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    Joel Bartilotta | Fri, Apr 8th 2022, 6:41am EDT

NBA DraftKings & FanDuel DFS Primer: Friday (4/8)

This is my final article of the regular season! I want to thank all of you for reading throughout the year, and I hope that I made you guys some dough. This has been one of the craziest seasons I’ve ever witnessed, and it’ll be exciting to see how the playoffs play out over the next two months!

After a couple of small slates on Wednesday and Thursday, we’re looking at nine games for this Friday card. It also marks the final weekend of the regular season, which will cause chaos from a personnel perspective. That has the injury report looking like a graduating class, but we have a good read on what these rotations are doing!

Schedule and Odds

  • MIL at DET (MIL -7) O/U: 228
  • NYK at WAS (WAS -1) O/U: 220
  • CLE at BKN (BKN -6.5) O/U: 228
  • HOU at TOR (TOR -14) O/U: 228.5
  • CHA at CHI (CHI -2.5) O/U: 227.5
  • ATL at MIA (MIA -4) O/U: 229
  • POR at DAL (DAL -18) O/U: 221
  • PHX at UTA (UTA -2) O/U: 226
  • OKC at LAL (LAL -8) O/U: 227.5

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

Injury Report

Core Plays

Darius Garland (PG – CLE): $9,400 DraftKings, $9,000 FanDuel
Garland has been in takeover mode for most of the season, and it’s easy to understand why. It started when Collin Sexton got injured, but it’s expanded even more with Mobley and Allen both out of the lineup. That has led to Garland averaging 42 DraftKings points per game, establishing a 30-point floor. He’s crushed this bad Brooklyn defense all season, averaging 48 DK points per game in their three matchups.

Jaylen Hoard (PF – OKC): $5,600 DraftKings, $6,000 FanDuel
No one really knows what OKC will do, but we have to ride the production. Hoard has been the Thunder’s best player recently, scoring at least 40 fantasy points in three of his last four games. He has two 20-20 games in that absurd span, playing a ton with so many players out of the lineup. Facing Los Angeles isn’t too bad either, sitting seventh in pace and 26th in total defense.

Brook Lopez (C – MIL): $4,600 DraftKings, $5,100 FanDuel
This pricing is stupid. Lopez is well above $6K when he’s right, and we have every indication that he’s back to normal. The big man has been creeping between 25-30 minutes a night recently, scoring a season-high 47 DK points in his most recent outing. Even half of that would make him a good value at this price, and that should be guaranteed against a 21st-ranked Detroit defense.

Cash Game Considerations

Luka Doncic (PG – DAL): $12,200 DraftKings, $11,400 FanDuel
This play doesn’t need a whole lot of explanation. Doncic leads the NBA in usage rate and is averaging 62 DK points per game since they traded Porzingis. That’s the second-highest total in the NBA, and this happens to be one of the best matchups possible. Not only does Portland own the worst defensive rating in the NBA, but they also surrender the third-most fantasy points to opposing point guards.

Pascal Siakam (PF – TOR): $9,600 DraftKings, $10,000 FanDuel
Siakam just had a 37-point triple-double on Thursday night! That shows just how much this guy has grown, and he’s essentially the point guard right now with VanVleet out of the lineup. That alone makes him tough to fade, but he has the best possible matchup. Houston ranks second in pace and 29th in total defense.

DeMar DeRozan (SF/PF – CHI): $8,700 DraftKings, $9,200 FanDuel
The Bulls have been limping to the finish line, but it’s certainly no fault of DeRozan. This guy has been spectacular for the whole year, leading the team with 44 DK points per game. That looks even better with Ball and LaVine both nicked up, putting the offense in DeMar’s hands. The matchup with Charlotte is sensational, too, with the Hornets ranked third in pace and 28th in points allowed. In their two matchups this season, DD is averaging over 46 fantasy points per game!

GPP Targets

Malik Monk (SG/SF – LAL): $5,600 DraftKings, $5,400 FanDuel
Monk is currently going off on TNT right now, and it looks like he’s the offense with so many Lakers out of the lineup. LeBron, AD, and Westbrook all look like they’ll sit the final two games, and that should put Monk in line for 35 minutes, 20 shots, and a 30 percent usage rate. He should be a $7,000 player in this sort of role because he’s shown us that ability with two of those guys in the lineup. Not to mention, OKC is sending out a G-League roster right now to play games. He finished that Thursday game with 24 points, seven rebounds, four assists, and two blocks.

Zavier Simpson (PG – OKC): $3,900 DraftKings, $4,700 FanDuel
Speaking of the G-League Thunder! Simpson has been handed their starting point guard role, playing without SGA, Giddey, Dort, Mann, and Maledon. That leaves Zavier as one of the only guards left, scoring at least 26 DK points in his first two starts. That alone makes him tough to fade in this price range, and we love that LA is surrendering the most fantasy points to opposing ball-handlers as well.

Talen Horton-Tucker (SG/SF – LAL): $3,800 DraftKings, $4,000 FanDuel
It’s the Monk and THT show on TNT on Thursday night. That will be the case from here on out, with Horton-Tucker being the primary ball-handler in LA with those three superstars out. He’s flirting with a 30 percent usage rate with those three off the floor and should be a $8K player when given this sort of opportunity. He finished that masterpiece with a career-best 40 points, three rebounds, three assists, and four steals.

Value Plays

Moses Brown (C – CLE): $5,200 DraftKings, $4,900 FanDuel
Brown has benefited from all of the injuries in Cleveland. He’s been starting at center with Allen and Mobley both out, playing at least 20 minutes in five straight fixtures. He’s averaging 30 DK points per game in that span, and you really can’t ask for any more from a $5K player. We certainly don’t mind the matchup with Brooklyn, with the Nets ranked 26th in defensive efficiency with Irving in the lineup.

Malachi Flynn (PG – TOR): $4,700 DraftKings, $4,900 FanDuel
This feels like a good spot for Flynn. VanVleet being nicked up puts him in play but this being a B2B means that even more Toronto players could rest. If that’s the case, Malachi might not even come off the floor. In his five starts this season, Flynn is averaging 29 DK points across 35 minutes a night. That looks even better in the most fantasy-friendly matchup out there, making Malachi a magnificent pick if he’s in the starting lineup.

Ayo Dosunmu (PG/SG – CHI): $3,800 DraftKings, $3,900 FanDuel
Ayo has struggled for the last month, but this price is too cheap. LaVine, Ball, and Caruso are all beat up right now, and they need Dosumnu to play 30-40 minutes. That makes him a great option at this sub-$4K price tag, especially since he’s averaging 25 DK points per game since acquiring this expanded role. We already discussed how tasty a matchup the Hornets are, which only adds to Ayo’s intrigue.

Advantageous Pricing

  • Caris LeVert (SG/SF – CLE): $7,200 DraftKings, $5,600 FanDuel
  • Killian Hayes (PG/SG – DET): $5,400 DraftKings, $6,600 FanDuel
  • Jared Butler (SG – UTA): $3,400 DraftKings, $4,700 FanDuel
  • Khris Middleton (SF – MIL): $8,200 DraftKings, $7,200 FanDuel
  • Saddiq Bey (SG/SF – DET): $7,000 DraftKings, $5,200 FanDuel
  • Drew Eubanks (C – POR): $7,200 DraftKings, $6,000 FanDuel

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Joel Bartilotta is a featured writer at FantasyPros. For more from Joel, check out his archive and follow him @Bartilottajoel.

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