RADIO
We've got a massive slate of a dirty dozen NBA games on DraftKings tonight. I say dirty because there are several back-to-back sets, including the Nets who played a matinee in Minneapolis yesterday before heading to the airport to go to Philly. We still have a whole lot of injury concerns on this slate as well. At least we know that Kyle Lowry will be back and Fred VanVleet is out. The situations for the Nets, Pelicans, and Cavs is a lot less clear.
Not many lines are out as of publication, but it looks as though Pacers-Rockets and Wizards-Kings are going to be comfortably over 230. Minnesota and Milwaukee will likely join them, but that game has been removed from the slate as the Timberwolves moved the tipoff to 3:30 eastern time to abide by the city's curfew. The Heat and Nuggets should be the bottom of the totem pole at 213. That's still a wide range of projected outcomes.
This article will supply you with my daily fantasy basketball lineup picks for the DraftKings on 4/14/21. You can also check out today’s FanDuel lineup picks. It’s also important to monitor injury news as a result of COVID-19 as the slate can completely change before line-up lock. Without further ado, let’s dive into the picks!
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DraftKings DFS Guards
Russell Westbrook - PG, at Sacramento ($11,000)
It's impossible to fade Westbrook in cash games and getting increasingly harder to do so in GPP formats as well. Westbrook hasn't been under 50 DraftKings points since March 23 and has only been under 55 twice in the dozen games since then. 5x value has to be considered his floor against a team like the Kings. It's nearly impossible to find this kind of upside in the high salary ranks where the players need mid-50's just to not be a bust. Westbrook is proving to be the most reliable commodity around. Fade at your own risk.
Kyle Lowry - PG, vs. San Antonio ($7,600)
Lowry rested yesterday and watched as Pascal Siakam nearly beat the Hawks all by himself. Siakam will have reinforcements tonight in Lowry. This is already a superb matchup for Lowry. Add in the fact that his teammates are tired and Fred VanVleet is still out, and we are going to see Lowry put up some big numbers tonight. Lowry has massive upside here and is a suitable pivot off of Westbrook in GPP formats. I will have at least one line featuring both of them.
Derrick Rose - PG/SG, at New Orleans ($4,900)
Rose only has a really good game when one of the other Knick guards are out, but we can't ignore the price and the matchup here. The Pelicans continue to struggle with opposing guards and will be without Lonzo Ball, Nickeil Alexander-Walker, and Josh Hart again at the very least. Rose is mostly a scoring threat on the second unit at this point in his career, but he has the potential to do a lot of damage in his 25 minutes against this team. He lacks real upside due to his set time on the court, but he could still flirt with 7x value.
Monte Morris - PG/SG, vs. Miami ($3,800)
Morris should join the starting lineup with Jamal Murray going down with an ACL tear. He is still way too cheap right now. This will be a huge boost for both him and EuroLeague transplant Facundo Campazzo. Both are way too cheap on tonight's slate. They provide the value we need to try and fit Westbrook and Jokic in the same lineup. I will have Morris and/or Campazzo in every build. I don't see how you can avoid them.
Bonus Guards: Stephen Curry ($10,500), Dejounte Murray ($7,100), Devonte' Graham ($6,500), Cory Joseph ($4,700)
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DraftKings DFS Forwards
Julius Randle - PF/C, at New Orleans ($9,500)
Randle isn't pushing the ceiling threshold every game like Westbrook is, but he is consistently in the 50-60 DraftKings point range. He hasn't been below 40 yet this month and only Toronto has held him below 44 DraftKings points in those eight games. Randle is the clear leader of this team, and not just in stat categories. Randle has posted two triple-doubles in the last five games and has flirted with one on all but one of those games. Expect another shot at one here against the Pelicans. Even in blowouts, Randle is still playing more than 35 minutes.
Pascal Siakam - PF, vs. San Antonio ($8,500)
The Raptors are still going to need Siakam to come up big since Lowry isn't a high volume scorer. He'll likely get 20, but Lowry isn't the type of guy to take 25 shots. He and the team are better when the ball moves around. It will tonight, and I expect the end of the line to be Siakam often enough for him to have another good game against the Spurs. Siakam put up 49.75 DraftKings points in the first meeting, finishing two assists shy of a triple-double. There is nice potential here.
Larry Nance Jr. - PF/C, at Charlotte ($7,100)
The Cavs are letting Nance play big minutes lately. He has 127.25 DraftKings points in 95 minutes over the last three games. None of those opponents are as weak in the middle as Charlotte is. The Cavs have nothing to play for and seem to be content running the young players. Nance could take on a larger scoring role as well if Collin Sexton is forced to sit this one out.
Jalen McDaniels - PF, vs. Cleveland ($4,700)
McDaniels has started four games in a row now for Charlotte, clearing 30 DraftKings points with ease in three of those four games. He's still this cheap. DraftKings pricing algorithm is a little different in that it factors in ownership percentages. The secret will get out on McDaniels at some point. For now though, he's the best bargain on the entire slate yet again.
Bonus Forwards: Jimmy Butler ($9,400), Michael Porter Jr. ($7,200), Marcus Morris ($5,500), Davis Bertans ($4,100)
DraftKings DFS Centers
Nikola Jokic - C, vs. Miami ($10,600)
If you thought the usage was high on Jokic before, just wait. With the news that Jamal Murray is done with an ACL injury, Jokic is going to be carrying this team every night. This is a massive boost for Jokic, and to some extent, MPJ. Still, we haven't seen Porter try to carry a team. We have seen Jokic try and succeed in such an endeavor. It doesn't even matter who he plays from here on out. Jokic is an elite play with Murray out of the lineup.
Jonas Valanciunas - C, vs. Dallas ($7,600)
Jonas is on a bit of a heater right now. He has 122.5 DraftKings points over the last two games and have four straight over 40. His floor is almost 6x value right now. I wouldn't fade Jokic under any circumstances, but it is very possible to get both Jokic and Jonas in a lineup tonight and still have it look good. You have to go all the way back to St. Patrick's Day to find the last time Jonas didn't get a double-double. That's a pretty high floor.
Wendell Carter Jr. - C, at Chicago ($6,000)
This is a good matchup for Carter against his former team. It is for Nikola Vucevic as well, but Carter is significantly cheaper. With Mo Bamba likely sidelined again, we could see another game of elevated minutes for Carter. Orlando has been reluctant to run him more than 30 minutes, which does limit his upside. Still, if you can stomach paying down at center in a GPP, Carter's ceiling could be a little higher than usual tonight.
Bonus Centers: Joel Embiid ($10,000), Nikola Vucevic ($9,200), Kelly Olynyk ($6,500)
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