Best NBA DFS Picks at DraftKings for 4/19
If you need some help finalizing your NBA DFS picks on Friday, I’ve got you covered. There are only two games to work with, but there are still going to be some standout options at DraftKings.
This is a unique slate from the jump, as both Jimmy Butler and Zion Williamson have been ruled out with injuries. That opens up a considerable amount of volume for a playoff slate, and it also makes some obvious guys priority plays.
But you need to make some tough calls still. I’ll help you do that by breaking down the best options at each position for Friday’s contests.
- PG: C.J. McCollum ($8.1k)
- SG: Tyler Herro ($7.9k)
- SF: Harrison Barnes ($4.5k)
- PF: Caleb Martin ($5.4k)
- C: Jonas Valanciunas ($4.9k)
PG: C.J. McCollum ($8.1k)
C.J. McCollum is going to look awesome tonight, and is very much on my radar at $8.1k. The reality is the Pels are shorthanded with news that Zion is out for this game, and he’s the only stud they have that we can actually trust.
Brandon Ingram didn’t close out the last game for New Orleans and he’s been dealing with a knee issue, so even though he is cheaper, I have far less faith in him getting the job done.
For what it’s worth, he was said to have had a good practice on Thursday.
I do like Ingram at his price if he has zero limitations. I’m just not sure it’s worth gambling on.
You can use both or play the ownership game if McCollum is mega chalk, but on a 2-gamer, this feels like chalk worth eating.
SG: Tyler Herro ($7.9k)
Instead of rolling the dice with Ingram, why not just spend $200 more on Herro? He’s an equally great pair alongside McCollum, and his usage should spike with Jimmy Butler out for this game.
Herro has the green light to let it fly regardless, but without Butler, he has an elevated ceiling. His projection weirdly feels a little low, but I think he ends up crushing current expectations.
He has yet to face the Bulls this season, but his minutes last game (41) and production (40.5 fantasy points) tells us all we need to know.
SF: Harrison Barnes ($4.5k)
Trey Murphy and some cheaper Pelicans will pop now that Zion is out, but we know by now that the Kings are going to play their main guys a ton of minutes.
Barnes is necessary value on a small slate that lacks it. Do I feel amazing about him? No, but he logged 34 minutes in Sacramento’s first play-in game and I think we can expect something similar on Friday.
He’s also had reasonable success against the Pels. They aren’t quite as lethal without Zion, and he put up 23 fantasy points per game across 5 meetings with them this season. That’d be enough for me at this salary.
PF: Caleb Martin ($5.4k)
I’m torn as to which Miami cheap guys I feel best about. Kevin Love, Jaime Jaquez, Nikola Jovic, and perhaps even Duncan Robinson (DNP vs. Philly) are viable.
Robinson was expected to play a key role with Terry Rozier out in Miami’s first play-in game, but that unfortunately was not the case.
Narrator: Duncan Robinson, in fact, would not play that day.
For now, I’ll be trusting the projections. Jimmy Butler leaves a pretty big hole on the wing, but we can’t exactly trust Robinson at the moment, and Martin projects for the most minutes and fantasy points among these cheap Heat options.
I think any and all of these guys will be in play, but for now Martin is my favorite of the lot.
C: Jonas Valanciunas ($4.9k)
Bam Bam obviously is going to stand out as a top play with Butler dead, and there’s obviously Sabonis and Vuc on this slate. Center is loaded, so why pay down?
Two reasons; JV could be needed more than usual to help slow down Sabonis, and the absence of Zion historically has led to the center erupting.
The data from RotoGrinders.com’s CourtIQ doesn’t lie:
Larry Nance continues to be a thorn in JV’s side, but the aging big man is a solid points per minute guy. If he continues to start and can safely push past 25+ minutes, I think he’s a smash play at this price.
Overall, I am locking in CJ and Herro on this slate, and then soaking up whatever value makes sense. I think these are some of the best NBA DFS picks for this slate, although you can certainly make a strong case for some more pricier options.
Whether or not you can get to guys like Sabonis, Bam, Fox, or any other mid-range plays all hinges on how you view the slate.
Right now, along with the plays above, I am getting to a lot of Bam, Keon Ellis, and Herb Jones. Hopefully this helps you with your process and these picks can all smash.
Thanks for reading, and good luck!
Writer at Daily Fantasy Fade
DFS Keanu has been covering fantasy sports, DFS, and props for the better part of a decade, all while fighting The Matrix and a litany of assassins.
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