FanDuel NBA DFS Picks for Today (Thursday, 4/3/25): Daily Fantasy Basketball Advice

These are the guys I’m locking into my FanDuel first and foremost and those I start with in cash games.

Deni Avdija - POR - SF/PF ($8.7K)

Deni Avdija is playing at a whole other level at the moment. He finished as runner-up to the Western Conference Player of the Month for his electric play and has kept Portland alive in the play-in hopes.

He has four 50+ performances in the last seven games and gets a solid matchup here against the Raptors, who have given up the seventh-most fantasy points to opposing PFs across the last 15 games. With the Trail Blazers being injured as much as they are, the focal point will be on Avdija getting as many touches as possible and letting him handle the game.

Deni Avdija's last 11 games...

🏀 25.9 PTS
🏀 10.8 REB
🏀 5.5 AST
🏀 52.8 FG%
🏀 48.1 3P%

...and a 32-point triple-double last night for the @trailblazers' ASCENDING young forward!pic.twitter.com/dPiFGrZwSJ

— NBA (@NBA) April 2, 2025

LeBron James - LAL - SF/PF ($9.7K)

I like LeBron quite a bit in this spot, as he gets the benefit of a very close game in a big matchup against Stephen Curry and the Warriors. Since coming back from injury, he has scored in the 40-50 FP range in the last four games.

This is similar scoring to what Luka Doncic has been doing for nearly a $2K discount! I believe that Doncic has the higher ceiling, but the discount we are getting on James is well worth the similar output. This game has big playoff implications, with the Lakers only leading the Warriors by two games in the standings. Expect James to be on his A-game for this one.

Stephen Curry - GSW - PG ($8.9K)

For the same reasons that I chose LeBron James, I chose Stephen Curry. He is coming off one of the best shooting performances I've seen in a while. Scoring 92 FP in the process, the Lakers have been in the middle of the pack when it comes to guarding PGs this season, but in the last seven games, they have given up the most FP to PGs.

Curry has been on a tear, and with a player like Jimmy Butler III alongside him, Curry has the potential for a big boom here. I'll be heavily targeting this game, with it being one of few with a reasonable spread.

These are the guys who may not garner as much ownership but make for great tournament plays.

Giannis Antetokounmpo - MIL - PF ($12.3K)

I think Giannis' price and potential blowout might deter people away from him, but with how depleted Milwaukee is, Philadelphia could stay within range of this one.

He is coming off a massive 70 FP performance against Phoenix, and with Milwaukee needing to push up the standings, it will need the Greek Freak at full force, especially with Damian Lillard being down. Philadelphia has given up the second-most fantasy points to opposing PFs across the last 15 games, and Antetokounmpo should have no issue getting the job done.

Jimmy Butler - GSW - SF/PF ($8.3K)

I'm going to be very heavy on this game. Butler paired with Curry could be a GPP winner. Butler has had 35+ FP in seven of his last eight games, and with a close one like this, I imagine he is going to be all over the court. The Lakers are also giving up the sixth-most fantasy points to SFs across the last seven games. I don't see Butler being used too heavily in cash games, but he has the potential to be a GPP winner.

Tyler Herro - MIA - SG/PG ($8.5K)

Tyler Herro has been on a tear recently, as he has had 42+ FP in four of his last five games, including a 51 FP performance against Boston last night. He gets a solid matchup here against Memphis, which has been streaky against SGs recently, giving up the fourth-most fantasy points across the last seven days.

With Andrew Wiggins out, Herro has become the primary option here in Miami. With a tight point spread and a high point total, Herro could be in for a massive scoring night, especially with Miami trying to avoid the ninth seed in the playoffs.

Tyler Herro over his last 6 games:

25 PTS - 6 REB - 9 AST
27 PTS - 5 REB - 5 AST
30 PTS - 3 REB - 7 AST
36 PTS - 4 AST - 76% FG
20 PTS - 3 REB - 7 AST
29 PTS - 6 REB - 3 AST

(Via @realapp_ ) pic.twitter.com/Ks8Y2G1pm9

— NBACentral (@TheDunkCentral) April 3, 2025

These sub-$6,000 options are perfect for rounding out your roster.

Matisse Thybulle - POR - SF ($4.6K)

Thybulle stepped up hugely when Anfernee Simons was ruled out in the last game. He ended up playing 29 minutes in his last contest in the win against Atlanta. If Simons is once again ruled out, I would expect Thybulle to step up again and bring his defense to this game, where he finished with five steals in the last one. At only $4K, he is worth a shot when he has a 25-30 FP upside.

Pelle Larsson - MIA - SG ($4.6K)

Once again, Larsson is too cheap. He hit nearly seven times his price in the win over Boston last night. Larsson should continue to play with the first unit and see a solid usage rate. As long as he continues to see 30 minutes a game, his price is too cheap to ignore, as is his teammate, Davion Mitchell.

He gets a much better matchup going against Memphis than he did going against Boston last night. As long as Andrew Wiggins and Duncan Robinson remain out, Larsson continues to be an elite value play.

Pelle Larsson’s last 3 games:

16 points | 4 rebounds | 4 assists

15 points | 7 rebounds | 5 assists

14 points | 6 rebounds | 4 assistspic.twitter.com/eP6B0L5sMn

— Brady Hawk (@BradyHawk305) April 3, 2025

Jamal Shead - TOR - PG ($5.7K)

Justin Edwards - PHI - SF/PF ($5.8K)

Justin Edwards has been playing big minutes with a large amount of the roster being out for Philly. And outside of his last game, where he shot extremely poorly, Edwards has had 28+ FP in seven of his last 10 games. If Guerschon Yabusele is out, both he and Adem Bona should see an even larger increase in usage, making them solid value options here.

Also Consider: Dalano Banton ($5.7K), Adem Bona ($5.6K), Orlando Robinson ($5.3K), Lonnie Walker IV ($5K), Davion Mitchell ($4.8K), Ryan Rollins ($5.5K)