Tuesday’s NBA Playoff tips off at 7:30 p.m. ET on DraftKings and FanDuel. There are several options in the player pool worth analyzing to find the top NBA DFS building blocks and NBA DFS picks. Let’s dig into the NBA DFS picks and core plays like Luka Doncic and Kyrie Irving, along with a variety of secondary players as premium targets.
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NBA DFS Picks & Building Blocks Today: Tuesday, April 23
NBA DFS Picks: Building Blocks
Luka Doncic: Mavericks at Clippers
Stokastic’s Fantasy Point Projections
DraftKings: 65.72 | FanDuel: 61.35
Stokastic’s Rostership Projections
DraftKings: 17.3% | FanDuel: 23.3%
DFS Salary
DraftKings $11,900 | FanDuel: $12,300
Luka Doncic was everything DFS gamers expected in Game 1 and his backers felt like winners despite the Mavericks actually losing in Los Angeles.
Tonight should be a tight battle, with the Clippers 1-point home favorites. Damian Lillard is the only player with a median fantasy point projection within 15 of Doncic, so it is clear the Dallas superstar is the key to the slate.
Coach Jason Kidd obviously made some adjustments for the second half after his team compiled a terrible 30-point first half. The Mavs had 34 points in the third and 33 in the fourth, actually outscoring the Clippers 67 to 53 in the second half. Of course, adjustments will be made by both sides, but at least Dallas has a glimmer of hope.
Kyrie Irving was outstanding, sinking 10 of 18 field goal attempts and eight of nine free throws. He tallied 31 points, seven rebounds, four assists and a pair of steals in total. That is excellent production from a fantasy point-per-dollar perspective, plus he is cheaper and less popular than his backcourt mate. This duo so thoroughly dominates the usage, it is hard to advocate for any of their teammates. Yes, Daniel Gafford, PJ Washington or Maximilian Kleber could have a useful game, but good luck predicting which one before the final horn sounds.
Kawhi Leonard did not play in Game 1, and the last time he was on the court was March 31, which was three weeks ago. He is questionable again tonight and if he remains out as expected, James Harden and Paul George are borderline core plays. This is the last game of the night, so savvy strategists will need to be prepared for all contingencies.
Terance Mann and Amir Coffey will get the biggest hits if Leonard returns, with Coffey likely going back to the second unit. That would also potentially pinch Norman Powell, though even if Leonard plays, he may have a 28- to 30-minute cap as well as his coach being ready to pull him at a moment’s notice with this only being the second game of the postseason.
Damian Lillard: Bucks vs. Pacers
Stokastic’s Fantasy Point Projections
DraftKings: 49.98 | FanDuel: 47.23
Stokastic’s Rostership Projections
DraftKings: 20.5% | FanDuel: 29.1%
DFS Salary
DraftKings: $9,300 | FanDuel: $9,500
Damian Lillard poured in 35 points during the first half but missed all five of his second half field goal attempts as he became the focus of the Indiana defense. The Bucks are just 1-point favorites in Milwaukee tonight, with Giannis Antetokounmpo unlikely to play.
The big questions are, what will the Pacers do against Lillard to prevent a repeat performance, and what adjustments will coach Glenn Rivers make?
Expect the Bucks to continue with a tight rotation, keeping Pat Beverley with the first five to provide backcourt defense. He does a little bit of everything, so with unfettered minutes, he is a viable fantasy building block. There will likely be some mixing and matching with starter Bobby Portis and reserves Pat Connaughton, Jae Crowder and Malik Beasley off the bench for the last two spots. Crowder had just 12 minutes in the last game, while Connaughton had 22. This allocation could easily flip, or Beasley could be cold from the field and ride the pine, or Portis could once again get in foul trouble. The difference between this quartet and the Dallas tertiary plays is that the Milwaukee players will at least produce when on the court.
Brook Lopez had his fantasy day salvaged with three blocks, but he had a meager four rebounds, while Portis and Khris Middleton each corralled double-digit caroms. Middleton is a strong secondary option, with Lopez best left as a tournament differentiator.
Tyrese Haliburton was disappointing, scoring only 9 points and attempting seven field goals. That could easily double tonight, and he is not getting the love from the rest of the field. Pascal Siakam racked up 36 points, which will probably be cut in half tonight, as he projects for closer to 15 attempts than the 25 he had in Game 1.
Myles Turner is the only other solid fantasy selection from the Pacers, and while he will likely be a slate-breaker once in this series, it is hard to know when and who it will be at the expense of between Siakam and Haliburton.
Obi Toppin and Jalen Smith should each see around a dozen minutes backing up the frontcourt positions, though that could slide down to 10 or surge up to 15 depending on how they are playing and other outside circumstances. T.J. McConnell will get whatever point guard minutes are available when Haliburton is resting, and the duo is likely to overlap for four or five minutes in-game.
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Today’s Top Sports Betting Pick
Tonight we have a rare plus-money under on Anthony Edwards’ 3.5 rebounds prop.
By using OddsShopper to do the heavy lifting when researching favorable bets, we can quickly spot inefficient lines like this one, and having accounts at multiple sportsbooks allows us to pivot to the best number quickly.
The under on the 3.5 for this wager is currently available at +125 on DraftKings and SuperBook, and with true odds of -105 (how OddsShopper measures the potential expected ROI of a given wager), there is a wicked 15.8% expected ROI with the current line.
Move quickly as there is no way this line lasts. Though that is the beauty and power of OddsShopper find the best lines at any point in the day.
NBA Bet Pro has Edwards projected for 38.7 minutes and 5.67 rebounds. That is just above the current milestone, which is why it is crucial to get it at plus money. In the first game, the Timberwolves embarrassed the Suns with a 52-28 rebounding advantage. While it is unlikely to be as lopsided again tonight, there are a lot of good rebounders on the court, and with that not being Edwards’ primary focus, he is going to be hard-pressed to get nine again tonight. Getting six-plus, well, that is in play, but also why we need this wager at the current odds.
Final Thoughts on NBA DFS Picks & Building Blocks Today
Get all the latest news and updates for NBA DFS picks today on the Stokastic NBA Live Before Lock Show at 6:30 p.m. ET on YouTube, breaking down all of the key elements for today’s slate. Brought to you by Sleeper – new users, use this link to receive a $500 first deposit match! Full details here.
