OPRK against opposing big men.

Josh Green (SG/SF – DAL): $4,800 DraftKings, $4,700 FanDuel
It’s tough to know who’s going to suit up for Dallas. They traded away numerous pieces in the Kyrie Irving trade but could be missing Doncic and Irving here. That leaves Green as one of the only players left, totaling 41 fantasy points when those two were out over the weekend. That’s all you can ask for from a sub-$5K player, and he should have another monster game with Memphis maintaining a 19th OPRK against opposing wings.

Value Plays

Kyle Anderson (SF – MIN): $6,100 DraftKings, $6,600 FanDuel
Anderson hasn’t received the price bump he deserves. He has been inserted into the starting lineup since Karl-Anthony Towns got injured, averaging over 30 DK points per game since he went down. The D’Angelo Russell trade has earned Anderson more ball-handling duties, scoring at least 43 DK points in two of his last three games. Facing Atlanta is amazing, too, with the Hawks allowing the second-most fantasy points to opposing forwards.

James Wiseman (C – DET): $6,000 DraftKings, $6,700 FanDuel
We just talked about how Stewart and Bagley are out for Detroit, but Wiseman was getting going when those guys were healthy. He’s been starting at center since being acquired from Golden State, scoring at least 29 fantasy points in three straight outings. He’s also got at least 36 DK points in two of those and could be looking at a season-high in minutes with half of this frontcourt missing. It looks even better since Indiana owns a 27th OPRK against opposing centers.

Al Horford (PF/C – ATL): $5,600 DraftKings, $6,200 FanDuel
Horford is another player stepping into a more prominent role. Robert Williams III is out for Boston, leaving Horford with more responsibility. The big man has seen a bump in rebounds, shot attempts, and usage since Williams went down, posting a 38-point average across his last five fixtures. That’s awesome from such an affordable player, and it’s likely to continue against Houston.

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