Monday’s card was mayhem. Those 11 games made for a chaotic night of DFS, but we did pretty well, all things considered. This is a much smaller slate, though, with only six games in total. That makes the player pool thin, but there’s still a lot to discuss. With that in mind, let’s get into it!
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Most Value Per Dollar
What I like about this slate is all the roster versatility. About half of these recommendations half multiple roster eligibility, and that’s big news on a short slate like this. That makes many of the positions plentiful but point guard and center are the most stacked ones yet again!
If you’d like to see more information on how the betting landscape will be for this slate, check out BettingPros.
Below is a list of the top-10 players of the day expected to generate the most value relative to their salary. These are ranked in order.
Jusuf Nurkic (POR) $6,800
We’ve been patiently waiting for Portland to give Nurk a full allotment of minutes, and we’ve finally gotten there. He’s played at least 29 minutes in three-straight games, averaging 16.7 points, 14.3 rebounds, 5.3 assists, 1.0 steals, and 1.0 blocks per game in that span. That’s the bubble Nurk we fell in love with last winter, and he’s impossible to avoid until his price gets to where it needs to be.
Malachi Flynn (TOR) $4,200
We’re guessing that Toronto rests most of their starters here, and if that’s the case, Flynn is a fantastic value. In the first 10 games of April, Flynn averaged 35 DraftKings points per game in 33 minutes a night. That shows they trust him when the studs are out, and it’s possible that Kyle Lowry, Fred VanVleet, and Pascal Siakam could all sit in the second half of a back-to-back set.
Edmond Sumner (IND) $4,000
The Pacers have lost Myles Turner, Goga Bitadze, and Domantas Sabonis to injury recently, and it’s strangely forced Sumner into a huge role. They’ve chosen to go small with all those guys out, starting in each of the last four games. The last two without them have been particularly impressive, scoring at least 32 fantasy points in each while playing over 35 minutes a night.
P.J. Washington (CHA) $6,800
It’s annoying that Charlotte continues to mess with Washington’s minutes because his upside is crazy. He’s actually scored at least 34 DraftKings points in six of his last eight games, combining for 92.3 fantasy points over the last two outings. Getting minutes at center has really allowed him to thrive, and we expect it to continue with Gordon Hayward, and LaMelo Ball still sidelined too.
Christian Wood (HOU) $8,000
It’s been a dark season for the Rockets, but Wood has been a bright spot. The big man is averaging exactly 40 DraftKings points per game for the year, stepping up for this shorthanded roster. His monster games are hard to overlook, too, scoring at least 37 fantasy points in 26 of his 37 games this year. We certainly don’t mind that he faces a 26th-ranked T’Wolves defense with a defensively inept Karl-Anthony Towns at center, either.
Aleksej Pokusevski (OKC) $5,100
Half of OKC’s roster may sit here in a B2B, and if that’s the case, Poku is a fantastic play. We say that because he’s regularly leading the team in usage and minutes and definitely won’t sit in a B2B at the ripe age of 19. He’s averaging over 25 DK points per game across his last 15 outings and deserves a price increase for these final few weeks with the Thunder in rebuild mode.
Kevon Looney (GSW) $3,800
Looney doesn’t have big games anymore, but he’s too reliable to be this cheap. He’s scored at least 18 DraftKings points in nine straight games, playing 25-30 minutes a night regularly. That’s hard to overlook from a $4K player, especially against a short Dallas team that’s been getting killed by centers recently.
Brook Lopez (MIL) $4,800
Bro-Lo is seemingly in this section every day, and these DFS sites continue to keep his price way too low. He’s averaging 28 DraftKings points per game over the last two months, which is usually the production of a guy closer to $6K. We love that with Charlotte ranked 17th in defensive efficiency while allowing the most three’s in the NBA.
Kelly Oubre Jr. (GSW) $6,300
Oubre has been relegated to bench duties, but it’s actually done him some good. He has a higher usage rate off the bench and plays the same allotment of minutes with Kent Bazemore sidelined. He’s got at least 28 DK points in six of his last seven games while averaging nearly 40 fantasy points per game in those six outings. He’s killed Dallas this season, too, averaging 27 points and 6.5 rebounds per game against them.
Malcolm Brogdon (IND) $8,800
We talked about how many players the Pacers are missing right now, and it’s led to Brogdon’s best stretch of his career. Over his last nine games played, Brog is averaging just shy of 50 DraftKings points per game, flirting with triple-doubles on a nightly basis. We absolutely adore that against a Portland team that sits 29th in defensive efficiency while surrendering the most fantasy points to opposing point guards.
Check out our NBA Prop Bet Cheat Sheet for the top bets of the day
Studs Worth Their Salary
- Stephen Curry (GSW) $10,300: This dude is the best shooter ever, and it’s scary that he’s on a heater right now. He’s scored at least 47 DK points in 13 of his last 14 games, averaging 55 fantasy points per game in that span. It’s hard to imagine a subpar Dallas defense slowing that down, especially with Chef Curry facing Luka Doncic. In their last matchup, Curry dropped a cool 57 points en route to 73 DK points.
- Karl-Anthony Towns (MIN) $10,000: Towns has always been one of the most talented players in the NBA, and he’s rolling right now. Over his last 15 games, KAT is averaging 26.8 points, 12.3 rebounds, 5.3 assists, and 1.3 blocks per game. That’s terrible news for a Houston team that ranks seven in pace and 24th in defensive efficiency.
- Jaylen Brown (BOS) $8,400: With Kemba Walker and Jayson Tatum out, Brown is easily one of the best plays on the board. We anticipate a 30-40 percent usage rate while taking at least 2o shots.
Notable Players to Fade
- Damian Lillard (POR) $9,100: This is a dangerous fade, but Dame doesn’t look right. He missed a week because of an injury just a few days ago, and he still looks nicked up. In fact, Lillard has 43 or fewer fantasy points in seven of his last nine games, posting a horrific 35 percent shooting percentage in that span. Scoring 43 DK points might sound good, but he’s got a 36-point average in that span, and that’s below the minimum he needs at this sort of price.
- Joe Harris (BKN) $5,500: Now that Kyrie Irving and Kevin Durant are both healthy, it’s time for Harris to sit back and watch the show with the rest of us. That was on full display when he had just 16 DK points in KD’s return, and we expect more performances like that going forward with those two superstars swallowing up so much usage.
- Toronto Raptors Starters: These guys have been in and out of the lineup over the last month, and it’s tough to trust them. What really scares us is that this is the second half of a back-to-back set, making them all rest candidates.
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Beyond our daily fantasy basketball content, be sure to check out our Daily Fantasy Basketball Tools. Our Lineup Optimizer allows you to build winning DFS lineups in seconds for Cash and GPP contests – to our DFS Cheat Sheets – that helps you get a quick read on the day’s players. We’ve got you covered this fantasy basketball season.
Joel Bartilotta is a featured writer at FantasyPros. For more from Joel, check out his archive and follow him @Bartilottajoel.