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Zach's top DraftKings NBA DFS picks for today, Monday, 4/7/25. His favorite daily fantasy basketball lineup sleepers and value picks for DraftKings DFS.
With less than a week left in the regular season, the NBA starts the work week with just two games on Monday's main slate. The Kings are in the Motor City to take on the Pistons, while the 76ers are in South Beach to take on the Heat. Even though there are only four teams in the player pool, several options stand out from a DFS perspective as strong plays to consider. Even though it's just a two-game slate, it should be a fun small slate to start off the busy week.
Of the four teams on the main slate, the Kings are the only team playing for the second day in a row after beating the Cavs in Cleveland on Sunday. None of these teams play on Tuesday, as the league gets all 30 teams lined up to play both Friday night and Sunday afternoon to cap off the regular season. While there are several key injuries to monitor, several players stand out as strong options from a DFS perspective on DraftKings. If you're looking for help for your FanDuel lineup, check out Thunder Dan's FanDuel picks!
This article will provide you with my daily fantasy basketball lineup picks for DraftKings on 4/7/25. Remember to monitor NBA injury news and our awesome NBA injuries report tool, as the slate can completely change before lineups lock at 7:00 p.m. EST on DraftKings.
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DraftKings NBA DFS Core Picks
Bam Adebayo, MIA – PF/C ($9.2K)
Adebayo and the Heat are locked into the Play-in Tournament, which tips off next Monday. They have four games left on the schedule, starting with this favorable matchup against the Sixers. The availability of Tyler Herro ($9K; thigh) is one key factor to figuring out Monday's slate since the All-Star guard missed Saturday's game with a thigh contusion and is questionable for Monday.
Without Herro on Saturday, Bam went off for 31 points, 12 boards, and 61.5 DraftKings points.
TONIGHT BAM ADEBAYO:
➡ 31 POINTS
➡ 12 REBOUNDS
➡ 5 ASSISTS
➡ 2 STEALS
➡ 1 BLOCK pic.twitter.com/aJkMKhPjzq— Digits Sports App (@Digits3App) April 6, 2025
Bam has averaged 41.3 DraftKings points per game since the All-Star break with a 25.0% usage rate. During that span with Herro off the floor, his usage rate spikes to 29.1 percent, and in his two full games without Herro, he averaged 62 DraftKings points per contest.
If Herro is out, Bam is a must-start. Even if Herro returns, he should dominate the matchup against the Sixers and be able to post another big total at either power forward or center.
Davion Mitchell, MIA – PG ($5.5K)
My other core play is also from the Heat, but Mitchell is more affordable than Bam and brings both a high ceiling and a high floor. Mitchell has been excellent since taking his talents to South Beach at the trade deadline. He has emerged on the offensive end while still playing excellent defense.
Davion Mitchell since joining the Heat:
• 10.2 PPG
• 5.1 APG*
• 2.7 RPG*
• 1.3 SPG*
• 50% FG*
• 46% 3P** = career-highs
— 𝙃𝙀𝘼𝙏 𝙉𝘼𝙏𝙄𝙊𝙉 (@HeatvsHaters) April 6, 2025
Mitchell has at least 30 DraftKings points in three straight games and five of his last six. Without Herro, he had 20 points, five assists, two rebounds, and 31.5 DraftKings points against the Bucks. He matched his season-high in points, but his assists were actually down a tick since he had seven+ assists in three straight and five of six before Saturday's contest.
Without Herro, he'll have to take a more active scoring role, but even with Herro playing, Mitchell has a great chance to return value in this favorable matchup against the Sixers. He has been playing well over 30 minutes a game and has been very consistent over the last few weeks.
Others Under Consideration: DeMar DeRozan - SF ($8.3K), Quentin Grimes - PG/SG ($8.8K)
DraftKings NBA DFS Tournament Pivots
Domantas Sabonis, SAC - C ($10K)
The Kings beat the Cavs on Sunday and now take on the Pistons. Jalen Duren ($7.3K; leg) missed Detroit's last on Saturday and is questionable, which could make the matchup even tastier for Sabonis, who has looked sharp since returning from a few injury issues over the past month.
Sabonis played 40 minutes on Sunday, so there could be some fatigue, which is why he is a tournament pivot instead of a core play. In those 40 minutes, he racked up 49.75 DraftKings points on 27 points, nine rebounds, seven assists, and two steals. He was initially given credit for 10 rebounds before a scoring adjustment that cost him the double-double.
The Sacramento Kings conquered the Land behind big games from their stars 👑
📊 Zach LaVine: 37 PTS
📊 DeMar DeRozan: 28 PTS
📊 Domantas Sabonis: 27 PTS pic.twitter.com/Pgc4fLgunZ— NBA Philippines (@NBA_Philippines) April 7, 2025
Sabonis has at least 48 DraftKings points in four straight games, and he should keep rolling in Detroit, especially if Duren is out and the Pistons' frontcourt is stretched thin once again.
Zach LaVine, SAC – SG/SF ($7.8K)
LaVine hasn't been as consistent as Sabonis over the last few weeks, but he did have a huge game on Sunday against Cleveland, posting 37 points and 43.5 DraftKings points. He also had a big game against the Hornets on Friday, finishing with a double-double of 25 points, 10 rebounds, and 47.5 DraftKings points.
He faced the Pistons once this season when he was with the Bulls and scored 25 points and 45 DraftKings points in 35 minutes. He has a very high ceiling for a player under $8K on this slate, so he makes a ton of sense for tournament lineups where adding more risk makes sense as long as it raises the ceiling of your roster enough, which LaVine definitely does.
Ausar Thompson, DET - SF/PF ($6.6K)
Thompson has stepped up for the Pistons as they look to push past the Bucks for the fifth seed in the Eastern Conference. The Pistons have already clinched a top-six spot and will make the playoffs after their remarkable turnaround this season.
On Saturday, they got Cade Cunningham ($10.5K) back from a six-game absence but were without Tobias Harris ($6.4K; heel) and Duren. Harris and Duren are both questionable for Monday, and if both or either are out, Thompson could again help do extra work on the glass. On Saturday, he had a nice double-double of 18 points and 11 rebounds for 44.75 DraftKings points in a six-point loss to Memphis. He also had one of the most impressive blocks of the season:
Ausar Thompson came literally from out of nowhere, sprinting from the other side of the court to make this play
The athletic gifts with that motor & defensive ability will make him a monster for years to come pic.twitter.com/YkMYXtKGIj
— Point Made Basketball (@pointmadebball) April 6, 2025
Thompson has posted over 37 DraftKings points in three straight and four of his last five, showing he has a high enough ceiling to be an excellent option at this mid-range salary.
Others Under Consideration: Cade Cunningham - PG ($10.5K), Andrew Wiggins - SF/PF ($6.9K), Kel'el Ware - C ($6K), Jared Butler - PG ($5.7K)
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DraftKings NBA DFS Value Picks
Adem Bona, PHI - C ($5.3K)
With Joel Embiid (knee) and Andre Drummond (toe) out, Bona has been picking up big minutes for the Sixers down the stretch and could get even more work on Monday with Guerschon Yabusele (personal) also unavailable. Bona has shown a very high ceiling and had at least 30 DraftKings points in four straight games before slowing down a little on Saturday against the Timberwolves with just 23.5 DraftKings points.
Against the Heat just over a week ago, he had 16 points, 10 rebounds, and 38 DraftKings points, and last Thursday, he had a career-high 28 points on his way to 44 DraftKings points against the Bucks.
Adem Bona : Career-high 28 points (13-15 shooting & 2-3 from the FT line), 6 rebounds, 2 steals, 3 blocks & 5 fouls in 35 minutes pic.twitter.com/aFsQYKuPZp
— Lee Harvey (@MusikFan4Life) April 4, 2025
With plenty of usage and minutes available, he should be a great value against the Heat on Monday night, even though Miami is a tough matchup for centers.
Isaiah Stewart, DET – C ($4.8K)
Stewart stepped into the starting lineup in place of Duren on Saturday and had 16 points, eight rebounds, four assists, three blocks, two steals, and 41.5 DraftKings points against the Grizzlies.
Isaiah Stewart today:
16 Points
8 Rebounds
4 Assists
3 Blocks
2 Steals
7/11 FGM
2/4 3PMBeef Stew. 😤 pic.twitter.com/wCWVfRPnOQ
— Hoop Central (@TheHoopCentral) April 6, 2025
Stewart has been a great per-minute contributor off the bench behind Duren this season, and he showed he can step up to the next level if given the opportunity. If he gets another start on Monday, he'll be an elite value under $5K.
Keon Ellis, SAC – PG/SG ($4.3K)
Ellis has started each of the last eight games for Sacramento, with Malik Monk ($7.1K) coming off the bench in the last five games since returning from a three-game absence due to illness. Ellis averaged 8.8 points, 3.4 rebounds, 2.6 assists, 2.0 steals, and 21.4 DraftKings points per contest.
On Sunday, he played 40 minutes and hounded Darius Garland and Donovan Mitchell to help push the Kings to the big win. He finished with four steals to go with 11 points, three boards, three assists, and two blocked shots for 32.75 DraftKings points.
KEON ELLIS IS HIMpic.twitter.com/SXFRgxL9ld https://t.co/M22vGW2esG
— 𝑹𝑼𝑵 (@RunWithFox) April 6, 2025
He'll be a great value option on Monday against the Pistons, as he tries to slow down Cunningham and still chip in stats on the offensive end as well.
Others Under Consideration: Lonnie Walker IV - SG/SF ($5.2K), Duncan Robinson - SG/SF ($4K), Tim Hardaway Jr. - SG/SF ($4.4K), Trey Lyles - PF/C ($3.6K), Alec Burks - PG/SF ($4.2K)
Today's Top NBA DFS Game Stack
Kings at Pistons (230 total)
Of the two games, the matchup between the Kings and Pistons has a much higher point total since both teams play at a good pace. Over the last 15 games, the Pistons have ranked fourth in the NBA in pace, so it should be a good pace-up spot for the Kings.
Domantas Sabonis ($10K), Zach LaVine ($7.8K), and DeMar DeRozan ($8.3K) form the core of the Kings stack, while Keon Ellis ($4.3K) and Trey Lyles ($3.6K) are affordable ways to round it out. Keegan Murray ($6.1K; back) and Jake LaRavia ($3.4K; thumb) both missed Sunday's game but could make a difference in the rotation if they return from injury.
The Pistons also have uncertainty in the frontcourt with Duren and Harris questionable, but Ausar Thompson ($6.6K) and Isaiah Stewart ($4.8K) are strong options to stack if asked to step up. Cade Cunningham ($10.5K) was solid in his return on Saturday, although a little rusty with his shooting.
Tim Hardaway Jr. ($4.4K) and Malik Beasley ($5.8K) helped pick up the scoring slack in his absence and could contribute more on Monday against the Kings if Cade is still a little off.
My Favorite NBA DFS Picks for Today
Here is where I leave you with some of my favorites.
- My favorite OVERALL play on the slate: Bam Adebayo
- My favorite CASH play on the slate: Davion Mitchell
- My favorite GPP play on the slate: Domantas Sabonis
- My favorite VALUE play: Adem Bona
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