Fantasy Basketball Picks: Top DraftKings NBA DFS Targets, Values for March 9 – DraftKings

Saturday Night NBA DFS features a star-studded slate this weekend. Two of the biggest names in fantasy basketball will be in action. Let’s dig into the NBA DFS research and make some fantasy basketball picks, as we gear up for the six-game main slate that starts at 7 p.m. ET.

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Guard

Studs

Luka Doncic, Dallas Mavericks at Detroit Pistons, $12,200 — There are two DraftKings NBA DFS stars on this slate. Both are playing bad teams. A hard decision must be made: Doncic or Nikola Jokic. The easy way out is to assume blowouts and fade them both. Good luck with that. Fading Jokic is reasonable, but not Donic. For dramatic effect, here is Doncic’s DKFP game log going back to Feb. 12: 71.25, 54.25, 77.75, 56, 87.25, 74.25, 73.5, 71.75, 72 and 73.25 DKFP. That’s a lot of seventies. NOTE: Doncic is questionable to play Saturday. For up-to-the-minute news, analysis and lineups, download the DK Live app. You also can follow DK Network on Twitter @DKNetwork.

Klay Thompson, Golden State Warriors vs. San Antonio Spurs, $6,300 — Is Doncic too expensive? No. Could Thompson be a better point-per-dollar pick that fits in a stronger DraftKings lineup? Yes. This is a paced-up game, and the Spurs play terrible defense. The bigger storyline is that Stephen Curry is out. The timing is perfect for Thompson to regain his former status. He took 21 shots and scored 35.75 DKFP in 28 minutes on Thursday. All of those numbers should dramatically increase given his role and the matchup on Saturday.

Value

Malaki Branham, San Antonio Spurs at Golden State Warriors, $4,400 — In the last nine games, Branham has returned 5x value in seven of those games. The two failures were the result of playing less than 20 minutes. Playing time is no longer a problem. Branham is getting close to 30 minutes per game, and he’s carrying a 25% usage rate for the speedy Spurs’ second unit. He has fantasy scores of 34, 25.75 and 35.25 DKFP in the last three games.

Forward

Studs

Jayson Tatum, Boston Celtics at Phoenix Suns, $9,300 — So much for the “MVP” talk. Tatum scored 15 points in the Celtics’ loss to the defending champs on Thursday. During the post-game interview, he was resigned to the fact that he might not be the best player in the NBA. He told reporters he would not hijack a game on national TV to pad his stats. That’s the right answer, but the fact that he considered it is appealing. In one of the Celtics’ biggest games of the season, the thought crossed his mind. He was considering hogging the ball and putting on a show. Those are the thoughts of high-upside DraftKings tournament picks. That idea is still in the back of Tatum’s mind. Coming off a dreadful performance on Thursday, Tatum may seek redemption. He’s not the type of player to quit trying to prove himself.

Value

Keldon Johnson, San Antonio Spurs at Golden State Warriors, $5,500 — PF/C Victor Wembanyama is out again on Saturday. There’s a lot of usage to be distributed. Keldon Johnson was a top-10 point-per-dollar NBA DFS pick in a similar situation on Thursday. He scored 35.25 DKFP in 28 minutes with a 27.5% usage rate for the second unit. He might not end up being the best NBA DFS value pick for the Spurs, but this is the game to target. Both teams play up-tempo basketball.

Lonnie Walker IV, Brooklyn Nets at Charlotte Hornets, $4,900 — The Nets’ injury report is lengthy, and the Hornets’ report is just as long. The backups on both squads will get plenty of minutes on Saturday. Not only is Charlotte short-handed, but they’re on the second night of a back-to-back. This is a plus matchup for Walker. Walker scored 30 DKFP on Mar. 5 and on Mar. 7 in 29 and 30 minutes. He chucked 14 3-pointers on Mar. 7 and made five of them. The minutes and volume are plenty at this price. On the other side, PF Davis Bertans ($4,500) is an equally appealing NBA DFS value pick, but Walker has multi-position eligibility (SG/SF).

Center

Studs

Nikola Jokic, Denver Nuggets vs. Utah Jazz, $11,500 — Blowout fears loom. The matchup is great. It’s too great. Utah’s Defensive Efficiency Rating is 116.6 — sixth-worst in the NBA. Blowouts are always bad. If the Nuggets score a lot of points, it will likely be at the hands of Jokic. He has scored over 70 DKFP in four of the last eight games with a high of 90.5 DKFP on Feb. 25. NOTE: Jokic is questionable to play Saturday. Keep your eyes on the @DKNetwork Twitter account to track lineup updates leading up to lock on Saturday night.

Value

Daniel Gafford, Dallas Mavericks at Detroit Pistons, $4,400 — Will Gafford start again on Saturday? He deserves to start. He scored 16 points and pulled down 10 boards in 21 minutes on Mar. 5 (42 DKFP). That performance earned him a start in the Mavs’ last game on Mar. 7. He wasn’t as hot, but he did score 24.75 DKFP in 21 minutes. A start and 20 minutes against the Pistons works at this price.

Peyton Watson, Denver Nuggets vs. Utah Jazz, $3,600 — This should be a blowout. The Nuggets should unload their bench on Saturday night. In the last two games, the Nuggets’ 2023 first-round pick played 17 and 23 minutes. He scored 24 and 21 DKFP in those contents. If Watson gets 20 minutes against a bad Utah defense, then he should easily return 6x value. If Jokic is unable to play, Watson might be the best value pick of the night. Also, Watson has multiple position eligibility (PF/C).

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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.