NBA DFS action on Tuesday, April 13, locks at 7:30 p.m. ET with a six-game main slate on Yahoo, DraftKings and FanDuel. Before locking in lineups, make sure to check out Awesemo’s daily fantasy basketball picks, rankings and projections. Let’s dig into some NBA DFS picks and daily fantasy basketball, including Clint Capela, Paul George, Domantas Sabonis and more.
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NBA DFS Picks: Building Blocks, Tuesday, April 13th
Yahoo Play of the Day — Paul George: Los Angeles Clippers at Indiana Pacers
- Awesemo’s Preliminary Point Projections: Yahoo and FanDuel: 44.52 | DraftKings: 46.9
- Awesemo’s Preliminary Rostered Projections: Yahoo 45.4% | FanDuel 42.2% | DraftKings 38.0%
- DFS Salary: Yahoo $39 | FanDuel $9,000 | DraftKings $8,700
It was surprising to see that Kawhi Leonard is out with a sore foot. The thought was that the Clippers were giving him a long weekend by having him rest on Sunday, but perhaps there is more to it than meets the eye. Regardless of why he is out, he is out. That means gamers can look to Paul George as a core building block on Tuesday.
NBA WOWY shows that when George plays alongside Leonard he has a 25.9% usage rate, 25.6% assist rate, 10.4% rebounding rate and 1.17 Yahoo points per minute. Without Leonard, those figures increase to 33.6% usage, 22.6% assist, 10.7% rebounding rates and 1.26 Yahoo fantasy points per minute.
In the three games since the beginning of March that George has played without Leonard, he is averaging 36.5 minutes and 26.3 field-goal attempts, which includes 8.3 from behind the arc. This has resulted in per-game averages of 29.3 points, seven rebounds, 5.7 assists and 0.7 steals for just over 46 Yahoo fantasy points per game.
Domantas Sabonis: Indiana Pacers vs. Los Angeles Clippers
- Awesemo’s Preliminary Point Projections: Yahoo and FanDuel: 44.69 | DraftKings: 44.59
- Awesemo’s Preliminary Rostered Projections: Yahoo 35.8% | FanDuel 12.2% | DraftKings 24.8%
- DFS Salary: Yahoo $38 | FanDuel $9,300 | DraftKings $8,500
It is interesting seeing a 232-point projected total in a game between the Clippers and Pacers, but with key personnel missing on both sides, it makes sense that their respective defenses are not going to be as effective as per the norm. Myles Turner is missing a fourth straight game with his sprained ankle, which will increase the workload for Domantas Sabonis.
This season Sabonis is playing a career-high 35.7 minutes per game and is building on the success achieved last year. He is fifth in the league with 11.5 rebounds per game, and his 19.8 points, 6.1 assists and 1.7 combined blocks/steals are career bests. Anything less than a 20-and-10 tonight is going to be a disappointment, and Sabonis should threaten the 50-fantasy-point plateau.
Clint Capela: Atlanta Hawks at Toronto Raptors
- Awesemo’s Preliminary Point Projections: Yahoo and FanDuel: 44.69 | DraftKings: 44.59
- Awesemo’s Preliminary Rostered Projections: Yahoo 35.8% | FanDuel 12.2% | DraftKings 24.8%
- DFS Salary: Yahoo $38 | FanDuel $9,300 | DraftKings $8,500
Tonight Clint Capela stands out as a strong option against the short-handed Raptors on Yahoo and FanDuel. There will be enough value options that it will be easy to include him in DraftKings rosters as well. In the last five games he has played without John Collins, Capela has averaged 34.3 minutes with 20 points, 13.7 rebounds, 0.8 assists and 3.5 combined blocks/steals. Overall, his 14.1 rebounds lead the league and his 2.2 blocks per game are third. Additionally, his 59.9% success rate from the field is the third highest in the league among anyone attempting at least 10 shots per game. In the two games against the Raptors this season playing alongside Collins, Capela averaged 16 points, 17.5 rebounds and 4.5 blocks.
Good Value
Toronto Raptors vs. Atlanta Hawks
After returning for one game after a six-game absence, Kyle Lowry is out for rest. Fred VanVleet remains out as well. This means that Malachi Flynn will be back as a solid NBA DFS pick if he starts or continues to come off the bench. DraftKings missed the boat and somehow has DeAndre’ Bembry’s salary all the way down to $3,900, which is an absolute steal. Pascal Siakam will again see the bulk of the opportunities as the only ambulatory member of Toronto’s big three. Chris Boucher does not have the best matchup with Capela in the paint, but he averaged 31.3 minutes and nearly 50 fantasy points in the first two meetings against the Hawks.
Atlanta has won both games of the series this season with a 132-121 home victory and a 121-120 squeaker on the road. If Trae Young is able to go tonight after missing time with a sore calf, he is a tremendous tournament option. If he misses, then look to Kevin Huerter, Bogdan Bogdanovic and Lou Williams. There are likely to be better options available than Brandon Goodwin, but if he draws the start, then he is in play as an extreme punt option.
Risky Value
Darius Bazley: Oklahoma City Thunder at Utah Jazz
- Awesemo’s Preliminary Point Projections: Yahoo and FanDuel: 26.59 | DraftKings: 27.99
- Awesemo’s Preliminary Rostered Projections: Yahoo 23.2% | FanDuel 25.6% | DraftKings 21.2%
- DFS Salary: Yahoo $19 | FanDuel $5,800 | DraftKings $5,500
The tank is in full bloom this spring, creating a lovely ambiance in Oklahoma City. The Thunder have shelved Al Horford for the season, and it is unlikely that Shai Gilgeous-Alexander will play any time soon, as he is dealing with plantar fasciitis. Aleksej Pokusevski missed Saturday’s game with an arm injury. Isaiah Roby and John Hall are both in the concussion protocol, and Mike Muscala is dealing with an ankle issue.
While this leaves a vast chasm of fantasy production that needs to be filled, the prospects of taking players against the Jazz are not exactly thrilling. While Russell Westbrook and Bradley Beal made the article as options to pair with Donovan Mitchell and Joe Ingles, the Wizards have one of the best offenses in the league. Oklahoma City looks more like a G-League roster than anything resembling an NBA rotation. In their last 11 games, the Thunder are averaging 99.6 points per outing and have three performances below 95 points.
The Awesemo Boom/Bust tool shows there is a 16% chance of Darius Bazley being in the DraftKings optimal lineup tonight. Comparing that with his projected popularity gives him a -5.2 leverage score. There is just a 12.1% chance of him exceeding his boom score (5x salary + 10) of 37.5 DraftKings points. Conversely, there is a 46.5% probability of him falling below his bust threshold (5x salary) of 27.5 DraftKings points. Let other gamers assume the risk of a subpar performance.
Yahoo Daily Fantasy Basketball Discount Dandies
- Kevin Huerter: ATL at TOR – $10
- Markieff Morris: LAL at CHA – $11
- Ty Jerome: OKC at UTA – $10
Final Thoughts on the Tuesday, April 13th NBA DFS Slate
Tonight three teams are on the second legs of back-to-backs, and six teams are on the front ends. 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.
