Wednesday's main slate was the largest of the week with 10 teams hitting the hardwood. Luka Doncic returned from a five-game absence to top the Fantasy leaderboard without missing a beat, but other players have consistently been dominant in the back half of March. Thursday's four-game slate has some clear DFS standouts, and we'll go over one after discussing who's hot and a season-long Fantasy category booster here.
Who's hot
Jokic has fallen behind in the MVP race but hasn't stopped producing superstar stat lines. The Denver Nuggets center scored 31 points on 12-of-16 shooting against the Washington Wizards while also contributing 12 rebounds, seven assists, and three steals. His assist numbers are down in March because his shooters haven't been as effective, but he's shooting 65.2 percent from the field and 40.7 percent from deep this month.
Butler averaged 24.3 points, 6.8 rebounds, and 5.3 assists last week and kicked off Week 23 on a high note against the New York Knicks. He scored 35 points with nine assists, four rebounds, and four steals on Wednesday. Butler's shot better than 54 percent from the field in four consecutive games. He's really had to step it up ahead of April and has averaged 26.8 points per game over his previous 12 outings.
Markkanen went over 27 points for the fifth time in six games in his first outing of Week 23. The Utah Jazz wing scored 40 points and grabbed eight boards against the Portland Trail Blazers. Injuries to Collin Sexton and Jordan Clarkson have helped Markkanen put together his best scoring month of the season. He's averaging 29.0 points per game through seven contests in March.
Category Booster: Blocks
Richards has had to do quite a bit of rim protecting since taking over for Mark Williams as the Hornets' starting center. His starter averages of 9.4 points and 9.4 rebounds this season are respectable, but his mark of 2.4 blocks per contest with the first unit stands out. He's averaging 1.9 rejections per game in March, and only six players can top that. If you need a helping hand on the defensive end, take a look at Richards. He's rostered in just 29 percent of CBS leagues.
DFS play
Paul George will miss the remainder of the regular season with a knee injury, so now's the time for Leonard to take over down the stretch. The Los Angeles Clipper was a dud in his first game without his co-star this year, but has since improved his conditioning and had his minute restriction lifted. Leonard's averaged 29.4 points, 7.8 rebounds, 3.4 assists, and 2.4 steals over his past five games without George. He'll likley be an essential play in a smaller four-game man slate.
Still deciding who to lock in for your DFS roster? We've identified a player worth locking in and one to avoid ahead of tip-off below, but you can get my full selection of stud and value plays at each position by heading over to SportsLine.
