NBA DFS Expert Survey: Thursday, March 12th

by Justin Bailey (Jbails26) Last Updated 2026-03-12 18:51:35 Premium Content Part of the product NBA DFS

Our panel of experts is here to give you their insights on NBA DFS today for the 3/12 main slate on DraftKings and FanDuel. They’re ready to answer key questions that will assist you in making those crucial lineup-building decisions. Curious to know headChopper’s favorite tournament play? Or perhaps you’re wondering about Noto’s favorite salary saver? Read their thoughts below!

NBA DFS Picks: DraftKings & FanDuel Expert Survey for Thursday, March 12

Who is your favorite player to spend up for in cash games?

Notorious: Nikola Jokic
headChopper: Nikola Jokic
Dean78904: Nikola Jokic

What is your preferred tournament format (e.g. large-field, single-entry) to play on this slate? How do you plan to beat that field of opponents? What tactic or strategy will set you apart?

Notorious: I prefer small-field and single-entry tournaments. My plan of attack on this slate is to do the same thing I’ve done on every slate that has had Nikola Jokic on it over the last few weeks. I’m going to lock him in and surround him with all the strong value plays available. It’s really been that simple. The best way to differentiate is to pair Jokic with a contrarian superstar, like Jalen Johnson or Paolo Banchero.

headChopper: I am running a single lineup on each site in small-field tournaments that have limited entries. Injuries are prevalent on this slate, opening up a ton of value plays. We also have multiple good teams on the second night of back-to-backs, which could create even more value later; generally, I would expect this to be a wide-open slate. In GPPs, I’m probably going to insert a lower-owned star into my lineup over Nikola Jokic, who is on the second night of a back-to-back and traveling. I like him for cash, but for tournaments, I can fade. I’m also limiting my lineup to my favorite 2 Memphis players; maybe that gets me different from the field since the optimizers are likely going to push people toward playing at least 3 or 4 Memphis players in a lineup.

Dean78904: I mostly focus on single-entry and smaller-field contests and only make a few main lineups. There are 4 scheduled blowouts, and I expect to take a stand and mostly just ignore the teams presumably doing the blowing out. Detroit and Atlanta are at the top of this list. DAL/MEM is the most stackable game on the board. The tricky part is that these teams are actively trying to lose, as they’ve collectively lost a combined 13 games. The Grizzlies only have so many players, so they pretty much have to have multiple players land in optimal lineups. I expect to have at least 2 Grizzlies in every lineup and likely up to 4. Cooper Flagg is my favorite Maverick, and I’m toying with the idea of pairing him with either Marvin Bagley or Daniel Gafford for a mega 6-man game stack.

Who is your favorite contrarian play (when considering price, matchup, projected ownership, etc.) on the board and why?

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