DFS NBA Full Court Press: FanDuel & DraftKings Main Slate - Mar. 26th, 2022

Main Slate Breakdown for NBA DFS 03/26:

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 Mike 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!

---

Sacramento Kings @ Orlando Magic

Vegas Total: 224.0

Vegas Spread: Orl -3.0

We’ll kick this slate off starting with the Kings, Domantas Sabonis and De’Aaron Fox will be out again for this one meaning we should see guys like Davion Mitchell and Damian Jones again. Below is how this team operates with these two off of the court this season:

• Davion Mitchell – 23.7% usage rate; 0.90 fpm
• Damian Jones – 15.9% usage rate; 1.02 fpm
• Donte DiVincenzo – 24.2% usage rate; 0.91 fpm
• Harrison Barnes – 19.3% usage rate; 0.77 fpm
• Chimezie Metu – 20.4% usage rate; 1.02 fpm

These would be my main options from Sacramento, I don’t really have a ton of interest in guys like Justin Holiday and Jeremy Lamb who either aren’t great per minute guys or will see volatile minutes. That being said, the matchup sets up really well for this Kings team for DFS purposes. From Orlando, Wendell Carter Jr. should return here and gets a great matchup with a bad Kings defense. The price tag has come way up on him, but he’s been super consistent as of late. Cole Anthony was a guy I liked quite a bit last time out but with Carter Jr. and Markelle Fultz back in the lineup, I’ll be lower on him here. Franz Wagner and Mo Bamba both look like solid options in this price range, I would lean Wagner in cash and Bamba in GPP however. Then guys like Chuma Okeke and RJ Hampton are fine MME pieces.

5-star play: Davion Mitchell

4-star play: Damian Jones, Donte DiVincenzo, Harrison Barnes, Chimezie Metu, Wendell Carter Jr., Cole Anthony, Chuma Okeke

Deeper Value: Chuma Okeke, Chimezie Metu, RJ Hampton

GPP Sleeper: Harrison Barnes, Chimezie Metu, Jeremy Lamb, RJ Hampton, Franz Wagner, Markelle Fultz

I need to give VIP Member “TTG2436” a massive shoutout for his $100k takedown earlier in the season, congrats man! Our NBA Domination Station lineup optimizer is Powered by DFS Army proprietary projections. The Domination Station will help you create 150 of the highest projected lineups in a matter of minutes. With features that allow you to Like  Love  or Dislike  a player, you can create a fully unique pool of players to generate your lineups from every day. Combine the power of the Domination Station with our VIP Only Articles and the NBA Research Station to really take your game to the next level.

Indiana Pacers @ Toronto Raptors

Vegas Total: 227.0

Vegas Spread: Tor -9.0

Starting with the Pacers, Tyrese Haliburton had a rough go of it last time out and with Brogdon available in this one, I don’t think I’ll be getting to this price tag on Haliburton. I would probably take the discount and go down to Malcolm Brogdon who has played at least 35 minutes in five of his last six games and is generally a pretty nice per minute guy. The price tag on Buddy Hield is going to be incredibly hard for me to get to here with Brogdon and Haliburton both active… his minutes have been pretty volatile as of late. We’ll need news on this frontcourt as Jalen Smith and Goga Bitadze come in as questionable and Isaiah Stewart is out. Watch the Breaking News Feed for updates, but these two will impact the minutes dispersion in the frontcourt and could help Hield as well. Oshae Brissett should see nice minutes regardless with Jackson out and looks like a solid option in all formats. From the Raptors, Gary Trent Jr. comes into this one as questionable as well, so we’ll need the news on him, but I’ll operate under the assumption that he’s a full go here. The Pacers make for a great matchup for the Raptors and are a team I generally like targeting. Pascal Siakam dropped a 50 burger on the Cavs last time out and a guy I like in all formats. Fred VanVleet has returned to his usual role of playing 35+ minutes per game and gets a great matchup here as well. I’ll have no issue with Scottie Barnes as well, he should continue to play big minutes as well. I don’t love the price tag on him, but if you land on him I won’t talk you off of him. OG Anunoby returned last time out which could hurt minutes on Barnes, but he played just 26 minutes last time out. I don’t believe he’ll be a “full full” go, but it wouldn’t shock me to see him over 30 minutes here. He may hurt the minutes more on Precious Achiuwa than anyway, he’s a guy I’ll be lower on at his price tag.

5-star play: Pascal Siakam

4-star play: Tyrese Haliburton, Malcolm Brogdon, Oshae Brissett, Fred VanVleet

Deeper Value: None

GPP Sleeper: Buddy Hield, Gary Trent Jr., OG Anunoby, Scottie Barnes

---

Chicago Bulls @ Cleveland Cavaliers

Vegas Total: NA

Vegas Spread: NA

Starting with the Bulls, Zach LaVine had a massive game last time out with a 50 burger against the Pelicans, and with him being back to looking full healthy it will be hard to determine which of him and DeMar DeRozan will have the big night on a daily basis. They’ll both look like solid secondary options here. It’s not the best matchup for Nikola Vucevic but they’ll need his size against this Cavs frontcourt, so no issues going right back to him here. The price tag on Alex Caruso has come up a bit and has been held under 20 DraftKings points in three of his last four games, so maybe more of a GPP guy for me, but the minutes should be there for him. From the Cavs, Darius Garland is playing all of the minutes he can handle right now and the matchup sets up well, he’s a nice option… but man the price tag is tough to get to on him. Evan Mobley has been held under 30 fantasy points in two straight games but is still a guy I would be okay getting to in all formats in this matchup. Kevin Love saw 33 minutes last time out but will continue to be a tournament option due to the minutes volatility on him. Lauri Markkanen will continue to see big minutes and has at least 30 DraftKings points in back-to-back games and will look like a solid secondary option. Lastly, I’m fine with fading Caris LeVert until he proves me wrong, he just hasn’t been in great form.

5-star play: None

4-star play: Zach LaVine, DeMar DeRozan, Nikola Vucevic, Evan Mobley, Darius Garland, Lauri Markkanen

Deeper Value: None

GPP Sleeper: Alex Caruso, Coby White, Kevin Love

---

Brooklyn Nets @ Miami Heat

Vegas Total: 226.5

Vegas Spread: Mia -1.0

Starting with the Nets, Kyrie Irving will be available here and we’ve seen him be pretty unreal when he plays. I don’t know if it’s due to the rest he gets between games or the fresh legs he has, but he’s looked incredible and a guy I have no issue paying through the nose for tonight again. He’s scored at least 63 DraftKings points in three of his last four games. That being said, the matchup stinks with the Heat, as they play slow and great defense. The same can be said for Kevin Durant, it’s a tough matchup, but he’s scored at least 62 DraftKings points in back-to-back games as well. Andre Drummond will look like a fine option, but I don’t know that we’ll need him on this slate at his current price tag. The rest of this team would be more of tournament options due to the majority of usage being soaked up by Kyrie and Durant, but guys like Seth Curry, Goran Dragic, Nic Claxton, and Bruce Brown will fall into this group. From the Heat, Jimmy Butler ended up playing last night after being questionable all day, so I would assume he plays again here in an important game in the Eastern Conference. He looked good last night and will look like a nice play tonight. Bam Adebayo will look like a nice option as well, Drummond isn’t a guy that scares me in the post. We haven’t gotten an injury report from Miami yet, but I would think Tyler Herro will come in as questionable here after missing their last two games, so keep an eye on that news. Then I’ll have no issue with rounding out this team with Kyle Lowry as a secondary option in all formats.

5-star play: Jimmy Butler

4-star play: Kyrie Irving, Kevin Durant, Bam Adebayo, Kyle Lowry

Deeper Value: PJ Tucker, Duncan Robinson

GPP Sleeper: Andre Drummond, Seth Curry, Goran Dragic, Bruce Brown, Tyler Herro, PJ Tucker, Duncan Robinson

I wanted to give a quick shoutout to VIP member “GhostfaceKillaa” on his $30k win earlier in the season. A pivot to Curry off the chalky Doncic was the key for him, congrats man!

Milwaukee Bucks @ Memphis Grizzlies

Vegas Total: NA

Vegas Spread: NA

Starting with the Bucks, we know that Jrue Holiday will be out for this game and Khris Middleton should return, but Giannis Antetokounmpo will come in as questionable. The Giannis news will probably end up being the biggest news we’re waiting on on this slate, so keep an eye on the Breaking News Feed for updates on him. I’ll operate under the assumption that he plays due to the matchup, but below is how the rest of this team operates with Holiday off of the court this season:

• Giannis Antetokounmpo – 37.2% usage rate; 1.78 fpm
• Khris Middleton – 31.2% usage rate; 1.29 fpm
• Bobby Portis – 22.8% usage rate; 1.08 fpm
• Brook Lopez – 14.3% usage rate; 0.64 fpm (small sample size)

The minutes on Lopez have come up to 28 last time out and wouldn’t surprise me to see him around that 30 mark again here. I like the price tag on him and would be a nice mid-range center option. Outside of Lopez, it will be pretty easy to get to both Giannis and Middleton, but I don’t think I would play them in the same lineup due to their price tags. From the Grizzlies, Ja Morant will be out for this game, and below is how the rest of the team operates with him off of the court this season:

• Tyus Jones – 17.7% usage rate; 0.97 fpm
• Jaren Jackson – 30.7% usage rate; 1.29 fpm
• Desmond Bane – 24.8% usage rate; 1.16 fpm
• Dillon Brooks – 29.4% usage rate; 1.07 fpm

These four will be my favorite options from Memphis with Steven Adams being right behind them. Don’t let the price increase on Jones scare you off of him either, he’ll still look like a top option in the mid-range as he’ll continue to start with Morant out. I do like Dillon Brooks a good amount here, his skill set sets up well against the Bucks, and is averaging 44 DraftKings points per game in two games against them since the start of last season.

5-star play: Giannis Antetokounmpo, Khris Middleton, Tyus Jones, Dillon Brooks

4-star play: Bobby Portis, Brook Lopez, Jaren Jackson, Desmond Bane

Deeper Value: None

GPP Sleeper: Brook Lopez, Grayson Allen, Pat Connaughton, Steven Adams, De’Anthony Melton

---

Oklahoma City Thunder @ Denver Nuggets

Vegas Total: 225.5

Vegas Spread: Den -13.5

Starting with the Thunder, Shai Gilgeous-Alexander comes into this one as questionable but did play last time out, so I’ll operate under the assumption that he plays here. He has a 34.5% usage rate and 1.54 fantasy points per minute with Josh Giddey and Lu Dort off of the court this season. Isaiah Roby has re-entered the starting lineup as of late and had a nice bounce-back game last time out. They’ll need size down low to battle Jokic, so he should get plenty of run in this one. Aleksej Pokusevski has gotten back into the starting lineup as well and will be a guy I continue to target as long as he’s getting the minutes security that comes with being a starter. Then guys like Darius Bazley and Tre Mann will be fine tournament options as well to round out this team. From the Nuggets, Nikola Jokic will be able to do whatever he wants in this one, I do worry about a potential blowout, however. He’s averaged 45.2 DraftKings points per game in three games against the Thunder this season which won’t quite get you there at this price tag. I don’t have any issues with getting any of Aaron Gordon, Will Barton, or Monte Morris as a filler piece to round out your lineups, but none of them will be priorities for me.

5-star play: Shai Gilgeous-Alexander, Nikola Jokic

4-star play: Isaiah Roby, Darius Bazley, Aleksej Pokusevski, Aaron Gordon, Will Barton, Monte Morris

Deeper Value: None

GPP Sleeper: Tre Mann, Aaron Gordon, Will Barton, Monte Morris

---

Houston Rockets @ Portland Trailblazers

Vegas Total: 232.5

Vegas Spread: Hou -3.5

We saw this matchup last night so we’ll have something to go off of here. The game didn’t end up going over the implied total but it was close at 131. There won’t be much defense played here and will set up nicely for DFS purposes. We’ll get started with the Rockets, Christian Wood had a huge first quarter but ended up playing just 27 minutes which ended up hurting his production, I have no issue going right back to him here. I did like Jalen Green and Kevin Porter Jr. quite a bit as we got closer to lock, and will be guys I like again here. Then we can round this team out with Alperen Sengun and Jae’Sean Tate as GPP guys in a great matchup. From the Blazers, we saw Kris Dunn go back to the bench and played 19 minutes on his way to 28 DraftKings points. I have no issue going right back to him here regardless of his starting status. Brandon Williams got back into the starting point guard role but had a down game and his price tag is way up, he’ll be more of a secondary option at best. I’ll have no issue going right back to Trendon Watford and Drew Eubanks as well, as they’ll continue to play big minutes in a great matchup. Lastly, CJ Elleby, Ben McLemore, and Greg Brown will look like solid GPP options as value pieces to round out the team.

5-star play: Christian Wood

4-star play: Jalen Green, Kevin Porter, Kris Dunn, Trendon Watford, Drew Eubanks

Deeper Value: Ben McLemore, Greg Brown

GPP Sleeper: Alperen Sengun, Jae’Sean Tate, CJ Elleby, Ben McLemore, Greg Brown, Brandon Williams, Keon Johnson

Use the 2021-22 NBA DFS Sim Model and build stronger lineups for cash games and/or large-field tournaments! Run the slate 1000 times and see who comes out on top most often, who creates value, and who is most likely to post that gpp-winning outlier…

NBA Lock of the Day: Dillon Brooks (DK – $5.8k; FD – $6.1k)

I’m going to step out on a bit of a limb here, as I don’t expect Brooks to be all that popular but I love the spot for him. His skill set will play very well against this Bucks team and is averaging 44 DraftKings points per game against them in two games since the start of last season. He also has a 29.4% usage rate and 1.07 fantasy points per minute with Ja Morant off of the court this season. At this point in the day, I would think he makes my core, but check out our VIP Cheat Sheets as we get closer to lock for staff picks on Core plays, 8x locks of the day, and tiers notes as well!

The only thing you are missing at this point is the key to unlock the next level of your game.  Come inside and check us out!!  We have experts sharing their secrets and experience on a daily basis.  Combining that with the actual ability to ask them questions and get quick answers in return gives you a recipe for success that puts our army hats on leaderboards all over the face of DFS.

When you sign up, don’t forget to use promo code MADNESS to save 10% on your membership each and every month!

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 SharpBets 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…