NBA DFS Picks: DraftKings + FanDuel Expert Fantasy Lineups & Strategy

The NBA DFS Deep Dive is the primary in-depth daily fantasy basketball article, and it will be free this season. The goal of this article isn’t just to give you a few plays to plug into your lineup, but to dig a little bit deeper into why projections may (or may not) like certain players. Hopefully after reading this article, you’ll have a better feel for the slate as a whole. Combining the context from this article with the raw data that is available in Awesemo’s Boom/Bust tool, Projections and Ownership Projections should allow you to build strong lineups and make the best NBA DFS picks on DraftKings and FanDuel for any format.

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NBA DFS Picks: DraftKings + FanDuel Picks | April 25

Note: With four games on deck, we’re going back to the positional breakdown for this week. If you have any questions after reading the article, feel free to DM me in Slack at tmcb74.

Point Guard

Russell Westbrook ($11,000 DraftKings/$11,100 FanDuel) leads the slate at point guard on both sites when we reference Awesemo’s optimal lineup appearance rate metric despite the massive price tag across the industry. Westbrook is having a dynamite season for NBA DFS purposes. Averaging a tripled-double again for the season, it is difficult to argue that Westbrook is not one of the best plays on any slate, regardless of what he may provide for a team in terms of real basketball efficiency. The Wizards will be without Rui Hachimura and Deni Avdija, in the situation for the season Westbrook averages 1.42 fantasy points per minute and sees 33% usage to Bradley Beal‘s 39.0% mark. Both guards are firmly in play today, Westbrook is the standout for his multi-category upside.

Stephen Curry ($10,500 DraftKings/$9,800 FanDuel) is a less expensive superstar option at the point guard spot. He ranks out similarly to Westbrook on both sites in Awesemo’s ratings, though he looks stronger on the FanDuel slate given the discounted salary. Curry is averaging 1.39 fantasy points per minute across all situations this season, 1.35 with the few missing teammates tonight off the court. Curry was on the injury report with an ankle, but he is expected to play and should be considered to be at full capacity for that production. Curry sees 32% usage for the season and contributes a 28.1% assist rate, he is an excellent option on a short slate.

Darius Garland ($7,200 DraftKings/$7,300 FanDuel) will be without Collin Sexton in the backcourt again tonight. Garland produces 0.91 fantasy points per minute for the season in all situations, but without Sexton that mark jumps to 1.06, which is a quality point-per-dollar mark on this slate. Garland has been productive over the team’s last 10 games, averaging 23.4 real points per game on 27.1% usage. Without Sexton we can expect the usage to stay at around the same mark with an assist rate of around 34%, up from the 27% he averages with Sexton on the floor. Garland is an excellent option at these salaries in a what should be a game where the Cavaliers are running and scoring, trying to keep up with the frenetic pace at which the Wizards will be playing.

Malcolm Brogdon ($8,700 DraftKings/$8,200 FanDuel) becomes extremely relevant when playing without the particular set of teammates who will sit tonight. He averages 1.09 fantasy points per minute in all situations this season, but without Domantas Sabonis, Myles Turner, Goga Bitadze and Jeremy Lamb on the floor, Brogdon leaps to 1.29 per minute across a 94-minute sample. That trails only Caris LeVert‘s 1.31 mark in his 93-minute sample. Brogdon sees a 27.9% usage rate in the situation, with a 23.3% assist share. He is a solid play from an upper midrange salary tonight.

Raul Neto ($4,800 DraftKings/$4,300 FanDuel) has become a regularly relevant player for NBA DFS purposes with the various outages on the wing for the Wizards. Neto is projected for a 32-minute night again tonight, which would give him clear value at the low salaries on both sites. Neto averages 0.82 fantasy points per minute across all situations this season, in this situation in the team’s last two games, he has been at 0.94, though he sees just 14.2% usage.

Cole Anthony ($6,700 DraftKings/$6,500 FanDuel) has had a strong year for the Magic when he has been able to take the court. He has 0.93 fantasy points per minute across all situations for the year. Since the trade deadline, Anthony has been at an excellent 1.09 rate and he has seen his cost increase on both sites. While he is probably fairly priced, Anthony still has value on a short slate and he appears to be at least somewhat low-owned, though the leverage scores do not pop off the board. Anthony sees 24.2% usage in this situation, we can expect his recent production to continue.

Jordan Poole ($4,700 DraftKings/$4,500 FanDuel) is relatively productive, at 0.92 fantasy points per minute, and he is inexpensive with multi-position eligibility on DraftKings, giving him significant utility. Poole is a far less interesting play across sites, FanDuel’s positioning breaks down so that he lands in the optimal lineup in our simulations half as frequently on the blue site. He is a mix-in play with some leverage-based upside, but there are stronger point guards from which to choose. On DraftKings, Poole is very much in play and should be utilized for leverage and versatility.

Delon Wright ($4,900 DraftKings/$5,900 FanDuel) is on the other side of the game against the Warriors and is in very much the same situation as Poole despite a higher minutes projection. Wright has averaged just 0.83 fantasy points per minute since joining the Kings, 0.86 without De’Aaron Fox, who will be out tonight. Wright has positional flexibility and a low price on DraftKings, giving him value. He is simply a mix-in option on the FanDuel slate.

Jrue Holiday ($8,200 DraftKings/$7,900 FanDuel) is appropriately priced for his 1.12 fantasy point per minute across all situations this season. The Bucks are on cruise control heading into the playoffs and in a matchup against the Atlanta Hawks, who will be without star point guard Trae Young. Holiday lands as just a semi-playable option for the salary on both sites. He does not stand out, but on a four game slate we do not want to cross him off either, particularly given the matchup. Holiday has very modest upside and essentially no leverage on either slate.

The point guard spot has only a couple additional options on DraftKings this week. Add Tyrese Haliburton and Lou Williams to the mix at point guard.

Additional values include: Edmond Sumner, Ish Smith, Brandon Goodwin

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Shooting Guard

Bradley Beal ($9,800 DraftKings/$9,200 FanDuel) is the other go-to option for the Wizards in their easy contest against the Cleveland Cavaliers. Beal and his running mate dominated the usage for their team in this situation, with Beal leading the way at a ridiculous 39.0%. He has been dueling Curry for the league lead in scoring average, currently sitting second at 31.1 points per game to Curry’s 31.2. Beal is a spectacular option for offense on a short slate, he is still too cheap for his general upside, and we can play him either as a pivot from Westbrook, or even alongside his expensive teammate given the expected value and short slate.

Tyrese Haliburton ($6,200 DraftKings/$5,800 FanDuel) is rating out higher than Beal on Awesemo’s boom bust board on both sites. He has put up 0.93 fantasy points per minute for the season and 1.08 without Fox on the court. Haliburton has seen 23.1% usage since the trade deadline in situations like tonight’s configuration, adding a 31.1% assist rate. He is a strong option at a discounted price across the industry and should be rostered with frequency.

Andrew Wiggins ($7,000 DraftKings/$6,800 FanDuel) is an option on both sites, which is rarely a comfortable situation. Wiggins averages 0.95 fantasy point per minute this season, and he is priced appropriately for that production on the DraftKings slate, though he does add small forward eligibility. On FanDuel, Wiggins is a bit cheap at his $6,800 price tag and he adds a bit of upside. Wiggins has been up to 0.98 points per minute since the trade deadline, and he would bounce higher if Curry happens to sit or see limited minutes, there is upside in rostering the roller coaster guard.

Terrence Ross ($6,000 DraftKings/$4,400 FanDuel) is currently questionable and thus is drawing nearly no ownership relative to his probability of success if we assume a 28-minute night. Ross is a volume shooter who seen 22.6% usage since the trade deadline, while being in and out of the lineup at times. Ross has put up just 0.87 fantasy points per minute across that stretch, disappointing those who were expecting a few breakout NBA DFS performances. Most of the lack of production can be blamed on a true shooting percentage that sits at just over 50% since the deadline. Ross is in play if he goes tonight given the short slate and the potential for leverage if the field does not catch up, it needs to be a hot shooting night to come through on DraftKings. He is a strong value play if he so much as takes the court for his price on FanDuel.

Lou Williams ($4,600 DraftKings/$5,100 FanDuel) came over from the Clippers at the trade deadline in the midst of a down season and has produced just 0.80 fantasy points per minute in limited action for his new team. Without Young, however, Williams jumps to a 0.88 mark, which is a significant enough improvement at these prices. Williams is not the most explosive upside play on the board, he is in a mix of backcourt options, but he stands a chance at putting up an outlier game if he sees a few shots drop early. Across 128 minutes without Young, Williams has led the team with 26.8% usage, there is plenty of upside potential in that mark.

Caris LeVert ($8,400 DraftKings/$8,300 FanDuel) is priced up for the situation, though he is the Pacers’ usage leader without this set of teammates on the floor. LeVert was in this situation just last night, putting up 25 real points in 30.4 minutes, adding seven rebounds and three assists. LeVert saw 34.7% usage in that contest and should be in line for similar action tonight. The upper mid-range prices are not friendly, but there are raw points to be had here. On a short slate, that could be enough.

Shooting guard looks like a somewhat limited position on FanDuel, while there are more options to work with on the DraftKings slate, such as: Wright, Poole, Sumner, Buddy Hield, Khris Middleton and Neto as NBA DFS picks at the position.

Additional values include: Isaac Okoro, Kevin Huerter, Gary Harris and Donte DiVincenzo

Small Forward

Bogdan Bogdanovic ($8,100 DraftKings/$7,300 FanDuel) should be one of the lead options for the Hawks in the absence of Young. Bogdanovic has seen a 24.5% usage rate in games without Young since the trade deadline, ranking second on the team with 1.14 fantasy points per minute. Over the team’s last 10 games, over all situations, Bogdanovic has averaged 21.6 real points, seeing 36.3 minutes and 22.7% usage in the sample. Bogdanovic has been productive, adding a 21.4% assist share. He is a strong option at the FanDuel price and is in the mix for the higher relative salary on DraftKings.

Buddy Hield ($7,300 DraftKings/$6,500 FanDuel) is another player who will pick up attention for the lack of Fox. Hield has produced 0.83 fantasy points per minute this season, well down from the 0.98 rate he had last year. Hield is expensive on the DraftKings slate; not to the degree where he should be skipped, but he is not nearly as strong an option across sites. On FanDuel, he is another player at too low a price and he slots in as a solid midrange value play. Hield sees 22.1% usage in games without Fox since the trade deadline, putting up 1.04 fantasy points per minute.

Khris Middleton ($8,000 DraftKings/$8,000 FanDuel) remains too cheap across the industry, though his production has remained down for the year. Middleton is at just 1.10 fantasy points per minute after putting up a robust 1.19 mark last year. As the second banana to superstar Giannis Antetokounmpo sometimes one just doesn’t have to produce those big games with regularity. Middleton is priced down for his overall talent, and we know the player that he can be. In an easy matchup against the Hawks, there should be plenty of room for Middleton to provide raw fantasy point production, which we will need to grab where we can on such a short slate.

Kelly Oubre ($6,500 DraftKings/$7,000 FanDuel) is a strong option at the position, though the public will be rostering him in this situation. The matchup against the defenseless Sacramento Kings is a good one for offensive production, and all the Warriors are seeing a bit of an uptick in projection and upside. Oubre has produced 0.94 fantasy points per minute through all situations this season, without this specific set of teammates, Oubre has a 1.19 per-minute mark. At these prices that is more than enough on such a short slate. Oubre is a solid mix-in at worst and is flashing fairly significant upside on the boom/bust tool.

Maurice Harkless ($3,800 DraftKings/$4,000 FanDuel) is an unexciting option who will see some opportunity on the other side of the fast paced Kings vs Warriors contest. Without Fox, there will be usage to spread. Harkless has seen limited minutes and opportunity so far with the Kings, but Awesemo has him projected for 31 minutes that would make him a relevant value play at the salary and leverage.

James Ennis ($4,800 DraftKings/$5,000 FanDuel) is in the mix of minutes on the messy Magic. He is projected for a 27-minute night tonight in Awesemo’s numbers, a run that would make him relevant on both sites, particularly with the public trailing the curve on the play. Ennis is currently listed as questionable tonight, so this bears monitoring. If he does not go, several value plays on the Magic would emerge, though there are likely better options on other teams, even given the recent upside shown by R.J. Hampton. If Ennis plays, we can expect him to put up around the 0.69 fantasy points per minute he has posted so far this season. The production does not change much given different combinations of teammates since the trade deadline.

Small forward adds several interesting players to the pool on DraftKings, with Sumner, Beal, Wiggins, Ross, Okoro, Huerter and Harrison Barnes picking up eligibility on the site.

Additional values include: Justin Holiday, Danilo Gallinari and Oshae Brissett

Power Forward

Giannis Antetokounmpo ($10,700 DraftKings/$10,900) is not someone NBA DFS regulars need to be sold on, he is one of the standout players in the league and a player we go out of our way for when we can afford it. As hands down the best player on this slate, Giannis stands alone in terms of overall upside, though the public will be rostering him with frequency across the industry given the lower price as compared to fellow star Westbrook. He has a monster 1.63 fantasy points per minute across the season, with a healthy Bucks roster in a simple matchup against the Hawks we should see an easy path to at least the median projection, with plenty of room for a ceiling game despite any blowout considerations.

Harrison Barnes ($7,800 DraftKings/$6,400 FanDuel) provides steady productivity for real basketball and NBA DFS purposes, even if his most exciting moment of the past year was in our NBA2K simulations. With a solid 0.84 fantasy points per minute across all situations, Barnes could be a strong contributor at his FanDuel price, though the DraftKings mark makes him less comfortable a fit. Barnes should see plenty of room to produce, but his per-minute rate actually drops to 0.81 in this situation, as he loses the benefit of playing alongside Fox. Barnes should be considered as a strong mix-in option on DraftKings and is the most frequently optimal player at the position in our FanDuel simulations. That he has a positive leverage score on both sites adds to his appeal and upside as a GPP play.

Kevin Love ($6,600 DraftKings/$6,000 FanDuel) is a nice story in his return to NBA action, and he is at a fair price on both sites. He has put up 1.03 fantasy points per minute in action with the Cavaliers, and Awesemo has him projected for a 30.2-minute night. He could put up a relevant fantasy point total with that much time on the court, though the Cavaliers frontcourt has returned to relative health, and the upside could be capped or even reduced, depending on the time we see Love on the court. He has a 1.08 per-minute mark since the deadline, and sees 21.4% usage in games without Sexton in that sample. There is upside here, though the public will be on the play.

Draymond Green ($7,500 DraftKings/$7,200 FanDuel) is in the same great spot as his teammates, in their fast paced highly totaled matchup against the lowly Kings. Green will be doing his usual thing out on the court, scoring fantasy points without having to put the ball in the basket. He is projected for 32 minutes of action tonight; he contributes a 45.3% assist share and a 23.9% rebounding rate, along with his 2.4 stocks per game. Green is a fine play on most slates and he is at a fair price across the industry.

Larry Nance Jr. ($5,700 DraftKings/$5,600 FanDuel) provides a less expensive path to minute sin the Cavaliers frontcourt when compared to Love. Returning to the lineup, Nance is also projected for 30 minutes of action, and he has reasonable upside on the slate, with far less ownership than his more expensive teammate. Nance has put up a solid 0.87 fantasy points per minute rate this season, there is reason to roster him on both sites, though he is more interesting on DraftKings where he picks up center eligibility.

Isaiah Hartenstein ($3,900 DraftKings/$5,000 FanDuel) is only a mix-in option as a power forward on FanDuel, but he is very much on the board on DraftKings, where he is one of the day’s truly strong value plays at that low salary. Hartenstein is another Cavaliers forward with relevance on this slate, though he is projected for the least minutes at just 20.8. He would pick up significant upside if someone else were to sit or be limited, but we do not have that news. Across all situations, he has averaged 1.22 fantasy points per minute, which would be stellar for the price on DraftKings.

John Collins ($7,400 DraftKings/$6,900 FanDuel) is interesting for the price on FanDuel. If Clint Capela does not play he would increase rapidly in value. He has put up 1.08 fantasy points per minute this season, disappointingly down from his excellent 1.24 mark last year. Playing alongside Capela has sapped some of his overall upside, but he is still productive at this reduced salary. Rostering Collins ahead of the field may not be the move, but sprinkling shares of him liberally across a full slate of lineups would not be inadvisable.

Power forward gives FanDuel players a few options to work with, though there will is still news to come in several situations. The DraftKings slate adds Harkless, Oubre and Richaun Holmes at the position.

Additional power forward plays include: Daniel Gafford, Chuma Okeke, Juan Toscano-Anderson

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Center

Jarrett Allen ($7,100 DraftKings/$6,100 FanDuel) is one of only a few available centers on the FanDuel slate. Allen stands as the likely best play at the position given his reduced salary on the site. He has missed time recently, but he averages 1.09 fantasy points per minute across all situations this season and stands to play around 30 minutes in the middle, at the least. For the money and in a significant center drought on the singular center site, we have Allen as one of the prime options. He is in play on the DraftKings slate as well, but he is more of a mix-in given the major upside in options who are only available at the position on that site.

Richaun Holmes ($6,900 DraftKings/$6,700 FanDuel) is questionable to play as of the mid-afternoon. He is a major upside play if he does go, he will limit Hassan Whiteside‘s upside, though if Holmes is limited they could see somewhat equal time, cannibalizing both to a degree. Holmes is a strong rebounder, putting up a 33.1% rate for the season, adding to his ability to create fantasy points on top of the 2.3 stocks per game he has delivered. When active, Holmes can be a strong points-per-dollar play.

Wendell Carter ($7,000 DraftKings/$6,400 FanDuel) is yet to be priced up for his role and production with his new team. Since joining the Magic at the deadline, Carter has put up 1.16 fantasy points per minute across all situations. He is currently questionable to play; if he does not go we would likely see Mohamed Bamba gain ground as an NBA DFS play in the situation, though Carter has far more appeal. He is at the correct price for the current production on the DraftKings slate and he lacks the positional flexibility that would extend his utility with other center options available. This mix makes him more of an option that we can use to diversify lineups than a go-to play on that site.

Kevon Looney ($3,700 DraftKings/$3,900 FanDuel) will create some opportunity cost on the FanDuel slate, even on a night short of centers, though he still comes up as the optimal center with some frequency in simulations. Looney will see around 27 minutes of action again tonight. He has produced 0.81 fantasy points per minute across all situations this year and has room for a bit more with some of the Golden State frontcourt options missing in action. There is reason to believe in Looney as a bargain basement play at the position on both sites. DraftKings players get the luxury of rostering him next to another center as well.

Brook Lopez ($5,100 DraftKings/$4,800 FanDuel) is not a frequently relevant player for NBA DFS, but this slate is that sort of thin at the position tonight on FanDuel. Lopez is at a low enough price that he lands in the optimal lineup from time to time in simulations, and he provides roster flexibility with perhaps a safer floor than what is offered by Looney or some of the other non-Allen centers on the slate. Lopez can be productive in the matchup against the Hawks, particularly without Capela on the floor if he does not play. There is enough room for Lopez on the blue site, but he is nothing more than a mix in with the added options on DraftKings.

Clint Capela ($9,000 DraftKings/$9,500 FanDuel) is the lone star at the position on the FanDuel slate and one of the only standouts who is a true center on DraftKings. Capela stands out more for the salary than his upside or utility on this slate, however, and he is currently questionable to take the floor at all. His absence would create opportunity for Onyeka Okongwu at just $3,900 on FanDuel and $3,800 on DraftKings, though the upside is somewhat limited as Collins would likely see significant center minutes. If Capela plays, his upside is limited by only his price, but the raw point production is certainly viable as an option on just a four game slate.

DraftKings players get the luxury of adding Antetokounmpo, Hartenstein, Love, Nance, Gafford, Toscano-Anderson and Green at center, making it far deeper and dramatically different position than on the blue site.

Additional center values include: Alex Len, Hassan Whiteside, Mohamed Bamba

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Author

Terry McBride

Terry used to do other things, now he writes words on the internet. He hopes his more than 20 years’ experience in season-long and daily fantasy sports and his custom models for MLB, NBA, and NFL don't steer you too wrong when he writes columns and makes picks on Awesemo.com. A lifetime of experience keeping odd hours make Terry ideal to cover KBO baseball overnight until the world returns to normal. Most of those late night hours have been spent on the couch watching sports, T.V., and movies; just try to shut him up about any of the above. You can find his pop-culture ramblings and more on Sideaction.