Fantasy Basketball Picks: Top DraftKings NBA DFS Targets, Values for April 22

Saturday’s NBA DFS slate consists of four games. The 76ers host the Nets at 1 p.m. ET. That game is followed by the Suns at the Clippers at 3:30 p.m. ET. The Heat will be at home against the No. 1 seed Bucks at 7:30 p.m. ET. The final game of Saturday’s slate tips off in California at 10 p.m. ET when the Lakers welcome the Grizzlies.

Set your DraftKings fantasy basketball lineups here: NBA $300K Shootaround [$100K to 1st]

For up-to-the-minute news, analysis and lineups, download the DK Live app. You also can follow DK Live on Twitter @dklive.

Bet at the top rated Sportsbook!

View the latest odds and bet online legally at the top rated Sportsbook! Place a bet now at DraftKings Sportsbook!

• Bet at DraftKings Sportsbook

Guard

Studs

Ja Morant, Memphis Grizzlies at Los Angeles Lakers, $9,400 — This playoffs thing is new to the Grizzlies. Being a favorite still does not fit. Morant and the Grizz are figuring this out in real time. They’ve got to shake off the bad games and the regular season distractions. They’ve also got to forget about the good games, too. It’s one game at a time for two months. Morant needs to carry the team every night. Like Sisyphus, he’s got to push the rock up the hill. First, he has to get on the court. The Grizzlies evened the series without him on Wednesday. If Morant can return to action, then the Grizzlies can steal a road win on Saturday and take control of the series.

Devin Booker, Phoenix Suns at Los Angeles Clippers, $9,500 — Pride is a strong thing. Russell Westbrook blocked Booker’s game-winning shot at the end of game one. As Booker complained to the ref, Westbrook kept playing and in the same motion was able to toss the ball off Booker. This was a bad look for Booker. In game two, Booker evened the series with 55.5 DKFP in 45 minutes of work. He did not stop there. He scored 68.5 DKFP in another 45 minutes of work in the Suns’ game three win. This is the playoffs. The stars come out and they stay out. The bench is a distant solar system foreign to the elite DFS options.

Value

Luke Kennard, Memphis Grizzlies at Los Angeles Lakers, $5,000 — Do you like threes? If yes, then Kennard is your value pick. This is a matchup of two up-tempo teams. That’s a lot of shots. That’s a lot of threes. Kennard hit three of four in Wednesday’s win. He’s shot as many as 10 threes in a game several times down the stretch. This is a bit of a return home for Kennard. He spent three seasons in LA with the Clippers before being traded to Memphis a couple months ago.

Forward

Studs

LeBron James, Los Angeles Lakers vs. Memphis Grizzlies, $9,800 — It’s the playoffs. It’s not the regular season. DFS players are not to fond of James these days due to his sporadic play and permanent place on the injury report. That’s a feature of a regular season that is too long. It’s not his fault. The NBA Playoffs are too long but that’s a problem that James wants. He would love to play as few games as possible. The reality is that the Lakers aren’t going to sweep every series, but they can play less if they play more. That didn’t happen in game two, but James had another terrific game despite shooting 1-for-8 from the 3-point line. He scored 53 DKFP on Wednesday. That was the seventh time he has scored over 50 DKFP in his last eight games. If James gives his all and embraces what could be his last chance at another championship, then he’s going to put up plenty of monster nights over the next two months.

Jimmy Butler, Milwaukee Bucks at Miami Heat, $9,200 — It’s remarkable that Jimmy Butler has never won a championship. The veteran is a winner. Very few NBA players compete like Butler. The Bucks were not happy to face the Heat in round one. Butler can put his team on his back and win this series. At the very least, Butler is going to run out the string and force this series to go the distance. In the Heat’s series opening win, Butler scored 64 DKFP on 27 shots in 43 minutes of action. That’s 43 minutes and 27 shots. Does Butler even know what the bench looks like? Has he seen a shot he doesn’t like? Then game two happened. The Bucks — without their star — manhandled the Heat. Butler only played 28 minutes. Bet on a bounce back by Butler against the Bucks on Saturday.

Value

Rui Hachimura, Los Angeles Lakers vs. Memphis Grizzlies, $4,900 — The biggest story of the playoffs is Hachimura. He has hatched. Out of the egg (or off the bench), Rui has emerged and brushed away the embryonic ooze (taken off his warm up) and scored 40 and 32.25 DKFP with the Lakers’ second unit in the first two games of the series. The matchup is the same on Saturday. Why would anything change? Are the Grizzlies going to gameplan for Rui?

Center

Studs

Giannis Antetokounmpo, Milwaukee Bucks at Miami Heat, $10,400 — The Bucks need to win. They cannot let the Heat build confidence. Too late. Giannis Antetokounmpo has got to get back on the court and he has to single-handedly win this series. Before getting injured in game one, Antetokounmpo was rolling. Other than a blowout loss on March 30, Giannis Antetokounmpo had fantasy scores of 81, 67 and 63 DKFP heading into the playoffs. His teammates rallied without him and won game two. In game three, the Bucks can put the boot on the Heat’s neck.

Anthony Davis, Los Angeles Lakers vs. Memphis Grizzlies, $9,700 — As a kind reminder, Davis and James can co-exist in DFS. Davis lacks the upside of other star players that do not share a workload. However, he might have the best floor in the business, certainly on this slate. Over the last month, Davis has averaged 55 DKFP in 36.2 MPG. As long as Mr. Glass is healthy, he’s a no-brainer. Wednesday’s loss was a rare off night for Davis. They happen, but that primes Davis for a rebound at home on Saturday.

Value

Xavier Tillman, Memphis Grizzlies at Los Angeles Lakers, $5,800 — Heading into the playoffs, Tillman didn’t do much but he and the Grizzlies did not need to do much. When the games mattered, Tillman was averaging around 35 DKFP when he played his full load. Game one mattered, and Tillman was off. Memphis lost. Game two really mattered. Memphis lost Morant, but Tillman scored 44.75 DKFP and the Grizzlies beat the Lakers.

Set your DraftKings fantasy basketball lineups here: NBA $300K Shootaround [$100K to 1st]

Put your knowledge to the test. Sign up for DraftKings and experience the game inside the game.

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.