Thursday keeps the first round rolling, with another three-game featured slate locking at 7:00 p.m. ET lock time on FanDuel and DraftKings. Let’s get into the top NBA DFS picks and building blocks: Kawhi Leonard, James Harden and Kris Dunn look good for Los Angeles, while Josh Hart and O.G. Anunoby are going to need to step up if New York wants to split the games in Detroit. Cade Cunningham is the most appealing Piston, and the status of Michael Porter Jr. will determine which Denver players join Nikola Jokic for DFS relevance.
These picks are based on the latest available data. For real-time lineup updates, check out our NBA DFS Starting Lineups Page.
NBA DFS Picks Today – Building Blocks: Thursday, April 24
NBA DFS Picks Today: Building Blocks
Josh Hart: Knicks at Pistons
NBA DFS Projections
DraftKings: 36.86 | FanDuel: 36.53
NBA DFS Ownership Projections
DraftKings: 34.1% | FanDuel: 43.8%
DFS Salary
DraftKings: $6,700 | FanDuel: $7,000
Detroit was able to get the equalizer in Game 2 by focusing on Karl-Anthony Towns, preferring to put extra pressure on Jalen Brunson to carry the offense. The Pistons got the 100-94 victory, despite 37 points from Brunson.
If this strategy continues, it is going to be up to the rest of the first five to fill the gaps. Mikal Bridges was second on the team with 18 field goal attempts, making eight. Of course, he was only 3-for-11 from long range, otherwise he would have scored mid-20s points. He is in play as a boom-bust, scoring-dependent tournament option; however, Josh Hart is the real gem when factoring in salaries.
The Stokastic NBA DFS Projections have the do-everything wing in for 39 minutes, with a chance for more. While he is not as good a scorer as Bridges, converting just two or three extra chances would push his fantasy production into “gotta have” territory.
O.G. Anunoby has also stepped up his scoring production, helping to fill in for Towns and Brunson when the dynamic duo was injured during the regular season. He is another candidate for around 40 minutes of run, and his path to upside is continuing his success from behind the arc. He does not collect peripheral stats as quickly as Hart, though he is no slouch himself.
Cade Cunningham carried the Pistons to victory with 33 points, 12 rebounds, three assists and a pair of steals in 42 minutes of action. He had some scoring help from Dennis Schroder, who chipped in 20 points, getting to the line half a dozen times. He will be hard-pressed to replicate that, which just adds to the responsibilities for Cunningham.
While we don’t want to rely on past regular season matchups as a huge indicator of playoff outcomes, Cunningham averaged just over 50 fantasy points in the six games this year against New York. That is right in line with his season averages, against one of the better defenses in the league. The former first overall selection is an excellent pivot away from Shai Gilgeous-Alexander, who has been on cruise control for the first two games against Memphis.
In the early run of the Stokastic Boom/Bust Tool, Scotty Pippen Jr. and Jaren Jackson Jr. are among the most underrepresented players for the large-field tournaments on both DraftKings and FanDuel. Hart joins them on both sites, with Ausar Thompson rounding out the top 4 on FanDuel and Brunson on DraftKings.
The Grizzlies lost by 19, which was much better than the 51-points embarrassment in the opener. They should come out roaring in Memphis, but it may not be enough as they are nearly double-digit home dogs. The team also increased their scoring from 80 points to 99, which made most of the key rotational members at least neutral plays on the last slate.
Zach Edey was on the floor at the start of each quarter, though he played 26 minutes, and that appears to be a more realistic baseline. He attempted just three shots, making two, with seven rebounds, three assists and two blocks. He is in play on FanDuel ($5,100, 24.2%), though the opportunity cost of the center-only position is high with Jaren Duran rating out better.
Ja Morant will be getting extra attention from Gilgeous-Alexander, Jalen William, Luguentz Dort and Alex Caruso, which is a rough draw. Even if Desmond Bane or Jackson start to pick up the slack, the malleable defense will just shift over to them, with Chet Holmgren and Isaiah Hartenstein handling the frontcourt.
Santi Aldama can be considered a foundational play from Memphis, and Caruso is a desirable discount dandy on the two big DFS operators. Cason Wallace brings a little differentiation over Caruso and also has a clearer path to mop-up duty.
Stokastic’s NBA DFS Single Lineup Simulator is a groundbreaking tool that revolutionizes lineup building by providing data-driven simulations, making it a must-have for serious players. Check out how the Simulator evaluates this single lineup for this sample slate:
NBA DFS Picks Today: Building Blocks
Kawhi Leonard: Clippers vs. Nuggets
NBA DFS Projections
DraftKings: 43.51 | FanDuel: 43.23
NBA DFS Ownership Projections
DraftKings: 13.6% | FanDuel: 23.7%
DFS Salary
DraftKings: $8,500 | FanDuel: $9,000
Kawhi Leonard was simply sublime in Game 2, knocking down 15 of 19 field goal attempts for 39 points. He also had three “stocks” (combined steals and blocks) in both games, which is a nice bonus. He has not been shorted on playing time with 41 and 39 minutes, though his peripherals have been a little low. Depending on Denver’s defensive changes, Leonard could add a couple more rebounds and assists with his heavy workload.
Nikola Jokic put up another 60-fantasy point effort, and his median projection is a dozen fantasy points more than anyone other than Gilgeous-Alexander. Ivica Zubac has been putting forth a lot of energy trying to harangue the three-time MVP, so he may find things a little easier away from the Mile High City. That combined with the homecourt advantage is a little bonus for his fantasy prospects.
Kris Dunn is still the punt du jour; even with the slight uptick in his salary, the low-usage combo guard should still flirt with 20 fantasy points in around 30 minutes of run. James Harden continues chugging along, and he is a foundational play in all formats. After that, things get dodgy for the Clippers, with the rest of the cannon fodder best left for the two-game late slate or the single-game contests.
Michael Porter Jr. is questionable with a shoulder issue. If he is out, Russell Westbrook is very much in play with a boost also going to Christian Braun. If he is in, Westbrook is not enticing at all, though Braun is fine as a “last man in” type of play.
Jamal Murray played 48 and 42 minutes, though there are still worries about his hamstring holding up. The three days between games is helpful, but keep that in mind as a tiebreaker of sorts.
Today’s Top Sports Betting Picks
If you’re serious about winning in NBA DFS, you know the edge comes from having the right tools. The same principle applies to sports betting — and that’s where Portfolio EV steps in.
Take Jalen Brunson under 6.5 assists tonight for example. It’s a +EV bet, meaning it has positive expected value when compared to the best odds available across the market. But the real strength of Portfolio EV isn’t about finding just one good bet — it’s about consistently finding dozens. With the Mass Entry tool, you can scale up, place a high volume of +EV bets, and let the math do the heavy lifting.
Just like you wouldn’t count on one DFS lineup to ship a GPP, you don’t count on one bet to carry your night.
Portfolio EV is built for long-term profitability. It helps you spot market inefficiencies, compare lines across books and generate a steady stream of +EV bets. It doesn’t chase heaters, but rather trusts the numbers, follows a process and builds sustainable profit over time.
The focus for Brunson is to put the biscuit in the basket rather than being an offensive creator. Detroit chose to spend a lot of defensive effort against Karl-Anthony Towns, which closes off an assist recipient. Brunson handed out seven and eight helpers in the first two tilts, so this is a wager that is likely to come down to the wire. That is why the +152 is key and anything worse than +130 can be avoided.
Final Thoughts on NBA DFS Picks & Building Blocks Today
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