NBA DFS Playbook April 22: Top DraftKings and FanDuel Plays
Published: Apr 22, 2023
Saturday's NBA DFS Main Slate is unfortunately overshadowed by the shocking number of injuries we have to major stars on these eight teams. We already know that Joel Embiid, Kawhi Leonard, Paul George, and Tyler Herro will not play. And we have significant question marks surrounding the injuries to Ja Morant, Giannis Antetokounmpo, and Kyle Lowry. But with so many guys out or questionable, it is going to open up the rare strong value plays we don't normally see in playoff DFS. Since the slate locks at 1:00 PM ET and the last game doesn't tip off until nine and a half hours later, how you choose to handle the injuries in the late window may be the deciding factor in the success of our lineups.
Be sure to check out our NBA DFS projections, powered by FanJections, NBA DFS Lineup Generator, and all of the rest of our NBA DFS content and tools! Let's break down Ryan's top plays of the day for DraftKings and FanDuel!
Notable NBA Injury Updates
- Joel Embiid - OUT
- Ben Simmons - OUT
- Paul George - OUT
- Kawhi Leonard - OUT
- Tyler Herro - OUT
- Steven Adams - OUT
- Brandon Clarke - OUT
- Cameron Payne - QUESTIONABLE
- Kyle Lowry - QUESTIONABLE
- Giannis Antetokounmpo - QUESTIONABLE
- Ja Morant - QUESTIONABLE
Highest NBA Game Totals
- Phoenix Suns @ Los Angeles Clippers - 226.5
- Memphis Grizzlies @ Los Angeles Lakers - 221.5
Best Pace Matchups
- Memphis Grizzlies (8th) @ Los Angeles Lakers (4th)
- Milwaukee Bucks (10th) @ Miami Heat (29th)
Best DRtg Matchups
- Phoenix Suns @ Los Angeles Clippers (17th)
- Philadelphia 76ers @ Brooklyn Nets (16th)
Favorite Players to Use for DFS Lineups
James Harden, Philadelphia 76ers
With Joel Embiid out for this game, James Harden is going to take an oversized role and will be the key factor if Philadelphia hopes to sweep the Nets today. When Embiid is not on the court, Harden's usage rate jumps over five points to almost 32% and his fantasy points go up by about five points per game. Harden has been mildly disappointing these last two games since erupting for 52 fantasy points in Game 1, but this is not a game where the 76ers can afford for Harden to take a backseat to anyone.
Russell Westbrook, Los Angeles Clippers
Russell Westbrook will also be without his superstar counterparts as the shocking news came down yesterday that Kawhi Leonard will miss his second straight game with an injury. As you might imagine, when Westbrook gets time on the court without George or Leonard, his stats explode along with his usage. Westbrook tops 30% usage when those two do not play, his fantasy points are up 4.5 points per game, and he sees large spikes in rebound and assist rate. Westbrook went absolutely ballistic for 66 fantasy points in Game 3 under these same circumstances, so the Clippers will need that same kind of performance if they hope to stay competitive in this series.
Anthony Davis, Los Angeles Lakers
The gameplan for the Grizzlies in Game 3 of this series was clearly to try and take Davis out of his comfort zone and not let his interior presence dominate them all game long. After scoring 57 and 61 fantasy points in the first two games of the series, Davis was held to just 38 in Game 3. I expect the Lakers to counter-attack with high pick-and-rolls and opportunities to get Davis the ball in isolation. We have seen games this season where teams neutralized Davis on offense, and he would just put up 18 rebounds, four blocks, and five assists. He can always fall back on that if the baskets aren't there today.
Kevin Durant, Phoenix Suns
My only concern right now with Durant and Devin Booker right now is that they are being forced to play huge minutes and does that catch up to them when they have an afternoon game less than 48 hours since their last slugfest with the Clippers. Durant has killed them three straight games, and without George and Leonard I am sure the Suns are hoping for a game where they can play Durant just 36 minutes or so. Durant is shooting over 50% for the series and is piling up the boards, assists, and steals every game.
Devin Booker, Phoenix Suns
Devin Booker has gotten better each game of this series, culminating in a 68-fantasy-point explosion on Thursday including 45 points, six board, three assists, and three steals. With no Paul George or Kawhi Leonard, the Clippers just have no wing defender who can stop Booker or Durant at this point, and the Suns' guards are just able to run circles around Russell Westbrook. But no matter who is guarding him, if Booker keeps putting up between 22-29 shots per game like the last two games, he will be a lock for 45+ fantasy points.
Mikal Bridges, Brooklyn Nets
If the Nets want to have any hope of extending this series beyond four games with Joel Embiid out, it is going to be on the back of Mikal Bridges. Bridges has been amazingly consistent in this series, scoring 39, 39, and 46 fantasy points despite shooting well under 50% the past two games. He is piling up the boards and assists, so if he can put together a decent shooting game in this one, we could be looking at a 50+ fantasy point game. He took 26 shots attempts last game which tied his season-high for 2022-2023, and that's exactly what the Nets are going to need again.
Jimmy Butler, Miami Heat
Even in a massive blowout in Game 2, Butler still shot 75% from the floor and put up 38 fantasy points in just 28 minutes. I am going to assume the Heat are not trailing by 30 points at halftime again today, especially if Giannis is ruled out, so Butler should be much more like the Games 1 version (63 fantasy points) and much closer to the 43 minutes he spent on the floor in the opener. If Giannis does indeed sit again in this game, it's going to be a clear path on the perimeter and in the lane for Butler to take over this game. With Tyler Herro also out, Butler took his most three-point attempts in over a month in Game 2.
Favorite Value Players for DFS Lineups
- Paul Reed, Philadelphia 76ers
- Tobias Harris, Philadelphia 76ers
- Tyrese Maxey, Philadelphia 76ers
- Ivica Zubac, Los Angeles Clippers
- Bones Hyland, Los Angeles Clippers
- Max Strus, Miami Heat
Player Pool
| $ Tier | PG | SG | SF | PF | C |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| High |  Russell Westbrook  $9,900 |  Devin Booker $10,300 | Kevin Durant $10,000 |  Jimmy Butler $9,700 |  Anthony Davis $11,800 |
 James Harden $8,700 |  LeBron James $11,000 | ||||
| Medium | Spencer Dinwiddie $7,100 |  Mikal Bridges $8,200 | Norman Powell $7,000 |  Bobby Portis $7,400 |  Bam Adebayo $8,000 |
 Tyrese Maxey $7,000 |  Khris Middleton $8,000 |  Tobias Harris $6,600 | |||
| Low |  De'Anthony Melton $4,600 | Austin Reaves $5,700 |  Max Strus $4,600 | Rui Hachimura $5,500 | Paul Reed $3,700 |
 Bones Hyland $4,300 |
Player News
Buddy Hield had 15 points (5-of-14 FGs), three rebounds, one assist, one steal and four three-pointers against the Timberwolves in Game 2 on Thursday.
Hield moved into the Warriors’ starting lineup in the first round and the team became somewhat reliant on his scoring. With Stephen Curry (hamstring) out in Game 2, Hield started and played 29 minutes. The 32-year-old shooting guard led the Warriors in field goal attempts, though no one in a Golden State uniform was able to reach 20 points. The Warriors weren’t able to overcome a double-digit first half deficit. Despite the four made three-pointers, they’re going to need more from Hield as the series shifts to Golden State, especially if Curry remains out.
Jimmy Butler had 17 points (6-of-13 FGs), seven rebounds, four assists, one steal and two three-pointers against the Timberwolves in Game 2 on Thursday.
Butler couldn’t get it done without Stephen Curry (hamstring) on the road in Game 2. The Warriors fell behind by double-digits early and never recovered. Butler had 17 points on 13 shots, which wasn’t far off from the 20 points he had in Game 1. Still, the Warriors have to regroup as they head home for Games 3 and 4 as they try to figure out a way to keep this series close until Curry can return to the court.
Nickeil Alexander-Walker had 20 points (7-of-13 FGs), two rebounds, three assists, one block and four three-pointers in Game 2 against the Warriors on Thursday.
Alexander-Walker was a key scorer off the bench in Game 2. He, Naz Reid and Donte DiVencenzo combined for 10 made three-pointers off the bench. In a game where the Warriors were desperate for scoring without Stephen Curry (hamstring), those bench points were too much to overcome as the Timberwolves won by 24 points.
Julius Randle had 24 points (10-of-17 FGs), seven rebounds, 11 assists and one three-pointer in Game 2 against the Warriors on Thursday.
Randle led the Timberwolves in scoring in the Game 2 victory. The 30-year-old power forward was just three rebounds away from a triple-double. He was a steadying presence in his 33 minutes as Anthony Edwards dealt with an ankle injury towards the end of the first half. Edwards recovered from his injury to play 34 minutes, but Randle is still the next most important player in this series for the Timberwolves.
Anthony Edwards had 20 points (6-of-13 FGs), nine rebounds, five assists, three steals, one block and two three-pointers in the Timberwolves’ 117-93 victory over the Warriors in Game 2 on Thursday.
Edwards appeared to suffer a sprained left ankle towards the end of the second quarter as the Warriors’ Trayce Jackson-Davis landed on his foot. Edwards turned the same ankle in the first round against the Lakers and appeared to re-aggravate the injury. The 23-year-old shooting guard would go on to start the second half and play a team-high 34 minutes in the Game 2 victory. Edwards will only have one full day off before the series resumes in Golden State for Game 3 on Saturday.
Warriors will start Brandin Podziemski, Buddy Hield, Jimmy Butler, Draymond Green and Quinten Post in Game 2 against the Timberwolves on Thursday.
No surprise here as Curry was always a long shot to make it back for Game 2 after leaving Game 1 with hamstring injury. While there has been a report that the 37-year-old point guard is expected to miss a week, there is no firm timetable for his return. The Warriors will go big with their starting lineup for Game 2 with center Quinten Post entering the lineup in Curry’s absence.