NBA DFS action on Friday, April 2, locks at 7 p.m. ET with a 10-game main slate on Yahoo, DraftKings and FanDuel. Before you lock in your lineups, make sure to check out Awesemo’s daily fantasy basketball picks, rankings and projections. Let’s dig into some NBA DFS and daily fantasy basketball picks, including Giannis Antetokounmpo, Fred VanVleet and more.
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NBA DFS Picks: Building Blocks, Friday, April 2nd
Yahoo Play of the Day — Giannis Antetokounmpo: Milwaukee Bucks at Portland Trail Blazers
- Awesemo’s Preliminary Point Projections: Yahoo and FanDuel: 54.62 | DraftKings: 56.84
- Awesemo’s Preliminary Rostered Projections: Yahoo 16.2% | FanDuel 22.4% | DraftKings 15.3%
- DFS Salary: Yahoo $55 | FanDuel $11,000 | DraftKings $10,900
There will be plenty of discount dandies available today with four teams on the second games of back-to-backs and eight teams on the front end. Giannis Antetokounmpo is an excellent NBA DFS pick against a Trail Blazers squad that is finally nearing full health. The Bucks are favored by a bucket in Portland, so this should be a spirited affair.
Over their last 10 games, the Blazers are allowing 117.6 points per 100 possessions, which is the worst defensive efficiency mark in the league. During this stretch, Milwaukee is playing at the second-fastest pace, and Damian Lillard and company are not afraid to run.
Giannis is having another stellar statistical season. He is fifth in the league with 28.3 points per game and sixth with 11.4 rebounds. He is also posting a career-high 6.3 rebounds per game. This has enabled him to tally seven triple-doubles, and his 31 double-doubles are the sixth most in the league.
Fred VanVleet: Toronto Raptors vs. Golden State Warriors
- Awesemo’s Preliminary Point Projections: Yahoo and FanDuel: 42.45 | DraftKings: 43.92
- Awesemo’s Preliminary Rostered Projections: Yahoo 16.4% | FanDuel 43% | DraftKings 25.1%
- DFS Salary: Yahoo $39 | FanDuel $7,400 | DraftKings $8,200
Kyle Lowry is going to miss at least a week with a foot infection, so Fred VanVleet and Pascal Siakam will get more attention in these games. Both are in play, though if choosing between the two, VanVleet is the better play. He sees nearly a 20% increase in his fantasy production without Lowry, going from 0.98 Yahoo fantasy points per minute to 1.17 Yahoo fantasy points.
Over their last 10 games, the Warriors are playing at the fifth-fastest pace and have a bottom-10 defensive rating. Toronto is favored by a bucket, and there is a chance that Stephen Curry will sit out this game, which is the first back-to-back set he has seen since returning from his tailbone injury.
Good Value
New Orleans Pelicans vs. Atlanta Hawks
Last night Lonzo Ball missed his sixth straight game with a hip flexor injury. Brandon Ingram (foot) and Zion Williamson (thumb) were out as well. Depending on who is out tonight, many of the Pelicans will be appealing in their matchup with the Hawks. Alexander-Walker continues to be an excellent play with Ball sidelined, even with his rising salary. In the off chance that Ball returns, Alexander-Walker is a fine option if either of the New Orleans forwards are out. Eric Bledsoe is only worthy of consideration if Ball is out, and if he misses a seventh straight game, then Kira Lewis Jr. is a decent punt play. James Johnson, Josh Hart and Steven Adams all will see a boost in value if either of Ingram or Williamson is out again tonight, and Jaxson Hayes becomes a lottery-ticket option if both sit.
Atlanta Hawks at New Orleans Pelicans
John Collins will be out tonight, as will De’Andre Hunter. That opens up minutes and field-goal opportunities for both Bogdan Bogdanovic and Danilo Gallinari. Lou Williams made his Hawks debut last night, and he will likely be in the mix for 20 to 25 minutes once again. If any of this trio is out for any reason, Kevin Huerter merits consideration, though he is otherwise off limits with his shaky playing time.
Risky Value
Robert Williams: Boston Celtics vs. Houston Rockets
- Awesemo’s Preliminary Point Projections: Yahoo and FanDuel: 37.38 | DraftKings: 35.39
- Awesemo’s Preliminary Rostered Projections: Yahoo 16.8% | FanDuel 25.2% | DraftKings 22.5%
- DFS Salary: Yahoo $30 | FanDuel $6,600 | DraftKings $6,700
While this is a good matchup for Robert Williams, understand the impact of his increasing salary. Fortunately, the Awesemo Boom/Bust tool can do the heavy lifting for us. Williams has a 21.3% chance of being in the DraftKings optimal lineup tonight, and there is an 18.8% chance of him exceeding his boom (5x salary + 10) of 43.5 DraftKings points. Conversely, there is a 42% chance of him falling below his bust threshold (5x salary) of 33.5 DraftKings points. There are many other options available, and if Williams continues to be projected for use by nearly a quarter of the field, gamers are better off letting others assume the risk of a subpar performance.
 Yahoo Daily Fantasy Basketball Discount Dandies
- Alex Caruso: LAL at SAC – $10
- Jae Crowder: PHX vs. OKC – $12
- Svi Mykhailiuk: OKC at PHX – $11
Final Thoughts on the Friday, April 2nd NBA DFS Slate
The 10 games tonight are staggered throughout the evening, so watch the news updates closely, as they will likely be popping up frequently. Keep in mind that salaries and scoring formats differ across the various fantasy sites, and a slam-dunk play on Yahoo may be a below-average NBA DFS pick on DraftKings or FanDuel.
