NBA Pulse: Tuesday, March 31

The NBA Pulse is constructed to give daily fantasy enthusiasts insight to the most popular picks in a game slate, assessing their viability along the way. In other words, this column is designed to gauge the daily fantasy world's opinion as a whole. We will then take it a step further, telling you when to “join the herd" and when to pivot elsewhere.

Buzz is calculated on a 1-10 scale by considering numerous daily fantasy media outlets picks and general conversation on forums/twitter.

POINT GUARD

With Greg Monroe out once again, Reggie Jackson profiles as the most popular PG pick. You can't really doubt it either, as he could replicate the production of Chris Paul or Stephen Curry for a fraction of the cost.

Speaking of which, Chris Paul seems to be the flavor of choice in this LAC-GS game. I'll agree with that logic, as he has more to play for, and the Warriors could easily give Curry reduced minutes.

George Hill is a fine cash game pick, but I probably won't be targeting him. The price has risen to the point where any profit potential is stifled.

If Jeff Teague is ruled out, Shelvin Mack would become one of the best value plays on the board, and I would utilize him in majority, if not all of my lineups. He would make a nice pairing with Jackson or CP3.

I'm not enthused over Tony Parker, especially in a subpar matchup with a strong blowout factor. Stephen Curry is someone to consider in tournaments, but I'd rather have Chris Paul for a similar price point in cash games.

UNDER THE RADAR: Deron Williams isn't seeing much love, but he could be a low-owned, high-upside play for a large tournament.

SHOOTING GUARD

Klay Thompson, Dwyane Wade, and Kentavious Caldwell-Pope are the most talked about shooting guards. Of those three, I believe Thompson/KCP makes the best cash game combination on FanDuel. Caldwell-Pope holds the most upside of anyone under the mid-range category, and Klay has an extremely friendly price point when considering a high-scoring matchup. The reason we aren't as considered with Klay's minutes stems from positional scarcity and the low salary … Dwyane Wade is more of a risk reward pick. He should get plenty of volume, but the matchup is tough – and the blowout factor looms.

Kent Bazemore would become a viable SG value if Kyle Korver misses this game. I'd rather go with Caldwell-Pope for a little more, but they could represent a solid cheap combination.

UNDER THE RADAR: There's not much buzz surrounding Joe Johnson. He's a tournament only play, but the price tag is cheap, and he has manufactured back-to-back solid outings after a prolonged cold-spell.

SMALL FORWARD

Everyone and their dog will have Kawhi Leonard tonight. I'm somewhat turned off by the blowout factor; however, positional scarcity makes Kawhi a more obvious choice regardless.

CJ Miles becomes a better value option if Rodney Stuckey sits out … DeMarre Carroll would be an excellent mid-range option, but only if he plays and the other ATL starters rest.

UNDER THE RADAR: Entering today, I had Andre Iguodala (Draymond Green out) and Matt Barnes as two of the safer SF plays. Sure, Kawhi is a great play, but his high price point demands a lot of production (and minutes). Barnes and Iguodala should see plenty of playing time in a high-scoring matchup.

POWER FORWARD

Blake Griffin is popular for the same reason as Kawhi Leonard. He's the highest projected PF, and there's significant positional scarcity … I'm on board with Blake Griffin, even while considering his lingering injuries. With Draymond Green out, the individual matchup vs David Lee makes things even better.

Some people are writing-up Paul Millsap, but we aren't sure he will play (or see a full complement of minutes) tonight. If he's in with the others out, he's a great play – but I'm not sure we can bank on that.

If Millsap and/or Horford are out, Mike Muscala becomes one of the better value plays tonight. He produced 40 FP in his last start. While it's difficult to expect a repeat performance, he shouldn't have much issue reaching value at the very least.

David Lee is gaining popularity, and I'm guessing he'll be around a “7" or “8" by the time it's all said and done. I originally pegged David West as a safe cash game pick, but it appears that David Lee is a better play for a shorter price point, now that he is the confirmed starter.

UNDER THE RADAR: Udonis Haslem is a tournament only option who is in play only if Whiteside and Andersen sit. His price tag has jumped, which will leave many people hesitant.

CENTER

Andre Drummond is the popular selection here, especially with Greg Monroe confirmed out. I like him, but don't love him in this matchup. He'll become a better, more convenient play if value makes his price point less cumbersome.

Brook Lopez is someone I'm looking to target in all formats. He's significantly cheaper than Drummond, seeing a nice uptick in usage as of late. The matchup vs Indiana looks tough on paper, but Lopez isn't a traditional Center that needs “paint touches" to score.

Tiago Splitter is a tournament only pick, due to uncertain playing time and the blowout factor.

DeAndre Jordan is nothing more than a tournament spin-off from Andre Drummond; however, I don't think it's a particularly smart move.

UNDER THE RADAR: I know Roy Hibbert is a frustrating DFS play, but he holds some tournament appeal vs a weak Brooklyn frontcourt. The price point is non-prohibitive as well.