FanDuel NBA Daily Picks: Fantasy Basketball Lineup For March 23

An optimum FanDuel NBA outing from DeMar DeRozan Tuesday night helped Toronto finally capture a victory against the Bulls Tuesday night.

The Raptors had lost 11 consecutive games to Chicago, until DeMar DeRozan exploded for his finest FanDuel NBA outing of his last 20 games.

The three-time All-Star poured in 42 points, out-dueling Bulls forward Jimmy Butler, while adding eight rebounds, seven assists, a steal and a block (for a total of 64.4 FanDuel NBA fantasy points) and carrying his team from a 15-point fourth quarter deficit to a 122-120 overtime victory.

DeRozan even made a critical play that won’t show up in the box score, as he pulled Serge Ibaka away from Robin Lopez after the two threw punches at each other.

Toronto’s victory snapped an 11-game losing streak to the Bulls,  as DeRozan matched a season-high by converting 17 shots from the field and extended scoring chances by collecting four offensive rebounds.

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DeRozan has scored 40 or more points five times this seaosn, tied with Butler and Isaiah Thomas for the fourth-most 40-point scoring efforts this season.

The 40-point efforts from DeRozan match the total number of 40-point outings Golden State’s quartet of Kevin Durant, Stephen Curry, Draymond Green and Klay Thompson have this season.

Only Russell Westbrook (14), James Harden (11) and Anthony Davis (7) have logged more.

DeRozan doesn’t have the added benefit of a potent long-range shot to help prop up his scoring numbers. DeRozan is one of 21 players to attempt 100 or more shots from 3-point range and convert fewer than 30 percent of those attempts.

Among the 21 players listed, only Lakers forward Corey Brewer is shooting at a lower percentage than the 25.7 percent from 3-point range DeRozan is converting this season.

Instead, the 6-foot-7 guard provides the bulk of his scoring by attacking the basket. DeRozan is scoring 9.0 points per game off drives to the rim, the second highest total in the league.

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Once he gets to the basket, DeRozan is generating points on 85.5 percent of his drives, a rate only surpassed by Damian Lillard among players driving to the rim 6.5 times or more per game.

Of the 591 made shots from DeRozan inside the 3-point arc this season, 150 have come off dunks and layups this season, leading to a 67 percent conversion rate on shots at the rim.

As he displayed Tuesday night, DeRozan is exceptional in crunch time situations. The 122 points DeRozan has logged in crunch time is tied for the 11th most in the league, with Davis and Washington guard Bradley Beal.

Only DeRozan is converting 49 percent of his attempts in crunch time, the third highest percentage among the top-25 crunch time scorers in the league.

If the game is on the line, or your FanDuel NBA lineup is in need of a scoring punch, DeRozan is a prime candidate for both.