NBA DFS Preview – First Look (3/17)

Every morning on FTNDaily, we will have a comprehensive first look article for that day’s NBA DFS slate. This will be your go-to destination for NBA game environments, fantasy-relevant situations to monitor, a quick look at the top-priced players across the industry and some stats to get you started with the slate.

Looking for an edge in your NBA DFS contests? Our NBA package includes a state-of-the-art LineupEDGE Optimizer, advanced DvP and On/Off tools, player projection models and more to consistently vault you to the top of the NBA leaderboards in your DFS contests.

With March Madness tipping off today, we only have one NBA game on tap.

Consensus Vegas odds are derived from FTNBets Vegas Odds Board.

NBA Vegas Data for March 17 | NBA DFS First Look

Detroit Pistons @ Orlando Magic

ORL -2.5, total: 219.0
Pace: DET (16th), ORL (10th)

Situations to monitor:

• Cade Cunningham is questionable for the Pistons while Hamidou Diallo and Jerami Grant have been ruled out.
• Wendell Carter and Chuma Okeke are questionable for the Magic, while Jalen Suggs remains out.

Matchup to Target | NBA DFS First Look

Below is my favorite matchup to target Thursday in the Pistons/Magic game.

Wendell Carter vs. Detroit Pistons 

As alluded to previously, Carter comes into the slate with a questionable tag and could very well sit out against a weak opponent. With that said, he’s my favorite overall option on the slate if he suits up. He’s been red hot as of late, averaging 18.8 points, 10.0 rebounds and 3.2 assists per game over his last five games, and despite the return of Isaiah Stewart, he gets a favorable matchup against a Pistons team that ranks in the bottom half of the NBA on the glass. 

NBA Value Plays | NBA DFS First Look

For the top value plays on the slate, check out the Cheat Sheets for our analysts’ exposures and the NBA Optimizer for the best point-per-dollar plays.

Quick Look at Tonight’s NBA Slate | NBA DFS First Look

The top-priced players on the NBA DFS slate are listed below for DraftKings and FanDuel.

Top DraftKings NBA DFS Plays | NBA DFS First Look

1. Cade Cunningham ($10,800)
2. Wendell Carter ($9,400)
3. Cole Anthony ($8,400)
4. Saddiq Bey ($7,800)
5. Marvin Bagley ($7,600)

Top FanDuel NBA DFS Plays | NBA DFS First Look

1. Cade Cunningham ($14,500)
2. Wendell Carter ($14,000)
3. Cole Anthony ($13,000)
4. Marvin Bagley ($12,500)
5. Saddiq Bey ($12,000)

With Thursday’s slate covered, let’s take a look back at who had success on Wednesday’s slate and how we can apply that to improve our process going forward.

Last Night’s GPP Performances | NBA DFS First Look

Below is a summary of how the slate last night went on FanDuel and DraftKings. One great feature of the FTNDaily NBA optimizer is the ability to backtest the slates and study the results to apply for future slates, which is exactly what we’ll do here. The highest overall scoring player from each site is bolded in the lineup.

DraftKings GPP Results | NBA DFS First Look

Below is the optimal lineup on DraftKings from Wednesday’s slate:

• PG: Dejounte Murray (65.25)
• SG: Khris Middleton (62.00)
• SF: RJ Barrett (51.5)
• PF: Trey Lyles (38.00)
• C: Torrey Craig (49.5)
• G: Davion Mitchell (32.25)
• F: Marcus Morris (41.0)
• UTIL: Rudy Gobert (53.0)
• Total: 392.5

FanDuel GPP Results | NBA DFS First Look

Below is the optimal lineup on FanDuel from Wednesday’s slate:

• PG: Patrick Beverley (38.7)
• PG: Luka Doncic (66.3)
• SG: Torrey Craig (47.3)
• SG: Zach LaVine (53.9)
• SF: RJ Barrett (51.3)
• SF: Khris Middleton (59.6)
• PF: Trey Lyles (36.9)
• PF: Mikal Bridges (45.1)
• C: Rudy Gobert (55.0)
• Total: 454.1

With the late news that Jae Crowder was going to be inactive for the Suns, Torrey Craig quickly became one of the most popular plays on the board as he slid into the Suns starting lineup. Going a perfect 8-8 from the field, 3-of-3 from three and 2-of-2 from the stripe, Craig posted a gaudy 21-point, 14-rebound double-double en route to being a staple in winning lineups. RJ Barrett and Khris Middleton were two under-rostered players with ceiling games, while each site had one spend-up guard, Dejounte Murray on DraftKings and Luka Doncic on FanDuel.