NBA DFS Preview – First Look (3/18)

After an odd one-game NBA DFS slate Thursday, we have a whopping 12 games Friday. There are a handful of players listed as questionable ahead of Friday’s action, including plenty of superstars, so be on the lookout for news.

Check out the FTN NBA Optimizer today. 

NBA Vegas Data for March 18 | NBA DFS First Look

Dallas Mavericks @ Philadelphia 76ers

PHI -2.5, total: 221.5
Pace: DAL (30th), PHI (28th)

Situations to monitor:

• Joel Embiid (back) is listed as questionable for Philadelphia.
• Reggie Bullock remains out for the Mavericks due to personal reasons.

Memphis Grizzlies @ Atlanta Hawks

MEM -5, total: 237.5
Pace: MEM (3rd), ATL (20th)

Situations to monitor:

• John Collins will be sidelined indefinitely. Meanwhile, Trae Young and Danilo Gallinari are listed as questionable.
• For Memphis, Ja Morant (back) is on track to play Friday.

Portland Trail Blazers @ Brooklyn Nets

BKN -14.5, total: 227
Pace: POR (16th), BKN (11th)

Situations to monitor:

• Kyrie Irving and LaMarcus Aldridge are out for Brooklyn, while Seth Curry is listed as questionable.

Denver Nuggets @ Cleveland Cavaliers

DEN -3.5, total: 222.5
Pace: DEN (20th), CLE (27th)

Situations to monitor:

• Jarrett Allen, Rajon Rondo and Dean Wade have been ruled out for Cleveland.

Washington Wizards @ New York Knicks

NYK -5.5, total: 224
Pace: WAS (23rd), NYK (26th)

Situations to monitor:

• Quentin Grimes is likely to return Friday.

Los Angeles Lakers @ Toronto Raptors

TOR -8.5, total: 224.5
Pace: LAL (6th), TOR (25th)

Situations to monitor:

• LeBron James is once again listed as questionable.
• Malachi Flynn and OG Anunoby will remain out for Toronto.

Indiana Pacers @ Houston Rockets

IND -4, total: 240.5
Pace: IND (17th), HOU (2nd)

Situations to monitor:

• Isaiah Jackson has been ruled out with a concussion. Meanwhile, Chris Duarte and Goga Bitadze are listed as questionable.
• Eric Gordon is listed as questionable with an illness.

Oklahoma City Thunder @ Miami Heat

MIA -15, total: 219.5
Pace: OKC (12th), MIA (28th)

Situations to monitor:

• Jimmy Butler (ankle) is listed as questionable for Miami. P.J. Tucker is also listed as questionable.
• For the Thunder, Shai Gilgeous-Alexander is questionable with his own ankle injury. Meanwhile, Luguentz Dort, Josh Giddey, Kenrich Williams and Ty Jerome all remain out.

New Orleans Pelicans @ San Antonio Spurs

SAS -3.5, total: 237
Pace: NOP (22nd), SAS (5th)

Situations to monitor:

• Brandon Ingram remains sidelined for the Pelicans. Meanwhile, Devonte’ Graham and Jose Alvarado are both listed as questionable.

Los Angeles Clippers @ Utah Jazz

UTA -5.5, total: 214.5
Pace: LAC (18th), UTA (19th)

Situations to monitor:

• Donovan Mitchell (calf) has been ruled out for Utah. Bojan Bogdanovic has also been ruled out.

Boston Celtics @ Sacramento Kings

BOS -9.5, total: 225
Pace: BOS (24th), SAC (7th)

Situations to monitor:

• De’Aaron Fox (hand) is listed as questionable for Sacramento.

Chicago Bulls @ Phoenix Suns

PHX -5.5, total: 230.5
Pace: CHI (14th), PHX (9th)

Situations to monitor:

• Zach LaVine is listed as probable for Chicago.
• Jae Crowder is listed as questionable for Phoenix, while Cameron Johnson remains out. 

Matchups to Target | NBA DFS First Look

Mike Conley vs. Los Angeles Clippers

For most of the season, Conley has shown more of a floor than a ceiling in fantasy. However, he has scored 31, 31 and 48 fantasy points over his last three outings, and now he’ll have to take on a larger role, as the Jazz will be without Donovan Mitchell and Bojan Bogdanovic for Friday’s game. With both players off the floor this season, Conley is sporting a usage rate just south of 21%, while also posting a healthy 19% assist rate. He is also averaging over a fantasy point per minute in the split and faces a Clippers team that is allowing the 12th-most assists per game to opposing point guards this season (8.51). Conley is also averaging around three more fantasy points per game in contests where Mitchell has been sidelined this season, while also seeing a 2% bump in usage and averaging around two more field goal attempts per game.

CJ McCollum vs. San Antonio Spurs

McCollum has been back in the New Orleans lineup, and with the Pelicans still without Brandon Ingram, the veteran guard is one of my favorite plays of the slate. In 214 minutes with Ingram off the floor since joining the Pelicans, McCollum is sporting a massive 33.2% usage rate to go along with a 25% assist rate. He is also averaging 1.45 fantasy points per minute in the split. This is a stellar matchup for McCollum, who will essentially play point guard, especially if Devonte’ Graham misses this game. San Antonio is coughing up the fourth-most points (24.25) and third-most rebounds per game (7.04) to opposing point guards on the season. They are also allowing the second-most points per game to opposing ball handlers out of the pick-and-roll this season (19.9), which bodes well for McCollum, who is averaging 7.7 such points per game since joining the team, good for 12th in basketball.

Fred VanVleet vs. Los Angeles Lakers

VanVleet has been in and out of the lineup over the last few weeks, but he is off the injury report ahead of this game. His price has come all the way down to just $7,600 on DraftKings ahead of a dream matchup against the Lakers, who rank 26th against primary ball handlers this season. They are also coughing up a league-worst 25.0 points per game to opposing point guards, as well as the fifth-most assists per game to the position (9.04). Per usual, as long as he is in the lineup, VanVleet is going to log massive minutes, playing 40 and 36 over his last two contests. If he plays 36-40 minutes against this reeling Los Angeles team, VanVleet should have a very strong fantasy outing.

Value Plays | NBA DFS First Look

Isaac Okoro vs. DEN — Okoro continues to log huge minutes for Cleveland right now, and suddenly, his shot is falling. An 11-of-13 showing from the free throw line likely won’t ever happen again, but Okoro has played 34, 39 and 41 minutes over his last three games and should continue to play 35-plus minutes in close games, especially if Caris LeVert remains limited.

Royce O’Neale vs. LAC — While he doesn’t see a huge bump in usage with Donovan Mitchell or Bojan Bogdanovic off the floor, O’Neale, like Okoro, will log huge minutes for the Jazz. And he tends to provide enough in terms of peripherals to be a viable value play.