Main Slate Breakdown for NBA DFS 5/3:

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!

Indiana Pacers @ Washington Wizards

Vegas Total: N/A

Vegas Spread: N/A

We’ll kick the slate off with the Pacers, it looks like the only injury news we’ll be waiting on here is Malcolm Brogdon and Jeremy Lamb who both come in as questionable here. I’m going to operate under the assumption that they play for the sake of this article. I like this game quite a bit for fantasy purposes, both teams have played really fast and loose this season, so there should be plenty of scoring opportunities here. Domantas Sabonis scored 61.25 DraftKings points in this spot earlier this season and is a guy you can go right back to here, the Wizards don’t play good defense against opposing big men. Brogdon missed their game on Saturday but had come into that game in great form and had a good game in this spot earlier this season.  Caris LeVert has been in good form as well, but I would prefer Brogdon to be out for me to go all that heavy on him due to the price tag he’s carrying. It seems like Oshae Brissett is going to continue to play massive minutes but the price is up on him now, the nice thing about him on FanDuel is you know he’s going to rack up those steals and blocks, hence the price differential from DraftKings. From the Wizards, Russell Westbrook had his best game of the season against the Pacers where he went for 94.5 DraftKings points. It’s hard not to like him in all formats across all sites with the production he’s putting up. Bradley Beal did miss that game earlier this season, but probably isn’t a guy I’ll prioritize at this price tag, I’d rather just find the money and get up to Westbrook if you can. The Wizards are generally pretty easy to break down because it’s pretty much those two studs and then a bunch of dart throw GPP guys. My favorite being that center position with guys like Daniel Gafford, Alex Len, and Davis Bertans if they go small. That being said, it’s pretty clear Gafford is the guy.

5-star play: Russell Westbrook, Domantas Sabonis

4-star play: Malcolm Brogdon, Oshae Brissett, Bradley Beal, Daniel Gafford

Deeper Value: Davis Bertans

GPP Sleeper: Caris LeVert, Daniel Gafford, Davis Bertans, Rui Hachimura, Raul Neto

Orlando Magic @ Detroit Pistons

Vegas Total: N/A

Vegas Spread: N/A

Starting with the Magic, Cole Anthony is coming off a 50 burger last time out against the Grizzlies and has been really good since returning from injury. I like the matchup and prices on him as well in all formats with Terrence Ross out. Wendell Carter Jr. hasn’t been all that great lately, while Mo Bamba has gotten fewer minutes but been the better fantasy producer. In my eyes, it’s more of a stay-away spot than anything outside of GPP exposure to Bamba due to the upside he has. Dwayne Bacon is playing big minutes and should continue to along with RJ Hampton and Gary Harris due to how shorthanded they are. Of those three, Bacon is your safest for cash games but I love the upside you get in a guy like Hampton. Mo Wagner has started the last two games and played at least 28 minutes in both of them. The price has come up on him, but no enough if this is the type of run he’s going to see, which is likely due to how shorthanded they are. From Detroit, they’re going to be without Jerami Grant, Mason Plumlee, and Cory Joseph again here meaning we can fire up the Isaiah Stewart train pretty comfortably. I’m not sure why FanDuel hasn’t changed his position eligibility, but take advantage of that PF tag. Saddiq Bey is coming off one of his best games of the season in 40 minutes of work, you can go right back to him here with these guys out. Josh Jackson is your GPP pivot off of him, but still, a fine filler play if you want to get a piece or two. Lastly, Killian Hayes should continue to see good run with Joseph out and makes for a solid mid-range option.

5-star play: None

4-star play: Cole Anthony, Mo Wagner, Isaiah Stewart, Saddiq Bey, Josh Jackson, Killian Hayes

Deeper Value: RJ Hampton, Gary Harris

GPP Sleeper: Wendell Carter Jr., Mo Bamba, RJ Hampton, Gary Harris

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Golden State Warriors @ New Orleans Pelicans

Vegas Total: N/A

Vegas Spread: N/A

Starting with the Warriors, Kelly Oubre is ruled out while Andrew Wiggins comes in as questionable, let’s run some numbers with Oubre off the court this season (assuming Wiggins plays for now):

• Stephen Curry – 35.5% usage rate; 1.58 fpm
• Andrew Wiggins – 22.3% usage rate; 0.87 fpm
• Draymond Green – 13.2% usage rate; 1.07 fpm
• Kent Bazemore – 18.2% usage rate; 0.87 fpm
• Jordan Poole – 27.7% usage rate; 1.1 fpm

Curry becomes a really nice option here against a Pelicans team that has struggled with opposing point guards all season long. He sees a +2.2% usage increase and nearly a 0.1 fantasy point per minute increase. As a whole I think you can target the Warriors a decent amount, we don’t have an implied total on this game yet but I would expect it to be pretty large with how fast both of these teams play. From the Pelicans, Zion Williamson had a big game last time out against Minnesota, he’s a guy that I like more on FanDuel due to the discount you get on him from DraftKings. Brandon Ingram is a fine option but not someone I generally get to. I like him a bit more on FanDuel due to the price and the position scarcity. Lonzo Ball has at least 65 DraftKings points in two of his last three games, I have no issue chasing the heater here in a great matchup. Lastly, Eric Bledsoe and Steven Adams are fine secondary filler options if you happen to land on them. Not really guys that I’m looking to prioritize though. It’s worth noting that Steven Adams comes into this one as questionable as well, so we can go right to Willy Hernangomez if he ends up sitting.

5-star play: Steph Curry, Zion Williamson (FanDuel)

4-star play: Andrew Wiggins, Draymond Green, Kent Bazemore, Lonzo Ball

Deeper Value: None

GPP Sleeper: Jordan Poole, Brandon Ingram, Eric Bledsoe

Portland Trailblazers @ Atlanta Hawks

Vegas Total: N/A

Vegas Spread: N/A

Starting with the Blazers, Damian Lillard had a nice game in this spot earlier on in the season and is a guy you can go back to here against a banged-up Hawks team. CJ McCollum is coming off a 50 burger last time out, we know he’s going to play huge minutes, I like the price discount you get on him over on FanDuel. Jusuf Nurkic’s minutes seem to be trending in the right direction, if he sees 25+ minutes he’s a walking double-double even in a tougher matchup like this one with Clint Capela. Norman Powell isn’t someone I’ve been getting too much lately, but you can make a case for him in GPPs, he’s averaging 38.9 DraftKings points per game in two games against the Hawks this season. From the Hawks, they’re beginning to get a bit healthier with Trae Young back and Bogdan Bogdanovic coming in as probable. It’s a nice matchup for both of them due to the defense that the Blazers play, I don’t exactly love the price tag on Bogdanovic with Young in there but he’s proved he can be successful still, so no complaints. John Collins is more of a GPP guy due to his volatility but this is the type of game where I like to target him, still more of a tournament guy though. Clint Capela is a fine option but he’s been held under 40 DraftKings points in five straight games and Nurkic can play some tough defense down low. Lastly, Kevin Huerter makes for a solid filler piece in GPPs if you happen to land on him, but not a guy I’m prioritizing.

5-star play: Trae Young

4-star play: Damian Lillard, CJ McCollum, Jusuf Nurkic, Clint Capela, Bogdan Bogdanovic

Deeper Value: None

GPP Sleeper: Norman Powell, John Collins, Kevin Huerter

New York Knicks @ Memphis Grizzlies

Vegas Total: N/A

Vegas Spread: N/A

Starting with the Knicks, the big news here could be what the Knicks will do at their center position. Nerlens Noel’s x-rays came back negative, but it does sound like his status is closer to doubtful than questionable. If he ends up missing we could see more Julius Randle at the center position along with guys like Taj Gibson and potentially John Henson getting some run. That said, keep an eye on the Breaking News Feed for updates surrounding them. Julius Randle is a solid option on both sites, he’s cheaper on FanDuel but still playable on DraftKings, he’s been in good form coming into this one. RJ Barrett was a guy I got to a lot yesterday, and it worked out well. He has at least 41 DraftKings points in three of his last four games and is a guy I’ll go right back to here due to being SF eligible. Derrick Rose is a fine option, but I just don’t know how much you’ll need him on an eight-game slate, more of a filler piece than anything for me. Keep an eye on Alec Burks as well, he hasn’t played since 4/14 and didn’t play on Sunday due to his conditioning, so he’s clearly not in any sort of shape to play huge minutes which should funnel those minutes to guys like Reggie Bullock and Immanuel Quickley. From the Grizzlies, Ja Morant has cooled down a bit from about a weak ago when he was dropping 60 point games left and right but he’s still been good, I just think the price is a bit too high for my liking. I do like the tag on FanDuel though, so that’s where I would get my exposure. Jonas Valanciunas dropped 49.5 DraftKings points in this spot earlier this season and if Noel is forced to miss for the Knicks, he could be in for a big game. The rest of this team is always hard for me to get to when they’re fully healthy because of how deep they can go. If Grayson Allen ends up missing we can go back to guys like De’Anthony Melton and secures the minutes on Dillon Brooks and Kyle Anderson a bit.

5-star play: Julius Randle, Ja Morant (FanDuel)

4-star play: RJ Barrett, Ja Morant (DraftKings), Jonas Valanciunas, Derrick Rose

Deeper Value: None

GPP Sleeper: De’Anthony Melton, Dillon Brooks, Kyle Anderson

Philadelphia 76ers @ Chicago Bulls

Vegas Total: N/A

Vegas Spread: N/A

Starting with the Sixers, Joel Embiid’s minutes came up yesterday but with this being a back-to-back in a game they should win pretty easily, it does worry me a bit due to the minutes he’s seen as of late. They have no issue pulling him early when they’re up big. That said, assuming he gets his usual run, he’s an elite raw play as always. Ben Simmons isn’t a guy I’ve been getting to all that much, he just hasn’t looked that great. We know he has triple-double upside every time he’s on the court, but we just haven’t seen it. I don’t hate him for GPPs if you want to chase that upside, but I won’t go there in cash games. Tobias Harris isn’t coming in in great form either, I’ll stay away from him as well at this price tag. From the Bulls, we’ll need some news on Nikola Vucevic, as he comes in as questionable here. I’m going to operate under the assumption that he’s a go, but something to monitor as we get closer to lock. It’s a tough matchup but LaVine should continue to miss this one, so no issue going right back to him. Coby White is in great form as of late, but Ben Simmons is a real ball stopper on defense, so this is a spot that I’ll probably just fade and jump back on next time. Thad Young is coming off a big game against the Hawks where he dropped 45.25 DraftKings points, he’s never a sexy play, but if he’s the last guy in your lineup it’s hard to dislike it. Lastly, you can make a case for cheap guys like Daniel Theis and Lauri Markkenen in GPPs if you’re looking at some MME-type plays.

5-star play: Joel Embiid

4-star play: Nikola Vucevic, Thad Young

Deeper Value: None

GPP Sleeper: Ben Simmons, Tobias Harris, Seth Curry, Danny Green, Coby White, Daniel Theis, Lauri Markkanen

Denver Nuggets @ Los Angeles Lakers

Vegas Total: 215

Vegas Spread: Den -4.0

Starting with the Nuggets, things pretty much always start with Nikola Jokic when it comes to this team. It’s a more difficult matchup now that Anthony Davis is back in the interior but he’s Nikola Jokic, so I’m comfortable calling him an elite raw play here. Michael Porter Jr. continues to put up good numbers as well, the price has come way up on him, but for good reason, he’s the number two option now with Murray out for Denver. Aaron Gordon just feels like he’s going to be a tough guy to predict for the rest of the season, he’s more of a deep GPP guy for me. Then guys like PJ Dozier and Facundo Campazzo make sense as filler pieces with Murray, Morris, and Barton out, their minutes are pretty locked in right now. From the Lakers, this is the second leg of a back-to-back and we saw LeBron James leave the game early yesterday, I wouldn’t be shocked if he took a day off today, but keep an eye on that news. He and Anthony Davis are strong plays if they’re both out there at their price tags. We’ll need to keep an eye on Dennis Schroder as well, it sounds like he’s stuck in Covid protocol and his status is truly unknown. Andre Drummond looked pretty good last night and is going to be a point-per-minute monster when he’s out there. Although Davis and LeBron will take away from that more than guys did at his other stops this season. The rest of this team isn’t all that interesting to me, I would want one of LeBron or Davis to sit in order to get to guys like Montrezl Harrell or Kyle Kuzma.

5-star play: Nikola Jokic, Anthony Davis

4-star play: Michael Porter Jr, LeBron James, PJ Dozier, Facundo Campazzo

Deeper Value: None

GPP Sleeper: Aaron Gordon, Andre Drummond

San Antonio Spurs @ Utah Jazz

Vegas Total: N/A

Vegas Spread: N/A

Starting with the Spurs, they ended up resting a handful of their starters yesterday but seems like Dejounte Murray will be the only question mark in this one as he comes in as questionable. DeMar DeRozan has been in really good form as of late and a guy I think we can get to here in a pace-up spot even against a tougher defense. That said, I do like him much more on DraftKings, that’s a huge price tag over on FanDuel. This is a tough spot for Jakob Poeltl as he’ll have to deal with Rudy Gobert down low, I do like the price tag, but it’s hard to feel comfortable about the spot. Keldon Johnson had a big night last night, but we kind of know the deal with him, more often than not he’s going to underperform relative to his price tag. Lastly, Lonnie Walker is a solid value option if you need one, his minutes should be pretty secure with Derrick White out for the remainder of the season. From the Jazz, Donovan Mitchell and Mike Conley will continue to be out for this team. Rudy Gobert has been pretty decent as of late, but he just feels overpriced. I do like the matchup, however, so if you really want to get there you can, but I’ll go elsewhere in this price range. Jordan Clarkson hasn’t been all that impressive with Conley and Mitchell out, but the Spurs have been struggling with opposing point guards all season long and is a solid option here. Bojan Bogdanovic and Joe Ingles have been the guys to own lately, they’re both in really good form, and guys you can get to here while Royce O’Neale is more of a GPP guy.

5-star play: None

4-star play: DeMar DeRozan, Dejounte Murray, Rudy Gobert, Jordan Clarkson, Bojan Bogdanovic, Joe Ingles

Deeper Value: Lonnie Walker

GPP Sleeper: Jakob Poeltl, Royce O’Neale

NBA Lock of the Day: Cheat Sheets/Core 4

We’re at that point in the NBA season where finding a lock of the day happens much closer to lock rather than earlier in the morning due to how fluid the injury reports are, so I’ll keep the lock of the day for our VIP members. Come get signed up and take a look at our Core plays on our Cheat Sheets/Coaches Notes for tonight, maybe take a gander at the DraftKings tiers notes while you’re in there as well! These notes include Core plays, player ranks, and tiers notes, so come check them out! 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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Editor’s Note – However, if you are more interested in simply betting the games, NBA is full of crazy action.  And, our dynamic modeling over at SportsBetArmy adjusts in real time to help identify Vegas inaccuracies you can exploit.  Follow Ryan, Anthony, and Statsational for models and coaching advice that help you build any bankroll for any sport…