NBA DFS Preview – First Look (3/29)

Tuesday’s five-game NBA slate isn’t the most exciting in the world, but there are plenty of important injuries that will impact things. 

Be sure to check out the FTN NBA Optimizer. 

NBA Vegas Data for March 29 | NBA DFS First Look

Chicago Bulls @ Washington Wizards

CHI -3.5, total: 223.5
Pace: CHI (16th), WAS (23rd)

Situations to monitor:

• Kyle Kuzma remains sidelined for Washington.

Milwaukee Bucks @ Philadelphia 76ers

PHI -1, total: 232
Pace: MIL (8th), PHI (28th)

Situations to monitor:

• Giannis Antetokounmpo is listed as probable for Milwaukee. 

Detroit Pistons @ Brooklyn Nets

BKN -14, total: 234
Pace: DET (12th), BKN (11th)

Situations to monitor:

• Both Jerami Grant and Hamidou Diallo will miss the remainder of the season. Meanwhile, Isaiah Livers (concussion) has been ruled out for the Pistons.

Los Angeles Lakers @ Dallas Mavericks

DAL -12, total: 218.5
Pace: LAL (6th), DAL (30th)

Situations to monitor:

• Anthony Davis (foot) is listed as doubtful for Los Angeles. LeBron James, meanwhile, is doubtful with an ankle injury.

Utah Jazz @ Los Angeles Clippers

UTA -1.5, total: 217.5
Pace: UTA (22nd), LAC (18th)

Situations to monitor:

• Rudy Gobert and Bojan Bogdanovic are listed as questionable for Utah. Hassan Whiteside has been ruled out.

Matchups to Target | NBA DFS First Look

Nikola Vucevic vs. Washington Wizards

Vucevic hasn’t shown a massive ceiling as of late, but the floor has remained solid. I do love this spot for him today, as he faces a Washington defense that has struggled to defend opposing centers for most of the season. They do have Kristaps Porzingis in the middle of that defense now, but it doesn’t really worry me. The Wizards are allowing the fifth-most points per possession (1.18) and fifth-highest field goal percentage (54.9%) to opposing roll men out of the pick-and-roll. That bodes well for Vucevic, who is averaging a league-leading 6.4 points per game off the play type this season, along with the fifth-highest frequency rate in the league (36.2%).

Kyrie Irving vs. Detroit Pistons

Irving is coming off his first home game of the season and stays in Brooklyn to host the Pistons on Tuesday. If this were a larger slate, I’d likely prefer other guards at a similar price. But because there are only five games, it makes me like Irving even more, especially against a Detroit team that is coughing up the second-most points per possession (0.96) and second-highest field goal percentage (45.3%) to opposing ball-handlers out of the pick-and-roll this season. The Pistons are also allowing the fourth-most points per game off isolation (7.8), which bodes well for Irving, whose 5.7 isolation points per game on the year are tied with teammate Kevin Durant for the fourth-most in all of basketball. 

Value Plays | NBA DFS First Look

Juancho Hernangomez vs. LAC- Rudy Gobert missed Utah’s last game, which led to Hernangomez drawing the start. Per usual, Hernangomez was productive in a larger role, and he has now scored 23.25 fantasy points in each of his last two outings. With Gobert questionable and Hassan Whiteside out for Tuesday’s contest, Hernangomez could draw another start against the Clippers.