NBA DFS Picks: DraftKings & FanDuel Finals Game 4 Primer (Friday)

It was hard to believe that Dallas was favored in Game 3, but people overrated this team before the Finals even started. Many people stated that the Mavs have the two best players in this series, but that hasn’t mattered so far. What people didn’t say is that the Celtics have the next five best players, and it feels like many people forget that basketball is a team sport with five players on the floor for each team. That’s why Boston will win the championship, but it remains to be seen if that will be tonight or Monday.

With that said, let’s dive into this Game 4 slate! Here are our NBA DFS picks for Game 4 between the Mavericks and Celtics.

If this is my last article of the season, I want to thank all of you for reading throughout the year!

View tonight’s best player prop bets with our NBA Prop Bet Cheat Sheet for tonight’s slate.

NBA DFS Picks: DraftKings & FanDuel Primer

Schedule and Odds

• BOS at DAL (DAL -1) O/U: 211

Check out our consensus game odds and the odds from each sportsbook at BettingPros.

Injury Report

• Kristaps Porzingis (leg) Questionable

NBA DFS Picks: Core Plays

Jaylen Brown (SG/SF – DAL): $10,000 DraftKings, $15,000 FanDuel
Brown is the favorite for Finals MVP, but he’s been Boston’s best player throughout the postseason. The All-Star has scored at least 35 DraftKings points in eight of his last 10 games, dropping 54 DK points in his most recent outing. He’s also scored over 40 fantasy points in all four matchups with Dallas and is benefiting from all of the attention that Jayson Tatum is drawing.

Jrue Holiday (PG/SG – BOS): $6,800 DraftKings, $11,000 FanDuel
Holiday isn’t the best player statistically, but this veteran is one of the most valuable players in this series. The former champ has scored at least 32 DraftKings points in eight of his last 10 outings, generating a 36-point average across 40 minutes a night. That 40-minute role gives him an extremely high floor for a player in this price range, and he’s had some of his best games of the season when Porzingis has been sidelined.

NBA DFS Picks: Cash Game Considerations

Luka Doncic (PG – DAL): $13,600 DraftKings, $17,500 FanDuel
I have to make a minor complaint here. While Doncic is undoubtedly one of the best basketball players on the planet, his complaining is insufferable. That doesn’t matter for fantasy, though, because Luka led the league with 66 DraftKings points per game. He’s also established a 52-point floor, scoring at least 60 fantasy points in eight of his last 10 outings. With the Mavs staring down elimination, Doncic could play 45 minutes and take 30 shots!

Jayson Tatum (SF/PF – BOS): $11,600 DraftKings, $16,000 FanDuel
JT will have to have a fantastic game to snatch Finals MVP from Brown, but you better believe he will go for it after being sniped in the Eastern Conference Finals. Despite struggling with his shot, JT has at least 37 DraftKings points in all 17 playoff games. He’s also averaging 51 DK points per game across 41 minutes a night and could post a sensational line if he inevitably improves on the 38 percent shooting we’ve seen across his last five fixtures. He’s also had his way with this subpar Dallas defense, scoring at least 47 fantasy points in four of their five meetings.

NBA DFS Picks: GPP Targets

Al Horford (PF/C – BOS): $5,800 DraftKings, $9,500 FanDuel
With KP looking unlikely to play here, Big Al should get another start at center. We saw the veteran play 37 minutes in that circumstance on Wednesday and should be locked into 35-40 minutes with the lack of depth on the bench. If you look at the 32 games Horford has played at least 30 minutes, he’s averaging 31 DK points per game. Only a handful of those were reserve games, with Horford averaging over 30 fantasy points per game as a starter during the regular season.

Dereck Lively (C – DAL): $5,400 DraftKings, $9,000 FanDuel
There is not much help on this team outside of Kyrie Irving, but Lively has been a spark off the bench. The big man had 11 points and 13 rebounds en route to 34 DraftKings points in Game 3. More importantly, he played 30 minutes, usurping Daniel Gafford in the center hierarchy. That’s been a trend at times this season, with Lively scoring at least 26 DK points in six of seven games coming into this series. Don’t be surprised to see Lively start in this do-or-die game.

Value Plays

Derrick White (PG/SG – BOS): $7,400 DraftKings, $11,500 FanDuel
San Antonio getting rid of White was one of the worst decisions that the organization has made because this guy looks like a stud guard for years to come. He’s scored at least 34 DraftKings points in seven of his last eight outings, posting a 40-point average in that span. He’s also been better without Porzingis, averaging over 40 DK points per game in those outings.

PJ Washington (PF/C – DAL): $6,200 DraftKings, $10,000 FanDuel
We just discussed how Dallas hasn’t had much help, but PJ has been their third-best player. The big man has scored at least 26 DK points in 10 of his last 13 outings, totaling a 31-point average in that span. Most importantly, he’s playing nearly 40 minutes a night while taking double-digit shots in every game. He could get bumped to 45 minutes in this elimination game, which is hard to find from such a talented player in this price range.

Advantageous Pricing

• Jaylen Brown (SG/SF – DAL): $10,000 DraftKings, $15,000 FanDuel
• Al Horford (PF/C – BOS): $5,800 DraftKings, $9,500 FanDuel
  

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