NBA Daily Fantasy Projections & DFS Picks for DraftKings & FanDuel 4/23

Weekend NBA playoff slates are a ton of fun as we get games starting in the afternoon and spread out all the way through the night. It has Christmas slate like vibes, which is exciting, but also can be tough to manage due to news in the later games. It will be important to stay up to date on Awesemo’s NBA Starting Lineups page to find out who is in and out tonight. These plays below are driven by Awesemo’s NBA DFS Boom/Bust Tool as we narrow down three boom and one bust play.

Boom/Bust NBA Daily Fantasy Projections & Picks Today

Boom: Pascal Siakam: $8,600 DK/$8,400 FD

46.0% DraftKings Boom/52.1% FanDuel Boom

The salary on Pascal Siakam has dipped a little too low, especially on DraftKings. Siakam has the highest boom percentage in our NBA DFS Boom/Bust Tool on DraftKings and the second-highest on FanDuel. The Raptors are down 3-0 after a Joel Embiid broke their hearts with a buzzer-beating 3-pointer in their last game. It’s win or go home for the Raptors as they will have to continue to play without Scottie Barnes, who injured his foot in Game 1. In seven games without Barnes this season, including playoffs, Siakam is averaging 23 points, 9.1 rebounds, and 7.6 assists while playing 41.5 minutes per game. Siakam will have to deliver tonight to avoid the sweep.

The Raptors are three-point home underdogs as they are only implied to score 105 points, which is the second-lowest on the slate. Despite the low total, Siakam still has the best value in our NBA daily fantasy projections on DraftKings tonight. His production has been very mediocre during this series, but expect Siakam to go out swinging. He is projected to play 42 minutes as he was second to teammate Fred VanVleet in minutes played this season. Prioritize Siakam on DraftKings, but he is a great upper mid-range play on this slate.

Boom: Desmond Bane: $6,200 DK/$6,000 FD

40.5% DraftKings Boom/48.3% FanDuel Boom

Desmond Bane finally caught fire in an epic Grizzlies comeback in their road win against the Timberwolves. The Grizzlies recovered from two massive blown leads by the Timberwolves and ended the game on a 50-13 run. Bane finished with 26 points as he made seven 3-pointers and played 40 minutes. Bane is second on both DraftKings and FanDuel in our NBA DFS projections, while he is behind Dillon Brooks on FanDuel and Siakam on DraftKings. However, Brooks is questionable to play with foot soreness. This game is last on the slate, so it is unlikely we will get his status before lock, but keep an eye on our Starting Lineups page just in case.

This matchup between the Grizzlies and Timberwolves has the highest total on the slate like it has all series long. They lead the playoffs in pace and the Grizzlies are scoring 115 points per game in the playoffs. The Grizzlies have a slate-high 117.5 implied point total. They could really put the Timberwolves behind the eight-ball with a victory tonight as they are three-point favorites. Bane is the most popular player on FanDuel and second-most on DraftKings in our NBA ownership projections. He is impossible to ignore in this matchup.

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Boom: Joel Embiid: $10,600 DK/$10,500 FD

43.3% DraftKings Boom/49.5% FanDuel Boom

Joel Embiid may have suffered a torn ligament in torn ligament in his right thumb, which is a concern because it is his shooting hand. He has vowed to play in this game as he likely will have an MRI soon. If, for some reason, he is unable to play, I would look to the rollercoaster that is Karl-Anthony Towns as the best pay-up option at center tonight. However, it is tough to not love Embiid in this spot. He is the most expensive player on both sites as he is projected for nearly five more fantasy points than the next-closest player in our NBA daily fantasy projections. After a pitiful first game, Embiid is averaging 32 points and 12 rebounds per game in his last two games.

Embiid is certainly the best pay-up option as he has the second-highest boom percentage on DraftKings and third-highest on FanDuel in our Boom/Bust Tool. Seeing as the 76ers are up 3-0, if the MRI comes back showing any type of major concern, Embiid may be forced to sit this game out. Luckily, this is the first game on the slate so we will know his status ahead of time. Getting a victory to close out this series also has to be intriguing to give Embiid plenty of rest before the next series. He is risky, but he has incredible upside.

Bust: Kyrie Irving: $9,600 DK/$9,900 FD

42.0% DraftKings Bust/52.7% FanDuel Bust

Kyrie Irving has been a risky fade as he has been very inconsistent recently and in this series. In Game 1, Irving had 39 points while shooting 12-for-20 from the field. However, in his last game he only had 10 points and 22.5 DraftKings points, which was well under his expectation. Irving has a very high bust percentage in our NBA DFS Boom/Bust Tool, but other candidates like Spencer Dinwiddie and Jalen Brunson will be higher if Luka Doncic ends up playing tonight. Irving has played 40 or more minutes in 11 of his last 12 games and is projected for 40.1 minutes tonight. The one game he missed he played 39 minutes. He will play a ton, but his salary is steep.

The Nets are three-point home favorites as they look to get their first win of this series. Many had this series being very close, so a bounce-back performance for the Nets is certainly on the table. This matchup against the Celtics has the second-highest total on the slate at 222.5 points. Looking at our Fantasy Basketball Rankings is another great way to target players to fade. Irving has a “C Value” in both DraftKings and FanDuel tonight, which is the worst on the slate of anyone with an “A Grade.” Irving is always a risky fade, but the numbers don’t lie.

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