Josh Hart is listed as a 6-foot-4 guard on the New York Knicks' depth chart, and on most NBA DFS sites, but you'd never guess that by looking at his rebounding totals over the last few weeks. Hart had back-to-back games of at least 18 rebounds before recording eight rebounds to go along with 14 points and six assists in a Tuesday loss to Atlanta. He's had at least eight boards in seven straight games, averaging 11.9 rebounds during that stretch as the Knicks have relied on him to take a larger rebounding role with injuries to OG Anunoby (elbow), Julius Randle (shoulder) and Mitchell Robinson (ankle).
Now, All-Star Jalen Brunson (knee) is questionable for Friday, so should Hart be a top option at a price tag that won't break the bank to consider when forming an NBA DFS strategy? He's become an integral part of New York's lineup, so is he a strong option to include in NBA DFS picks against the Magic? Who are other options from the NBA DFS player pool that could be tournament winners for daily Fantasy basketball lineups with a bevy of injuries to superstars? 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.
On Wednesday, Kaylor highlighted Kings point guard De'Aaron Fox as one of his top picks in his NBA DFS player pool on both sites. The result: Fox had 44 points, four rebounds, four assists and two steals, returning 58.5 points on DraftKings and 57.8 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 8
For Friday, one of Kaylor's top NBA DFS picks is Grizzlies forward/center Jaren Jackson Jr. ($8,200 on DraftKings and $9,000 on FanDuel). Jackson had 30 points, 11 rebounds and six blocks in a 115-109 win over the 76ers on Wednesday after missing three games with quad soreness. He's scored at least 30 points in each of his last two games and has scored at least 25 points in seven of his last 10 contests.
Jackson leads the incredibly banged-up Grizzlies squad with 22.6 ppg. The Grizzlies continue to play without Ja Morant (shoulder), Desmond Bane (ankle) and Marcus Smart (finger), which has led Memphis to rely heavily on Jackson. Luke Kennard, who had 15 points on Wednesday, is doubtful with knee soreness and Gregory Jackson II (knee) is questionable. Jackson will take on a huge offensive responsibility again on Friday as the Grizzlies play the Hawks, who are allowing the second-most ppg (122.0) in the NBA.
Another part of McClure's optimal NBA DFS strategy includes Cavaliers power forward/center Jarrett Allen ($7,900 on DraftKings and $8,600 on FanDuel). Allen had 18 points and 19 rebounds in a 112-101 loss to the Hawks on Wednesday after posting 21 points and 12 rebounds in a 105-104 win over the Celtics on Tuesday. The 25-year-old is averaging 16.5 points and 13.3 rebounds over four games this month.
The Cavs are without multiple starters, including Donovan Mitchell (knee) and Evan Mobley (ankle). No Mitchell means Allen needs to be more aggressive with his shot, and no Mobley means more rebounding opportunities for Allen. Cleveland plays the Timberwolves, who are without Karl-Anthony Towns (knee), and while Minnesota has the best scoring defense in the league (106.5 ppg), it allowed 111 points to the Pacers on Thursday. The Wolves still have size down low, but there will be an adjustment to playing without Towns. Kaylor expects Allen to capitalize on this and should be a featured part of NBA DFS lineups on Friday. See Kaylor's other NBA DFS picks right here.
How to set your NBA DFS lineups for Friday, March 8
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.
