NBA Daily Fantasy Basketball Sleeper Lineup Picks for 3/14/19

Thursday’s are usually tough to find cheaper value plays, but we have a busier than normal six-game slate tonight. There is a ton of top-tier talent on the board, so luckily there are still a couple of cheap options at each position to help balance out your budget. Don’t forget to sign up for our Newsletter and try our NBA Lineup Optimizer to help build a winning entry on FanDuel and DraftKings.

POINT GUARDS

D.J. Augustin, ORL vs. CLE
FanDuel = $4,600
DraftKings = $4,400

Augustin often makes this list, and for good reason. He’s a starter at a position where his team has very little talent, which helps him receive steady playing time. He also has some weapons around him in Nikola Vucevic, Aaron Gordon and Evan Fournier, which helps him rack up assists as a point guard. After recording 19 points, five rebounds and five assists against these same Cavaliers less than two weeks ago, he’s one of the safer cheap options on the slate.

Tyus Jones, MIN at UTA
FanDuel = $4,400
DraftKings = $4,200

The Timberwolves just can’t stay healthy. Specifically, they’ve had problems keeping Jeff Teague (foot) and Derrick Rose (elbow) on the floor. They both sat out Tuesday against the Nuggets, which forced Jones into the starting lineup. Across nine starts this season, Jones has averaged 10.8 points, 2.6 rebounds, 7.3 assists and 2.3 steals. If Teague and Rose are out again, get Jones into your entry.

SHOOTING GUARDS

Wesley Matthews, IND vs. OKC
FanDuel = $4,600
DraftKings = $4,200

Matthews has provided the Pacers with a much-needed offensive spark, averaging 13.5 points and 2.6 three-pointers across his last 10 games. The problem is, he hasn’t contributed a ton in other areas with averages of just 2.5 rebounds and two assists. However, he has a high minutes floor and will face a Thunder team that plays at the third-fastest pace (104 possessions per game) in the league, so he’s at least someone to consider.

Monte Morris, DEN vs. DAL
FanDuel = $3,900
DraftKings = $3,500

The Nuggets have been one of the biggest surprise teams in the league. The surprise isn’t that they are set up to be in the playoffs, it’s that they are still battling with the Warriors for the top overall seed in the West. One of the main reasons for their success has been the play of Morris and Malik Beasley off the bench. However, once Isaiah Thomas returned, the team struggled to integrate him into the rotation. They had lost four of their last five games, which contributed to them pulling Thomas from the rotation Tuesday against the Timberwolves. Morris shined in that contest with 16 points, five rebounds and six assists. With Thomas out of the picture right now, Morris could be a steal at this price.

SMALL FORWARDS

Jae Crowder, UTA vs. MIN
FanDuel = $5,400
DraftKings = $5,100

The Timberwolves have allowed an average of 121.2 points across their last 15 games, so hunting for cheaper options on the Jazz could pay off. Crowder is one of their key reserves and despite shooting a paltry 39.4 percent from the field, he’s been productive with averages of 12 points, 4.9 rebounds and 1.7 assists for the season. His upside isn’t off the charts, but that doesn’t mean that he should be ignored.

Keita Bates-Diop, MIN at UTA
FanDuel = $4,200
DraftKings = $3,500

Injuries at point guard aren’t the only thing that’s ailing the Timberwolves right now. Andrew Wiggins (thigh) and Luol Deng (Achilles) have missed each of their last three games, which has opened up more minutes for Bates-Diop. With the added playing time, he was able to average 13 points, 5.3 rebounds, 2.3 assists, one steal and one block. Deng is out Thursday and Wiggins is questionable, so if he also sits out, Bates-Diop is a great option in tournament play.

POWER FORWARDS

Derrick Favors, UTA vs. MIN
FanDuel = $6,400
DraftKings = $5,500

The absence of Rudy Gobert for a sizable chunk of games last year helped Favors average 28 minutes a game. With Gobert healthy this year, Favors is only logging 24 minutes a night. However, his usage rate jumped up slightly to 19.1 percent and he’s an excellent rebounder, which has enabled him to average 11.6 points, 7.3 rebounds and 1.4 blocks per game. While not overly cheap, this is a matchup that provides Favors with added upside.

Marcus Morris, BOS vs. SAC
FanDuel = $5,100
DraftKings = $4,500

With the Celtics being dismantled by the Clippers on Monday, Morris scored just 11 points in 25 minutes. They’ll look to rebound at home in what is a favorable matchup from an offensive perspective since the Kings allow the fifth-most points per game (114.8) in the league. Jayson Tatum (shoulder) is expected to return for this contest, but Morris still has a sizeable enough role to warrant consideration for your entry.

CENTERS

Marc Gasol, TOR vs. LAL
FanDuel = $6,500
DraftKings = $5,900

This is the night to play Gasol. The Raptors depth has dealt a blow to his value with him playing limited minutes and moving in and out of the starting five. There are no worries about his role for this game, though, with Serge Ibaka out due to a suspension. The Lakers have been decimated by injuries and play at the fifth-fastest pace (103.7), leaving Gasol with plenty of upside.

Mason Plumlee, DEN vs. DAL
FanDuel = $4,700
DraftKings = $4,400

The Nuggets are a stellar team at home and the Mavericks are awful on the road, so this game could get out of hand early. That could be good news for Plumlee, who would likely see added minutes in garbage time. Across 35 games in which Plumlee has logged at least 20 minutes, he’s averaged 10.4 points, eight rebounds, 3.2 assists, 0.9 steals and 0.9 blocks.

Author Bio:

Mike has been covering fantasy sports since 2007, joining Lineup Lab in 2017. An avid player of both season-long fantasy leagues and DFS, Mike’s work has appeared on numerous sites, including RotoWire, SportsLine and Sports Illustrated. He’s also been featured on DraftKings’ nightly show, The Sweat, and was a finalist for the 2018 FSWA Basketball Writer of the Year award. Follow Mike on Twitter @rotomikebarner.