With 12 games on Friday's NBA schedule, there are countless ways to form your NBA DFS strategy. Would you rather use superstars such as Kevin Durant, Jalen Brunson or Kawhi Leonard as NBA DFS picks, or go with a more balanced approach of middle-priced options from the NBA DFS player pool? Some of the most expensive players are on Friday's injury report, including Anthony Davis (questionable), LeBron James (questionable) and Shai Gilgeous-Alexander (doubtful). James and Gilgeous-Alexander each missed their last contests, so how should that affect your NBA DFS strategy?
Gilgeous-Alexander is third in the NBA in scoring (30.4 points per game), so his absence would open up huge scoring opportunities for OKC players in the NBA DFS player pool. Josh Giddey led the Thunder with 31 points on Wednesday, while Isaiah Joe, who is averaging 8.1 ppg, had 17 points. So, could he be an option to outperform his price point for daily Fantasy basketball players on sites like FanDuel and DraftKings? Before making your NBA DFS picks, be sure to check out the NBA DFS advice, player rankings, stacks, and top daily Fantasy basketball picks from SportsLine's Jimmie Kaylor.
Kaylor is a DFS and betting expert for SportsLine, who won a DraftKings Millionaire Maker contest in 2022. He uses a combination of his background as a former college and professional athlete and his keen eye for statistical trends when making his picks and locking in his DFS lineups. Kaylor enters the 2024 calendar year with multiple five-figure tournament cashes on his DFS resume.
Kaylor's approach allows him to find the best NBA DFS values and create optimal lineups that he only shares on SportsLine. They're a must-see for any NBA DFS player.
Last Friday (when Kaylor last made picks), Kaylor highlighted 76ers point guard Tyrese Maxey as one of his top picks in his NBA DFS player pool on both sites. The result: Maxey had 27 points, two rebounds, three assists and three steals, returning 40.5 points on DraftKings and 42.9 points on FanDuel. Anybody who included him in their lineups was well on the way to a profitable day.
Kaylor has turned his attention to NBA action on Friday and locked in his top daily Fantasy basketball picks. You can only see them by heading to SportsLine.
Top NBA DFS picks for Friday, March 29
For Friday, one of Kaylor's top NBA DFS picks is Pacers point guard Tyrese Haliburton ($8,900 on DraftKings and $9,100 on FanDuel). Little was going right for Haliburton and the entire Indiana offense in a 125-99 loss to the Bulls on Wednesday as Haliburton finished with 13 points on 4 of 15 shooting with just five assists. But before that game, the NBA's leader in assists was averaging 18.6 points and 10.2 assists over his last five games. He's averaging 20.3 points and 11 assists per game this season.
The Pacers play the Lakers in a Friday matchup with a significantly higher over/under at 243.5 points than any other contest on the 12-game schedule. There's good reason for such a high total as the last time the two teams met, they combined for 295 points in a 150-145 win for the Lakers on Sunday. Haliburton had 12 points and 10 assists in that matchup of two teams that love to get up and down the floor. The Pacers play at the second-fastest pace with the Lakers at the fourth-fastest pace, and that has all the makings of another high-scoring affair, which favors Haliburton's NBA DFS value.
Another part of Kaylor's optimal NBA DFS strategy includes Heat center Bam Adebayo ($8,400 on DraftKings and $8,500 on FanDuel). Adebayo was one of the few bright spots for Miami with 24 points, nine rebounds and five assists in a 113-92 loss to the Warriors on Tuesday. He is averaging 19.7 points and 10.6 rebounds this season with four double-doubles over his last five games. Abebayo has been especially dominant on the glass lately, averaging 12.9 rebounds over his last eight games.
The Heat play the Trail Blazers, who rank in the lower half of the league in rebounding (21st). Blazers center Deandre Ayton (elbow) is questionable and has missed the last four games. Portland allowed 19 offensive rebounds to the Nuggets on Saturday and 13 offensive rebounds to the Rockets on Monday without Ayton, and Adebayo can take advantage of similar matchups if Ayton is out again. Portland has lost eight straight games and is allowing 117.8 points over its last four contests. See Kaylor's other NBA DFS picks right here.
How to set your NBA DFS lineups for Friday, March 29
Kaylor is also targeting a player who could go off for massive numbers on Friday because of a dream matchup. This pick could be the difference between winning your tournaments and cash games or going home with nothing. You can only see who it is here.
Who is DFS pro Jimmie Kaylor putting in his optimal NBA DFS lineups for Friday? Visit SportsLine now to see optimal NBA DFS picks, rankings, advice, and stacks, all from a professional DFS player who a DraftKings Millionaire Maker contest, and find out.
