We have three NBA playoff games to break down tonight, as teams will play the second game in each of their series. The team that standouts for DFS value here is the Toronto Raptors, who picked up a few huge injuries in game one. Scottie Barnes, Thaddeus Young, and Gary Trent Jr. are all doubtful here, so the remaining Raptors starters should have to take on a ton of minutes. We have some great price tags at the top end again tonight, so we are going to have high standards with the studs we spend up for. This is another balanced lineup slate for us, as there are some great options in the $6,000 – $9,000 range.
Here’s Two Core Plays For DFS Basketball 4/18/22 (using DraftKings Values)
| Point Guard | J. Harden | $9,300 | |
| Shooting Guard | |||
| Small Forward | O. Anunoby | $5,800 | |
| Power Forward | |||
| Center | |||
| Guard | |||
| Forward | |||
| Utility |
James Harden really stands out tonight at only $9,300, as he is clearly underpriced here. Harden was a priority for us in this price range last time out, and he crushed with 56.25 FPTS. Harden averaged 51,2 FPTS on the season, so he is going to be a good Cash game option at this price. He played 40 minutes last game, and we expect that to be the case for the playoffs. Harden has some of the best upside in the league, and we do not have to pay the $10,000 – $11,000 that we would for some other guys.
Another guy we were very high on for the last slate was OG Anunoby as he has been way to cheap coming into the playoffs. Anunoby is still only $5,800 for tonight, so he works great in our balanced lineup. He went for 32.3 FTPS last game, and we expect to see a lot more minutes tonight without Barnes or Trent. Anunoby and the other top Raptors could see some crazy minutes if this one stays close, so there is some great upside there.
Here’s a Fade DFS Basketball 4/18/22 (using DraftKings Values)
We expect Nikola Jokic to be very high-owned tonight, as he is always a popular option as the best DFS producer in the NBA. However, we have so much upside for cheaper tonight that Jokic may not be able to get the job done at $11,000. We prefer getting to cheaper studs like Harden that allow us to squeeze in more upside.
Here Is What Your Get If You Subscribe For $15 Per Month or $99 For The Year…
• A few star guards with a ton of upside.
• A cheap wing who played a ton of minutes in game one.
• Two budget priorities from the Raptors.
• Some general thoughts for the slate.
Point Guard
Fred VanVleet – ($7,500 DK) VanVleet is coming in at a crazy price tonight, as $7,500 is not enough given his upside. The Raptors are missing a few key guys tonight, so we expect VanVleet to play massive minutes and take on some extra usage. VanVleet is a guy who can take over a game, and that would make him a must-have at this price.
Shooting Guard
Donovan Mitchell – ($8,300 DK) Mitchell was a priority for us last time out, and he managed to go for 52 FPTS despite only shooting .345 percent from the field. Mitchell took on a ton of usage last game, and that is what we expect in the playoffs given the jazz offense. Mitchell has a ton of upside, and we expect his price to rise dramatically over the playoffs.
Reggie Bullock – ($4,800 DK) The Mavericks are generally thin here without Luka Doncic, so we saw all of their core guys play a ton of minutes last time out. Bullock played over 44 minutes on the floor, and he was solid with 29 FPTS. We need some budget options tonight, and Bullock is an easy fit with SG/SF eligibility.
Chris Boucher – ($4,400 DK) Boucher can be a tough guy to predict for DFS, as he offers some of the most variance of anyone in the NBA. We expect Boucher to start for the Raptors tonight, and he should see a lot of floor time with their lack of options tonight.
Center
Precious Achiuwa – ($4,300 DK) Achiuwa played 29 minutes in the first game, and we expect him to play much more than that tonight. The Raptors don’t have a lot of options in general, and they are relying on Achiuwa to try and defend Joel Embiid. The price tag on Achiuwa really stands out here, as it allows for us to spend up to our top priorities elsewhere.
General strategy
We have a ton of stars we want some exposure to tonight, so the challenge is going to be choosing our absolute priorities. We are going to a balanced build for Tournaments and Cash tonight, as we can make a much stronger lineup getting to the midrange studs. We are eager to see who the Raptors end up starting tonight, as there is a lot of opportunity for value there.
