RADIO
Welcome to the weekend once again, RotoBallers. We have an ultra-exciting (*rolls eyes*) two-game slate on tap in the NBA, but just because it's a small slate doesn't mean we can't bink a contest or two. Unfortunately, value will be hard to come by tonight unless we get lineup scratches throughout the day. The Clippers are the only team playing in the second half of a back-to-back set tonight, but since they already rested Kawhi Leonard last night, I wouldn't expect them to hold him out again for tonight's matchup against the Pelicans. Let's get to it.
Here is my daily fantasy basketball lineup picks for FanDuel and DraftKings on 4/1/23. 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.
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NBA DFS Matchup Rankings
DraftKings and FanDuel Guards - NBA DFS Lineup Picks
Luka Doncic, vs. MIA (FD: $12,100, DK: $11,700)
I know the matchup against Miami is brutal, and Luka's mega-ceiling games haven't been as frequent with the arrival of Kyrie Irving, but I don't care. It's a two-game slate, and if there's any chance we can comfortably fit Doncic into lineups, we are obligated to do so. He put up 78 DK points just three games ago and 64 DK points against the Heat the last time these squads met in late January. He's projected to outscore the rest of the slate by 10 points - don't miss out on that.
Trey Murphy III, vs. LAC (FD: $6,400, DK: $6,000)
A $6,000 salary feels very rich for a player like Murphy, but he's seeing an insane amount of minutes per game, and his 0.84 FPTS/min rate (with Williamson and Alvarado off the floor) should translate to a useful number in tonight's matchup against the Clippers. He'll need 30 DK points to hit 5x value tonight, and he's been right at or over that number in four of his last five games. The only time he failed to hit 5x value in that stretch came in a blowout against Portland, where he "only" played 28 minutes. As long as he sees his typical 35-39 minute role tonight, he'll be a player we want heavy exposure to.
CJ McCollum, vs. LAC (FD: $7,900, DK: $7,500)
Ingram is the main man in New Orleans, but McCollum's price tag is friendly, and he still can put up a 50-burger on any given night. The Clippers have allowed the most fantasy points per game to opposing point guards over their last 15 games.
Also consider: Tyler Herro, Kyrie Irving, Josh Richardson, Gabe Vincent (if Lowry sits)
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DraftKings and FanDuel Forwards - NBA DFS Lineup Picks
Brandon Ingram, vs. LAC (FD: $9,700, DK: $9,500)
Ingram has completely taken over as "the guy" in New Orleans sans Zion Williamson, soaring past CJ McCollum in the process. He has produced three games with at least 59 DK points over his last five contests, and we don't have that type of ceiling available to us on this slate outside of Luka (and maybe Kawhi Leonard). He leads the team in usage rate (32.2%) and FPTS/min (1.22) with Williamson and Alvarado off the floor, as they will be tonight.
The Pelicans are the #1 team to target tonight, according to my K-Grade model, and I want to get to the top player on the team in those situations if possible. The Clippers are stout defensively but, notably, allow the eighth-most fantasy points per game to opposing small forwards over their last seven games.
Norman Powell, vs. NOP (FD: $5,600, $DK: 4,600) DraftKings Preferred
Powell is far from an exciting play, but he's back to player near-starter level minutes and one of the only viable value options on this slate. He averages 1.14 FPTS/min with Paul George off the floor this season, and that number rises to 1.19 FPTS/min with Eric Gordon and Marcus Morris off the floor, as they're expected to be tonight. Applying that rate to the 26 minutes he's projected to receive tonight gives him a 30.94 DK point outing, which would be 6.73x value at his low price point. While that total might be a stretch, a 25+ DK point outing is well within the realm of possibilities here.
Also consider: Kevin Love, Caleb Martin, Jimmy Butler, Herbert Jones, Brandon Ingram
DraftKings and FanDuel Centers - NBA DFS Lineup Picks
Bam Adebayo, vs. DAL (FD: $8,100, DK: $7,400)
This might be the most brutal slate I've ever seen for centers. We have Adebayo and Valanciunas at the top, Zubac and Wood in the mid-range, and a dart-throw Larry Nance Jr. available as a value option. Everyone else is unplayable, barring additional news. Adebayo projects to outscore the rest of the position by a full four points, and since he's cheaper than JVal (on DraftKings), he's the pick here. He hasn't been in top form recently, and the Mavericks defend centers well, but he's the top point per dollar play at the position and brings the highest ceiling to the table.
Also consider: Jonas Valanciunas, Ivica Zubac, Larry Nance Jr.
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