NBA DFS Main Slate Preview: The Coach’s Starting Five. March 19, 2025

Tonight’s floor general will be Darius Garland. He gets the start at point guard in the green light setup. Multiple factors here, the Cavs-Kings are tied for a slate-high 236.5 implied game total and Clevelnad boasts a slate high 120.75 implied team total. Garland comes in fresh off last nights 39 point performance and averaging 43.23 fantasy points over his last four starts. He gets a Sacramento defense that is bottom 10 in scoring allowed to point guards. Fire him up at a very NBA DFS-friendly price tag.

Quentin Grimes ($8.6k DraftKings and $7.9k FanDuel)

With Tyrese Maxey set to miss his ninth straight game, Quentin Grimes will make the start at shooting guard tonight. Grimes has been a direct beneficiary of Maxey’s prolonged absence. Monday night he went nuclear and posted 70.6 fantasy points. We do not expect a repeat, but over his last five appearances, he is putting up 52.08 fantasy points and seeing 34.2 minutes per game.

Bench Options: Colby White, Miles McBride, Stephen Castle, Cason Wallace (GTD), Josh Giddey (GTD)

NBA DFS Starting Forwards

Desmond Bane ($9.3k DraftKings and $8.8k FanDuel)

With Ja Morant still sidelined with a hamstring injury, Desmond Bane will start at small forward. Bane picked up the slack minus Morant Tuesday night with 41 minutes, 44 points, and 56.2 fantasy points. Bane will face the Trail Blazers who give up the third most points to small forwards. The Grizzlies-Blazers is another game we want exposure to, being tied for a slate-high 236.5 implied game total. Bane will give us roster flexibility, being eligible to slot in at shooting guard and small forward.

Kevin Durant ($9.1k DraftKings and $9.5k FanDuel)

KD will be in the starting lineup tonight, coming off back-to-back subpar outings. Durant totaled just 50.9 fantasy points in his last two outings, so he is due for positive regression, carrying a 43.25 season average. Hopefully, the masses stay away, making him an even better DFS play. Durant ranks as the overall PF4 and is also eligible at small forward if needed. Durant gives us exposure to a fantasy-friendly game environment and the potential to go nuclear any given night.

NBA DFS Starting Center

Bench Options: Nikola Jokic, Jalen Duren, Alex Sarr

Final Thoughts

The obvious nightly studs are not always mentioned. Our bench options provide followers, much the same as a coach, additional green light plays, injury replacements, and flexibility for your NBA DFS build. We strive to balance studs and value plays that may be potentially less owned. Pay attention to implied team and game totals and try to get roster exposure to those games.

The top DFS builds will consist of the right balance between studs and value options that pay at least 5x-6x their salaries. Good luck with your roster builds, and please like and follow us on social media. Please double-check our player recommendations once all inactives are announced.