NBA DraftKings & FanDuel DFS Primer: Friday (4/15)

The first two nights of the Play-in Tournament got us to this amazing point. We have two elimination games here, and it’ll decide how the playoffs will be determined! That has me stoked to get rolling, so let’s get into it!

These games couldn’t be more important. We have two win-or-go-home matchups, with both games determining the eight-seed in each conference. That will force both of these clubs to leave it all on the line, so let’s kick things off with the schedule and odds!

Schedule and Odds

ATL at CLE (ATL -2) O/U: 224.5
Whoever wins this game will be the eight-seed in the east. They’ll face the Miami Heat in the first round of the Eastern Conference Playoffs. The loser’s season will be over.

NOP at LAC (LAC -4.5) O/U: 217.5
The winner of this game will be the eight-seed in the west. They’ll play the Phoenix Suns in the opening round of the Western Conference Playoffs. The loser will go home.

Check out our consensus game odds as well as the odds from each sportsbook at BettingPros

Injury Report

• John Collins (foot) Questionable
• Zion Williamson (foot) OUT
• Brandon Ingram (hamstring) Probable
• Collin Sexton (knee) OUT
• Jarrett Allen (finger) Questionable
• Kawhi Leonard (knee) OUT
• Bogdan Bogdanovic (ankle) Questionable
• Luke Kennard (hamstring) Questionable

Core Plays

Trae Young (PG – ATL): $9,700 DraftKings, $10,500 FanDuel
We had Trae in this section on Wednesday, and we’re going right back to the well. The crafty guard finished that game with 24 points and 11 assists, marking his 10th straight outing with at least 47 DraftKings points. We love that in this must-win spot, leaving more on Trae’s large plate. In his last three meetings with the Cavs, Young is averaging 35.3 points and 9.7 assists per game!

Darius Garland (PG – CLE): $8.500 DraftKings, $8,700 FanDuel
Garland is running the show in Cleveland, and he needs to keep doing that in this elimination game. DG had 34 points and five assists in the loss to Brooklyn on Tuesday. That looks even better since he averaged 45 DK points per game in his final 22 games of the regular season, running this Cavs offense at ease. The matchup with Atlanta is astounding, too, with the Hawks ranked 21st in points allowed and 26th in defensive efficiency.

Cash Game Considerations

Paul George (SF – LAC): $10,000 DraftKings, $10,200 FanDuel
The Clippers loss on Tuesday was disappointing, but it was certainly not this guy’s fault. PG13 finished that game with 34 points, seven rebounds, five assists, and three steals! That sort of performance is no surprise with his sky-high usage, dominating the touches without Kawhi Leonard. That’s led to PG scoring at least 32 DK points in every game this season, averaging nearly 50 fantasy points per game since his return from injury.

C.J. McCollum (SG – NOP): $8,900 DraftKings, $9,500 FanDuel
This guy put on a show in the Pelicans play-in game. He had 27 points in the first half, finishing with 32 points, six rebounds, and seven assists. That’s the guy we’ve seen since the trade from Portland, averaging nearly 45 DK points per game with his new team. The Clippers aren’t a bad matchup either, owning a 22nd OPRK against opposing shooting guards.

GPP Targets

Clint Capela (C – ATL): $7,200 DraftKings, $7,700 FanDuel
We love Capela right now. This dude has been playing 30-35 minutes a night ever since John Collins went down, and he’s been a stud in that role all season. In fact, Cap has at least 32 DraftKings points in nine of his last 10 games, flirting with a 40-point average in that span. Clint has crushed Cleveland all year, too, averaging over 40 fantasy points per game in their four matchups.

Marcus Morris (SF/PF – LAC): $5,000 DraftKings, $4,600 FanDuel
Morris had a stinker in LA’s first defeat, but the role is still there for him to be a $6K player. He played 30 minutes and took 11 shots, which alone makes him a good value. We’re talking about a guy who had at least 33 DK points in five of his final 12 regular-season games. If he reaches that, you’ve stumbled into the best value of the day! Facing the Pelicans is awesome, too, with New Orleans ranked 18th in total defense. That was on full display when Marcus dropped 37 DraftKings points on them just two weeks ago!

Value Plays

Herb Jones (SF/PF – NOP): $4,800 DraftKings, $5,500 FanDuel
This guy was incredible in the play-in game. His stats don’t necessarily jump off the page, but he was one of the most impactful players with his elite defense. He finished that gem with 12 points, five rebounds, three assists, two steals, and two blocks across 37 minutes. That equates to 34 fantasy points, but the 37 minutes are impossible to overlook from such a cheap player. They’ll need those big minutes to oppose PG13, with Herb dropping at least 29 DK points in his last three matchups with LAC this season.

Kevin Huerter (SG/SF – ATL): $4,900 DraftKings, $5,400 FanDuel
We had Red Velvet in this section on Wednesday, and it’s tough to fade him with how cheap he remains. The Atlanta winger has at least 26 DraftKings points in eight of his last 10 games, providing 34 or more fantasy points in half of those! That makes him a great pairing with some of the more expensive studs, especially since he had 35 DK points in this matchup just three weeks ago.

Advantageous Pricing

• Trae Young (PG – ATL): $9,700 DraftKings, $10,500 FanDuel
• Herb Jones (SF/PF – NOP): $4,800 DraftKings, $5,500 FanDuel
  
• Rajon Rondo (PG – CLE): $3,400 DraftKings, $4,500 FanDuel
• Isaiah Hartenstein (PF/C – LAC): $4,600 DraftKings, $5,600 FanDuel
• Evan Mobley (PF/C – CLE): $6,800 DraftKings, $8,100 FanDuel

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