DraftKings, FanDuel Daily Fantasy Basketball Picks (4/12/22): Today's Top NBA DFS Lineups

The top daily fantasy basketball lineup picks for DraftKings and FanDuel on April 12th, 2022. Euan Leith provides NBA DFS analysis and sleeper picks for building optimal DFS rosters.

Happy Tuesday and happy play-in tournament, Rotoballers! We've got the seven and eight seeds lining up in both conferences for a chance to lock up a playoff berth. For the winners of Nets-Cavs, a defensive juggernaut awaits in Boston, while the victor between the Timberwolves and Clippers better get ready to run against the high-flying Grizzlies.

This article will provide you with my daily fantasy basketball lineup picks for DraftKings and FanDuel on 4/12/22, with the slate locking at 7:00 pm ET. Remember to monitor NBA injury news and our live-updating NBA injury updates tool, as the slate can completely change before lineups lock.

DraftKings and FanDuel Guards - NBA DFS Lineup Picks

Paul George - SG, LAC at MIN ($9,900 DraftKings; $9,600 FanDuel)

Paul George will need to pull out all the stops if the Clippers want to play Memphis in the first round. The seven-time All-Star has played five times since returning from an elbow injury, and it's gone... alright. In 30.7 minutes per game, PG13 averages 22.6 points, 6.8 assists, 5.6 rebounds, 4.2 three-pointers, and a whopping 2.8 steals. Minnesota is an average team in turnovers, but George should still bag a couple in this kind of sort of but not really elimination game. While he'll come in with one of the lowest roster percentages among the expensive players, I expect him to go all-out when his team needs him most, and a 60-point DFS evening is well within reach.

Darius Garland - PG, CLE at BKN ($9,600 DK; $8,900 FD)

I expect Darius Garland to ball out on the national stage. He's played Brooklyn four times this year and averages 46.1 DK FPPG. He's shot 29.4 percent from deep against the Nets in those four contests but comes in with a red-hot hand for this play-in game. In April, the All-Star is 51.6 percent from the three-point arc and averages 3.2 makes a night. Over the last 30 games, Brooklyn has given up the third-most threes and fourth-most points to point guards. This provides Garland with enough of a runway to take off and fly your DFS squad towards the green line.

Seth Curry - SG/SF, BKN vs. CLE ($4,400 DK; $5,200 FD)

Let me spin you a story: You fall asleep incredibly early and miss the play-in game between Brooklyn and Cleveland. Then, you wake up, check your phone, turn on your TV/iPad and see Scott Van Pelt interviewing Seth Curry after the game because he just dropped 24 points with six three-pointers as the Nets move on. That doesn't sound outside the realm of possibility at all. It's well worth taking a gamble like that on a player price at $4,400 on DraftKings. With Cleveland trying to stop KD and Kyrie all night, Curry should be left alone as he converts his three-point attempts at a 46.8 percent clip.

Want more NBA DFS tools and content? Our NBA Premium package includes our daily DFS Cheat Sheets, Research Station, Optimizer, and access to our Premium Slack Chatrooms where members can chat with our NBA analysts. Check out this big win from RotoBaller premium member Bsuperak on FanDuel using our Premium tools - join in on the winning!

DraftKings and FanDuel Forwards - NBA DFS Lineup Picks

Kevin Durant - SF/PF, BKN vs. CLE ($12,000 DK; $11,400 FD)

You're not going to fit in PG13, Garland, and KD, but I'm also not going to gloss over a caliber of player like Durant. While Nikola Jokic, Joel Embiid, and Giannis Antetokounmpo (kinda) have been battling for the MVP, I still think I would take Durantula over all of them in a one-game playoff. In his first playoff run with Brooklyn, the two-time Finals MVP only averaged 34.3 points on 51.4 percent shooting, with 9.3 rebounds, 4.4 assists, and 3.1 stocks (steals+blocks). However, the Nets finished the season on a 5-2 flurry where Durant averaged 61.25 fantasy points a game. I expect more of the same against the Cavs on Tuesday and will find it incredibly tough to exclude him from my DFS lineups.

Anthony Edwards - SG/SF, MIN vs. LAC ($8,300 DK; $9,100 FD)

If I had to pick another small forward to roster tonight, it would be Edwards. At times this season, the 2020 No. 1 overall picked flashed brilliance and carried many a DFS lineup to victory or cashing. After a fast start and a mid-season "dip," Edwards finished the regular season in strong fashion. From Mar. 27 to Apr. 7 (six games), the sophomore guard produced 27.7 points, 6.2 boards, 5.7 dimes, and 3.8 triples a night for 47.1 fantasy points per game. He's actually a better value than Durant on a points per thousand dollars metric, but we don't need to get that cute on a two-game slate. If you want to get away from Durant in a tournament lineup, Edwards is a great secondary selection.

DraftKings and FanDuel Centers - NBA DFS Lineup Pics

Karl-Anthony Towns - C, MIN vs. LAC ($10,300 DK; $9,700 FD)

Before the season, I put Karl-Anthony Towns in the Kevin Love bucket as a good stats, bad team guy. However, he proved me wrong and led this Timberwolves roster to a deserved seventh seed. It came with a downturn in his stats because he didn't average a double-double on the year for the first time in seven seasons. Furthermore, he's struggled in three matchups versus the Clippers this year, but I can't imagine that continuing. Towns is too talented, and I'm not sure the Clippers can afford to focus all of their defensive attention on him with Anthony Edwards and D'Angelo Russell able to light it up from the perimeter. KAT gave us 26.8 points, 10.8 rebounds, 3.0 assists, 2.8 threes, and a block each night in four April games. If he keeps that up on Tuesday night, the Twolves can lock in a date with Memphis

Andre Drummond - C, BKN vs. CLE ($6,300 DK; $7,100 FD)

Jarett Allen (finger) is out for tonight's game, and Evan Mobley just returned to action for Cleveland. Therefore, it's all set up nicely for Drummond to have himself a night. That dream-like scenario I set up for Seth Curry could easily apply to Andre Drummond. The Cavs have to force someone other than Durant or Iriving to beat them tonight if they want to advance. While they will have a hard time getting that done, Drummond will be a primary beneficiary if that scenario comes into play. These teams recently met on Friday night, and the four-time rebounding champ came up with 15 points, 12 rebounds, and 38 fantasy points for his DFS managers. That'll do quite nicely on Tuesday and makes Drummond a perfect discount option if you don't want to pay up for KAT.

NBA DFS News and Injury Alerts