NBA DFS Picks & Playbook for Today’s Games: April 7th
Published: Apr 07, 2024
With the NBA regular season winding down, tonight's nine-game main slate offers a plethora of opportunities for basketball enthusiasts to construct winning DFS lineups. As teams jockey for playoff positions and individual players aim to make their mark, the stakes are high, and the action promises to be electric.
From star-studded matchups to potential sleeper picks, every roster spot holds the potential for fantasy glory. Let's dive into the slate, analyze the key matchups, injuries, and player form to uncover the hidden gems and lineup essentials for our NBA DFS picks for tonight's extravaganza!
NBA DFS Tools To Dominate Tonight's NBA DFS Slate!
Make sure to check out today's NBA DFS projections and NBA DFS ownership projections before finalizing your lineups today. We also have the NBA Consistency Report to help identify players that have exceeded value based on their current price tag this season and of course our NBA DFS Lineup Generator!
Notable NBA Injury Updates
QUESTIONABLE
- Giannis Antetokounmpo – IN
- Jayson Tatum – OUT
- Zion Williamson – IN
- Tyrese Maxey
- Kyle Kuzma – OUT
- Jaylen Brown – IN
- Jalen Williams – OUT
- Tobias Harris
- Coby White – IN
- Jonathan Kuminga
- Gary Trent Jr. – IN
- Alex Caruso – OUT
- Andrew Wiggins
- Bruce Brown – IN
- Cameron Johnson – OUT
- Nick Richards – IN
- Patrick Beverley – OUT
- Richaun Holmes – OUT
- Naji Marshall – OUT
- Kris Dunn – OUT
- Gordon Hayward
- Jose Alvarado – IN
- Nic Claxton – OUT
- Dennis Schroder – IN
- Anthony Gill – OUT
OUT
- Joel Embiid
- Shai Gilgeous-Alexander
- Stephen Curry
- Lauri Markkanen
- Anfernee Simons
- Brandon Ingram
- John Collins
- Jordan Clarkson
- Tyus Jones
- Walker Kessler
- Cedi Osman
- Dorian Finney-Smith
- Kyle Lowry
PROBABLE
- Keldon Johnson – IN, on a limit
- Isaiah Joe – IN
- Dennis Smith Jr. – downgraded to DOUBT
DOUBTFUL
- Jerami Grant – OUT
Back-to-Backs
Pace (Post All-Star Break)
Pace definition: Pace is the total number of possessions a team uses in a game.
*key* Green is elite pace of play, Blue is decent pace of play, & Red is slow pace of play.
Green = Fast Paced team
Blue = Neutral Paced team
Red = Slow Paced team
- Washington Wizards - 1st (101.7)
- Toronto Raptors - 3rd (101.2)
- San Antonio Spurs - 5th (100.8)
- Oklahoma City Thunder - 6th (100.7)
- Utah Jazz - 9th (99.6)
- Golden State Warriors - 10th (99.5)
- Phoenix Suns - 12th (98.4)
- Milwaukee Bucks - 13th (97.9)
- Portland Trail Blazers - 17th (97)
- New Orleans Pelicans - 18th (97)
- Sacramento Kings - 19th (97)
- Chicago Bulls - 20th (96.9)
- Brooklyn Nets - 22nd (95.9)
- Charlotte Hornets - 26th (95.3)
- Boston Celtics - 27th (95.3)
- Philadelphia 76ers - 29th (94.7)
- New York Knicks - 30th (93.4)
Defensive Ratings (Post All-Star Break)
- Jazz - 30th
- Raptors - 29th
- Wizards - 28th
- Bulls - 27th
- Hornets - 25th
- Trail Blazers - 23rd
- Spurs - 18th
- 76ers - 16th
- Suns - 15th
- Nets - 14th
- Kings -13th
- Bucks - 11th
- Thunder - 9th
- Celtics - 8th
- Warriors - 7th
- Pelicans - 6th
- Knicks - 5th
NBA Game Totals
- Washington Wizards @ Toronto Raptors - 231.5 (TOR -4.5)
- Philadelphia 76ers @ San Antonio Spurs - 226.5 (PHI -5.5)
- Utah Jazz @ Golden State Warriors - 226.5 (GSW -11.5)
Top Tier Core Plays
Mid-Tier Core Plays
- Immanuel Quickley & RJ Barrett, Toronto Raptors
- Paolo Banchero, Orlando Magic
- Cam Thomas, Brooklyn Nets
- Josh Giddey, Oklahoma City Thunder
- Jordan Poole & Deni Avdija, Washington Wizards
- Jonathan Kuminga, Golden State Warriors (if he plays & isn't limited)
- Klay Thompson, Golden State Warriors
Value Tier Core Plays
- Chris Paul, Golden State Warriors
- Brandin Podziemski, Golden State Warriors
- Omer Yurtseven, Utah Jazz
- Noah Clowney, Brooklyn Nets
DFS NBA Lineup Lock Updates & Late-News Core Play Section
*Section for players we are considering “core plays” based on late-breaking news & research
- Aaron Wiggins, Oklahoma City Thunder – starting, should see plenty of run
- Kenrich Williams, Oklahoma City Thunder – option off Thunder bench w/ Hayward out
- Dennis Schroder, Brooklyn Nets – upgraded to PROB
- Tyrese Maxey, Philadelphia 76ers
- Kelly Oubre Jr., Philadelphia 76ers
- Cameron Payne, Philadelphia 76ers
- Paul Reed, Philadelphia 76ers
Player Pool
Player News
Michael Porter Jr. (shoulder) won’t face suspension for Tuesday’s matchup against the Clippers.
MPJ left the bench area during a Game 4 scuffle but won’t face suspension if he suits up on Tuesday. He logged a series-high 42 minutes in Game 4 and will likely play a significant role in Game 5 if healthy and engaged.
Jimmy Butler returned to the lineup on Monday and contributed 27 points (7-of-12 FGs, 12-of-12 FTs), five rebounds, six assists, one block and one three-pointer in a 109-106 win over the Rockets in Game 4 on Monday.
After missing Game 3, Butler was back in the lineup on Monday. He started off slow, but he scored 23 points after halftime to help Golden State take a 3-1 lead in the series. This was “Playoff Jimmy” on full display. Excluding his early exit in Game 2, Butler had scored at least 24 points in his last six completed games, dating back to April 9. If he’s playing this well, the Warriors will be tough to beat in a seven-game series. It’s worth noting that Jonathan Kuminga, who started in place of Butler in Game 3, was back to being out of the rotation in this game. Expect Butler to continue to dominate as Golden State attempts to clinch this series in Houston in Game 5 on Wednesday.
Buddy Hield started on Monday and finished with 15 points (6-of-15 FGs), four rebounds, three assists, two steals and three three-pointers against the Rockets in Game 4 on Monday.
Jimmy Butler’s return from a one-game absence also allowed Hield to enter the starting lineup after scoring 17 points in Game 3. He really struggled in Games 1 and 2, but he was able to build on his performance from Saturday in Monday’s win. Hield is a streaky shooter, but he has been on recently and hit eight triples across Golden State’s two home games. He’ll look to carry this shooting with him to Houston for Game 5 on Wednesday.
Quinten Post provided a boost off the bench with 13 points (4-of-11 FGs), four rebounds, three assists and two three-pointers against the Rockets in Game 4 on Monday.
With Jimmy Butler, head coach Steve Kerr bumped Post back to the bench, though he still played a significant reserve role. After playing 27 minutes as a starter, he played 20 minutes off the bench in Game 4 and scored in double figures for the second time this postseason. The numbers weren’t eye-popping, but the threat of a stretch big certainly opens things up on offense for Golden State. Post will continue to be an important part of the team’s rotation moving forward.
Brandin Podziemski lit up the Rockets with 26 points (9-of-18 FGs), five rebounds, five assists, two steals, one block and six three-pointers in Game 4 on Monday.
Podziemski has made things happen in this series. He scored in double figures in Games 1 and 3, which were wins. He exited early from Game 2, which was a loss. He played 40 minutes in Game 4 and had his best game of the postseason, which helped the Warriors take a 3-1 lead in the series. Podz did a little bit of everything in this game, but he did most of his damage beyond the arc. He’ll look to stay hot in Game 5 on Wednesday to help the Warriors close out the series.
Amen Thompson finished with 17 points (7-of-12 FGs), nine rebounds, two assists and one steal in Game 4 against the Warriors on Monday.
Thompson dealt with some foul trouble in the first half, but he was able to turn things around after the break. He was able to turn in decent numbers, but Thompson’s first postseason hasn’t been as expected. Through four games, he has averaged 11.8 points, 6.5 rebounds and 3.8 assists while shooting 45.5 percent from the floor. He has also contributed just 1.3 defensive stats per game after averaging 2.6 per game during the regular season. The Rockets will need him to be much better to keep their season alive in Game 5 on Wednesday.