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Welcome to our daily NBA DFS picks and recommendations for the playoffs! The intensity and stakes are high as we navigate through the postseason, and I'm here to provide the insights and recommendations you need to gain a competitive edge and maximize your winnings. Each day, I'll share my top picks and analyze critical factors impacting player performance and game outcomes, such as injuries, player matchups, and team strategies. It's important to note that value plays tend to shrink in the playoffs, so we'll focus on finding high-value, consistent players with solid matchups. Get ready for the excitement and intensity of NBA playoff DFS, grab your coffee, and let's dominate the competition together.
We have Game 4 of the Sixers-Nets and Suns-Clippers matchups to kick off the playoffs today, while Game 3 of the Bucks-Heat and Grizzlies-Lakers series will round out the night. There's plenty of injury news to consider and the result is a playoff slate with some real value, so that's a welcome change of pace. Embiid and Kawhi have already been ruled out, and while we have a group of stars with questionable tags, Ja Morant is the only one whose status is in question. Keep an eye on the news and be ready to make adjustments!
Here are my daily fantasy basketball lineup picks for FanDuel and DraftKings on 4/22/23. Keep an eye on RotoBaller’s NBA injury news and also our full NBA injury report today to stay up to date before lineups are locked.
NBA DFS Matchup Rankings
DraftKings and FanDuel Guards - NBA DFS Lineup Picks
Norman Powell, vs. PHX (FD: $7,000, DK: $6,500)
Powell went bonkers with 56.25 DK points in Game 3 with Kawhi Leonard sidelined, and he'll get another crack at temporary stardom with the All-NBA forward out again this afternoon. Powell sees the largest usage bump (32%, +5.5%) with both Leonard and Paul George off the floor, and only Russell Westbrook has a more significant increase in his DK points per game average. He's underpriced for the role he finds himself in, and he should be able to crush value as long as he receives at least 36 minutes of playing time.
James Harden, vs. BKN (FD: $8,700, DK: $8,600)
This isn't my favorite matchup to target, as it has the lowest implied total on the slate by a mile, a slow projected pace, and two teams who limit fantasy points defensively. That being said, we have to play the hand we're dealt in DFS, and the hand today is Joel Embiid being out of the lineup with a sprained right knee. That makes Harden underpriced, given his 32% usage rate (+5.7%) and 52 DK point average with the star big off the floor. He's due for one of his vintage performances tonight in Brooklyn.
Also consider (in order): Tyrese Maxey, Bones Hyland, Spencer Dinwiddie, Chris Paul, Austin Reaves, Mikal Bridges, Devin Booker
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DraftKings and FanDuel Forwards - NBA DFS Lineup Picks
LeBron James, vs. MEM (FD: $11,000, DK: $9,800) DraftKings Preferred
If you can get to an underpriced LeBron James, you take that opportunity and run with it. He's somehow sub-$10,000 on DraftKings, meaning he only needs 49 DK points to hit 5x value at his salary. He averages 52.7 DK points per game and hasn't finished below 52.75 DK points over his last four games. This is a great game environment to target, as it features a solid total, the fastest projected pace, and the highest combined fantasy points per game allowed. The Lakers are favored by four points at home, so the books are expecting Ja Morant to play and for the game to remain competitive throughout. There's also the ongoing drama between King James and Dillon Brooks, who said some things one probably shouldn't say to one of the best basketball players ever.
Cameron Johnson, vs. PHI (FD: $6,100, DK: $6,000)
Again, I don't love this game. However, Embiid's absence forces us to get to both Harden and Sixers' value, and there are a few Nets players that are priced comfortably enough to want to get to them as runback options in lineups today. Johnson is one of them, and he should find scoring an easier task without Embiid's defensive presence down low. Johnson has played great in his "third option" role in this offense, filling in behind Bridges and Dinwiddie by making shots efficiently and contributing in the rebounds, assists, and stocks department. He should receive all the minutes he can handle as long as this game stays competitive, which Vegas thinks it will, as it currently holds a two-point spread.
Also consider (in order): Dorian Finney-Smith, Tobias Harris, Jimmy Butler, Max Strus, Kevin Durant, Royce O'Neale
DraftKings and FanDuel Centers - NBA DFS Lineup Picks
Paul Reed, vs. BKN (FD: $3,700, DK: $3,300)
Reed will get his chance to shine at a near-minimum salary, with the likely MVP ruled out for today's game. While the regular season finale results should be taken with a grain of salt, Reed saw 28 minutes and put up a monster 46.5 DK point performance in Embiid's absence. He should see around those minutes with Embiid out tonight, and at a 40.2 DK point average with the big man off the floor, Reed is projecting out as the clear top value on the board today. The Nets allowed the ninth-most fantasy points per game to opposing centers in the regular season, so there's even some room for upside in this selection.
Also consider (in order): Ivica Zubac, Bam Adebayo, Nic Claxton, Anthony Davis, Deandre Ayton
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