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Sunday’s NBA DFS slate is another round one four-game slate. Fresh off their play-in win on Tuesday, the Lakers travel to Memphis for a 3 p.m. ET tip. The No. 1 seed Bucks host the Heat at 5:30 p.m. ET. The Clippers travel to Phoenix at 8 p.m. ET. The slate closes in Denver at 10:30 p.m. ET with the Nuggets vs. the Timberwolves.
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Guard
Studs
Ja Morant, Memphis Grizzlies vs. Los Angeles Lakers, $10,100 — It’s time to shake it off and move on. The regular season did not end well for Morant. Drawing the Lakers in round one is a worst-case scenario. If the Grizzlies are going to advance, then Morant will need to go off every night. Morant’s numbers were pedestrian down the stretch, but he did not need to turn it on and there were a few things going on. He must turn it on today.
Anthony Edwards, Minnesota Timberwolves at Denver Nuggets, $8,700 — This slate is filled with Hall of Famers. Edwards is one of the best players in action, but with all of the star power, it’s easy for him to get lost in the sauce. The Timberwolves had to fight to get into the playoffs — with opponents and themselves. Their reward for their perseverance is a first-round matchup with a juggernaut. The reason the T-wolves made it to this spot is Edwards. He struggled against the Lakers on Tuesday and they lost, but he played 43 minutes and took 17 shots. On Friday, he scored 48.5 DKFP in 39 minutes against the Thunder. Last weekend, in two must-win games, Edwards scored 49.75 DKFP in 25 minutes in a blowout win over the Spurs on Saturday, and followed with 63.25 DKFP on Sunday vs. the Pelicans.
Value
Dennis Schroder, Los Angeles Lakers at Memphis Grizzlies, $5,000 — LeBron James and Anthony Davis can have big days and there will still be plenty of fantasy points left over for Schroder. His appeal is that he does not start and does not share the court with James and Davis. In Tuesday’s play-in win, Schroder played 32 minutes off the bench and scored 32 DKFP with a 20.2% usage rate. That will work on Sunday’s four-game slate.
Forward
Studs
Giannis Antetokounmpo, Milwaukee Bucks vs. Miami Heat, $11,200 — This is a four-game slate. Fading one of the league’s stars is a dangerous strategy. Paying up for elite options has not been a proven method this season. That’s the regular season. On a normal slate, plenty of value and mid-tier players have explosive nights in meaningless games. This is the playoffs. The stars come out and the so-so players fade.
LeBron James, Los Angeles Lakers at Memphis Grizzlies, $10,700 — His back is against the wall. It’s been there for weeks. James chose to fight rather than forfeit. The Lakers squeezed into the play-in tournament. Now, they are in the real playoffs. They’re underdogs facing a Goliath that isn’t a dominant team. This feels like one of James’ early-career playoff runs with the Cavs. If there are any hero-ball moments left in James’ career, then they will happen over the next month.
Value
Rui Hachimura, Los Angeles Lakers at Memphis Grizzlies, $4,300 — After the trade deadline, Hachimura never established a role in the Lakers’ constantly rotating rotation. Down the stretch, as the Lakers clawed their way into the playoffs, Hachimura became a producer in the Lakers’ second unit. He scored over 20 DKFP in four of the last six games. Those games are not massive, but he did score 43.5 DKFP in 25 minutes vs. the Rockets on April 2. The Grizzlies and Lakers both rank in the top 5 in pace. This game has the highest projected total on the slate and the Grizzlies are only favored by three points. This is the game to target for Sunday’s DFS value picks.
Center
Studs
Nikola Jokic, Denver Nuggets vs. Minnesota Timberwolves, $11,500 — This slate doesn’t really start until 10:30 p.m. ET. The leader on the scoreboard after the first three games does not matter. The Timberwolves present a propitious 102.7 in Pace (7th). The Joker is playing in an up-tempo game with meaning. Jokic’s 1.8 FPPM is tied for the most with Giannis Antetokounmpo. Fading one works for roster flexibility but both seems like a fool’s errand.
Anthony Davis, Los Angeles Lakers at Memphis Grizzlies, $10,700 — There is plenty of usage to go around for Davis and James. Both can prosper on a normal slate. On a four-game slate, expectations can be lowered a bit. The Grizzlies’ defense (108.3 Defensive Efficiency Rating — 2nd) is not appealing but their 103.1 in Pace (3rd) makes up for it. Davis has scored over 50 DKFP in eight of the last 10 games.
Value
Ivica Zubac, Los Angeles Clippers at Phoenix Suns, $5,400 — Since the beginning of March, Zubac is averaging just under a double-double each night. The only thing holding him back is playing time. There is not a reason to hold him back now. He should play close to 30 minutes on Sunday. With those minutes, he can score 15 to 20 points and grab 15 to 20 rebounds.
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I am a promoter at DraftKings and am also an avid fan and user (my username is greenflagradio2) and may sometimes play on my personal account in the games that I offer advice on. Although I have expressed my personal view on the games and strategies above, they do not necessarily reflect the view(s) of DraftKings and do not constitute a representation that any particular strategy will guarantee success. All customers should use their own skill and judgment in building lineups. I may also deploy different players and strategies than what I recommend above. I am not an employee of DraftKings and do not have access to any non-public information.