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The top daily fantasy basketball lineup picks for DraftKings and FanDuel on April 28, 2022. Euan Leith provides NBA DFS analysis and sleeper picks for building optimal DFS rosters.
Happy Thursday, RotoBallers! We could be playing our last three-game slate of the NBA DFS season, depending on tonight's results. While the playoffs get better as we get deeper into the postseason, it becomes slim pickings in DFS land. So, cards on the table, I'm cheering for all three home teams to win and give us some Game 7s to watch this weekend.
One injury to watch is Devin Booker. Reports say he is targeting a Game 6 or 7 return. While that seems unlikely, considering he was supposed to be out for 3-4 weeks after the initial injury, a return by the MVP candidate would put a dent in the ceiling of every Phoenix player.
| AWAY | HOME | O/U | SPREAD | TOT (A) | TOT (H) |
| PHI | TOR | 209 | 1.5 | 105.25 | 103.75 |
| PHX | NOP | 214.5 | 2 | 108.25 | 106.25 |
| DAL | UTA | 209 | -3 | 103.00 | 106.00 |
This article will provide you with my daily fantasy basketball lineup picks for DraftKings and FanDuel on 4/28/22. 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
Luka Doncic - PG, DAL at UTA ($11,000 DraftKings, $11,000 FanDuel)
He sure looks healthy to me. Despite suffering a calf strain less than three weeks ago, Luka Doncic is showing he's still the best player in this series. The Slovenian missed the first three games against the Jazz but has come back with a vengeance. In Games 4 and 5, Doncic torched Utah while averaging 31.5 points, 11.5 rebounds, and 4.5 assists in 33.5 minutes. As Luka moves further away from his injury, his performance will only improve. Despite Utah's reputation as a stingy defense, the three-time All-Star has more than enough tricks up his sleeve to deliver another formidable DFS performance.
C.J. McCollum - PG/SG, NOP vs. PHX ($8,600 DK; $8,600 FD)
I'm still waiting for CJ McCollum to bust out one of his red-hot performances in this playoff series. So, if this is the last chance we may get to see one, I'm betting on it happening tonight. I'm not saying McCollum hasn't been good for the Pelicans in the series. Actually, he's been superb. Over the first five games of this matchup with Phoenix, the guard averaged 23.4 points, 7.4 boards, and 5.6 assists for 45.1 DraftKings fantasy points. But, if the Pelicans want to head back to Arizona for a Game 7 instead of a tee time, they'll need all their stars (McCollum, Ingram, and Valanciunas) to come through with big-time games.
Others to consider: Chris Paul ($9,300; $10,200), Brandon Ingram ($9,000; $9,000), Jalen Brunson ($7,200; $7,600)
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DraftKings and FanDuel Forwards - NBA DFS Lineup Picks
Mikal Bridges - SF, PHX at NOP ($6,000 DK; $6,700 FD)
Usually, I wouldn't recommend going after a guy coming off a career night like Mikal Bridges. However, his salary barely rose after Game 5, and he remains a perfect mid-priced asset for our Thursday DFS squads. The fourth-year forward broke out on Tuesday night with 31 points on 12-for-17 shooting, with five rebounds, two assists, four blocks, a steal, and four three-pointers as the Suns took a 3-2 series lead. While DFS managers shouldn't expect that performance tonight, it certainly raises the ceiling for a guy like Bridges and makes him an easy addition to my lineups.
Danny Green - SF, PHI at TOR ($4,400 DK; $$4,100 FD)
With Matisse Thybulle (health protocols) unable to play in Game 6, getting Danny Green in your lineup is a safe way to come by guaranteed minutes. He played 46 minutes in Game 3 and should be in line for a similar workload on Thursday. In that 76ers win, Green produced nine points, seven rebounds, an assist, two steals, and three triples for 23.75 DK points. That's nothing to write home about, but at $4,400, I'm not expecting too much from the veteran forward.
Others to consider: Tobias Harris ($7,000; $7,500), Bojan Bogdanovic ($5,600; $5,600), Chris Boucher ($3,900; $4,200)
DraftKings and FanDuel Centers - NBA DFS Lineup Picks
Pascal Siakam - PF/C, TOR vs. PHI ($9,200 DK; $9,200 FD)
It's probably just a coincidence that Pascal Siakam's two best games of the series came after Joel Embiid's thumb injury was announced. However, it's a trend we can work with. Here are Siakam's splits in the series:
| Games | PTS | REB | AST | DK FPPG | FD FPPG |
| 1-3 | 18.7 | 6 | 5.3 | 38.7 | 39.2 |
| 4 & 5 | 28.5 | 9 | 6 | 52 | 50.3 |
If Embiid's injury is the cause of the Siakam's rise, then we can expect more of the same for Game 6 north of the border. The torn thumb ligament isn't going to heal itself overnight (or for the rest of the playoffs), and it looks like Siakam is attacking at will in the last two games. Fire him up in tournaments as a pivot off the probably-still-popular Joel Embiid.
Jonas Valanciunas - C, NOP vs. PHX ($7,500 DK; $7,800 FD)
I recommended Valancuinas on Tuesday, and he came through for our squads with a stable 42 DK points. However, he's shown the type of ceiling he has with two 50-point outings in the first four games of this series. Another outing in that like would be a welcome sight on a small, three-game schedule. Plus, it provides managers with a surplus of cash to go big at the guard spot. JV has four double-doubles in this series, and shouldn't have a problem collecting his fifth in six games against the Suns. If you want to avoid Siakam and Embiid, I would much rather have the Pelicans center over Deandre Ayton and Rudy Gobert.
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