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Welcome back, RotoBallers! We're set for a two-game Wednesday night playoff slate that should result in a pair of hard-fought clashes, if the tenor of each Game 1 is any indication. The noteworthy absences of Jimmy Butler (knee) and Zion Williamson (hamstring) are certainly looming large, but both of their teams certainly have the ability to remain competitive without them.
The key to being successful in NBA DFS comes down to making adjustments during the day as injury information becomes available. But it's always really important to have a game plan and the best players and spots circled first before making those adjustments. To keep up with all the latest developments and get access to updated projections, grab an NBA season pass and also gain access to our RotoBaller Premium Discord where @chiefjustice6 is talking about the slate up until lineups lock!
This article will provide you with my daily fantasy basketball lineup picks for DraftKings and FanDuel on 4/24/24. Remember to monitor NBA injury news and our awesome NBA injuries report tool, as the slate can completely change before lineups lock at 7:00 p.m. EDT on FanDuel and DraftKings.
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Today's NBA DFS Core Picks
Jayson Tatum wasted no time setting the postseason tone for a Celtics team with its sights set on a Larry O'Brien Trophy, producing 58 DK/53 FD points across 41 minutes in the Game 1 win. Tatum seems to be fine following his scary fall in the closing minutes of the contest as well, and he's now averaging over 50 fantasy points against the Heat in four games since the start of the regular season.
Shai Gilgeous-Alexander unsurprisingly spearheaded OKC's narrow Game 1 victory, taking 24 shots and scoring 40 DK/38.2 FD points, including the game-winner. There's no doubt he'll enjoy massive usage once again as the Thunder aim to take a 2-0 lead against New Orleans.
CJ McCollum took 22 shots in Game 1, and although he drained only 40.9 percent of them, he helped himself with a pair of steals and one block. He now has a 28.3 percent usage rate and has averaged over 40 fantasy points per 36 minutes on both sites with Zion off the floor.
- Jayson Tatum, BOS vs. MIA – SF/PF ($9.5K DK; $9.8K FD)
- Shai Gilgeous-Alexander, OKC vs. NOP – PG ($9.4K DK; $10.6K FD)
- CJ McCollum, NOP at OKC – PG/SG ($7.5K DK; $7.7K FD)
Jayson Tatum = CLASSE ✨
😮💨🤌🏼 pic.twitter.com/BIZRQ42JyD
— Celtics Pride (@CelticssPride) April 23, 2024
Today's NBA DFS Value Picks
Jrue Holiday shot only 25.0 percent in Game 1 against the Heat, but he's still shooting 56.8 percent, including 61.1 percent from behind the arc, in four games versus Miami since the start of the regular season. Holiday was also a much better shooter at home during the regular season, and even with his atypical struggles Sunday, he still recorded 27.8 DK/29.9 FD points.
Jaime Jaquez Jr. was particularly effective in helping fill in for Butler in Game 1, draining 50.0 percent of his shots on his way to 28 DK/27.8 FD points across 36 minutes. The rookie didn't play like the postseason environment was too big for him, and he should be busy once again in Game 2 as Miami looks to avoid a daunting 0-2 series deficit.
Jonas Valanciunas has been magnificent in both of his postseason games thus far, averaging 16.0 points, 16.0 rebounds, 2.5 assists, and 1.0 blocks across 28 minutes per contest. That includes tallies of 43 DK/40 FD points against the Thunder in Game 1, pushing Valanciunas's usage rate without Zion on the floor since the start of the season to 24.1 percent. Valanciunas is also averaging 45.5 DK/44.5 FD points per 36 minutes in that scenario, strengthening his case further.
Top Value Plays:
- Jrue Holiday, BOS vs. MIA - PG ($6K DK; $6.7K FD)
- Jaime Jaquez Jr., MIA at BOS - SG/SF/PF ($5.8K DK; $6.1K FD)
- Jonas Valanciunas, NOP at OKC - C ($5.7K DK; $6.9K FD)
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Today's NBA DFS Picks: Point Guard
Point guard is very straightforward on the small slate, and the case for all three players listed below was already made in the Core (SGA, McCollum) and Value (Holiday) sections.
Top PG Options:
- Shai Gilgeous-Alexander, OKC vs. NOP – PG ($9.4K DK; $10.6K FD)
- CJ McCollum, NOP at OKC – PG/SG ($7.5K DK; $7.7K FD)
- Jrue Holiday, BOS vs. MIA - PG ($6K DK; $6.7K FD)
Shai Gilgeous-Alexander is taking over this game.
MVP⚡️ pic.twitter.com/9cXnZ48bBq
— Grace (@gracesporttakes) April 22, 2024
Today's NBA DFS Picks: Shooting Guard
Tyler Herro struggled with his shot in Game 1, going just 4-of-13 from the field. Nevertheless, he's averaged over 35 fantasy points per contest in four games against the Celtics since the start of the season, shooting 39.5 percent from three-point range along the way. Herro is also still carrying a 29.2 percent usage rate without Butler and Terry Rozier (neck) on the floor, averaging 40.8 DK/ 38.4 FD points per 36 minutes in that scenario as well.
Brandon Ingram carries a 31.7 percent usage rate and averages 46.9 DK/45.8 FD points per 36 minutes with Zion off the floor, despite the fact he shot under 30.0 percent versus OKC in Game 1. Ingram still took 17 shot attempts and logged 37 minutes, and like McCollum, he should once again play a major role in a key game for New Orleans.
Derrick White was overshadowed by some of his teammates in Game 1, but the ever-reliable veteran still produced 32.3 DK/29.6 FD points while shooting a blistering 60.0 percent, and he's now shooting 52.2 percent (41.4 percent from behind the arc) in four games versus Miami since the start of the season.
Top SG Options:
- Tyler Herro, MIA at BOS - SG/PG ($8K DK; $7.9K FD)
- Brandon Ingram, NOP at OKC - SG/PG/SF/PF ($7.4K DK; $7.8K FD)
- Derrick White, BOS vs. MIA - SG/PG ($6.5K DK; $7.1K FD)
Today's NBA DFS Picks: Small Forward
The cases for both Tatum and Jaquez were already outlined in the Core and Value sections, respectively.
Jaylen Brown naturally should play a key role once again in Game 2 and carries very reasonable salaries for his upside. He posted a solid 34.5 DK/33.1 FD points against Miami in Game 1 and is shooting 52.5 percent, including 46.4 percent from three-point range, in four games against the Heat since the beginning of the season.
Top SF Options:
- Jayson Tatum, BOS vs. MIA – SF/PF ($9.5K DK; $9.8K FD)
- Jaylen Brown, BOS vs. MIA - SF/SG ($7.6K DK; $8K FD)
- Jaime Jaquez Jr., MIA at BOS - SF/PF/SG ($5.8K DK; $6.1K FD)
Today's NBA DFS Picks: Power Forward
Kristaps Porzingis is one of only two power forwards I see as worth rostering Wednesday. The big man had his share of battles with Bam Adebayo down low in Game 1, and he came out ahead in enough of them to post 31.5 DK/31.3 FD points on 53.8 percent shooting.
Herbert Jones managed to get himself to 24.3 DK/22.4 FD points in Game 1 despite shooting 20.0 percent on his eight shot attempts. He's consistently had trouble with efficiency against the Thunder since the start of the regular season (32.6 percent shooting in four total games), preventing him from being recommended as a top-three value play; however, his salaries are still low enough to warrant consideration.
Top PF Options:
- Kristaps Porzingis, BOS vs. MIA - PF/C ($7.3K DK; $8.4K FD)
- Herbert Jones, NOP at OKC - PF/SF ($5.1K DK; $5.5K FD)
Today's NBA DFS Picks: Center
As already alluded to in Porzingis's entry, Bam Adebayo and the seven-footer clashed frequently in Game 1, but the former held his own despite the height disadvantage. Adebayo showed some impressive contested shot-making prowess while draining 10-of-18 attempts and recording 35 DK/33.7 FD points. The big man now sports a 27.5 percent usage rate and is averaging 46.9 DK/45.9 FD points per 36 minutes without Butler and Rozier off the floor.
Chet Holmgren exploded for 44.8 DK/46.2 FD points in Game 1 on the strength of a double-double and five blocks. That's an extension of his success since the start of the season versus New Orleans, one that is memorialized by averages of 42.4 DK/42.3 FD points over four games. New Orleans has also allowed the eighth-highest offensive efficiency rating to centers (33.8), furthering Holmgren's case.
Valanciunas's case was already laid out earlier in the Value section.
Top C Options:
- Bam Adebayo, MIA at BOS - C ($8.2K DK; $8.1K FD)
- Chet Holmgren, OKC vs. NOP - C ($6.9K DK; $8.2K FD)
- Jonas Valanciunas, NOP at OKC - C ($5.7K DK; $6.9K FD)
Today's Top NBA DFS Game Stacks
- Pelicans at Thunder (210.5 total)
- Heat at Celtics (210.5 total)
Today's Top NBA DFS Avoids
- Some of the Heat's secondary players such as Nikola Jovic, Haywood Highsmith, and even Duncan Robinson presently carry too much uncertainty in their game-to-game production to roster on such a small slate, unless you absolutely have to in order to fit in multiple high-end options.
My Favorite NBA DFS Picks for Today
Here is where I leave you with some of my favorites.
- My favorite overall play on the slate: Shai Gilgeous-Alexander
- My favorite CASH play on the slate: Jayson Tatum
- My favorite GPP play on the slate: CJ McCollum
- My favorite value play: Jaime Jaquez Jr.
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