It’s Tuesday, April 21st. The National Basketball Association (NBA) has playoff games on tap, starting at 7:00 p.m. ET with the Philadelphia 76ers and Boston Celtics on Peacock and NBCSN. The Portland Trail Blazers and San Antonio Spurs meet in the first game of a doubleheader on NBC and Peacock at 8:00 p.m. ET, while the Houston Rockets and Los Angeles Lakers close out the slate at 10:30 p.m. ET. All of these contests are Game 2 of their respective series. Below are our top NBA DFS picks for today.
View the best player prop bets for tonight’s slate with our NBA Prop Bet Cheat Sheet
NBA DraftKings & FanDuel DFS Primer
NBA DFS Core Plays
Victor Wembanyama (C – SAS)
- DraftKings: $11,500
- FanDuel: $12,100
Victor Wembanyama was good for 35 points on 13-of-21 shooting, including 5-of-6 from behind the arc. He ended up with five rebounds, two blocks, and an assist, too, while knocking down 4-of-5 from the charity stripe.
Portland was 27th in Opponent Rank (OPRK), while Wemby went for 51.8 Fantasy Points Per Game (FPPG). It’s a tremendous combination, especially with just three games on the slate. Build a San Antonio stack, as the Spurs easily have the most favorable matchup of the evening.
Jayson Tatum (PF – BOS)
- DraftKings: $9,500
- FanDuel: $9,600
Jayson Tatum had himself a tremendous Game 1 against Philadelphia, hitting 9-of-17 from the field, finishing with 25 points, 11 rebounds, seven assists, and two steals. He was just 1-of-7 from downtown, but that’s about the only complaint of DFS managers who used him for the series opener.
Tatum was good for 47.2 FPPG, and he is facing a 76ers defense with an OPRK of 21st. With just three games on the slate, if you’re going to build a lineup consisting of a handful of high-priced guys and a couple of low-cost options, Tatum needs to be at the top of your list.
Amen Thompson (PG – HOU)
- DraftKings: $7,800
- FanDuel: $8,400
Amen Thompson did a good job last season in his playoff debut, averaging 15.7 PPG, 6.9 RPG, and 3.3 APG against the Warriors, hitting 49.4 percent from the field in seven games. In Game 1 against the Lakers, he was good for 17 points, seven rebounds, and seven assists with three steals and a block. He appears to be emerging as quite the primetime player, and he is just 23 years old.
In three regular-season games against the Lakers, Thompson was good for 23.7 PPG,10.0 RPG, and 4.7 APG with 1.0 SPG. Thompson is a strong option at this price point, especially on DraftKings.
NBA DFS Cash Game Targets
Stephon Castle (SG – SAS)
- DraftKings: $7,400
- FanDuel: $7,400
Stop me if you’ve heard this before, but the Spurs are a strong play against the Trail Blazers with the light slate of games. Castle put up an Amen Thompson-like line in Game 1, going for 17 points, seven rebounds, and seven assists despite just 4-of-13 shooting (30.8 percent) from the field.
Castle has been good for at least 10 points in 11 consecutive games dating back to March 23, while going for seven or more assists in five straight outings, and seven or more boards in four contests in a row.
De’Aaron Fox (PG – SAS)
- DraftKings: $6,900
- FanDuel: $7,000
Fox was a sly play in Game 1 against the Trail Blazers, going for 17 points, eight assists, and five rebounds with two 3-pointers, and he added a steal in 34 minutes while going 7-of-15 from the field.
Fox has averaged 18.0 PPG in Game 1 and the final seven regular-season games. He went for 28.0 PPG, 6.3 APG, and 5.7 RPG with 3.0 SPG and 2.7 3PT per game in three meetings with Portland during the regular season, including a 37-point outburst in an NBA Cup game on Nov. 26.
Donovan Clingan (C – POR)
- DraftKings: $6,700
- FanDuel: $6,400
Sticking with the Portland-San Antonio series, let’s roll with Clingan in the middle for Game 2. Yes, he has to work against Victor Wembanyama, so that’s obviously not a favorable matchup. But the Spurs actually have an OPRK of 23rd, and Clingan was good for 34.6 FPPG during the regular season.
Clingan struggled in both the Play-In game against Phoenix, going for two points on 1-of-6 shooting, and just four points on 2-of-7 shooting in Game 1 against the Spurs. However, he has pulled down 9.0 RPG in the two games, and if he gets his shot to start falling, he’ll be an exception value in this price tier.
NBA DFS GPP Targets
Neemias Queta (C – BOS)
- DraftKings: $5,800
- FanDuel: $4,700
Neemias Queta is a cheaper play if you come up short trying to squeeze Clingan in, or you simply prefer the Boston center over the Portland player due to his matchup with Wemby.
Queta went for 13 points on a perfect 5-of-5 shooting in Game 1, while adding two rebounds, an assist, and a block. He has double-double potential, and he was good for 27 points with 18 rebounds and three blocks in a regular-season meeting with the Sixers on March 1.
Reed Sheppard (PG/SG – HOU)
- DraftKings: $4,900
- FanDuel: $5,700
Reed Sheppard is a strong play if Kevin Durant (knee) is unable to play due to his knee contusion. He went for 17 points on 6-of-20 shooting, while adding 5-of-14 from downtown. Sheppard was leaned upon more as an offensive weapon with KD on the shelf.
Sheppard has scored 17+ points in each of the past three outings, and he is working on a streak with two or more made 3-pointers in 16 straight games since March 18, including 3-of-8 from behind the 3-point line in a game on March 18 against Los Angeles.
Scoot Henderson (PG – POR)
- DraftKings: $4,700
- FanDuel: $4,400
Scoot Henderson has tremendous upside for a player at this salary level. In Game 1 against the Spurs, Henderson went for 18 points, three rebounds, three assists, and a steal with a pair of 3-pointers. He also hit 7-of-11 from the field in 27 minutes.
Henderson is strictly a scorer, and he’ll occasionally chip in with a smattering of rebounds and assists. He also has at least one steal in seven straight games, while dropping in at least one 3-pointer in 13 consecutive outings. Don’t expect Henderson to have a monster game, but he should meet or exceed DFS salary expectations.
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NBA DFS Value Plays
Keldon Johnson (PG/SG – SAS)
- DraftKings: $4,200
- FanDuel: $4,000
Keldon Johnson stunk in Game 1, quite frankly, but the disappointment for DFS managers then is the gain of those on Tuesday. His salary is super low, and he is a bargain at this price. Prior to his 3-point egg-laying in the series opener, Johnson had 10 or more points in 12 games in a row from March 21 to April 12. He does have six or more boards in five straight outings.
Sam Hauser (SF/PF – BOS)
- DraftKings: $4,200
- FanDuel: $3,900
Hauser was dealing with a back injury down the stretch of the regular season, but he was not only able to play in Game 1, but he started, going for 12 points on 4-of-6 from behind the 3-point line. He also added seven rebounds, two assists, and a steal in his 28 minutes. If he can come anywhere near replicating that stat line for Game 2, he’ll be a tremendous bargain.
Luke Kornet (C – SAS)
- DraftKings: $3,700
- FanDuel: $3,700
Luke Kornet is worth a look, as Wemby’s backup was good for 10 points in Game 1 against the Trail Blazers. He hit 5-of-6 from the field, while grabbing six boards with an assist and a steal in 14 minutes. Kornet has scored in double digits in three of the past four games, too. He won’t erupt for huge points, but in the event of a blowout, he could see more run, too.