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The top daily fantasy basketball lineup picks for DraftKings and FanDuel on April 26, 2022. Euan Leith provides NBA DFS analysis and sleeper picks for building optimal DFS rosters.
Happy Tuesday, RotoBallers! There's some excellent playoff basketball on our screens tonight as Miami looks to close out Atlanta in fives games. Meanwhile, Phoenix-New Orleans and Memphis-Minnesota do battle, looking to take a 3-2 edge in the series.
Game 5s have proved crucial throughout NBA history. When a series is tied 2-2, the Game 5 winner advances 82.2 percent of the time.
| AWAY | HOME | O/U | SPREAD | TOT (A) | TOT (H) |
| ATL | MIA | 217.5 | -7 | 105.25 | 112.25 |
| MIN | MEM | 233 | -7 | 113.00 | 120.00 |
| NOP | PHX | 214.5 | -10.5 | 102.00 | 112.50 |
This article will provide you with my daily fantasy basketball lineup picks for DraftKings and FanDuel on 4/26/22. Remember to monitor the NBA injury report as the slate can completely change before lineup lock at 7:00 pm Eastern. Good luck, RotoBallers.
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DraftKings and FanDuel Guards - NBA DFS Lineup Picks
Chris Paul - PG, PHX vs. NOP ($9,000 DraftKings; $10,300 FanDuel)
Don't make him angry. You won't like him when he's angry. That's the sentiment I get around heading into tonight's Game 5 versus New Orleans. The last time he was held to less than 10 points in a playoff game was last year in the final game of his first round series against the Los Angeles Lakers. The future Hall of Famer responded by averaging 25.5 points and 10.3 assists over the next four games as the Suns swept the Denver Nuggets. I wouldn't want to be a Pelicans guard tonight as I expect Paul to come out firing and rectify his subpar Game 4 outing.
Desmond Bane - SG, MEM vs. MIN ($6,800 DK; $7,200 FD)
Justin Jackson Jr. gets all the plaudits, but Desmond Bane is the second-best player for Memphis in this first-round series. This season, the second-year guard has taken a giant leap and is turning into the perfect running mate with Ja Morant. In games 1-4, Bane averages 23.3 points, 3.8 rebounds, 2.8 assists, and an unconscious 4.8 three-pointers a night. Over the last seven games, Minnesota's giving up 4.5 triples a night top shooting guards. So DFS managers can expect the deep-ball barrage to continue from Memphis, and it raises the ceiling of Bane and the rest of the Grizzlies' three-point shooters.
Max Strus - SG/SF, MIA vs. ATL ($4,600 DK; $4,400 FD)
Max Strus is 2022's version of Duncan Robinson before the "Oh my god, they're paying him how much?" contract kicks in. His role in the Heat's offense is growing by the game, and should remain on that trajectory as long as Kyle Lowry remains out. Over the first four games, Strus is putting up 13.8 points, 1.3 steals, and 3.3 triples per game in only 28 minutes. Keep an eye on the injury report for Lowry because if the veteran sits again, Strus is an excellent option to fill out your lineup.
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DraftKings and FanDuel Forwards - NBA DFS Lineup Picks
Jimmy Butler - SF/PF, MIA vs. ATL ($9,200 DK; $10,800 FD)
Some stars would lose their running mate in the playoffs, shut it down, and call it a day. I'm not sure what the complete opposite of that feeling is, but I know Jimmy Butler has it. The six-time All-Star is going supernova on the Atlanta Hawks. Unfortunately, they were gravely mistaken if they thought their chances would improve with Kyle Lowry on the sideline. Over the last three games, Butler's giving us 33.7 points, 8.3 boards, 5.7 dimes, and 3.4 stocks (steals+blocks). No one in a Hawks jersey can or will stop Butler right now. He's a top-three player to anchor your DFS lineups with on Tuesday.
De'Andre Hunter - SF, ATL at MIA ($4,700 DK; $4,600 FD)
Someone on the Hawks besides Trae Young has to step up if Atlanta wants their playoffs to continue. I'm betting on De'Andre Hunter to be that guy as I've always believed in his talent and think he can be an important piece on a championship roster. The third-year forward set a new playoff career-high with 24 points in Game 4 and added four three-pointers, three rebounds, and an assist in 30 minutes. If the Hawks go down, they need to go down swinging with their best five. Hunter is part of that five, and a 35-minute evening will bring along more than enough DFS points for his $4,700 salary on DraftKings.
Jarred Vanderbilt - PF, MIN at MEM ($4,100 DK; $5,400 FD)
Send me a tweet if you know we're getting good Karl-Anthony Towns or bad Karl-Anthony Towns in Game 5 of this series. I'm betting on the latter as the star forward is extremely up and down right now. Meanwhile, Jarred Vanderbilt keeps chugging along. When playing at least 20 minutes this postseason (including the play-in game), Vanderbilt's averaging 10.3 rebounds and 1.6 steals a game. I've always liked him since he entered the league with the Nuggets, and is a perfect complementary option to your DFS lineup if you need some salary relief.
DraftKings and FanDuel Centers - NBA DFS Lineup Picks
Jonas Valanciunas - C, NOP at PHX ($7,400 DK; $7,800 FD)
I still expect Phoenix to win the series, but the way New Orleans utilized Jonas Valanciunas in Game 4 was mighty impressive. In 33 minutes, the big man lit up the Suns with 26 points on 9-for-15 shooting, with 15 rebounds, four assists, and one triple. He's got two games with 50 or more DK points in the playoffs already, and if he gets another, the Suns could be on the brink of a historic series loss. At $7,400, there's too much upside here to ignore JV, and he'll be peppered among my Tuesday lineups for sure.
Brandon Clarke - PF/C, MEM vs. MIN ($5,900 DK; $5,900 FD)
Brandon Clarke accrues DFS points when his teammate, Jaren Jackson Jr., is in foul trouble. Fortunately, for Clarke managers, Triple J is always in foul trouble. 5, 4, 5, 6: that's Jackson's foul count through the first four games of this series. As a result, Clarke averages 32.9 fantasy points per game when he plays 27 or more minutes in the playoffs, but only 23.75 in games he doesn't reach that 27-minute mark. Jackson has the higher ceiling, but his mistakes have turned Clarke into the more consistent DFS option. I'll take the consistency in Game 5 tonight and roll with the 25-year-old against a porous Minnesota frontcourt.
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