NBA DFS Playbook April 18: Top DraftKings and FanDuel Plays

Published: Apr 18, 2023
We have a three-game NBA DFS main slate on tap for Tuesday, April 18th, as a bunch of Game 2's kick off in the NBA playoffs tonight. There are two very good game environments and one not so good. We don't have a lot of injury concerns on this slate and most teams head into their games at full strength. Check out our NBA DFS projections, powered by FanJections, NBA DFS Lineup Generator, and NBA DFS projections, powered by FanJections, NBA DFS Lineup Generator, and all of the rest of our NBA DFS content and tools! Now, it is time to break down Ray's top plays of the day for DraftKings and FanDuel!
Notable NBA Injuries
- Paul George - OUT
- Josh Hart – Upgraded from DOUBT to QUEST
- Cameron Payne - QUEST
NBA Game Totals
- Atlanta Hawks @ Boston Celtics - 230.5
- New York Knicks @ Cleveland Cavaliers - 214.5
- Los Angeles Clippers @ Phoenix Suns - 227
Best Pace Matchups
- Boston Celtics (20th) vs. Atlanta Hawks (6th)
Team Defensive Ratings
- Atlanta Hawks – 22nd
- New York Knicks – 19th
- Los Angeles Clippers – 17th
- Phoenix Suns – 7th
- Boston Celtics – 2nd
- Cleveland Cavaliers – 1st
Favorite Players to Use for NBA DFS Lineups
Kevin Durant, Phoenix Suns
It’s pretty much a lock that we’re only going to see Kevin Durant sit once per game at this point and at his price, it doesn’t really get better than him. He flashed tremendous upside in Game 1 falling just a rebound shy of a triple-double. With the Suns, Durant has a 1.26 FP/min average.
Donovan Mitchell, Cleveland Cavaliers
Look at what this man has done to the Knicks this year. It’s criminal how good he’s been. In five games, he’s averaged 33 points, 39.4 minutes, and 57.4 DKP. Considering they lost Game 1, Cleveland will call on Mitchell even more than they did in a game he scored 38 points in. The Knicks are the second-worst defensive-rated team on the slate.
Russell Westbrook, Los Angeles Clippers
Everyone wants to talk about how poorly Russell Westbrook was offensively in Game 1 and at least in the shooting department, but he impacted the game in SO many other areas. He had 44 DKP despite going 3-for-19 from the floor. With Paul George off the floor, Westbrook is the team’s de facto number two option, and the only thing we were really worried about was the minutes. Well, even in a game he couldn’t make a shot he played 36 minutes. He’s poised for a monster role this entire series.
Jarrett Allen, Cleveland Cavaliers
I know this game environment is not great, but the Cavs are easy to figure out. They’re all going to play 40 minutes, Allen included. He’s the cheapest of their top-four players and is coming off a 14-point, 14-rebound double-double. Allen has 13+ rebounds in all three games against the Knicks this year. Love Allen’s price and upside to match.
Marcus Smart, Boston Celtics
With Derrick White likely garnering ALL the ownership after his heroic Game 1 performance, let’s pivot to Marcus Smart for a few hundred dollars more. White is the more likely of the two to lose time to Malcolm Brogdon if Brogdon is sharp offensively. Smart did a little of everything last game and ended up with 40 DKP. The Celtics have the best match-up on the board.
Top NBA DFS Value Plays
- Derrick White, Boston Celtics
- Ivica Zubac, Los Angeles Clippers
- Robert Williams III, Boston Celtics
- Bogdan Bogdanovic, Atlanta Hawks
- Torrey Craig & Landry Shamet (GPPs), Phoenix Suns
Player Pool
$ Tier | {{pos.alias}} |
---|---|
{{tier.name}} | |
Stacks
{{stack.team.name}} | {{player.name}} |
![]() | {{player.fantasy.price.value[8]}}- |
![]() | {{player.fantasy.price.value[6]}}- |