Full Court Press Breakdown for NBA DFS 3/13:

Welcome to another year of the DFS Army NBA Full Court Press! Members had a ton of success using the Full Court Press along with various articles and tools that DFS Army provides last season, so we are glad to be back with another year of the all-inclusive article. You have to start your research somewhere, and oftentimes going game by game and breaking down every matchup and its key players is the first step in our process. My name is Michael aka @MadnessDFS on Twitter, make sure to give me a follow as I’ll occasionally make updates to the advice in the article. But, you’ll mostly find me in our VIP coaching forums where I provide detailed lineup maneuvers and answer all lineup questions. With that said, let’s get it started!

I want to give a quick shoutout to VIP Member “TheSoprano12” on their $100,000 win earlier this season!! Better go buy a Boban jersey after that one!

Early Slate:

New York Knicks @ Oklahoma City Thunder

Vegas Total: 208

Vegas Spread: Nyk -5.0

We kick Saturday off with an island game, if you’re looking to get some action on this one you’ll have to play the showdown slate, but we’ll start with the Knicks. Julius Randle had a floor game last time out in a game that they got boat raced in, I would expect a bounce back from him here in a pretty solid matchup. He’s the top raw option on this short slate. Derrick Rose will miss this game, while Elfrid Payton and Immanuel Quickley are both questionable. We will really need news on these guys before we can go too deep on them, but if one of them sits, the other would become an awesome play. RJ Barrett has at least 30 DraftKings points in four of his last five games, he would stand to see an increase in opportunity if any of those guys sit as well. Nerlens Noel had a dud last time out as well, along with Randle. I have no issue going right back to him here, the minutes should come back up on him. Lastly, Alec Burks is a value option I really like with Rose out and if one of those point guards sits I will be really heavy on him here. From the Thunder, Shai Gilgeous-Alexander will miss this game and Hamidou Diallo was traded to the Pistons yesterday, so we can run some data with these guys off the court this season, as well as Darius Bazley who will also miss here:

• Isaiah Roby – 21.5% usage rate; 1.24 fpm
• Al Horford – sample size too small, but should see a nice boost in the assist department with SGA out and rebounds with Bazley out.

Outside of those two, nobody really stands out but we did see Aleksej Pokusevski play 30 minutes last time out and played really well, so it would surprise me to see him get good run here and be a really nice value option. Guys like Lu Dort and Theo Maledon are solid options as well in a showdown contest.

5-star play: Julius Randle, Aleksej Pokusevski

4-star play: RJ Barrett, Elfrid Payton, Immanuel Quickley, Alec Burks, Isaiah Roby, Al Horford

Deeper Value: Aleksej Pokusevski

GPP Sleeper: Nerlens Noel, Lu Dort, Theo Maledon

Main Slate:

Detroit Pistons @ Brooklyn Nets

Vegas Total: 227.5

Vegas Spread: Bkn -11.0

Starting with the Nets, both Kevin Durant and Blake Griffin will be inactive here so it will be the James Harden and Kyrie Irving show. Harden came down to Earth a bit last game but scored 62 DraftKings points in this spot earlier this season. The Pistons won’t have much of an answer for anything the Nets will do offensively. Kyrie Irving has at least 50 DraftKings points in three of his last four games and has looked great as of late, no issue getting to him here either. Bruce Brown finally had a down game last time out, but he does get a revenge game against his old squad. I’m not sure how vengeful Brown is exactly or what he’d be able to do if he were, but I don’t see him as a guy I get much of here at this price point. DeAndre Jordan is a fine mid-range cash option but he doesn’t bring much upside with him, I don’t see myself getting a ton of him here either. I would rather take a value shot on Nic Claxton at under $4k, his minutes have been pretty consistent, and got near 20 last time out, he’s not going to see huge minutes but he’s been effective in his short spurts. From the Pistons, it’s a nice matchup against a bad defensive team in the Nets, but I question if they’ll be able to hang in this game long enough to be effective from a fantasy perspective. Jerami Grant scored 47 DraftKings points in this spot earlier this season and is a guy I don’t mind here. Mason Plumlee should be able to manhandle the paint, he scored 50 DraftKings points on the Nets earlier as well, I like him more than I like Grant for the savings. Delon Wright returned last game to play 22 minutes, with Dennis Smith Jr. out tonight it wouldn’t surprise me to see him up near 30 again. Then we can round this team out with GPP guys like Josh Jackson and Saddiq Bey as “last guy in” type plays.

5-star play: James Harden, Kyrie Irving

4-star play: Jerami Grant, Mason Plumlee

Deeper Value: Nic Claxton

GPP Sleeper: Delon Wright, Josh Jackson, Saddiq Bey, Joe Harris, Nic Claxton

Toronto Raptors @ Charlotte Hornets

Vegas Total: 233

Vegas Spread: Cha -2.5

Starting with the Raptors, they’re a bit of a miss still with Fred VanVleet, Pascal Siakam, and OG Anunoby all out. It’s a small-ish sample size but here is how they operate with these guys off the court:

• Kyle Lowry – 26.2% usage rate; 1.17 fpm
• Chris Boucher – 24.6% usage rate; 1.24 fpm
• Norman Powell – 29.7 % usage rate; 1.12 fpm
• Terence Davis – 24.6% usage rate; 1.00 fpm

These would be my main targets from this team. Aron Baynes has had back-to-back nice games as well and is worth a GPP look against a bad interior team. Lastly, guys like DeAndre Bembry and Stanley Johnson should get decent run but just don’t do it for me, I like getting more upside than they have to offer. From the Hornets, Devonte’ Graham returned last game and played just 18 minutes, he’s not a guy I’ll be targeting here and looks like he’ll be coming off the bench at least until he gets his feet under him, but may be a permanent move with Ball moving to the starting lineup. Speaking of LaMelo Ball, he struggled last time out but did see a price decrease so I have no issue with him for tournaments. Terry Rozier has been really good as of late, but I have trouble paying this price tag for him when Graham will be back in the rotation. Gordon Hayward had a pretty unimpressive game last time out but he’s a fine secondary option if you’re looking to get some exposure here. With Cody Zeller expected back I think PJ Washington is overpriced, as he won’t see as much run at the five. That being said, he has averaged 41 DraftKings points per game in two games against the Raptors this season. Lastly, Malik Monk and Miles Bridges will continue to provide a spark off the bench and make for decent tournament options should you land on them.

5-star play: Kyle Lowry, Norman Powell

4-star play: Chris Boucher, Terence Davis, LaMelo Ball, Gordon Hayward

Deeper Value: Terence Davis

GPP Sleeper: Chris Boucher, Aron Baynes, Malik Monk, Miles Bridges, PJ Washington

Milwaukee Bucks @ Washington Wizards

Vegas Total: 240

Vegas Spread: Mil -10.5

This game has a massive implied total at 240 and if it can stay within reason of being competitive we could strike a fantasy gold mine here. We’ll start with the Bucks, Giannis Antetokounmpo was able to drop nearly 60 fantasy points last time out in about 29 minutes against the Knicks. He should do whatever he wants in this one and makes for an elite raw option. Khris Middleton had a down game last time out, but the minutes were way down due to it being a blowout. His price isn’t anything that I want to target, but I’m okay playing him if I land on him here. Jrue Holiday got his minutes up to 25 last game, but he’s just not a guy I’m going to play until we see him get over that 30-minute mark or his price comes down. Then the trio of Donte DiVincenzo, Brook Lopez, and Bobby Portis are all volatile tournament options to round out this game. From the Wizards, Russell Westbrook and Bradley Beal are the pieces you’ll want here for the most part. They’re both elite options given the pace of this one. Rui Hachimura has been pretty dreadful as of late and isn’t a guy I’m necessarily thrilled about here. Robin Lopez is near the minimum and gets a revenge game and a matchup against his brother. He’s not a guy I’m running to the press to play but makes sense as a punt option. I would expect Davis Bertans to miss this game as he left yesterday’s game early which will free up minutes for guys like Deni Avdija and Garrison Mathews but they’re more punt options as well. Not much I love on this team outside of Beal and Westbrook honestly.

5-star play: Giannis Antetokounmpo, Russell Westbrook, Bradley Beal

4-star play: Khris Middleton

Deeper Value: Robin Lopez

GPP Sleeper: Brook Lopez, Donte DiVincenzo, Bobby Portis, Deni Avdija, Garrison Mathews

Sacramento Kings @ Atlanta Hawks

Vegas Total: 237

Vegas Spread: Atl -4.0

Similar to the last game, this one has a massive total as well, but this one should stay a bit closer. Starting with the Kings, De’Aaron Fox has at least 56 DraftKings points in two straight games and I like his chances of continuing that here in a great matchup against the Hawks. Buddy Hield and Harrison Barnes have looked great as of late, particularly Hield. They’ve both been getting massive minutes and are guys I like to get to here. Richaun Holmes and Marvin Bagley have been consistently solid as well and are solid options in all formats. Lastly, it looks like Tyrese Haliburton will be on a minutes restriction as he gets eased back in, so you can just remove him from your player pool. From the Hawks, Trae Young has at least 50 DraftKings points in two straight games. He gets on these streaks where he’ll rattle off ten straight 50 burgers, so I like him a lot here especially against a terrible Kings defense. Clint Capela is a solid play here as well, Holmes and Bagley are solid on offense but have some work to do defensively. John Collins will always be a volatile member of this team so tournaments only on him, I hope they end up trading him in the next few weeks. Kevin Huerter bounced back a bit over his last few games, he’s going to continue to see big minutes with Cam Reddish and DeAndre Hunter out. Bogdan Bogdanovic had his minutes restriction lifted last time out but still only played 16 minutes as he went 0-6 from the field. I think I’m just going to need to see it from him before I get all that excited to play him, but the matchup really is compelling. Lastly, Danilo Gallinari is going to be a scoring-dependent option.

5-star play: De’Aaron Fox, Trae Young

4-star play: Buddy Hield, Harrison Barnes, Richaun Holmes, Marvin Bagley, Clint Capela, John Collins, Kevin Huerter

Deeper Value: Bogdan Bogdanovic

GPP Sleeper: John Collins, Bogdan Bogdanovic, Danilo Gallinari

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Portland Trailblazers @ Minnesota Timberwolves

Vegas Total: 234

Vegas Spread: Por -5.0

Starting with the Timberwolves, Karl-Anthony Towns has been pretty solid since returning from the Covid list. He hasn’t consistently put up those 50 point nights like we’re looking for but he’s flashed a 60 points ceiling. I really like this spot for him against a weak interior that the Blazers will throw at him. Anthony Edwards will continue to see heavy minutes with D’Angelo Russell and Malik Beasley out, he has at least 30 DraftKings points in five straight games. Ricky Rubio is never really a guy I love, his ceiling is like 40 points and he doesn’t get huge minutes like some of the other guys on this team. I would much rather target Jaylen Nowell for cheaper. He scored 49 DraftKings points last time out, he won’t shoot 6-7 from three-point range again, but he’s a solid player. From the Blazers, Damian Lillard has at least 50 DraftKings points in five of his last six games and gets a great matchup here. He scored 67.25 DraftKings points in this spot earlier this season, tough not to like him. I do like the spot for Enes Kanter as well, Towns is sneaky bad on defense so Kanter should be able to get it going here. Robert Covington is getting all the minutes he can handle right now and is worth a look in tournaments as he’s flashed a nice ceiling. Lastly, Carmelo Anthony and Gary Trent Jr. round out this team as GPP options.

5-star play: Damian Lillard, Karl-Anthony Towns

4-star play: Enes Kanter, Anthony Edwards

Deeper Value: None

GPP Sleeper: Ricky Rubio, Jaylen Nowell, Robert Covington, Carmelo Anthony, Gary Trent Jr.

Indiana Pacers @ Phoenix Suns

Vegas Total: 223

Vegas Spread: Phx -6.5

This game should be a fun one for real-life basketball, but man is it pretty uninteresting for DFS considering the price tags on these guys. The Pacers are expected to get Caris LeVert back as he makes his debut here. I would think he’s on some sort of minutes restriction which makes him unplayable on DraftKings, but he’s really interesting on FanDuel at just $3.9k. Keep an eye on any sort of news surrounding him but at the moment he looks like a solid option over there. Domantas Sabonis scored 61.5 DraftKings points in this spot earlier this season, he’s a fine option, but I just don’t love the spot. Malcolm Brogdon had a nice game last time out and performed well in this spot earlier as well, it will be interesting to see how he plays with LeVert as he’s introduced to the rotation. He’s a fine secondary option. Lastly, Myles Turner will always be more of a GPP option than anything as he relies pretty heavily on three-pointers and blocks. From the Suns, you probably know that I hate playing guys on this team when they’re at full strength by now. With Devin Booker probable I don’t see myself getting to much here in a pretty average matchup against the Pacers. If you really want a piece of someone here, guys like Booker, Chris Paul, and DeAndre Ayton are all fine tournament plays.

5-star play: None

4-star play: Domantas Sabonis, Caris LeVert (FanDuel only), Malcolm Brogdon, Chris Paul, DeAndre Ayton

Deeper Value: Caris LeVert

GPP Sleeper: Domantas Sabonis, Malcolm Brogdon, Myles Turner, Devin Booker, Chris Paul, DeAndre Ayton

Dallas Mavericks @ Denver Nuggets

Vegas Total: 226

Vegas Spread: Den -1.0

Starting with the Mavs, Luka Doncic has some pretty incredible numbers against the Nuggets this season. He’s averaging 82.8 DraftKings points per game in two games against them, safe to say he’s an elite option here. Kristaps Porzingis gets a pretty tough matchup here as he’ll have to help deal with Nikola Jokic down low, but we know he has the ability to get hot from three and get on a scoring binge, so he’s in play for GPPs. Then the rest of this team doesn’t quite do it for me on a big slate like tonight, you can make a case for guys like Tim Hardaway and Josh Richardson, but that would about do it for me on the Mavs. From the Nuggets, Nikola Jokic gets a great matchup here as the Mavericks have struggled with big men all season long. He’s an elite raw option as always. We kind of know the story on Jamal Murray by now, he’s a GPP guy that could get you 60 but could also get you 18 like last night. Michael Porter Jr. seems to have found his footing a bit as of late, I like him as a tournament option here and we know he has huge upside as well. Will Barton is fairly priced as a tournament option as well, but I don’t have a strong lean on him in this one.

5-star play: Luka Doncic, Nikola Jokic

4-star play: Kristaps Porzingis, Jamal Murray

Deeper Value: None

GPP Sleeper: Kristaps Porzingis, Tim Hardaway, Josh Richardson, Jamal Murray, Michael Porter Jr., Will Barton

NBA Lock of the Day: Trae Young (DK – $9.8k; FD – $9.0k)

I’m going to attack that Atl/Sac game here, it has an implied total of 237 and may get to 240 before lock. The Kings are pretty easily the worst defensive unit in the league, so why not take advantage with a guy like Trae Young? He has at least 50 DraftKings points in two straight games and is a guy I love getting to whenever he’s under $10k. The Research Station currently has him projected for 51.9 DraftKings points which would put him at about 5.3x his price tag. I would imagine he makes my core in our Cheat Sheets/Coaches Notes when those come out later in the day, but check them out for an update as we get closer to lock! Tweet me (@MadnessDFS) your lock predictions and if your player gets over 5x tonight I’ll give you a shoutout on Twitter, let’s have some fun with this!

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