NBA DraftKings & FanDuel DFS Primer: Monday (4/25)

These NBA Playoffs have been brilliant. We’ve had drama for days now, and we’re finally getting into the elimination games! The great teams have shown out so far, and some other teams are showing their true colors!

We have two elimination games and one Game 5 matchup in a 2-2 series. That means this is one of the most important slates we’ve seen thus far, and it’s going to keep these rotations extremely thin. Don’t look for any team to go past eight players, with a few of them likely playing their starters 45 minutes.

Schedule and Odds

BOS at BKN (BKN -1.5) O/U: 220.5
This has been the most surprising series of the opening round. Boston is up 3-0 and is one win away from knocking out the team that was title favorites just a few weeks ago.

TOR at PHI (PHI -7.5) O/U: 209.5
Toronto pulled out a win in Game 4 but still trails this series, 3-1. This looks like a closeout game for the Sixers.

UTA at DAL (DAL -3.5) O/U: 211.5
This is the most fascinating game on this slate. We have these teams tied at 2-2, and it’s hard to know what to expect.

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

Injury Report

• Ben Simmons (Personal) Questionable
• Joe Harris (ankle) OUT
• Scottie Barnes (ankle) Questionable
• Fred VanVleet (hip) Questionable
• Joel Embiid (thumb) Questionable
• Tim Hardaway Jr.(foot) OUT

Core Plays

Jayson Tatum (SF/PF – BOS): $9,500 DraftKings, $10,300 FanDuel
Boston is well on its way to advancing to the Eastern Conference Semis, and Tatum is a significant reason why. The All-Star has been one of the most consistent players in the NBA, scoring at least 35 DraftKings points in 25 straight games. He’s also averaging over 50 fantasy points per game in that span, killing the Nets at times this year. In their seven matchups, JT is averaging 49 DK points per game.

Marcus Smart (PG/SG – BOS): $6,300 DraftKings, $6,000 FanDuel
It’s hard to understand why Smart has remained so affordable throughout this series. He’s been playing at a $7K level for weeks, averaging 33 DK points per game across his last 10 outings. That’s amazing from a $6K player, and he always plays better when facing Brooklyn. In their seven meetings this season, Smart is averaging 34 DK points per game across 34 minutes a night.

Cash Game Considerations

Luka Doncic (PG – DAL): $10,600 DraftKings, $10,400 FanDuel
Luka is always one of the safest options on every slate. The stud point guard has at least 53 DraftKings points in nine straight games, averaging nearly 60 fantasy points per game in that span. That 53-point floor is impossible to avoid on such a short slate, and you know he’s going to keep doing that with this Game 5 determining a 3-2 series leader. Look for Luka to carry this team to that lead.

Rudy Gobert (C – UTA): $7,100 DraftKings, $7,200 FanDuel
Gobert has been in this section all season, and he’s going to remain it as long as he’s this cheap. The big man has played at an $8K level, averaging nearly 41 fantasy points per game. That alone makes him a good value, especially since Rudy registered at least 27 DK points in 60 of 66 games this year. Facing this weak Dallas frontcourt makes Gobert even more intriguing, with Rudy averaging 35 fantasy points per game in their seven matchups.

GPP Targets

Bojan Bogdanovic (SF – UTA): $5,800 DraftKings, $5.700 FanDuel
Bojan has been stellar for a month now, and there’s no reason why he should be below $6,000 on each site. The sharpshooter has scored at least 20 DK points in 13 straight outings, dropping 27 or more in 11 of those. He’s also averaging 32 DK points per game in that span, taking on more usage in this lackluster offense. Bogey has destroyed Dallas all year, too, averaging 31 fantasy points per game in their seven encounters.

Gary Trent (SG/SF- TOR): $5,700 DraftKings, $6,200 FanDuel
Trent and Bogdanovic are very similar players. These are three-and-D guys who can go off on any given night. Trent has at least 36 fantasy points in back-to-back games and provided a 30-point average over the final 19 games of the regular season. As long as he gets the 15-20 shots and 35-40 minutes we anticipate, GT should be a good value around $6,000.

Value Plays

Nic Claxton (C – BKN): $4,800 DraftKings, $5,300 FanDuel
Andre Drummond is steadily falling out of this rotation, and Claxton is the reason why. The big man has played at least 23 minutes in eight of the last 10 games, posting a 25-point average in that span. That’s incredible from a $5K player, and we certainly don’t mind that his minutes are on the uptick while Drummond’s are on the decline.

Royce O’Neale (SF/PF – UTA): $4,000 DraftKings, $3,800 FanDuel
O’Neale has been lacking in his stat-stuffing, but this guy plays too much to remain this cheap. The gritty forward has been playing 32 minutes a night since the beginning of last season, averaging 33.3 minutes a night in this series. We’re talking about a guy who averaged over 20 DK points per game in the regular season, and even if he does that, O’Neale is one of the best values out there.

Advantageous Pricing

• Jayson Tatum (SF/PF – BOS): $9,500 DraftKings, $10,300 FanDuel
• Goran Dragic (PG/SG – BKN): $3,600 DraftKings, $4,300 FanDuel
• OG Anunoby (SG/SF – TOR): $6,700 DraftKings: $5,900 FanDuel
• Al Horford (PF/C – BOS): $6,200 DraftKings, $5,500 FanDuel
• Thaddeus Young (PF – TOR): $3,700 DraftKings, $4,700 FanDuel

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