Fantasy Basketball Picks: Top DraftKings NBA DFS Targets, Values for March 5

Sundays are NBA days now. There are day slates, but the night slates and sweats remain supreme. These slates are not very big, so the research process can be light. We can get ahead by digging into the seven-game evening slate that starts at 6 p.m. ET.

Delay the work week a few more hours. Get in on some NBA DFS action, and start by enjoying another colorful weekend edition of the NBA Targets.

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Guard

Studs

Desmond Bane, Memphis Grizzlies at Los Angeles Clippers, $7,600 — Ja Morant (instagram) is away from the team for at least two games. Dillon Brooks (suspended) is out Sunday. Brandon Clarke injured his Achilles on Friday and is out for the rest of the season. Steven Adams is also out. That opens up an enormous amount of usage and value in the Grizzlies’ lineup. Bane’s volume is going to be ridiculous on Sunday night.

Damian Lillard, Portland Trail Blazers at Orlando Magic, $11,700 — Afernee Simons ($7,000) is out on Sunday. This was already Dame’s team, but now Lillard could chuck 30 shots. He’s already playing 40 minutes per night. On Feb. 26, he shot 22 threes and finished with 93 DKFP. That’s not out of the question on Sunday. This could be a sneaky game. The Magic should win, but Lillard could make this game interesting if he puts the Blazers on his back.

Value

Tyus Jones, Memphis Grizzlies at Los Angeles Clippers, $3,100 — The Grizzlies have pretty much broken the slate. It’s going to be fun to watch DFS players try to leverage this situation and pivot away from Memphis. Some might be feeling good all night until the late night hammer hits. The Grizzlies’ makeshift lineup takes the court at 10 p.m. ET, and at that time the Memphis misfits will blow up the leaderboard. They’re all way too cheap based on Sunday’s circumstances. Jones has been in this situation before and has excelled, but this might be the best spot of the season for him.

Ochai Agabji, Utah Jazz at Oklahoma City Thunder, $3,600 — There are a lot of stars sitting out Sunday. Lauri Markkanen ($9,600) will be out and that opens up playing time for the 2023 first-round pick. Agbaji has become a bigger part of the rotation and has even started three of the last five games. He’s cheap and should get close to 30 minutes of work with a usage rate in the 20% range. If his shots fall, then he could be a key pivot away from the Grizzlies’ value picks.

Forward

Studs

Kawhi Leonard, Los Angeles Clippers vs. Memphis Grizzlies, $9,200 — There are two sides to this coin. The Grizzlies provide a ton of value because they’re rolling out their bench on Sunday. That means Kawhi is facing the Grizzlies’ bench. The Clippers have lost five in a row. This is no time to mess around. Leonard needs to put it to them on Sunday. Also, this is a paced-up match up for the Clippers.

Paolo Banchero, Orlando Magic vs. Portland Trail Blazers, $7,200 — If Lillard balls out, then someone on the Magic has to run it back. This game could be the key pivot away from the Grizzlies vs. Clippers. Banchero and Lillard could put on a show on Sunday. Banchero has scored over 46 DKFP in two of his last three games.

Value

Luke Kennard, Memphis Grizzlies at Los Angeles Clippers, $3,600 — Since joining the Grizzlies, Kennard hasn’t had a large role on the team. That changes on Sunday. Everyone gets minutes and everyone gets usage. It’s like Oprah is the coach of the Grizzlies. It’s a toss up between Kennard and SG/SF John Konchar ($3,700). Playing both is fine, but Kennard does have a revenge narrative facing his former team.

Santi Aldama, Memphis Grizzlies at Los Angeles Clippers, $4,300 — My apologies, but the Grizzlies are the plays. Don’t try to fight it. Aldama is the least appealing, but his low ownership could be key in GPPs. He’s going to get close to 30 minutes in the front court and the Grizzlies’ normal usage hogs are out. Also, don’t forget that the Grizzlies play at one of the fastest paces in the NBA.

Center

Studs

PJ Washington, Charlotte Hornets at Brooklyn Nets, $6,600 — The Nets stink and Washington is hot. In his last six games, he’s averaging 38.9 DKFP in 34.5 MPG for an average return of 6.4x. The Memphis value at center could fail. At guard and forward, probably not. This seems like the best spot to get away from the Grizzlies vs. Clippers slate breaker.

Giannis Antetokounmpo, Milwaukee Bucks at Washington Wizards, $12,400 — His price tag is too expensive, but that’s why he’s a pick on Sunday. This isn’t a very large slate and the best DFS target this season (1.8 FPPM) may have a low ownership rate. The Bucks’ 16-game win streak was snapped by the 76ers on Saturday. The loss was largely due to Antetokounmpo’s poor shooting. The minutes and usage were as predicted (36 minutes and a 44.2% Usage Rate vs. the 76ers), but the shots didn’t fall. He could be tired on the back-to-back but so could his teammates. Antetokounmpo could be fired up and carry an even larger load in Washington.

Value

Xavier Tillman, Memphis Grizzlies at Los Angeles Clippers, $5,300 — How about one more Grizz? Most of the Memphis misfits are circumstantial picks. Tillman is not too different, but at least he was producing before this Armageddon situation. In four of his last five games, he scored 31.5, 28.25, 41.75 and 31.5 DKFP. Foul concerns could be a worry, so a pivot to Santi Aldama is not out of the question.

Trendon Watford, Portland Trail Blazers at Orlando Magic, $3,600 — How about one more pick from the pivot game of the night? Watford isn’t starting but he’s logged 23 minutes or more in the last four games. Two of those games were duds (11 DKFP), but two were solid value returns (25 DKFP). The second-unit frontcourt for the Magic is nothing worth fearing.

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I am a promoter at DraftKings and am also an avid fan and user (my username is greenflagradio2) and may sometimes play on my personal account in the games that I offer advice on. Although I have expressed my personal view on the games and strategies above, they do not necessarily reflect the view(s) of DraftKings and do not constitute a representation that any particular strategy will guarantee success. All customers should use their own skill and judgment in building lineups. I may also deploy different players and strategies than what I recommend above. I am not an employee of DraftKings and do not have access to any non-public information.