Fantasy

NBA DraftKings & FanDuel DFS Primer: April 16

FantasyPros breaks down the top DraftKings and FanDuel daily fantasy players for the West Play-In games on Tuesday.

Joel Bartilotta, FantasyPros

April 16, 2024 4:27 PM

New Orleans’ Zion Williamson has scored at least 36 DraftKings fantasy points in the last 10 games.

The last few weeks of the regular season were a bit chaotic, so it’s nice that we’re finally getting into the playoffs. Having two Play-In matchups on the slate Tuesday is all a basketball fan could ask for. It’s tough to get a read on these games, too, but it should lead to a fun DFS card. With that in mind, let’s look at this short slate!

Core plays

De’Aaron Fox (PG – SAC): $8,600 DraftKings, $9,900 FanDuel

Fox is the fastest player in the NBA, and he was blitzing his opponents in the final month of the year. The speedster had at least 39 DraftKings points in nine of his final 10 games, providing a 49-point average in that span. That’s not far off his 46-point average this year, but he needs to do more with Monk sidelined. We love the matchup with Golden State, too, with Fox finishing with at least 55 DK points in two of their three matchups this year.

Zion Williamson (PF – NOP): $8,100 DraftKings, $9,200 FanDuel

Zion has taken his game to another level in the second half of the season. The big man scored at least 36 DraftKings points in the last 10 games he’s finished, generating a 48-point average in that span. That’s what you’re looking for from a former top pick, especially in a premier matchup with LA. Zion has 36 DK points in three straight games against the Lakers, showcasing a 52-point upside against them back in February.

Cash game considerations

Anthony Davis (PF/C – LAL): $9,700 DraftKings, $11,500 FanDuel

AD has quietly had a bounce back season in LA, averaging 54 DraftKings points per game. That’s the highest total on this slate, and it pairs beautifully with a 40-point floor. That floor rises by 10 points in a playoff game against his former team, with AD averaging 47 DK points per game in their four matchups this year.

Domantas Sabonis (C – SAC): $9,600 DraftKings, $10,800 FanDuel

Sabonis broke the record for most consecutive double-doubles, and that’s precisely what you’re looking for from a cash game option. That established a 40-point floor for the big man, who averaged nearly 60 DraftKings points per game in that stretch. That’s hard to overlook against the Lakers, who allow the eighth-most fantasy points to opposing centers. In their four matchups this season, Sabonis is averaging 17.3 points, 11.3 rebounds, and 9.5 assists per game.

GPP targets

Brandon Ingram (SF – NOP): $7,300 DraftKings, $8,100 FanDuel

Ingram is risky because he just returned from an injury in the final game of the season. We’re willing to take a risk on him in a GPP, though, because BI is usually $1,000 more on each site when he’s healthy. We have to assume he’ll be ready for his usual 35 minutes here, averaging nearly 40 fantasy points per game in a full-time role. He also gets a revenge game against the Lakers, who own a 26th OPRK against opposing forwards!

Keegan Murray (PF – SAC): $5,500 DraftKings, $6,400 FanDuel

Murray’s upside is hard to overlook. The sharpshooting forward has mixed 40-point games with 15-point games all season, but we’re assuming he’ll play 35-40 minutes and take 15-20 shots in this must-win game. We’ve seen more of that recently, with Keegan scoring at least 33 DraftKings points in seven of his last nine outings. In three games against Golden State, Murray averaged 14.3 shots and 39 minutes a night during the regular season!

Value plays

Draymond Green (PF/C – GSW): $6,400 DraftKings, $6,800 FanDuel

Green has been Golden State’s most valuable player in the second half of the season. The versatile big man averaged 33 DraftKings points per game across his final 15 games. The stat-stuffing led to that production, doing that damage across just 29 minutes a night. He’s likely looking at 35-40 minutes in this must-win game, which is incredible since he faces a 23rd-ranked Sacramento defense.

Herbert Jones (SF/PF – NOP): $5,100 DraftKings, $5,600 FanDuel

Jones is not the sort of guy who will jump off a stat sheet, but he’s one of the most valuable players on the court because of his defense. That was clear when he scored 30 and 31 DK points in his final two games, regularly playing 35-40 minutes a night. That alone makes him way too cheap below $6K on both sites, especially since that 31-point gem was against this lackluster Lakers defense.

Advantageous pricing