RADIO
We have a solid six-game NBA slate on tap tonight, at least on the surface. Once we look closer, it becomes less appealing. John Wall will rest after playing last night. With Kevin Porter Jr. on the COVID list, the Rockets are going to be really thin at guard. Zach LaVine, Domantas Sabonis, Donovan Mitchell, and Victor Oladipo will all join LeBron in street clothes tonight with more likely to follow. We have all the value we'll ever need. Just pick who you want and plug in the value around them.
If you plan on playing roulette on the two-game early slate, I would build around Joel Embiid with Ben Simmons out. If Embiid is out, You have all the value you need in Philly players and Tobias Harris becomes a lock. You can pick up some value from Knicks guards and Khem Birch if you want to try to cram Giannis in there with him. However, I would expect a few guys to sit here and there, so more value should open up in the hours before tipoff.
This article will supply you with my daily fantasy basketball lineup picks for the DraftKings on 4/24/21. You can also check out today’s FanDuel lineup picks. It’s also important to monitor injury news as a result of COVID-19 as the slate can completely change before line-up lock. Without further ado, let’s dive into the picks!
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DraftKings DFS Guards
Luka Doncic - PG/SF, vs. Lakers ($11,000)
The Lakers just aren't a defense that anyone is afraid of anymore. Luka put up 58.25 DraftKings points on this same team in the same circumstances on Thursday night. As per usual, Luka tiptoed around a triple-double. His ceiling is as high as anyone on this decimated slate. Ownership will be high, but Luka is easily the guy worth paying up for tonight.
Malcolm Brogdon - PG, vs. Detroit ($8,300)
Just like Thursday, the Pacers are gutted up front. All of their playmakers left standing are guards and Brogdon is the most accomplished of them. He racked up 61.75 DraftKings points against the Thunder on Thursday. Detroit will likely offer a little more resistance, but I'm not sure it matters. Brogdon's usage is through the roof with Sabonis out. Add in the fact that Myles Turner is also on the sideline, and they'll run Brogdon ragged because they don't have a choice. Brogdon should be in for another huge game.
P.J. Dozier - SG/SF, vs. Houston ($4,100)
Dozier is one of the Denver guards that is benefitting from the absence of Jamal Murray. The difference is that Dozier didn't get the huge price jump that Facundo Campazzo and Monte Morris got. The little secret here is that Dozier has been better than both of them with Murray out. Dozier has 121 DraftKings points in the five games that the Nuggets have been without Murray. That's right up around 6x value.
Bonus Guards: Caris Levert ($8,100), Dejounte Murray ($7,200), Coby White ($5,900), Tomas Satoransky ($4,500)
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DraftKings DFS Forwards
Brandon Ingram - SF, vs. San Antonio ($8,800)
We are to the point where Zion Williamson is overpriced. He's priced more for a ceiling game than a normal output game. Ingram is the guy to pay for from the Pelicans. He's also priced at a point where he needs closer to a ceiling game, but he might get it against the Spurs. Ingram has 95.75 DraftKings points in the two games against the Spurs this year. That's more than Zion has against them (94.25) and you can save yourself 1,300 bucks.
Joe Ingles - SG/SF, vs. Minnesota ($6,600)
Ingles is the starter with Mitchell still out. He has 129.25 DraftKings points in the three games with Mitchell out. It seems as if DraftKings has become as apathetic in their pricing as NBA players are about playing at this point in the season. This isn't as crazy as the Wizards value last night, but Ingles is still priced far below what he is producing. Ingles is contributing in all categories right now. Lock him in against Minnesota.
Oshae Brissett - PF/C, vs. Detroit ($4,200)
Brissett had a career game on Thursday with 51.5 DraftKings points in 42 minutes against the Thunder. Even if Doug McDermott plays, I would expect that Brissett gains another start and plays most of the minutes. He has a ceiling that Dougie just doesn't have, and never did have. I think we'll see McDermott playing the three alongside Brissett at times in this game, but I doubt that takes much away from Brissett's production. He's not dropping 50 again. That's as much a product of the opponent than anything else. However, 10x value is still a possibility.
Bonus Forwards: Jimmy Butler ($9,500), Jerami Grant ($6,700), Thaddeus Young ($5,300), Doug McDermott ($3,800)
DraftKings DFS Centers
Nikola Jokic - C, vs. Houston ($10,900)
Jokic was a dud last night in the blowout loss to the Warriors for the first time since Murray went down. I'm willing to jump right back on the horse here when said horse is playing Houston. The Rockets are a defensive post-apocalyptic wasteland. They can't stop anyone. The only one that can stop Jokic tonight is the Denver coaching staff. Houston has allowed a staggering 138 DraftKings points to Jokic in just 61 minutes over two games this year!
Andre Drummond - C, at Dallas ($7,500)
Drummond's toe is still bugging him, but he put up 50.25 DraftKings points despite that pesky little bastard against Dallas on Thursday. The Lakers are desperate for any kind of output and Drummond is still one of the best rebounders in the league. He has proven that he still has some offensive chops left as well. The ceiling is pretty high for Drummond, especially against a team like Dallas that can't answer his size.
Goga Bitadze - C, vs. Detroit ($4,100)
Goga is still listed as questionable. If he is able to play, he and Brissett will try to be the answer to the dynamic duo of Sabonis and Turner. Neither of them have the ceiling of the incumbent starters, but they aren't priced like it either. You could conceivably play the entire Indiana front for the same price as Bam Adebayo and likely get more production. If Bitadze is out again, I'll find a way to work up to Poeltl or Thad Young.
Bonus Centers: Nikola Vucevic ($10,200), Rudy Gobert ($8,400), Jakob Poeltl ($6,200), Daniel Theis ($4,000)
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