The Play-In Tournament begins Tuesday night. The Hornets are hosting the Heat in a win-or-go-home matchup, and the Suns are hosting the Trail Blazers to decide who will be the No. 7 seed in the Western Conference. Let’s dive into some of the top plays on the slate using the FantasyLabs tools and projections.
Also, don’t forget that for large-field tournaments, you can utilize our Lineup Optimizer to effortlessly create up to 300 lineups or use our Lineup Builder if you like to hand-build your lineups.
You can also use our SimLabs Lineup Generator, a tool that creates the most user-friendly lineup generation process.
Note: Projections and Leverage Scores/Ratings may change throughout the day after this article is posted. The NBA DFS landscape changes quickly.
Consult the NBA Player Models directly for any updates as we get closer to lock.
NBA DFS Point Guard Picks
Stud
LaMelo Ball ($8,500)
Ball closed the regular season in strong form, topping 50 DraftKings points in three of his final four, and he has flourished vs. the Heat this season. Miami leads the NBA in pace, and Ball has scored 45, 34, and 60 DraftKings points in his three matchups with the division rival. The Hornets’ 117.5-point implied team total is the highest on the slate, and no player has a higher ceiling in our projections than Ball. The guard is producing 1.4 DraftKings PPM with a 31% usage rate this season.
Value
Davion Mitchell ($4,200)
Mitchell enters tonight’s matchup with the Hornets playing well, scoring at least 26 DraftKings points in four of his last seven. The excellent defender should see right around 30 minutes, and Mitchell has been great vs. the Hornets this season, scoring at least 26 DraftKings points in three of his four matchups with Charlotte. Mitchell closed the regular season priced at $5,600 on DraftKings, so this $4,200 salary is a big discount for the guard.
Fast Break
Tyler Herro ($7,400) – Herro isn’t the greatest value, but he has a ceiling worth chasing in GPPs for this short slate. Herro has scored over 40 DraftKings points twice in his last six, and in his two matchups with the Hornets this season, Herro has thrived with 63.75 and 38 DraftKings points.
Don’t forget to check out our NBA SimLabs Lineup Generator to create advanced DFS lineups using the power of simulation:
NBA DFS Shooting Guard Picks
Stud
Kon Knueppel ($6,300)
Knueppel has been up-and-down recently, but he ended the regular season with a 35.5 DraftKings point outing vs. the Knicks. The rookie has also fared well playing up in pace vs. the Heat this season. Knueppel has scored at least 32 DraftKings points in all four of his matchups with Miami, with his best outing being a 50 DraftKings point performance in November. Knueppel is amassing 1.1 DraftKings PPM with a 22% usage rate this season, and he is the top shooting guard value on the slate in our projections.
Value
Coby White ($4,200)
White has been a perfect fit as the Hornets’ sixth man, and this $4,200 salary is a significant drop from the $5,100 price tag he closed the regular season with. White is leading Charlotte with a 33% usage rate since joining the club at the trade deadline, resulting in 1.3 DraftKings PPM. White topped 20 DraftKings points in four of his final six games of the regular season, and in his two matchups with the Heat in a Hornets uniform, White has generated 23.25 and 33.75 DraftKings points.
Fast Break
Devin Booker ($8,900) – Competing at home and with a chance to clinch a playoff berth, Booker should rise to the occasion tonight. The guard is leading Phoenix with 1.2 DraftKings PPM and a 31% usage rate this season, and he has scored at least 45 DraftKings points in five of his last seven.
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NBA DFS Small Forward Picks
Stud
Deni Avdija ($9,000)
Avdija is a tremendous spend at this price point, which is a $500 drop from his last start. The first-time All-Star is leading the Trail Blazers with 1.4 DraftKings PPM and a 29% usage rate this season, and with Portland fighting to improve its seed, Avdija has exceeded 50 DraftKings points in four of his last six. The Suns held Avdija to only 33.25 DraftKings points in his lone full game against the club, but this was a rare showing for Avdija, and he should have a much better performance tonight.
Value
Jaime Jacquez Jr. ($4,700)
Jacquez Jr. has been a thorn in the Hornets’ side this season, scoring over 40 DraftKings points twice and over 30 DraftKings points once in four matchups. The Heat’s sixth man also has been awesome recently, providing at least 30 DraftKings points in six of his last eight. Jacquez Jr. is generating 1.1 DraftKings PPM this season, and he could get slightly overlooked for this short slate, given he is a bench player.
Fast Break
Jordan Goodwin ($3,800) – Goodwin (ankle) missed the final two games of the regular season, but he has been removed from the Suns’ injury report, and if he resumes his starting role tonight, Goodwin will be a viable punt play. In 11 of his past 13, Goodwin has eclipsed 20 DraftKings points.
NBA DFS Power Forward Picks
Stud
Miles Bridges ($5,500)
Power forward is very thin on options for this two-game slate. In our projections, only six power forwards are forecasted to see playing time. Dillon Brooks ($6,600) is the highest priced, but he has really struggled vs. the Trail Blazers this season, with 25 DraftKings points or less in two matchups. So, Bridges is the best option available, and he has a strong chance to exceed 5x value against the fast-paced Heat. Bridges has recorded at least 29 DraftKings points in six of his last seven, and against Miami, he has performances of 41 and 37.5 DraftKings points, with that latter showing coming about a month ago. At 28 years old, Bridges is a veteran among this young Hornets group, and he should elevate his game with the season on the line.
Value
Andrew Wiggins ($4,500)
Wiggins must be considered at this low price tag. This is the cheapest he has been on DraftKings this season and a big decrease from the $5,700 he saw for the regular-season finale. Wiggins only scored 11.5 DraftKings points that night, but he has scored at least 23 DraftKings points in six of his last eight, including four outings over 30 DraftKings points. Plus, in two matchups with the Hornets this season, Wiggins has been terrific, scoring 35 and 38 DraftKings points.
Fast Break
Royce O’Neale ($4,400) – For GPPs, O’Neale is worth a flier. The forward has scored 24 and 30.75 DraftKings points in his last two, and he should see 20-25 minutes off the bench tonight.
NBA DFS Center Picks
Stud
Bam Adebayo ($8,700)
The Hornets have had trouble slowing down Adebayo this season, with the center posting 37.5 and 50.5 DraftKings points in his two matchups with Charlotte. Adebayo is leading the Heat with a 26.6% usage rate and 1.4 DraftKings PPM since the All-Star Break, and he enters the Play-In Tournament scoring over 50 DraftKings points in five of his last seven. Adebayo should surpass that threshold tonight and is one of the best spends on the slate.
Value
Moussa Diabate ($4,900)
Diabate is going to be needed for big minutes to match up with Adebayo, and rostering the two centers in the same lineup is a totally viable move. Diabate has scored at least 29 DraftKings points in three straight vs. the Heat. The big man logged at least 31 minutes in each of the past two meetings with Miami, and he should see this type of workload tonight. Diabate is scoring 1.0 DraftKings PPM while shooting 63% from the field this season, and he should effortlessly outproduce this $4,900 salary.
Fast Break
Robert Williams ($3,900) – Williams posted 35.5 DraftKings points in just 19 minutes vs. the Suns in February, and the veteran closed the regular season scoring 31.5 and 26 DraftKings points in his final two. Williams appears to be in good health heading into this play-in matchup, and he is an awesome punt play for GPPs that could really pay off. This season, Williams is amassing 1.2 DraftKings PPM.
Pictured: LaMelo Ball
Photo Credit: Imagn
