DraftKings, FanDuel Daily Fantasy Basketball Picks (4/18/22): Today's Top NBA DFS Lineups

April 18, 2022

The top daily fantasy basketball lineup picks for DraftKings and FanDuel on April 18, 2022. Juan Carlos Blanco provides NBA DFS analysis and sleeper picks for building optimal DFS rosters.

We're primed for a three-game playoff slate Monday night that sees Saturday's Game 1 participants tangle in their Game 2 clashes. With the compact player pool and equally tight rotations run by most coaches this time of year, a DFS lineup can come together fairly quickly in terms of potential candidates at each position.

Such was the case for today's article, with Game 1 results providing insight on certain players and roles. Additionally, with big-name players such as Luka Doncic and Scottie Barnes expected to sit out, there's even more clarity as to where usage will flow on those teams. Meanwhile, there are a couple of explosive Game 1 performances -- namely those of Tyrese Maxey and Will Barton -- that I'm taking as more outliers than indicative of production that might be replicated Monday night.

This article will provide you with my daily fantasy basketball lineup picks for DraftKings and FanDuel on 4/18/22. Remember to monitor the NBA injury report as the slate can completely change before lineup lock, which is at 7:30pm ET tonight. Good luck, RotoBallers.

DraftKings and FanDuel Guards - NBA DFS Lineup Picks

Donovan Mitchell - SG, UTA at DAL ($8,300 DK; $8,600 FD)    

Mitchell went off for 32 points against the Mavericks in Game 1, despite shooting just 34.5 percent overall. The massive volume he saw (29 FG attempts) isn't necessarily guaranteed to replicate itself, naturally, but Mitchell is still sporting very reasonable salaries on both sites relative to his upside. The Mavericks aren't an easy matchup by any means, yet Mitchell has battled his way to an average of 41.5 DK points against Dallas in five meetings since the start of the regular season.

Jordan Poole - PG/SG, GSW vs. DEN ($7,900 DK; $6,300 FD)

Poole still saw a sizable role in Game 1 against the Nuggets, logging 30 minutes as part of the starting lineup despite Stephen Curry's availability. The third-year guard shot an ultra-efficient 69.2 percent from the floor, including 71.4 percent from distance, leading to 36.8 DK/32.7 FD points. Curry played 22 minutes in his return Saturday and is likely to only see a slight bump Monday, especially if Poole continues to hold down the fort so effectively. Meanwhile, Saturday's productive effort pushed Poole's DK-point average against Denver in four games to 38.6, and the Nuggets are now ranked No. 20 in offensive efficiency allowed to PGs (26.1 percent).

Spencer Dinwiddie - PG/SG, DAL vs. UTA ($6,600 DK; $7,000 FD)

Dinwiddie offered a tangible reminder in Game 1 of why he was brought aboard by the Mavericks at the trade deadline, as he filled in for Doncic admirably. The veteran guard provided 39 DK/ 37.8 FD points over 36 minutes against the Jazz as Dallas almost managed to pull off a comeback win. Dinwiddie retains very reasonable salaries for Game 2, putting him right back in play in what is already a must-win game for the Mavs. Dinwiddie now boasts a 32.2 percent usage rate and is averaging 46.6 DK/44.6 FD points per 36 minutes without Doncic on the floor, strengthening his case.

ALSO CONSIDER: James Harden - PG/SG, PHI vs. TOR ($9,300 DK; $9,700 FD); Jalen Brunson - PG, DAL vs. UTA ($7,200 DK; $7,300 FD)

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

Pascal Siakam - PF, TOR at PHI ($9,200 DK, $9,600 FD)

Siakam posted 44.8 DK/47.1 FD points against the 76ers in Game 1, even with the Raptors suffering a lopsided defeat. The successful effort was par for the course for Siakam against Philly, as he's now averaging 54.2 DK points against Philadelphia in four games since the start of the regular season. The versatile big man is capable of checking off every box on the stat sheet and is averaging 45.1 DK/44.6 FD points per 36 minutes with both Scottie Barnes (ankle) and Gary Trent (illness) off the floor this season.

Draymond Green - PF, GSW vs. DEN ($6,500 DK; $6,700 FD)

Green generated 39.5 DK/ 41.7 FD points in 29 minutes against the Nuggets in Game 1, his first game versus Denver since the start of the regular season. As mentioned in Poole's entry, Stephen Curry may well play a reserve role again in Game 2 as he works his conditioning back up to par, meaning Green could continue to be even more involved than usual overall. The veteran has averaged 34.1 FD points over his last seven games overall, and Denver ranks in the bottom half of the league in offensive efficiency surrendered to power forwards (25.4 percent).

Reggie Bullock - SF, DAL vs. UTA ($4,800 DK; $4,400 FD)

Bullock was another member of the Mavericks that helped make up for Doncic's absence in Game 1, as he posted 15 points, six rebounds, one assist, and two steals on his way to 29.0 DK/28.7 FD points. The veteran wing's production can certainly be volatile, but at his very reasonable salaries, he could still deliver a very good return in what is a key game for Dallas. It's also worth noting the Game 1 tally was far from Bullock's only success against the Jazz since the start of the regular season, as he's shot 48.6 percent, including 46.7 percent from three-point range, in four games against Utah.

ALSO CONSIDER: Bojan Bogdanovic - SF, UTA at DAL ($5,700 DK; $4,800)

DraftKings and FanDuel Centers - NBA DFS Lineup Picks

Nikola Jokic -  DEN at GSW ($11,000 DK; $11,700 FD)

Jokic was unsurprisingly one of the only Nuggets to truly step up in the Game 1 losing effort, providing 54.5 DK/55 FD points in 34 minutes. The stellar numbers were actually a step down from recent performances for Jokic, a testament to the otherwordly returns he often provides. Jokic had actually generated seven straight tallies of at least 70 DK points before Game 1, making him worth the investment even at his elevated salaries. The Joker has now averaged over 60 fantasy points on each site over five games against Golden State, and given the stakes for Denver on Monday, he could well accomplish the feat again.

Rudy Gobert, UTA at DAL ($7,800 DK; $7,700 FD)

Gobert dominated down low in Game 1, pulling in 17 rebounds to total 31.8 DK/33.4 FD points despite scoring just five points while taking only one shot attempt. The offensive downturn is almost assuredly a one-game outlier -- Gobert has scored in double digits in 56 of 66 games since the start of the regular season -- and he's averaging over 35 fantasy points on each site versus Dallas over four games since the start of the campaign. The Mavs have allowed over 53 fantasy points per game to centers since the start of the regular season as well, and Gobert could therefore be in line for another fruitful outing.

ALSO CONSIDER: Joel Embiid, PHI vs. TOR ($10,700 DK; $11,000 FD)

NBA DFS News and Injury Alerts

More DFS Lineup Picks and Analysis