DraftKings NBA Picks April 24: Simmons or Durant?
By Mike Marteny
DraftKings NBA Picks April 24: Simmons or Durant?
Get used to these unbalanced slates now that the playoffs are here. There are still three games tonight. Miami and the Spurs face elimination, while we have a fierce Game 5 between Milwaukee and Boston. This is going to be a fun one!
More from DraftKings
- DraftKings Open Championship picks 2023: Best PGA DFS golf lineup
- Genesis Scottish Open DraftKings picks 2023: Best PGA DFS golf lineup
- Rocket Mortgage Classic DraftKings picks 2023: Best PGA DFS golf lineup
- US Open DraftKings picks 2023: Best PGA DFS golf lineup
- RBC Canadian Open DraftKings picks 2023: Best PGA DFS golf lineup
Last night the money line was down a bit to 253.75 DraftKings points. Corey Brewer and Andrew Wiggins each had their worst games of the series to knock my lineup down.
The winning lineup was down to just 319.75. He built around Mitchell, CP3, and Harden and got great value from O’Neale, Ariza, and Joe Ingles.
If you would like to try DraftKings for the first time, use this link for the referral bonus! It is good for 25% of your first deposit in DraftKings dollars released as you play.
Point Guards:
Best Bet:
Ben Simmons ($10,100): Simmons has been between 50 and 58 DraftKings points in every game of this series. That makes him a golden child in cash games, and a nice player to build around in GPP formats. He’s not getting under value, and his numbers are actually better since Embiid’s return. I’m a big fan of Simmons again tonight.
Honorable Mention:
Terry Rozier ($6,800): Rozier has been solid for the Celtics, but he was far better in Boston than he was in Milwaukee. Rozier put up 80.75 DraftKings points in Boston compared to 59.75 in Milwaukee. The series shifts back to Boston tonight, so I like Rozier to be close to 40, which makes him a very good value at this price.
Goran Dragic ($6,100): I don’t trust Bledsoe. Not even a little bit. I would much rather go with Dragic. He is by no means a consistent player, but his game has picked up during the playoffs. He was better in Miami than Philly, but his two games in Philly, Dragic still got close to value. With Miami facing elimination, expect another solid game from Dragic.
Dark Horses:
Patty Mills ($4,700): Mills came up a little short on Sunday in Game 4, but with the minutes he is playing, Mills is going to threaten value at this price point. Patty has played 101 minutes in the last three games of the series. DeJounte Murray looked pretty good in Game 4, so he may be worth a look too, but I prefer the consistency of Mills. Murray is only a GPP flier right now.
Shaun Livingston ($3,300): Livingston has been logging solid minutes behind Iguodala at the point, and has quietly put up back to back 20+ DraftKings point games. Livingston has arguably outplayed Iggy. I don’t see a change to the starting lineup coming, I do see the playing time gravitating more to a 50/50 timeshare.
My pick: Simmons(PG), Rozier(G), Livingston(UTIL)
Shooting Guards:
Best Bets:
Khris Middleton ($8,100): Middleton has surpassed value in three of the four games of the series, even at this price. He has proven to be a reliable compliment to Giannis, especially in the playoffs with Bledsoe struggling. Boston is a good team even with all of the injuries, but they look beatable. Middleton is scoring almost at will, and makes a nice play if you have this kind of cash left.
Jaylen Brown ($7,300): Brown rebounded from a forgettable Game 3 with a monster Game 4. The 53.5 DraftKings points was one of Brown’s best games of the season. We have seen flashes of brilliance from Brown, and his upside is higher than everyone else in this price range. That makes Brown a very popular GPP target.
Honorable Mention:
Klay Thompson ($6,500): Klay had a forgettable two games in San Antonio. He put up 77 DraftKings points in the two games in Oakland, so I like Thompson with the series heading back to Golden State. You know the Warriors wanted to close at home. They were just messing around in Game 4.
Dwyane Wade ($5,800): Wade is at his best it seems when playing around 25 minutes at this stage of his career. We may see a vintage Wade night tonight if Josh Richardson is forced to sit after Embiid fell on his shoulder. At any rate, I expect Wade to lead the Heat facing elimination. He could be a very nice bargain here.
Dark Horses:
Marco Belinelli ($5,300): Belinelli had his worst game of the series in Game 4, and the Sixers still won. I fully expect Belinelli’s minutes and shots to stay constant, so he should be up in the 20’s again for this one. The potential on Belinelli is enough to keep riding him in GPP formats.
Manu Ginobili ($4,300): Ginobili had a great game in what could have been his last playoff game in San Antonio. That kind of performance is what the Spurs need from their veterans if they have any shot of extending this series. I do expect Ginobili to have a solid game no matter the outcome for the Spurs.
My pick: N/A
Small Forwards:
Best Bets:
Kevin Durant ($10,300): Durant finally hit value in Game 4, which ironically was Golden State’s only loss so far. Still, Durant has a pretty solid floor if you want to take a chance at him hitting in the high 50’s again. Still, when it comes down to it, Simmons is a safer play, and the upside is about the same.
Jabari Parker ($6,200): Parker had two big games at home. Will the Bucks keep giving him minutes in Boston? They have clawed their way back into their series, and Parker’s play has been a big part of that. I expect him to remain a big part of the Milwaukee rotation on the return to Boston. That makes Parker a solid mid level play here.
Honorable Mention:
Rudy Gay ($5,900): Gay put up another game of exactly 5x value for the third time in four games. His consistency makes him more of a cash game play because there really is no upside here. You at least know what you’re getting though.
J.J. Redick ($5,600): Redick was huge for the Sixers in Game 4, pushing them one game closer to eliminating the Heat. Redick and Belinelli have been huge in this series. If using one, Redick has the higher upside, but both are worth a look if you are looking for cheaper pieces.
Dark Horses:
Justise Winslow ($5,000): Winslow has been a pretty strong presence so far in this series. He may get a little more run here if Richardson is out. Keep an eye on the injury report leading up to this one. If Richardson is out, I like Winslow to absorb some of the minutes.
Andre Iguodala ($4,600): Iggy is still starting with Curry out, but he’s having a hard time hitting value lately. With his price higher as a starter, I think I like Livingston more, but Iguodala has a much higher floor.
My pick: Parker(SF), Redick(SG), Gay(F)
Power Forwards:
Best Bets:
Giannis Antetokounmpo ($9,900): Strangely enough, Giannis had much bigger games in Boston than in Milwaukee. Some of those may have been because of Parker playing better, so I’m not that excited about Giannis. However, there is always risk when it comes to fading someone with this kind of talent.
Lamarcus Aldridge ($8,700): Aldridge has stepped up over the last three games, turning in a double double in each of those contests. However, LMA only hit value in one of those three games. That said, the biggest game of the series was in Oakland in Game 2 for Aldridge. Can he put up another one like that facing elimination?
Honorable Mention:
James Johnson ($6,600): After a quiet Game 1, Johnson has turned in three straight really good games for the price. Johnson has averaged 37.3 DraftKings points over the last three games. That makes Johnson a solid mid tier value in any format tonight.
Dario Saric ($6,400): Saric struggled in Game 4, but considering his strong play in the first three games, I’m comfortable with using Saric again. Was this a byproduct of Embiid’s return? That’s the only thing that has me a little nervous about Saric.
Dark Horse:
Jayson Tatum ($6,000): Do you believe Tatum is a rookie? He’s not playing like one in this series. Tatum game up big in Game 4, but was somewhat quiet in games 2 and 3. There is just enough risk here to make you nervous about using Tatum, but he is worth a GPP flier.
My pick: Johnson(PF)
Center:
Best Bets:
Joel Embiid ($8,900): Embiid has had two strong games in his return, but he has still not hit value. He has still been in the 40’s though, and we all know how high the upside is on Embiid. Taking him for this price seems like a great bargain. If he can slash the turnovers and hit a few more shots, that 40 becomes 60 in a big hurry.
Draymond Green ($7,900): Green destroyed the boards in Game 4. In the game before that, it was blocks and assists. In the game before that, it was a little of everything. The point is that Green does a lot of everything, and has topped 40 DraftKings points in three of the four games. Expect another strong game from Draymond.
Honorable Mention:
Al Horford ($6,900): Horford was a monster in Game 1, but has been mostly quiet since then. Still, we are all chasing what Horford did in Game 1. I don’t know if he has it in him to do it again. However, if he does, it would make sense that it happens in the return to Boston. Do you feel like chasing again?
Hassan Whiteside ($5,500): Whiteside finally got some meaningful playing time in Game 4, and it is exactly what we remembered from back when he used to play. Whatever the differences between Whiteside and the Heat, they need to wait until after the season to figure it out. Or the season will end tonight. I want to see what happens if Whiteside plays 30 minutes against this team. Will it happen? Or will Whiteside be relegated to minutes in the teens again?
Dark Horse:
Thon Maker ($4,200): The injury to John Henson may have been a blessing for the Bucks. Maker has played big minutes over the last two games with a good degree of success. Maker has 56.25 DraftKings points over the last two games. He is a huge value so long as Henson remains out. Even if Henson is back, I expect Maker to put up good numbers, just not like the last two games.
My pick: Whiteside(C)
Stay tuned to Fantasy CPR for MLB covered on all major DFS sites, and for PGA picks as well!