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After a massive 12-game slate Wednesday night, we have half the amount of games Thursday in what amounts to a more manageable number of decisions for DFS purposes. There are a couple of notable names sporting injury designations, but for the most part, we have a well-stocked player pool at each point on the salary scale.
The other good piece of news is that oddsmakers are envisioning Thursday as a relatively competitive night – five of the six games have spreads of 7.5 points or less as of early Thursday morning.
In this article, I will be providing you with my daily fantasy basketball lineup picks for FanDuel on 4/22/21. I’ll be providing multiple player suggestions for players at guard, forward and center on FanDuel, aiming to highlight one option apiece at the high, middle and lower end of the salary scale. You can also check out DraftKings lineup picks and injury news before lineups lock. Good luck, RotoBallers.
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FanDuel DFS Guards
Luka Doncic, PG – vs. LAL ($11,400)
Doncic unsurprisingly carries the highest salary of the slate, but he’s worth it on a night when there aren’t many particularly appealing options to pay up for at guard. Luka checks in just having missed three straight 60-FD-point tallies, and with a trio of hauls over 50 within his last seven contests. The Lakers have also allowed 43.9 FD points per contest to point guards over the last 15 games, and Doncic went for 42.3 FD points over 34 minutes on Christmas Day in his one prior encounter with Los Angeles this season.
Jrue Holiday, SG – vs. PHI ($8,000)
Holiday is a viable play at what passes for mid-salary Thursday, even if Giannis Antetokounmpo takes the floor as expected after exiting the loss to the Suns on Monday with cramping. The veteran guard may not have to deal with Ben Simmons’ defense, either, as the latter missed a second straight game Wednesday to an illness. Holiday has averaged 37.9 FD points per contest over the last five games, averaging 48.6 percent shooting, including 50.0 percent from three-point range, during that span. The 76ers are also giving up 44.7 FD points per game to PGs over the last seven games, and Holiday has already delivered over 5x his current salary on 17 occasions during the current campaign.
Derrick White, PG – vs. DET ($5,500)
White’s salary is particularly appealing when considering he’s scored over 30 FD points in two of his last five games and just put up 28.5 over 31 minutes in a loss to the Heat on Wednesday. He also faces a Pistons team that has become increasingly vulnerable to shooting guards as the season has gone on. Detroit is allowing the eighth-most FD points per game (45.1) to twos, and they rank in the bottom half of the league in offensive efficiency surrendered (23.0 percent) to the position as well. It’s also worth noting White has been displaying improved accuracy from deep in the form of 38.4 percent shooting from three-point range over the last 11 games, while Detroit is surrendering an elevated 37.7 percent success rate from behind the arc on the road.
Also consider: DeMar DeRozan ($7,900); Terry Rozier ($7,800); Cole Anthony ($6,300)
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FanDuel DFS Forwards
Zion Williamson, PF- at ORL ($9,800)
Williamson has been churning out tallies of more than 40 FD points with regularity in the second half of the season. He enters Thursday’s favorable matchup having delivered a trio of 50 FD-point efforts in his last seven games, along with a haul of 65 FD points versus the 76ers. The opposing Magic are about as good a matchup as a power forward can draw, as Orlando is surrendering the second-highest offensive efficiency (26.8 percent) to fours for the season. Then, the Magic are surrendering the most rebounds per contest (12.9) to power forwards over the last seven, along with 47.8 FD points per contest to the position during that span.
Chuma Okeke, PF – vs. NOP ($5,500)
Having just talked about Zion as an offensive force, it bears mentioning he’s also surrendered his fair share of fantasy production to opposing fours this season. New Orleans checks into Thursday giving up the seventh-most FD points per game (46.4) to PFs over the last 15 contests, while Okeke comes in averaging 29.0 FD points across his 13-game starting tenure since Aaron Gordon was traded away. That sample includes six tallies of 31.5 FD points or more, including a haul of 35 FD points versus these same Pelicans on April 1. Okeke’s salary is a surprise considering he has totals of 28.8 and 34.8 FD points in two of his last four games alone, making him a very viable consideration Thursday.
Thaddeus Young, PF – vs. CHA ($5,000)
Young has seen a significant salary reduction in recent weeks, with a trio of what could arguably be termed outlier efforts likely conspiring to pull that number down. That’s perfect for our purposes as DFS players, as Young retains plenty of upside and has still eclipsed 20 FD points in five of the last seven contests alone, including a performance of 34.1 FD points across just 17 minutes versus the Cavaliers on Wednesday. While playing time is a concern right now for Young, he was still sporting a 24.9 percent usage rate and averaging 45.0 FD points per 36 minutes with Zach LaVine off the floor going into Wednesday’s game.
Also consider: Giannis Antetokounmpo ($11,000); Kristaps Porzingis ($8,300); Miles Bridges ($6,400)
FanDuel DFS Centers
Joel Embiid– at MIL ($10,700)
Embiid could well be taking the floor again Thursday without both Ben Simmons and Tobias Harris, but even if the 76ers are at full strength, he still makes for a very strong play against a Bucks team that’s been vulnerable to centers recently. Milwaukee is allowing 55.2 FD points per game to centers over the last 15, including 61.3 per contest in the last seven. Embiid’s upside under any scenario is above question, but it’s worth noting as a point of emphasis that he was averaging 55.8 FD points per contest over the last five going into Wednesday’s loss to the Suns, when he put up 62.4 over 38 minutes.
Nikola Vucevic – vs. CHA ($8,800)
Vucevic is another Bulls big that’s perfectly capable of exploiting a Hornets unit that’s allowed the seventh-highest offensive efficiency (83.1 percent) to frontcourt players, along with 51.4 FD points per game specifically to centers in the last seven contests. Vucevic actually turned in his first clunker in a Bulls uniform Wednesday against the Cavaliers (16.0 FD points), but he’d averaged 47.2 FD points over the prior 10 contests. It’s also worth noting in the case of the floor-spacing Vucevic that the Hornets are giving up nearly six percent higher three-point shooting on the road (39.3) than at home (33.9), while the big man is draining a career-high 41.8 percent of his shots from behind the arc this season.
Jakob Poeltl – vs. DET ($6,200)
Poeltl draws one of the most favorable matchups in the league for centers in the Pistons, which entered Wednesday’s action having allowed the ninth-highest offensive efficiency (33.2 percent) to the position on the season. Detroit was also yielding 58.9 FD points per game to fives over the prior seven contests going into Wednesday, while Poeltl has already delivered over 5x his current salary on 21 occasions this season, including a 36.3 tally against the Heat on Wednesday. Then, consider his potential to churn out multiple blocks per contest any time he takes the floor dovetails perfectly with the fact the Pistons are surrendering the most rejections per game (3.0) to fives on the campaign.
Also consider: Deandre Ayton ($7,500); Montrezl Harrell ($4,900); Tristan Thompson ($4,100)
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