NBA Picks and Pivots – FanDuel Picks for April 8
Welcome to the Friday 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!
Tonight’s slate kicks off with 10 games at 7PM EST and as we wind down the final days of the NBA Season we can continue to expect significant fluctuations in lineups which will require us to be diligent about checking the late breaking news prior to tip-off. Now on to the picks…
Next: Top Point Guards
Point Guard
- Jose Juan Barea ($6,800) – The price keeps climbing on Barea, but even at this price, the production continues to return great value. Barea is averaging 38.1 points per game over his last 5 games which still gives us the ability to lock in 5x value who has the ability to provide additional upside as evidenced by his 43 point game last time out against Houston.
- Isaiah Thomas ($7,900) – The Celtics remain locked into a seeding battle in the East, so I expect Thomas to continue to play big minutes down the stretch. IT had a bit of a lull at the end of March, but over his last 3 games he has averaged 38 ppg including a 48.8 point game last time out against the Pelicans. The top end of the PG options is messy Friday night as John Wall remains questionable and Chris Paul has already been ruled out. With Kyle Lowry and Kemba Walker at identical price points, I will lean towards Thomas in the more favorable matchup however keep an eye on the status of Nicolas Batum as if he is out again, it will continue to ratchet up the usage and production for Walker as a potential pivot.
Next: Top Shooting Guards
Shooting Guard
- Brad Beal ($6,000) – If Wall is again ruled out, I will look to roll out Beal who put up 39 points last game out shouldering the load without the Wizards star point guard. Without Wall in the lineup, Beal sees his usage increase from 26% to 32% which is an elite rate, and his fantasy points per minute increase 17% to .97, so another 30+ point game seems like a safe lock with the potential for much more.
- Jamal Crawford ($4,600) – The Clippers have done us a favor ruling out CP3, Blake Griffin, Deandre Jordan, JJ Redick and Wes Johnson for Friday’s game nice and early and Crawford is slated to start at SG and handle the scoring load for the Clippers. With the news breaking early, Crawford will be a popular value pick but at this deflated price point, Crawford only need 23 points to return 5x value and has the upside to blow past that with a 30-40 point game under these conditions.
Next: Top Small Forwards
Small Forward
- Gordon Hayward ($6,800) – The Jazz remain locked into a battle for the final spot in the West and with the Clippers resting their entire roster, I like to Jazz players to capitalize on this opportunity. At this price point, Hayward needs 34 points to return 5x value, which he has hit in 2 of his last 3 games so I feel comfortable locking in those points and playing upside at other key spots.
- Giannis Antetokounmpo ($9,700) – Speaking of upside, the Greek Freak is back at it again averaging over 50 points per game over his last 3 games. Going up against the Celtics, Giannis should see an uptick in pace which means he will have the ball in his hands more often and a triple double is absolutely on the table tonight. With all the value on the slate, I am paying up for the Bucks star tonight.
Next: Top Power Forwards/Center
Power Forward
- Derrick Williams ($4,500) – With Kristaps Porzingis likely out again Friday, we can expect Williams to remain in the starting lineup in the always friendly matchup against the Sixers. In his last game starting for Porzingis, Williams notched a double double in 32 minutes of action while exceeding 6x value. I see no reason to think that at this price point we aren’t looking at a similar outcome Friday night.
- Zach Randolph ($7,500) – Zach has been one of the most consistent players at the PF spot over the past month, hitting 30+ point with ease as the Grizzlies offense continues to flow through him down the stretch. Z-Bo put up 47 points last game out which gives us a glimpse of the upside he is capable of while providing a very safe floor we can count on as a foundational piece of our lineups.
Next: MLB FanDuel Picks April 8
Center
- Rudy Gobert ($5,900) – The 5-6k options at center are plentiful on Friday, but I want to pivot towards Gobert with the Clippers sitting their entire starting 5. The Jazz need every game and so we can lock Gobert in for major minutes while going up against Cole Aldrich. Gobert’s ability to rack up rebounds and blocks presents us with the potential for massive GPP winning upside.
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!