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NBA Picks and Pivots – FanDuel Picks April 2

By Brian Tulloch

Apr 30, 2015; Milwaukee, WI, USA; Chicago Bulls guard Jimmy Butler (21), forward Pau Gasol (16) and center Joakim Noah talk on the bench during the fourth quarter against the Milwaukee Bucks in game six of the first round of the NBA Playoffs. at BMO Harris Bradley Center. Chicago won 120-66. Mandatory Credit: Jeff Hanisch-USA TODAY Sports
Apr 30, 2015; Milwaukee, WI, USA; Chicago Bulls guard Jimmy Butler (21), forward Pau Gasol (16) and center Joakim Noah talk on the bench during the fourth quarter against the Milwaukee Bucks in game six of the first round of the NBA Playoffs. at BMO Harris Bradley Center. Chicago won 120-66. Mandatory Credit: Jeff Hanisch-USA TODAY Sports /
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Dec 5, 2015; Chicago, IL, USA; The Chicago Bulls mascot Benny the Bull leaps prior to the first quarter of a game against the Charlotte Hornets at the United Center. Mandatory Credit: Dennis Wierzbicki-USA TODAY Sports
Dec 5, 2015; Chicago, IL, USA; The Chicago Bulls mascot Benny the Bull leaps prior to the first quarter of a game against the Charlotte Hornets at the United Center. Mandatory Credit: Dennis Wierzbicki-USA TODAY Sports /

NBA Picks and Pivots – FanDuel Picks for April 2

Welcome to the Saturday edition of Picks & Pivots, a daily fantasy column focused on providing analysis for the upcoming NBA FanDuel slate. The purpose of this column is to first identify key building blocks that can be used for any roster construction and then identify pivot points to help differentiate your lineup in hopes of a big pay day!

As always, thank you for reading and continuing to provide great feedback on how Picks and Pivots can better serve you each day while building your roster. Follow me on Twitter @2lockSports and feel free to pose questions each day as you work to construct your DFS roster on FanDuel!

Looking ahead to tonight’s slate which kicks off at 7:30PM EST with the Pacers at the Sixers as the first of 5 games. Although tonight’s slate is small, many of the teams tonight are fighting to keep their playoff hopes alive, including a battle between Detroit and Chicago which right now are separated by 1.5 games with Chicago currently on the outside looking in for the playoffs. So, let’s get started with the picks…

Next: Top Point Guard Plays

Mar 30, 2016; Sacramento, CA, USA; Sacramento Kings guard Darren Collison (7) passes the ball to guard Ben McLemore (23) against the Washington Wizards during the fourth quarter at Sleep Train Arena. The Sacramento Kings defeated the Washington Wizards 120-111. Mandatory Credit: Kelley L Cox-USA TODAY Sports
Mar 30, 2016; Sacramento, CA, USA; Sacramento Kings guard Darren Collison (7) passes the ball to guard Ben McLemore (23) against the Washington Wizards during the fourth quarter at Sleep Train Arena. The Sacramento Kings defeated the Washington Wizards 120-111. Mandatory Credit: Kelley L Cox-USA TODAY Sports /

Point Guard

  • Darren Collison ($5,900) – Rajon Rondo and Demarcus Cousins have already been ruled out for Saturday night, so Collison will continue to see major minutes in the Kings backcourt as they take on the Nuggets. When Rondo and Cousins are off the court, Collison sees his usage spike from 16% to 25% and his fantasy points per minute increase 51% from .64 to .97. Collison seems a lock for 5x value as he will only need 29 points to hit that and has the right matchup and scenario to hit for 6x value!
  • Reggie Jackson ($5,900) – The Pistons/Bulls game expects to be one of the most competitive games tonight as both teams are fighting for the final playoff spots in the East so I will look to target the top players in this game and lock in the guaranteed playing time. Jackson is a very volatile option I typically reserve for GPP’s only, but tonight with a matchup against the Bulls, I think Jackson is playable in all formats. The Bulls present one of the best matchups on the season to opposing PG’s, and Jackson has averaged 24ppg, 8.7 assists and 5.3 rebounds in the 3 previous matchups with Chicago this year good for 43.4 fantasy points per game. Keep in mind, one of those games was a 57.7 effort in a 4OT contest but in the other two games Jackson has hit 32.6 and 39.9 which would exceed 6x value and makes for a great target tonight.

Next: Top Shooting Guards

Mar 31, 2016; Houston, TX, USA; Chicago Bulls guard Jimmy Butler (21) dribbles the ball during the third quarter against the Houston Rockets at Toyota Center. Mandatory Credit: Troy Taormina-USA TODAY Sports
Mar 31, 2016; Houston, TX, USA; Chicago Bulls guard Jimmy Butler (21) dribbles the ball during the third quarter against the Houston Rockets at Toyota Center. Mandatory Credit: Troy Taormina-USA TODAY Sports /

Shooting Guard

  • Jimmy Butler ($7,800) – Derrick Rose is doubtful tonight to play and the Bulls absolutely need this game tonight to stay alive as they are currently sitting in the 9th spot in the East. When Rose is off the floor, Butler’s usage goes from 22% to 31% – that is Russell Westbrook level usage! Not only does his usage spike, but his fantasy points per minute jumps from .91 to 1.1 and priced at only $7,800, I am locking Butler in across all formats tonight.
  • Seth Curry ($3,700) – With all the injuries and “rest” games for the Kings, it has allowed Curry to take on a major role as the Sacramento SG and he has responded big time. Curry started at SG last night against Miami and put up 30.9 fantasy points in 32 minutes. At only $3,700, Curry makes for a tremendous value play.

 

Fellow Fantasy CPR writer @MattyMcMatt17 highlighted Curry in his Wednesday FanDuel Economics column after averaging 22.7 fantasy points over the previous 3 games, and with a great matchup Saturday night against Denver who is 27th in DvP on the season to SG’s, I expect to utilize Curry across all formats.

Next: Top Small Forwards

Mar 21, 2016; Indianapolis, IN, USA; Indiana Pacers forward Paul George (13) is guarded by Philadelphia 76ers forward Sonny Weems (9) during the second half at Bankers Life Fieldhouse. Indiana defeats Philadelphia 91-75. Mandatory Credit: Brian Spurlock-USA TODAY Sports
Mar 21, 2016; Indianapolis, IN, USA; Indiana Pacers forward Paul George (13) is guarded by Philadelphia 76ers forward Sonny Weems (9) during the second half at Bankers Life Fieldhouse. Indiana defeats Philadelphia 91-75. Mandatory Credit: Brian Spurlock-USA TODAY Sports /

Small Forward

  • Paul George ($9,200) – The value is plentiful on this slate and with the Pacers clinging to the 8th seed going up against the Sixers who are 27th in DvP to opposing SF, I will lock PG in all lineups as his price is very reasonable for such an elite player. In his last game against Philly, George only had 29.7 points but over his last 3 games, George has been averaging 45.7 points as he tries to push the Pacers into the playoffs!
  • Kawhi Leonard ($8,500) – Tonight’s slate is very interesting as we lack any superstars over $10k, so I have no problem doubling up with the elite SF’s this evening. Kawhi’s price remains deflated due to his injury but last game out he put up 39 fantasy points in only 22 minutes. Now, do not just lock in Kawhi and go about your day – check the lineup news throughout the day as Pop may opt to rest his starters tonight.

Next: Top Power Forward/Center

Mar 31, 2016; Houston, TX, USA; Chicago Bulls center Pau Gasol (16) reacts after a play during the third quarter against the Houston Rockets at Toyota Center. Mandatory Credit: Troy Taormina-USA TODAY Sports
Mar 31, 2016; Houston, TX, USA; Chicago Bulls center Pau Gasol (16) reacts after a play during the third quarter against the Houston Rockets at Toyota Center. Mandatory Credit: Troy Taormina-USA TODAY Sports /

Power Forward/Center

  • Kenneth Faried ($5,700) – The Kings are the single best matchup on the season to opposing PF and although Faried’s production is highly variable, he makes for a great play tonight. I believe at a similar price point, Myles Turner may be more highly owned due to his matchup with Philly but Turner has not exceeded 20 points over the last week so I will look to pivot to Faried who just put up a double/double his last game out and hope he can exploit the Boogie-less Kings interior.
  • Pau Gasol ($8,300) – The top end of the center slate is LOADED tonight even with Cousins out as Gasol, Hassan Whiteside and Andre Drummond all sit at similar price points so they make for interesting pivot options if you are looking to differentiate multiple lineups. However my core play is Gasol and the reasons are many. With Rose off the floor, Gasol sees his fantasy points per minute increase to 1.31 and he has absolutely feasted against the Pistons this year averaging 54.77 points. I think Gasol will end up the highest scoring player on the night and I want heavy exposure to him!

Next: DraftKings Picks For April 2

Best of luck tonight gamers! As always keep an eye out on the late breaking news throughout the day as the season winds down and players start to take games off!