DFSGhost 
After a cool 20k win from one of our very own yesterday, we have another NBA slate to attack. This slate is vastly different for many teams, with the battle of getting the first overall pick at top of mind in the Minnesota/Houston game from a marquee matchup between Charlotte and Milwaukee in the Eastern conference. It’s Taco Tuesday’s edition of the Gems – let’s ride.
One thing I want to clarify based on the questions I have received is that I will never list a player under the $5,000 FD price tag simply because I use the projection model to identify all targets in these price ranges and below. While there are often plenty of options that I like in this range, you all have access to the very model I use to make my own selections, so when asking “Should I use player X or player Y?”, make sure to check the model because that is how I make all of my own decisions and I truly ride or die by it on a daily basis.
Before running to the DraftKings, FanDuel, or Yahoo lobby to construct your NBA DFS lineup after reading this article, please make sure to utilize the abundance of tools we have at Win Daily:
Point Guards
Steph Curry ($9,700 FD / $10,300 DK)
While he finally cooled off against none other than the Wizards, let’s not forget how much of a tear Curry is on this month; sporting a 37% usage rate in April, Curry just set the NBA record for 3PM made in a single month with 85 – with two games remaining. He’s scoring at will with 38.1 PPG to go along with 6.5 RPG and 4.5 APG and takes on a Mavericks team that ranks 20th in defensive rating.
Damian Lillard ($8,300 FD / $9,100 DK)
This is far from an ideal matchup for Dame with Malcolm Brogdon on the other side, but with four straight games of 20 or more points and playoff seeding on the line, I’m taking my chances on the point guard that is underpriced by roughly $1,000 on this NBA slate. Sporting a 32.6% usage rate in his last four, Dame has posted a 25/4.5/6.3 scoring line on only 35.8% shooting, including 31.8% from deep. If he’s averaging over 43 DK PPG while shooting 35.8% from the field, imagine what happens when his shot is dropping – I’ll be there for it.
Also Consider:
- Luka Doncic ($11,300 FD / $10,900 DK)
- Kyrie Irving ($10,200 FD / $9,500 DK)
- Edmond Sumner ($5,500 FD / $4,000 DK)
Shooting Guards
CJ McCollum ($8,100 FD / $8,500 DK)
If you’re not playing Dame because of his matchup with Brogdon, then look no further than his backcourt teammate to get some exposure to the Portland offense. Sporting a 27.9% usage rate on the season, McCollum logs a heavy 34 MPG for the Trail Blazers while posting a 23.3/4.2/4.8 scoring line on 44.6% shooting. While the Indiana defense is stout, the absences of Myles Turner and Domantas Sabonis opens things up for a potent Portland offense to attack on this NBA slate.
D’Angelo Russell ($6,400 FD / $6,300 DK)
With the Timberwolves winning three of their last four in back-to-back series against Utah and Sacramento, DLo has been playing like his old self. Logging nearly 29 MPG in their last four, DLo has taken 15 FGA per night en route to 23.3 PPG to go along with his 7 APG on a 26.9% usage rate. It doesn’t matter if he’s coming off the bench or in the starting 5, there is no player with as much potential in this price range of the NBA slate.
Also Consider:
- Caris LeVert ($8,300 FD / $8,200 DK)
- Fred VanVleet ($8,000 FD / $7,900 DK)
- Armoni Brooks ($4,100 FD / $4,300 DK)
Small Forwards
Kevin Durant ($9,700 FD / $8,300 DK)
Sporting a 3.7% usage rate this month, when KD is in the lineup, he’s been electric – simple as that. Logging 22.1 MPG in six contests this month, including 28, 30, and 27 in his last three, Durant has posted 22.7 PPG, scoring a point per minute, to go along with 4.7 RPG and 4.8 APG. Shooting a ridiculous 64.4% from the field, if we get news that he’s a full go tonight, there’s no way I’m passing up this spot against Toronto, who rank 26th in the NBA versus point forwards with over 46 FPPG allowed per game.
Jaylen Brown ($8,100 FD / $8,400 DK)
I’ll keep this one short and sweet since I shouldn’t have to explain why JB should be highly considered no matter what his ownership is on tonight’s NBA slate with both Kemba Walker and Jayson Tatum ruled out; Brown sees an 8.2% usage increase (37.7%), 10% assist rate increase (26.9%) and a 0.14 FPPM increase (1.18) with both of his teammates of the floor and gets a favorable matchup versus an OKC squad ranked 24th in defensive efficiency on the season and 27th in their last three games.
Also Consider:
- Anthony Edwards ($7,400 FD / $7,500 DK)
- Kevin Porter Jr. ($5,600 FD / $6,500 DK)
- Oshae Brissett ($5,600 FD / $5,000 DK)
Power Forwards
Giannis Antetokounmpo ($11,000 FD / $10,700 DK)
Taking on a Charlotte Hornets team that ranks 29th in the NBA versus opposing power forwards with 48 FPPG allowed, it’s hard not to love Giannis tonight. Put that together with the fact that he’s averaging 28.6/12.6/5.4 over his last five games with a 34.1% usage rate and you have yourself one of the best studs on this slate.
Pascal Siakam ($9,100 FD / $8,600 DK)
With the Brooklyn Nets allowing the 8th most points in the paint per game in the NBA, we know by now that the way to attack them is on the inside. Enter Pascal Siakam, who has five straight games of 20 or more points with a 29.8% usage rate and 7.6 RPG while taking nearly 20 FGA per night for the Raptors. He leads the Raptors with 10.9 points in the paint per night, good for 22nd in the NBA, and will be relied upon heavily to attack the inside for easy buckets.
Also Consider:
- Christian Wood ($7,700 FD / $8,000 DK)
- Draymond Green ($7,500 FD / $7,400 DK)
- Jae’Sean Tate ($6,100 FD / $6,100 DK)
Centers
- Karl-Anthony Towns ($9,700 FD / $10,000 DK)
- Kelly Olynyk ($6,000 FD / $6,600 DK)
- Enes Kanter ($5,100 FD / $5,100 DK)
Value Gems: Check the projection model.
I will continue to stress the importance of having both the projection model and cheat sheet open when building lineups for a further player pool and to ease a decision between two players, in addition to finding additional value plays.
You can find me on Twitter @DFS_Ghost
