NBA DFS Picks & Building Blocks Today: Two More Destinies on the Line! (April 30)

Wednesday brings a pair of Western Conference matchups, with Houston and Los Angeles on the brink of elimination. The fun tips off at 7:30 p.m. ET on FanDuel and DraftKings. Let’s get into the top NBA DFS picks and building blocks: Expect MEGA MINUTES from LeBron James, Luka Doncic, Jimmy Butler, Stephen Curry and, of course, superhero Anthony Edwards.

These picks are based on the latest available data. For real-time lineup updates, check out our NBA DFS Starting Lineups Page.

NBA DFS Picks Today – Building Blocks: Wednesday, April 30

NBA DFS Picks Today: Building Blocks

Game 4 was also the first time that Edwards led Minnesota in the scoring column, with Julius Randle leading once against the team that originally drafted him and University of Washington stalwart Jaden McDaniels at the top twice. In order to close out this series, this trio is going to need some help from Naz Reid and Donte DiVincenzo on offense since Rudy Gobert, Mike Conley and Nickeil Alexander-Walker are complete afterthoughts in the postseason, which is no surprise considering how the playoffs went last year as well.

Yesterday there was the luxury of an eight-team player pool. Sadly, we are unlikely to see anything over four teams on the go-forward. That means digging into the benches, though for the Lakers and Timberwolves, there is not much to unearth. Even Jaxson Hayes‘ handful of minutes as a starter are at risk with the availability of Maximilian Kleber looming.

There will be what amounts to an “iron five” with LeBron James, Luka Doncic and Austin Reaves projecting for just over 40 minutes, while starter Rui Hachimura and reserve Dorian Finney-Smith are not far behind. Jarred Vanderbilt and Gabe Vincent are assured of about eight minutes each, with a chance for half a dozen more if they are playing well or if we see someone get in early foul trouble, similar to Reaves on Sunday.

The other hurdle for Finney-Smith, Vanderbilt and Vincent is that they are all low-usage, defense-first players, with single-digit fantasy points a probable outcome. One strategy to help overcome this type of situation is to drop down in entry fees, giving yourself more chances to build out a lineup that captures all the right pieces. On the flipside, if you have strong convictions, then focusing on just one or two rosters is another fun way to go about attacking NBA Playoff DFS contests.

Things will also be consolidated for Minnesota, though the difference is that the tertiary targets for the T-Wolves actually produce fantasy points.

Conley will be the lead facilitator when Edwards is off ball, giving the veteran a chance to hand out some helpers, as well as getting a bucket or two when the Lakers worry about the scoring threats.

Reid gets his points from rebounds, defense and, of course, long-range offense, which is exactly why he is on the team and getting mid-20s minutes. He also has upside if Gobert continues to not be impactful on offense, though the Stifle Tower does have paths towards a double-double; even if it is unlikely, it is not impossible.

DiVincenzo has a friendly salary, and his upside is through offensive efficiency or collecting a couple steals, a la Gary Trent Jr. from Tuesday’s action.

Stokastic’s NBA DFS Single Lineup Simulator is a groundbreaking tool that revolutionizes lineup building by providing data-driven simulations, making it a must-have for serious players. Check out how the Simulator evaluates this single lineup for this sample slate:

The 22-year-old has three consecutive double-doubles, highlighted by a series-high 31 points in the narrow loss on Monday. Golden State has elected to try to corral Jalen Green, which is leaving Sengun with less attention on the offense end of the court. Considering that the Warriors are on the brink of closing out this series, it is unlikely that this approach will change tonight. Savvy gamers will want to consider making a strong stand with Sengun once more.

Fred VanVleet finally made his detractors pay, splashing 8 of 12 from downtown in Game 4 on his way to a 25-point night. In the first three games of the series, the former Wichita State Shocker was a combined 6 of 29 from behind the arc. He will once again be on the court for 40-plus minutes, with a chance for lightning to strike twice.

Steven Adams is an interesting punt play on DraftKings, where gamers can roster two centers. His $3,600 salary and a dearth of discount dandies have him projected to be on one out of every three entries in the featured tournaments. Do not expect another four-block effort, but he could come close to repeating his 26 minutes of run as the Rockets have been playing him alongside Sengun to give the Dubs different looks.

Amen Thompson, Dillon Brooks, Tari Eason and Jabari Smith Jr. are all competing for wing minutes with a fair amount of overlap in their skill sets. That creates a wider range of potential outcomes than with the secondary players for Minnesota or Los Angeles, making this earlier matchup a good way to find differentiation from the field by going heavy on any of these players, who all project for similar tournament representation on the main DFS sites.

Buddy Hield will be the punt du jour on DraftKings if he remains in the starting lineup, while Brandin Podziemski is actually the better fantasy point-per-dollar play on FanDuel. The veteran scorer parlayed a 17-point performance in Game 3 into an invitation to join the first five on Monday. Hield is a one-trick pony, though fortunately, he is very good at his specialty.

Jimmy Butler returned from his injury, ultimately being the reckoning force that pushed Golden State to a 109-106 win. Another 48 hours of treatment should help his sore derriere, and everyone is aware of the legendary “Playoff Jimmy” transformation. Stephen Curry is still the engine for the Warriors, so do not overlook him, despite the narrative to his new teammate.

The change to the first five had Quinten Post leading the reserves with nearly 20 minutes, and Moses Moody saw only a dozen ticks after losing his starting slot to Hield. Moody easily has a path back to minutes if Hield falters, though the enigmatic wing still may not convert those into DFS production. Post, on the other hand, at least is involved in pick-and-rolls while also being an outlet on a couple other Golden State play sets. The team turned to him to mirror a fair amount of Adams’ minutes, giving him a few different paths to playing time. Sadly, he only has center eligibility on FanDuel, though he has half of the projected popularity as Adams as a punt play on the blue site. This is also the prognosis on DraftKings, though doing a double punt with Adams and Post does create some interesting lineup combinations.

Today’s Top Sports Betting Picks

If you’re serious about winning in NBA DFS, you know the edge comes from having the right tools. The same principle applies to sports betting — and that’s where Portfolio EV steps in.

Take Jalen Green over 24.5 points + rebounds + assists (PRA) tonight, for example. It’s a +EV bet, meaning it has positive expected value when compared to the best odds available across the market. But the real strength of Portfolio EV isn’t about finding just one good bet — it’s about consistently finding dozens. With the Mass Entry tool, you can scale up, place a high volume of +EV bets, and let the math do the heavy lifting.

Just like you wouldn’t count on one DFS lineup to ship a GPP, you don’t count on one bet to carry your night.

Portfolio EV is built for long-term profitability. It helps you spot market inefficiencies, compare lines across books and generate a steady stream of +EV bets. It doesn’t chase heaters, but rather trusts the numbers, follows a process and builds sustainable profit over time.

While Green has cleared the 25 PRA threshold only once this series, he could get there on points alone if he can overcome the harassing Golden State defense. This is a crucial home game, so hopefully head coach Ime Udoka has prepared some adjustments; otherwise the Rockets are going to lose this series, despite home court advantage.

Final Thoughts on NBA DFS Picks & Building Blocks Today

Tune into the Stokastic NBA Live Before Lock Show at 6:30 p.m. ET on YouTube for expert analysis, key insights and winning strategies to dominate tonight’s NBA DFS slate!