The NBA playoffs continue on Tuesday night, where we can cash in on another fun three-game slate. Yesterday’s NBA DFS core plays were pretty spot on, as CJ McCollum erupted, Josh Hart was fantastic again Jokic was fine. I whiffed on Aaron Gordon, but you definitely could have cashed with him.
I was all over Anthony Edwards (54) as a strong tourney play. He ended up being more popular than I anticipated, but a good pick nonetheless! Donovan Mitchell was another tourney play I liked (49) and he also hit decently. There’s more where that came from, so join me as I break this slate down, highlight the best DraftKings NBA fantasy picks to build around, touch on some viable GPP pivots, and more. Let’s build!
🏀 Slate Overview
- Top injury news to monitor: Kevin Durant. Expected back, but sat out game one.
- Best value plays: Luke Kennard + Lakers. L.A. guys all remain way too cheap.
- Top game to attack: Blazers/Spurs. In terms of pace and game total, this is the top game to target.
- Top stud: Wemby. If you want raw points nobody beats Wemby. Price could be an issue, though.
- Blowout risks: All of them. Momentum is key in the playoffs, so none of these games are safe.
Top NBA Daily Fantasy Picks for Tuesday, 4/21
- Luke Kennard ($5.1k)
- Reed Sheppard ($4.9k)
- Deandre Ayton ($5.1k)
🏀 New to DFS? Core plays are the guys you put in most or all of your lineups. They have strong matchups, clear paths to big minutes, and prices that make it easy to fit premium players elsewhere.
I like the value in the last game of the night. The first two games have serious blowout risk, and this one has a four-point spread. I think Houston wins, but the Lakers are at home and could keep it interesting.
I’ll keep the core light so you can do what you want up top. There’s Wemby obviously, but there’s also elite 2nd tier plays with LeBron, Deni, Tatum, Jaylen, Maxey, and even Sengun all standing out. Then we have guys like Clingan who are simply too cheap to completely ignore.
Everyone has risk and upside, but if I had to force one stud into the core it would be James. His role is huge right now and don’t be shocked if he has to score more to keep L.A. in game two.
That said, Kennard logged 38 minutes in game one and was sensational. I do not anticipate he shoots that well again, but the burn and role are both fantastic and his price barely budged. He’s a lock for me. I also really like Smart and Rui, but I am placing Ayton in front of them. If he’s going to get 35 minutes he is way too cheap and not someone I’m going to ignore. His usage could climb with Luka/Reaves still out.
Reed Sheppard looks like a great value whether KD returns or not. We saw in game one how badly Houston needs floor spacing and he’s one of their only guys who can provide it. He’s riskier than the Lakers value, but he also could be a huge reason why the Rockets win this game and even up the series.
NBA DFS Lineup Strategy for 4/21
I will once again eat a lot of the chalky value and specifically load up on Lakers. If I die, I die. I don’t feel compelled to pay for Wemby on this slate, but he’s a key decision point. You can get to him pretty easily, but it makes for a more restrictive build. I’d rather go get 2 second tier studs like LeBron/Deni or LeBron/Sengun and avoid any unnecessary punts.
- 🟢 SAFE – None. Playoff games are volatile and games can blow out, so nobody here is truly safe.
- 🟡 BOOM/BUST – I like all of these guys for their value and roles. They all have solid ceilings but low floors.
Best NBA DFS Game Environments for 4/21
🏀 New to DFS? We look for games with high point totals because more points scored = more fantasy points available. The “total” is the sportsbook’s projected combined score for both teams. Higher is generally better for DFS.
Below you’ll see this chart map out each game based on point spread, total, and pace of play. For Tuesday night, the Blazers vs. Spurs game stands out with the best overall game environment, while the Lakers and Rockets game ranks second due to having a tight spread.
Tuesday’s NBA DFS Picks for Tournaments
🏀 New to DFS? GPP stands for Guaranteed Prize Pool — the big tournaments. To win tournaments, your lineup has to be different from everyone else’s. A “GPP pivot” is a player who will be lower-owned than his upside deserves, giving you a tournament edge if he performs well.
- Wemby ($11.5k)
- Jaylen Brown ($8.9k)
- Kevin Durant ($8.3k)
If Wemby is actually low-owned we should probably take advantage of that a bit. Jaylen is solid leverage on what should be a fairly owned Tatum. I also think KD coming to the rescue is a viable narrative and he’s a leverage play on a popular Amen.
🏀 Not Sure Where to Start?
If you’re newer to DFS and feeling overwhelmed, here’s how to approach it:
- Know what contest you’re entering before you pick a single player. Cash games (50/50s, head-to-head) pay out the top half of the field. Your goal is a safe, reliable lineup. GPP tournaments pay out the top 15-20%, with most of the prize pool at the very top. Your goal there is the ceiling. These two goals require completely different lineups.
- Shorthanded teams are your best friend. When a team is missing rotation players, the guys left get more minutes, more shots, and more fantasy opportunities than their salaries reflect. That’s the formula. Check every team’s injury report before building — not as an afterthought, but as step one.
- Avoid blowout games unless you’re on the right side. High game totals tell you where the points are — the total is the sportsbook’s projected combined score. Higher total = more points on the floor = more fantasy points available.
- Minutes are the currency of DFS. Always ask: how many minutes is this guy going to play? A player can’t score if he’s on the bench. Before you add anyone to your lineup, ask yourself: is his role clearly defined tonight? Does he have a path to 28+ minutes? Then that guy is probably viable.
- Understand floor vs. ceiling before you decide who to play. Floor is the minimum you can reasonably expect from a player. The ceiling is the maximum upside if everything goes right. In cash games, you want floor guys who almost certainly hit their value. In tournaments, you want ceiling — guys who can go nuclear.
- Ownership can be your edge — use it. In GPPs, the field chases names or super-owned options. We can leverage that by playing comparable plays with lower ownership.
- Don’t pay for a big name if the context is bad. Salary doesn’t equal value. A star in a tough spot is often worse than a role player in a great one.
New to NBA DFS and need even more help? Check out our NBA DFS guide for extra assistance on how to get started!
Playing DFS since the days of DraftStreet, Kevin knows the ins and outs of DFS, specifically for NFL and NBA. He’s also been helping people win in fantasy football leagues for 15+ years and is one of many experts featured at FantasyPros.
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