NBA DraftKings & FanDuel DFS Primer: Monday (4/18)

The first few nights of the playoffs were terrific! We had some upsets and some low-scoring games to dissect. That tends to happen at this time of the year, and it’s really telling in some of these point totals. When’s the last time you’ve seen a total at 205? That shows you how hard these teams are playing right now, with every possession being a grind. We’re used to grinding DFS profits, so let’s keep that going here!

We’re finally getting into some Game 2s! That means we have a small sample size of what to expect, but we always anticipate the Game 1 loser to come out hard in these circumstances. That’s just normal human philosophy, and it should leave us with a fun slate!

Schedule and Odds

• TOR at PHI (PHI -6.5) O/U: 218.5
• UTA at DAL (UTA – 4.5) O/U: 205.5
• DEN at GSW (GSW -7.5) O/U: 224

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

Injury Report

• Scottie Barnes (ankle) Doubtful
• Luka Doncic (ankle) Doubtful
• Tim Hardaway (foot) OUT
• Jamal Murray (knee) OUT
• Michael Porter Jr.(back) OUT
• Gary Trent Jr.(sickness) Doubtful

Core Plays

Pascal Siakam (PF/C – TOR): $9,200 DraftKings, $9,600 FanDuel
Siakam has been one of the most reliable options in fantasy for months, scoring at least 44 DraftKings points in nine of his last 10 games. What makes him so remarkable here is the fact that he has to do more in the absence of Barnes and Trent. That means he should be looking at 40-45 minutes, 20-25 shots, and a 30 percent usage rate! If that’s the case, he will finish with at least 50 fantasy points, making him one of the best values out there.

Spencer Dinwiddie (PG/SG – DAL): $6,600 DraftKings, $7,000 FanDuel
With Doncic expected to miss this game, Dinwiddie should be running things for Dallas. He’s got at least 39 DraftKings points in all three games that Luka has missed, averaging 44 fantasy points per game. That’s absurd from a guy that’s hanging around $7,000, especially since he needs to do more in this must-win playoff game. He’s done well against Utah’s tough defense, averaging over 26 DK points per game in their six matchups.

Cash Game Considerations

Nikola Jokic (C – DEN): $11,000 DraftKings, $11,700 FanDuel
We’ve been saying this all year, but The Joker is the best option on every single slate. He’s leading the NBA with 61.6 DraftKings points per game, scoring at least 41 fantasy points in all but one game this season. That’s an unbelievable run of consistency, with Jokic running this offense in the absence of Murray and Porter. He’s walloped the Warriors all season, too, averaging 27.4 points, 14.6 rebounds, and 8.2 assists in their five matchups.

Rudy Gobert (C – UTA): $7,800 DraftKings, $7,700 FanDuel
Big Rudy has been one of the best cash game options all year. His league-leading rebounding is the primary reason why, scoring at least 32 fantasy points in 15 of his last 16 games. He’s been doing that damage all year, averaging over 41 DraftKings points per game. Facing Dallas is lovely, too, with Rudy averaging 36 DK points per game in their four matchups this year. That’s no surprise with how poor the Mavs frontcourt can be.

GPP Targets

Chris Boucher (C – TOR): $4,400 DraftKings, $4,500 FanDuel
This is risky, but someone needs to play in Toronto with Trent and Barnes both expected to miss this game. Boucher has been the best bench player all year, averaging 21 DK points per game across 21 minutes a night. If you look at the 18 games CB has played at least 28 minutes, he’s averaging 36 DK points per game! We believe 25-30 minutes should be guaranteed with so much production out of the lineup, making him an excellent GPP play well below $5K.

Dwight Powell (C – DAL): $4,700 DraftKings, $4,700 FanDuel
Powell has been sneaky in the second half of the season, stepping up since the Kristaps Porzingis trade. He’s scored at least 22 DraftKings points in nine of the last 11 games, averaging nearly 25 fantasy points per game. That’s all you can ask for from a sub-$5K player, and Dallas needs him to do more with KP and Doncic both out of the picture. He also needs to play more to oppose Gobert, playing 24 minutes a night in their four matchups this year.

Value Plays

Monte Morris (PG – DEN): $4,900 DraftKings, $5,100 FanDuel
Morris has remained in this price range all season, and it’s hard to understand why. He’s been starting at point guard in Denver all year, stepping up in the absence of Murray. Over the last two months, he’s averaging nearly 30 fantasy points per game. His numbers against Golden State are grand, too, averaging 31 DK points per game in their four meetings.

Precious Achiuwa (PF/C – TOR): $4,300 DraftKings, $4,300 FanDuel
We’ve talked about how Toronto is missing two of their key players, which means some of these guys need to step up. That’s about 80 minutes and 30 shots out of the lineup, and Achiuwa has traditionally been the next guy up in the rotation. If you look at the 33 games Precious has played at least 25 minutes, he’s averaging 26 fantasy points per game. Whoever you hear is starting out of these guys, go ahead and use them!

Advantageous Pricing

• Nikola Jokic (C – DEN): $11,000 DraftKings, $11,700 FanDuel
• Jordan Poole (PG/SG – GSW): $7,900 DraftKings, $6,300 FanDuel
• Klay Thompson (SG/SF – GSW): $7,400 DraftKings, $6,600 FanDuel

Get a $5 bonus when you make your first deposit at FanDuel

Subscribe: Apple Podcasts | Spotify | Google Podcasts | Stitcher | RadioPublic | Breaker | Castbox | Pocket Casts