NBA DFS: Top Daily Fantasy Expert Picks for DraftKings, FanDuel (4/30/25)

April 30, 2025

Free daily fantasy basketball lineup picks for today's slate on DraftKings and FanDuel. Use Zach's NBA DFS expert picks to building winning DFS lineups on April 30, 2025.

Welcome back, RotoBallers! On the final day of April, the NBA has a nice Wednesday night doubleheader from the Western Conference. The Warriors and Timberwolves each have 3-1 series leads as they look to close out the Rockets and the Lakers on the road to complete their first-round upsets of higher seeds. Houston and Los Angeles are in "win or go home" situations, so there should be plenty of excitement and drama as those two teams try to keep their season alive.

These articles focus on the best plays, typically more suited for cash games. However, some exceptions may apply, depending on the size of the slate. The key to succeeding in NBA DFS is making adjustments during the day as injury information becomes available. But it's always essential to have a game plan and zero in on the best players and spots before making those adjustments.

This article will provide my daily fantasy basketball lineup picks for DraftKings on 4/30/25. Remember to monitor NBA injury news and our excellent NBA injuries report tool, as the slate can completely change before lineups lock at 7:30 p.m. EDT on DraftKings. Good luck, RotoBallers!

Today's NBA DFS Core Picks

These are the guys you can build around, offering a mix of floor and upside for both cash games and tournaments.

LeBron James, LAL - SF/PF ($9K DK, $9.6K FD)

James and the Lakers will need a big game to extend the series and force a Game 6 back in Minnesota. The 40-year-old is a proven playoff performer, having posted three straight games with 50+ DraftKings points. In game 3, he had 38 points, 10 rebounds, four assists, and 68 DraftKings points. He followed that up with 27 points, 12 rebounds, eight assists, and 67 DraftKings points in Game 4.

LeBron thus far this series:

👑 1st — RPG (9.5)
👑 1st — APG (5.5)
👑 1st — SPG (2.0)
👑 1st — BPG (2.3)
👑 1st — FG% (51%)
👑 1st — OREB (10)
👑 1st — DREB (28)
👑 2nd — PPG (26.3)
👑 2nd — MP (40.8)
👑 2nd — 3P% (39.1)
👑 2nd — FGM (34)

Year 22. Age 40.

“He needs to do… pic.twitter.com/pKDsV1vLMT

— Witness King James (@WITNESSKJ) April 29, 2025

His usage has been reduced with Luka Doncic taking on more of the work, but he still has a very high ceiling and should rise to the occasion in Game 5.

Jimmy Butler III, GS  – PF/SF (FanDuel Only) ($8.3K DK, $8.6K FD)

"Playoff Jimmy" was back in Game 4 for the Warriors, and he played 40 minutes in the team's three-point win. He ended up with 44.75 DraftKings points on 27 points, six assists, and five rebounds. He made all 12 of his free throws on Monday and went 7-of-12 from the field.

In his two complete games against the Rockets in this series, Butler posted 52.75 and 44.75 DraftKings points. He is carrying a huge workload when healthy for Golden State, and since he is listed as probable for Wednesday night, he can be a great piece to build around.

Steve Kerr on Jimmy Butler: “If it were the regular season, he’d probably miss another week or two. But it’s the playoffs and he’s Jimmy Butler.” pic.twitter.com/JEPOgHFRKg

— Anthony Slater (@anthonyVslater) April 29, 2025

Even at less than 100 percent, Playoff Jimmy is enough of a real thing to still be a core play in your fantasy lineup.

Austin Reaves, LAL – SG/PG (DraftKings Only)/SF (FanDuel Only) ($6.8K DK, $7.2K FD)

Reaves is another member of the Lakers' core lineup who played huge minutes on Sunday in Game 4. He has played at least 35 minutes in each game of the series and has scored at least 16 points in each contest. His best showing of the series came in Game 4, when he totaled 39.75 DraftKings points and 39.4 FanDuel points with 17 points, seven rebounds, four assists, two blocked shots, and a steal.

Reaves and James both struggled in the fourth quarter but still had big enough games to be solid fantasy performers. Whether they manage to extend the series or not, they'll have a significant enough workload on Wednesday to offer both a high ceiling and high floor once again.

Others To Consider: Stephen Curry, GS - PG, Anthony Edwards, MIN - SG/PG (DraftKings Only)/SF (FanDuel Only)

Today's NBA DFS Pivots

These players might fly under the radar, but have the ceiling to match the chalkier options.

Alperen Sengun, HOU – C ($9K DK, $8.8K FD)

Even though the series hasn't gone their way so far, the Rockets and their fans have to be encouraged by several factors in their series against the Warriors as they look to their long-term future. Sengun has been exceptional in the series with three straight double-doubles and a massive game on Monday in Game 4. He finished with 31 points, 10 boards, five assists, 56.5 FanDuel points, and 56.5 DraftKings points.

Despite the loss, Sengun & VanVleet SHOWED OUT for the Rockets tonight 🚀

Sengun: 31 PTS | 10 REB | 5 AST | 2 STL
VanVleet: 25 PTS | 6 AST | 8 3PM pic.twitter.com/9Oz6LMSJXb

— NBA (@NBA) April 29, 2025

Sengun has been the focal point of the Rockets' offense in the playoffs and has stepped up with impressive numbers. He's expensive to build around but brings a high enough ceiling to be worth considering for tournament lineups.

Jaden McDaniels, MIN – SF/PF ($5.8K DK, $6K FD)

McDaniels has been a difference maker in this series with the Lakers for better or for worse. He scored 25, 30, and 16 points in the Wolves' three wins but only eight points in their one loss. He added 11 boards to his 16 points in Game 4 to finish with a double-double and 37.75 DraftKings points. In each of the Wolves' three wins, he has over 37 DraftKings points, which is enough to definitely make him a strong GPP consideration in Game 5.

Others To Consider: Luka Doncic, LAL - PG, Fred VanVleet, HOU - PG, Brandin Podziemski, GS - PG/SG

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Today's NBA DFS Value Picks

Donte DiVincenzo, MIN - PG/SG ($4.8K DK, $5.3K FD)

Like McDaniels, DiVincenzo has had three good games in this series, which correspond with the Timberwolves' three wins. He had 25.25 DraftKings points in Game 1 in Los Angeles before struggling in Game 2 when Minnesota lost. In Game 3, he bounced back with 10 points and 30.75 DraftKings points, and in Game 4, he had five steals to go with his eight points, two rebounds, and two assists for a total of 24 DraftKings points.

DiVincenzo has demonstrated the ability to step up in big games and clutch situations, and he has continued to be a key contributor for Minnesota as the leader of the second unit. He is producing 22.4 DraftKings points per game at the rate of 0.9 DraftKings points per minute so far in the postseason.

Buddy Hield, GS – SF/SF ($4K DK, $4.7K FD)

Especially on DraftKings, Hield is a bargain way to get a good ceiling, even though it does come with some major volatility. Hield has been big in the last two games for Golden State, producing 30 DraftKings points in each contest. He filled in for Butler in Game 3 with 17 points and stayed involved in Game 4 with 15 points, four boards, three assists, and two steals in his 30 minutes. He played 29+ minutes in Game 3 and Game 4 after playing under 16 minutes in the first two games of the series. If he gets the minutes, he brings good upside, but Coach Steve Kerr does typically tinker with his rotations as series play out.

Dillon Brooks, HOU – SG (FanDuel Only)/SF (FanDuel Only)/PF (DraftKings Only) ($4.6K DK, $4.6K FD)

While Brooks can sometimes be maddening to watch and cheer for, he brings enough production and is in a large enough role to be a good fantasy value.  He has scored double-digit points in each of the four games in the series, with over 20 DraftKings points in over 24 minutes in every game. Brooks and the Rockets are facing elimination on Wednesday, and I expect him to come out with a big game in Houston in an attempt to keep the season going.

Others to Consider: Rui Hachimura, LAL - SF/PF, Quinten Post, GS - C

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: LeBron James
• My favorite CASH play on the slate: Jimmy Butler
• My favorite GPP play on the slate: Jaden McDaniels
• My favorite value play: Donte DiVincenzo

More DFS Lineup Picks and Analysis