NBA Daily Fantasy: Top DFS lineup selections & tips for March 6

We have a six-game slate tonight, which may seem limiting at first, but there are always opportunities to find value. Making the right choices and strategically picking your spots is key, and that's where I come in. Let's analyze the top plays for this slate.

NBA DFS Core Plays

Luka Dončić (PG – LAL)

DraftKings: $11,200FanDuel: $11,400

It’s been a while since Luka Dončić has made it as a core play, so I want to give a quick shoutout to his return. His presence should be celebrated, but it’s more so because of a lack of anyone else that he gets the nod. New York isn’t exactly the best DFS matchup, but in the last 15 games, they’ve allowed the 10th-most fantasy points to opposing point guards.

Dončić is also matchup-proof, scoring over 68 points in two of his last five games, emphasizing how he has settled into the Lakers’ rotation nicely. No player has a higher ceiling. While I’d prefer him in GPP contests, he’s a great play across the board.

Alperen Sengun (C – HOU)

DraftKings: $9,400FanDuel: $8,800

The clear-cut center option for tonight’s slate (in my humble opinion, of course) is Alperen Sengun. He goes up against a Pelicans squad sporting the second-worst league defense in a pace-up spot. New Orleans has also allowed the third-most fantasy points to opposing centers in the last 15 games and second-most all season.

Sengun’s minutes and usage rate are at career highs, with nearly 33 minutes a night and a 30% usage rate since the All-Star break. He’s only scored fewer than 40 DraftKings points once in the last six games and makes for a fine DraftKings play and an excellent FanDuel option.

Paolo Banchero (PF, SF – ORL)

DraftKings: $8,900FanDuel: $8,900

I feel like I buried the lede a bit here by putting Paolo Banchero third, as I imagine Orlando will be the highest-rostered team tonight across the entire DFS slate. The Bulls rank 26th defensively this season with the third-fastest pace of play.

The Bulls have allowed the fourth-most fantasy points to opposing power forwards and Banchero is coming off a monster 73.5 DraftKings point outing, so the rostership is going to flock to the Magic forward. His price has risen but with his significantly better splits at home and higher usage rate in the last two weeks of play, I’m more than happy to play Banchero across my lineups tonight.

NBA DFS Cash Game Targets

Jayson Tatum (SF, PF – BOS)

DraftKings: $10,100FanDuel: $10,400

I want to emphasize the importance of following injury reports because this play comes with a grain of salt. Jayson Tatum missed yesterday’s game with a right shoulder injury and is questionable/probable to play tonight. Of course, he has to play to make this a viable option, but if he does, you can lock him in your cash lineups.

Mainly because everyone else on the Celtics roster is also questionable, so I’m not even sure who’s going to play on this second leg of a back-to-back. We have illnesses, rest and injuries galore. Value will arise against what has been the league’s worst defense in Philadelphia. For now, Tatum is your cash game option.

Amen Thompson (PG, SF – HOU)

DraftKings: $8,700FanDuel: $8,700

I always love it when good players have dual positional availability. It’s simply so kind of them. As mentioned with Alperen Sengun, the Pelicans are great for opposing teams when it comes to DFS. They’ve allowed the fourth-most overall fantasy points in the NBA and the most over their last 15 games.

Amen Thompson has scored over 30 DraftKings points in 23 of his last 26 games. I am comfortable predicting that to be his floor tonight. He’s not exactly a salary saver but Thompson is versatile as a guard-forward, so you can put him where you please and be confident his performance will buoy the rest of your lineup for an easy cash tonight.

Guerschon Yabusele (PF, C – PHI)

DraftKings: $5,100FanDuel: $5,700

It’s not the most glamorous of options, but considering his last two games as a starter, Guerschon Yabusele is a prime candidate to return 6X value against a banged-up Boston team playing in their second straight game.

The Philadelphia big man has scored 18 points in two of his last three games and 34 and 30 DraftKings points in those matchups. Still, his pricing has stayed stagnant on DraftKings. Boston will slow down the pace but their defense isn’t exactly in peak form, ranking 15th since the break.

I expect Yabusele to play around 33+ minutes and record over 30 fantasy points is an average outcome for him. He makes for a perfect spend-down option in your cash lineups but has a limited ceiling with the simple low possession rate this game will have.

NBA DFS GPP Targets

Trae Young (PG – ATL)

DraftKings: $9,800FanDuel: $9,300

For someone else who is also questionable (I told you there were a lot of them), I’m going with the Atlanta guard as a GPP option. Indiana is pegged as a high-pace, bad defense, but recent play has said otherwise. They rank 17th in pace of play and ninth in defensive metrics.

Those numbers should regress. With this game sitting near a 247 total, I’m going to be investing a bit in the ceiling potential of Trae Young. The only game Young played against Indiana this season he went off for 34 points and 68 DraftKings points. Considering that potential, he makes for an easy GPP option.

Tyrese Haliburton (PG – IND)

DraftKings: $8,800FanDuel: $9,400

I feel I can throw anyone from this game in as a GPP option and it would make sense. Tyrese Haliburton is questionable but is expected to play. I’m surprised to see where his current rostership sits. After a relatively rocky start to the year, the Iowa State product has churned out seven straight games of 47+ DraftKings points. I project the same tonight.

Atlanta is a big pace-up spot and the Pacers guard has averaged 34 minutes a night with a consistent 22% usage rate. Considering his scoring is up to go with that and we have ourselves a clear GPP play. I do expect his rostership to rise as we get closer to lock but I like him nonetheless.

OG Anunoby (SF, PF – NYK)

DraftKings: $6,500FanDuel: $6,800

This one feels a bit like a Hail Mary pass but with four straight games over 35 DraftKings points and a 53-burger thrown in there recently, I don’t mind sprinkling a little OG Anunoby into my GPP lineups against the best defense in the league right now.

The Knicks forward is also dealing with a thumb sprain, so monitor that, but if he’s full go, Anunoby could see the floor for 37+ minutes with a 22% usage rate. No matter the team or the pace, those are some perfectly reasonable numbers for his price tag to get a ceiling performance.

NBA DFS Value Plays

Zaccharie Risacher (SF, PF – ATL)

DraftKings: $4,400FanDuel: $5,000

This feels more like a GPP play, but if you are feeling short on options at small forward, I advise Zaccharie Risacher as an option. The rookie has been improving and while he has averaged 21 DraftKings points a night in his last five games, his minutes are increasing along with his usage rate, sitting around 30 and 20%, respectively.

With the highest total on the slate, I want to buy into the options here. I’d take anyone priced at $4,440 on DraftKings who is playing 30 minutes with a game total of 247.

Sam Hauser (SF, PF – BOS)

DraftKings: $3,800FanDuel: $4,200

Throw another big asterisk here because so much of the Boston lineup is up in the air. With

Jrue Holiday

out, Sam Hauser has started in two of the last three games. I’m writing this with a mild anticipation that he is going to start again tonight. Given that, you can project him for 30+ minutes and perhaps one of the best value options on the slate against the worst defense in the league with blowout potential.

Hauser won’t be a pure scorer but he will get there in other ways. Make sure to check before lock to plug him into your lineup, but there are a lot of avenues for a great return on your investment from the Boston forward.

Andrew Nembhard (PG, SG – IND)

DraftKings: $5,000FanDuel: $5,600

As we wait for injury reports to come through, the pure value options on the slate are up in the air. Someone who looks to be without a doubt a solid choice, however, is Andrew Nembhard. Atlanta’s defense has ranked fourth-worst in the league since the break while still boasting the third-fastest pace of play.

The Hawks have allowed the fourth-most fantasy points to opposing guards. If Tyrese Haliburton is limited at all, it will be a smash spot for Nembhard.