RADIO
Happy Tuesday, RotoBallers! It's hard to believe in one month, we will be in the thick of the NBA Playoffs. There's still so much to be decided in each conference when it comes down to seeding and which teams will even be playing games when the regular season concludes on May 16th. Nine of the 12 teams on tonight's six-game slate have a lot to play for (no offense, Houston, Minnesota, and Oklahoma City), and it should provide some electric basketball and an abundance of fantasy points for our DFS squads.
While the Timberwolves, Thunder, and Rockets are already looking towards the 2021-22 season, they can still be useful in DFS. Unfortunately for them, it's mainly because of their atrocious defense. Houston and Oklahoma City are bottom-five defenses versus four of the five positions over the last 15 games, and both teams have turned into sieves on the defensive end. OKC has a 116.1 defensive rating (26th) in the last 10 games, while Houston is worse at 118.7 (28th), and Minnesota brings up the rear at 119.8 (29th). The Timberwolves and the Rockets meet on the court tonight, and you should make sure to have a piece of that game in your lineup.
This article will provide you with my daily fantasy basketball lineup picks for DraftKings on 4/27/21. You can also check out today's FanDuel lineup picks. With COVID-19 a significant factor, remember to monitor injury news as the slate can completely change before lineups lock.
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DraftKings DFS Guards
Kevin Porter Jr. - PG/SG, HOU vs. MIN ($6,500)
Porter (medical protocols) missed the last week of action but will make his return to the court for the Rockets in a fantastic DFS spot. First, he's facing the Timberwolves, and they are the fifth-worst defense versus guards over their last 15 games. Second, John Wall (hamstring/tankathon) is out for the remainder of the season. KPJ will soak up all the minutes, shots and assist his teammate is leaving on the court. Porter is averaging 15.5 points, 6.2 assists, 3.8 rebounds, and 1.7 three-pointers per contest on the year. Without any competition, DFS managers should expect those numbers as his floor for the remainder of the season. Meanwhile, his upside is a 50-point evening, as evidenced by the 54.25 DraftKings fantasy points, he scored versus the Phoenix Suns on Apr. 12.
D'Angelo Russell - PG/SG, MIN at HOU ($6,300)
Like I said in the introduction, you want to attack this game. Rostering several players from both teams is a viable strategy on Tuesday's six-game slate. One of those players should be Russell as he continues to work his way back from his lengthy absence. Over his last four games, the 2019 All-Star is averaging 23.3 points, seven assists, 2.8 rebounds, one steal, and 4.5 three-pointers in 29 minutes. Those numbers have given DFS players 41.7 fantasy points per game, which will fit the bill extremely well for tonight's game. Two of those four games came against the Utah Jazz, and tonight Russell will get the not-as-defensively-minded Houston Rockets. Over the last 15 games, Houston is the second-worst defense versus points guards and the fifth-worst defense against shooting guards. So slot Russell in wherever you want and reap the benefits of a six or even seven-times value evening from the 25-year old combo guard.
Other options: Kyrie Irving, PG/SG at TOR ($9,500), Jalen Brunson, PG/SG at GS ($4,800)
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DraftKings DFS Forwards
Kelly Oubre Jr. - SG/SF, GS vs. DAL ($6,300)
The stars are aligning for a big Kelly Oubre game in DFS. One, his teammates Kent Bazemore and Damion Lee will both miss the contest due to health protocols. Two, Oubre and the Warriors will catch Dallas on the second half of a back-to-back and their third games in four nights. Three, he's playing some of his best basketball of the season while leading the Warrior's second unit.
The Louisiana-native has played at least 30 minutes in four of his last five games. In those four contests, the 25-year old is averaging 22.3 points, seven rebounds, 1.5 assists, one steal, and 2.5 threes. He's been efficient shooting the ball (52.3 percent) and is tallying 37.6 FPPG thanks to all of these counting numbers. The Warriors are fighting for their play-in lives right now and will be pulling out all the stops to grab a win, while the Mavericks seem to be on a rest and recuperate program during a five-game week. While the matchup could be better, Oubre is a safe bet to reach the 35-point threshold if he gets the playing time his recent results deserve.
Oshae Brissett - PF/C, IND vs. POR ($5,000)
Domantas Sabonis (back) and Myles Turner (toe) will miss Tuesday's matchup with the Trail Blazers, and it will open up plenty of minutes in the Pacer's frontcourt. Brissett is the preferred play tonight, but watch out for Goga Bitadze's status. He is questionable with an ankle injury, but he has been designated with that injury tag in the previous three games and missed all three tilts. So, if all Bitadze joins Sabonis and Tuner on the sidelines, feel free to fir up Brissett.
The second-year big man is producing excellent fantasy production as we enter the final dozen games of the regular season. Brissett is averaging 15 points in his previous four games, along with 9.3 rebounds, one assist, one block, 0.8 steals, and 2.3 three-pointers in 33.6 minutes. The Pacers are among the fastest teams in the league these days, averaging a mind-numbing 105.5 possessions per game. That's tops in the Association and will give Brissett ample chances to rack up the fantasy points on Tuesday.
Other options: Jaylen Brown, SG/SF vs. OKC ($8,400), Edmond Sumner, SG/SF vs. POR ($4,000)
DraftKings DFS Centers
Karl-Anthony Towns - C, MIN at HOU ($10,000)
The Nets-Raptors game has a higher over/under (232.5 points) than this Minnesota-Houston contest (229.5 points). Still, the Timberwolves-Rockets matchup is the highest rated tilt for me on Tuesday's six-game slate. That's why I am using three of my six recommendations on players from this Western Conference cellar-dweller matchup. Karl-Anthony Towns is the third and final pick from the contest and should be a great anchor for DFS lineups.
The 25-year old is averaging a double-double for the sixth time in six seasons. Towns is recording 24.7 points, 10.9 rebounds, a career-high 4.5 assists, 1.4 blocks, and 2.4 three-pointers nightly. While the Timberwolves have a miserable season, KAT is doing anything but that. His 49.9 FPPG makes him the second-highest scoring center on the slate, behind Giannis Antetokounmpo (56.8 FPPG).
Jusuf Nurkic - C, POR at IND ($6,800)
The Rockets are the third-worst defense versus opposing centers over the last 15 days. It's what made KAT such an easy recommendation. However, the Pacers are the worst defense in the league versus big men over the last 15 days, and that gives Jusuf Nurkic a perfect avenue to fantasy relevance tonight. The 26-year old hailing from Bosnia and Herzegovina dominated the Grizzlies in a recent two-game set and will look to continue that form against when the Trail Blazers visit the Pacers. In the games against Memphis, Nurkic averaged 21 points on 60.7 percent shooting, with 18 rebounds, five assists, 1.5 blocks, and one steal in 29.2 minutes. Those averages provided DFS managers with 59.75 and 53.75 fantasy points, respectively. In a great matchup against a fast-paced opponent, Nurkic is a great discount option at the center position.
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