Saturday brings an interesting slate, with multiple injuries to star and superstar players. This creates unexpected voids that need to be filled, which makes for a fun DFS slate. Get in on the fun with the early 1 p.m. ET on DraftKings. FanDuel is running two split slates for their larger tournaments. There are several options in the player pool worth analyzing to find the top NBA DFS building blocks and NBA DFS picks for DraftKings and FanDuel lineups, including Anthony Davis, Russell Westbrook, LeBron James and more.
NBA DFS Picks Today: Saturday, April 22
Philadelphia 76ers-Brooklyn Nets
This is a must win game for the Nets who are staring down a 3-0 deficit. Fortunately this game is in Brooklyn and Joel Embiid has been ruled out with a sprained knee.
Starting with the 76ers, no Embiid means there is a 55 fantasy point deficit that needs to be filled by the remaining players. This works out to 36 minutes, 13 field goal attempts, a dozen rebounds and a handful of assists. James Harden, Tyrese Maxey and Tobias Harris will be the trio that steps up to fill the scoring void and each should see a couple extra minutes as Philadelphia looks to end this series today.
Paul Reed will be the direct beneficiary of Embiid’s minutes and he becomes the punt du jour. Montrezl Harrell and De’Anthony Melton can at least collect fantasy points when they are on the floor, which is more than we can say for P.J. Tucker and Jalen McDaniels. Depending on the mood of head coach Glenn Rivers, Georges Niang could be a wild card option for differentiation in the large field tournaments.
Brooklyn will be relying on their core four with Mikal Bridges, Spencer Dinwiddie, Cameron Johnson and Nicolas Claxton the most likely to see 30-plus fantasy points and 35 or more minutes in this lose or go home battle. Royce O’Neal and Dorian Finney-Smith could get lucky with some blocks, steals and maybe seeing their shots find the bottom of the basket, but they have limited ceilings and there are better options in the later games.
Phoenix Suns-Los Angeles Clippers
The Clippers have lost the last two games and they will be without Kawhi Leonard (knee) for a second consecutive game, with Paul George a longshot to play in the next series, if things even make it that far.
Look for the Suns to ride their key contributors in an effort to position themselves to wrap up this series with a Game 5 in Phoenix on Tuesday. Devin Booker has scored 38 and 45 points in the last two games, and Los Angeles does not have a defensive stopper capable of shutting him down. Kevin Durant just missed out on a triple-double in the opener and while that is not going to be on the table most games, 25 points and a dozen combined rebounds and assists certainly will.
Chris Paul continues to run the offense and call his own number as needed, but it is unlikely we see him with a ceiling of more than 40-45 fantasy points in this matchup against one of his former teams. Deandre Ayton is a costly option, not so much for his salary, but that it takes away our center slot when there are better options available. Torrey Craig has been on a heater, though it is hard to see that continue – we can pencil him in for 20-25 fantasy points as a realistic baseline. The rest of the team will need to pick up minutes in mop-up duty to make a difference, but any of Josh Okogie, Damion Lee, Landry Shamet and Bismack Biyombo are extreme lottery options.
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Russell Westbrook will get all the usage he can muster and he almost led the team to a shocking victory in the last game. Minutes and volume are valuable in the postseason, so we should grit our teeth and pony up for the increased cap hit. Norman Powell, Bones Hyland, Terance Mann an Eric Gordon will need to cover the chasm created by the absence of Leonard and George, which makes each a borderline core option at their respective positions. Phoenix has a tremendous defense, but again, minutes and opportunities are key for NBA DFS success. Ivica Zubac, Nicolas Batum, Marcus Morris Sr., Mason Plumlee and Robert Covington are tertiary options and none is particularly exciting as they are well down the list when it comes to creating their own offense, even with Leonard and George in street clothes.
Milwaukee Bucks-Miami Heat
This all comes down to the availability of Giannis Antetokounmpo who missed the last game with a back issue. Currently it would seem that he is playing, with the Bucks five point favorites in Miami tonight. This is the third game of the slate, so the longer he has the questionable tag, cautious gamers will be staying away. Keep in mind that with a little planning, Antetokounmpo can easily be turned into one of the studs on the Lakers, in the event he is not in the starting lineup.
If Antetokounmpo is out, then Jrue Holiday, Khris Middleton, Bobby Portis and Brook Lopez move from okay options to desirable plays. The Milwaukee bit players are all healthy, which in turn makes them tough to trust if Giannis is playing. Grayson Allen has the edge as the starter, but he could easily be supplanted by Joe Ingles or Pat Connaughton if they catch the eye of coach Mike Budenholzer.
The Heat stole Game 1 in Milwaukee and they need to win at least one of the next two in Miami to keep this series competitive. Tyler Herro is out with a hand injury that will require surgery, so that puts even more of the load on Jimmy Butler and Bam Adebayo, making them core plays on the full and late slates. Coach Erik Spoelstra is not afraid to make in-game adjustments, mixing and matching his players to counter the opposition. Max Strus, Gabe Vincent, Caleb Martin, Kevin Love, Kyle Lowry and Victor Oladipo all have utility in tournaments, though prognosticating the best option of this grab bag collection is a fool’s errand.
Memphis Grizzlies-Los Angeles Lakers
This game is the crown jewel of the slate and the series is knotted at one game each with the Grizzlies rallying at home to best the Lakers by 10 points WITHOUT Ja Morant. It is unlikely we know the official status of Morant prior to tipoff as he is dealing with a hand injury suffered in the first game of this series. He was a limited practice participant, though that is of little comfort for DFS gamers.
If Morant is in, then he is a tournament dart throw, if he is out, Tyus Jones will draw another start and be a desirable building block in all formats. Unfortunately, this is the final game of the night, so various strategies can be employed, but be sure to have backup plans!
Jaren Jackson Jr. is a frontline option on this slate and he has the ability to rack up half a dozen stocks (combined blocks and steals) along with a double-double. Everything has to go his way for a visit to the 50 fantasy point plateau, however, he has a solid 40 fantasy point floor if he can stay out of foul trouble.
Desmond Bane, Xavier Tillman and Dillon Brooks are neutral options if Morant is in and above average though not stellar plays if he is out. Luke Kennard is a wild card off the bench and if he splashes half a dozens field goal attempts, he can send rosters rocketing up the leaderboard at the end of the night. Keep in mind he is no stranger to Crypto.com Arena, having spent the last few seasons with the Clippers, before being acquired by the Grizzlies midseason.
Everything starts with LeBron James and Anthony Davis when looking at the Lakers through a DFS lens. Brooks had some disparaging comments for James in the last game, saying he won’t worry about any player until they hang 40 points on him. Keep that in mind when looking at sports betting opportunities today as this wager currently has a +100 money line with a 29.5 threshold on BetMGM.
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D’Angelo Russell and Austin Reaves are roster fillers, but the intriguing story through two games is the emergence of Rui Hachimura. He has played 30 minutes in each game and while he is not going to continue his torrid success rate from the field (18-26, 69.2%), he is very much in the mix for two dozen fantasy points and another 8-10 in available upside if he remains in the zone.
Final Thoughts on NBA DFS Picks Building Blocks Today
This is a fun slate that stretches across the entire day. The matchups are great and the injuries plentiful, which is rare for the postseason. Get ready for the slate with all of the latest analysis and information by tuning in to the Stokastic Deeper Dive and Live Before Lock show at 12:00 p.m. ET on YouTube, brought to you by PrizePicks with a first deposit match of 100% up to $100.
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