NBA DFS Picks: Building Blocks for Friday, April 30th | Khris Middleton

Tonight should be a tremendous tournament night with star players sidelined on over half of the teams in action. There will be plenty of NBA DFS picks to choose given all the players sitting out, and here we will discuss the top plays for DraftKings, FanDuel and Yahoo lineups. Brooklyn will be down to its understudies with James Harden, Kevin Durant and Kyrie Irving unlikely to play. Plus, tonight Washington and Cleveland should have no shortage of fireworks. Let’s see what else we can uncover.

Don’t forget to head over to the Awesemo NBA DFS HOME PAGE for more great written daily fantasy basketball content, including the FREE Deep Dive — the most in-depth article in the industry.

***Get a SNEAK PEEK with our free premium data, tools and content of the day, the Awesemo Premium NBA Player Projections.***

NBA DFS Picks: Building Blocks, Friday, April 30th

Yahoo Play of the Day — Anthony Davis: Los Angeles Lakers vs. Sacramento Kings

• Awesemo’s Preliminary Point Projections: Yahoo and FanDuel: 42.75 | DraftKings: 41.65
• Awesemo’s Preliminary Rostered Projections: Yahoo 54% | FanDuel 15.2% | DraftKings 5.0%
• DFS Salary: Yahoo $31 | FanDuel $9,500 | DraftKings $9,100

Anthony Davis stands out as one of the best NBA DFS picks on Yahoo tonight. His minutes have increased to 31 since his return after missing 30 games with various lower leg injuries. The only concern is that he has not been rebounding at his usual rate. However, he should see 20-plus field-goal attempts and put up enough peripherals to easily return a profit on his Yahoo salary tonight.

Khris Middleton: Milwaukee Bucks vs. Chicago Bulls

• Awesemo’s Preliminary Point Projections: Yahoo and FanDuel: 32.8 | DraftKings: 34.08
• Awesemo’s Preliminary Rostered Projections: Yahoo 24.4% | FanDuel 32% | DraftKings 15.8%
• DFS Salary: Yahoo $30 | FanDuel $7,200 | DraftKings $7,900

Giannis Antetokounmpo left last night’s game with a sprained ankle shortly after tip-off. It seems like overkill to have him play tonight against the Bulls, who should easily be dispatched by Khris Middleton, Jrue Holiday and Brook Lopez. NBA WOWY shows that in 1,285 minutes alongside Antetokounmpo, Middleton is averaging 1.0 Yahoo fantasy points per minute. In 717 minutes without Giannis, Middleton is averaging 1.27 Yahoo fantasy points per minute. Holiday sees an even better increase from 1.02 Yahoo fantasy points per minute to 1.34 under the same circumstances, making Middleton a desirable core option tonight.

Russell Westbrook: Washington Wizards at Cleveland Cavaliers

• Awesemo’s Preliminary Point Projections: Yahoo and FanDuel: 48.86 | DraftKings: 51.61
• Awesemo’s Preliminary Rostered Projections: Yahoo 3.6% | FanDuel 22.6% | DraftKings 19.4%
• DFS Salary: Yahoo $56 | FanDuel $11,000 | DraftKings $11,000

There will be plenty of value options today, so gamers will be able to work in two or three top-tier options into rosters tonight. Washington is favored by 6 points heading into Cleveland tonight, and this is a less daunting matchup then the last outing with the Lakers. The Wizards have won 11 of their last 13 games, including a 119-110 victory over the Cavaliers last Sunday.

At this lofty salary, Russell Westbrook needs to produce 50-plus fantasy points. Fortunately, in 28 games since the All-Star break, Westbrook has 21 games with at least 50 fantasy points. He has averaged 43.8 fantasy points in the other seven games, which is a solid floor. Bradley Beal, Rui Hachimura and Daniel Gafford are also viable options if looking for a game stack. Jarrett Allen would be the primary runback option from the Cavaliers, and if Collin Sexton misses another game, Darius Garland is worthy of consideration as well.

Good Value

Alize Johnson: Brooklyn Nets vs. Portland Trail Blazers

• Awesemo’s Preliminary Point Projections: Yahoo and FanDuel: N/A | DraftKings: N/A
• Awesemo’s Preliminary Rostered Projections: Yahoo N/A | FanDuel N/A | DraftKings N/A
• DFS Salary: Yahoo $10 | FanDuel $3,500 | DraftKings $3,000

James Harden is out as he continues working his way back from a hamstring issue. Kevin Durant played 36 minutes last night, leading the Nets to victory over the Pacers. However, he is currently doubtful, as he too is not quite at 100%. Then there is Kyrie Irving, who is questionable with a groin injury. The Nets are currently 1-point dogs at home to the Trail Blazers, which leads one to believe it is unlikely Durant or Irving will see action.

Alize Johnson topped 50 fantasy points in both games in which he played at least 32 minutes. He is averaging 21.5 points, 18 rebounds, three assists and two combined blocks/steals in those games. While it is ridiculous to expect 50 fantasy points tonight, anything less than 30 fantasy points will be disappointing as long as at least one of Durant and Irving is out.

Risky Value

Sacramento Kings at Los Angeles Lakers

In three games without De’Aaron Fox, the Kings are averaging 110.3 points per game. The Lakers are still posting one of the best defensive efficiency ratings in the league despite missing Anthony Davis and LeBron James both missing over 20 games. The salaries have come up across the board for Sacramento, which makes them all risky options in this matchup, even on the late slate.

Yahoo Daily Fantasy Basketball Discount Dandies

1. Gary Harris: ORL at MEM – $11
2. Lauri Markkanen: CHI vs. MIL – $10
3. Ishmael Smith: WAS at CLE – $10

Final Thoughts on the Friday, April 30th NBA DFS Slate

There are eight games tonight with tip-offs spanning from 7 p.m. through 10:30 p.m. ET. This will likely lead to late-breaking news that needs to be monitored. 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.