NBA DFS Picks: DraftKings Plays and Strategy for Friday, April 2

NBA DFS Picks: DraftKings Plays and Strategy for Friday, April 2

This article is part of our DraftKings NBA series.

Slate Overview

CLE at ORL: Cavs lead series 3-2 

LAC at DAL: Mavs lead series 3-2 

For the latest spreads and over/unders, visit RotoWire's NBA Odds page. There you can also find player props, futures, picks, articles and sportsbook bonus codes.

Injuries to Monitor  

For all the latest updates, visit RotoWire's NBA Injury News page and our comprehensive NBA Injury Report       

CLE - Jarrett Allen (ribs): Questionable; Craig porter (ankle), Dean Wade (knee): OUT

ORL - Gary Harris (hamstring): Questionable

LAC - Terance Mann (leg): Questionable; Kawhi Leonard (knee): OUT

DAL - Tim Hardaway (ankle): OUT

Elite Players

Guards

Kyrie Irving, Mavericks ($8,900) vs. Clippers 

Irving finished with less than 40 DK points in two of the last three games but is averaging 25.8 points, 5.6 rebounds, 4.8 assists and 1.8 steals in the series. He also delivered a series-high 55.8 DK points in the previous home game and is likely to come out with a keen focus on helping his team close out the series in Game 6. Irving averaged 27.0 points and 3.1 three-pointers per game at home during the regular season.

Donovan Mitchell, Cavaliers ($8,400) at Magic 

Mitchell bounced back after a couple limited performances by turning in 28 points, six rebounds, two assists and two steals to lead the way to the home win in Game 5. He is averaging 22.4 points, 4.4 rebounds, 4.4 assists and 1.8 steals in the series and must come out at the top of his game to avoid his squad having their playoff run put on the line in Game 7. 

Forwards/Centers

Franz Wagner, Magic ($7,200) vs. Cavaliers 

After his major 60.8 DK-point effort in Game 4, Wagner came up with just 32.8 DK points on 14 points, five rebounds, six assists, a steal and a block in the last outing. Nonetheless, he is averaging 20.0 points, 7.4 rebounds, 4.6 assists and 1.2 blocks in the series and should thrive at home, where he shot 50.5 percent from the field during the regular season. 

Paolo Banchero, Magic ($8,300) vs. Cavaliers 

Banchero bounced back from a quieter outing in Game 4 to deliver his second-most productive game of the series, with 54.5 DK points on 39 points, eight rebounds and four assists, despite the loss in Game 5. He faces a big opportunity to step up in a must-win situation with the series back in Orlando, where he shot 48.2 percent from the field during the regular season.   

Evan Mobley, Cavaliers ($7,300) at Magic

Mobley totaled a series-best 45.3 DK points in the last game and was instrumental in the home win with 14 points, 13 rebounds, four assists, two steals and two blocks. He is averaging 14.2 points, 8.4 rebound, 2.2 assists, 1.1 steals and 2.2 blocks in the postseason and is likely to continue to rack up solid numbers across the stat sheet, especially while the Magic are giving up the second-most turnovers per game this postseason. 

Expected Chalk 

Luka Doncic, Mavericks ($11,900) vs. Clippers 

Doncic is coming off his second consecutive game with more than 60 DK points and is averaging 30.2 points, 9.2 rebounds, 8.8 assists and 1.0 steals in the series. The Clippers have shown little-to-no ability to slow him down at any point this season and will remain at a disadvantage on the defensive end without Kawhi Leonard. This leaves Doncic with an ideal opportunity to lead his squad to the home win and advance to the conference semifinals. 

Mid-Range Money 

Max Strus, Cavaliers ($5,100) at Magic 

Strus is coming off his best game of the series as he totaled 36.5 DK points on 16 points, six rebounds, five assists and two steals in Game 5. He is averaging 8.2 points, 5.2 rebounds, 2.8 assists and 1.0 steals in the postseason and must continue to pitch in on both ends of the floor to help the Cavs close out the first round. Strus should not be phased by being back in Orlando, as he averaged more points and a better shooting percentage on the road this season. 

P.J. Washington, Mavericks ($5,900) vs. Clippers 

Washington is averaging 10.2 points, 5.4 rebounds, 1.4 steals and 1.4 blocks in the series, including three games with more than 25 DK points. He is also averaging 4.8 three-point attempts per game in the postseason and is likely to shine from deep at home, where he shot a heightened percentage during the regular season. 

Value Picks

Jalen Suggs, Magic ($5,700) vs. Cavaliers 

Suggs exceeded 20 DK points in four of the Magic's five games this postseason and is averaging 14.2 points, 4.2 rebounds, 3.0 assists and 1.4 steals per outing. He helps drive the squad's focus on both ends of the floor with hustle play and is shooting 45.3 percent from the field in the series. He also shot significantly better at home during the regular season and will likely come out with a high-level effort to ensure his team avoids elimination in front of their own fans.  

Derrick Jones, Mavericks ($4,600) vs. Clippers 

After a quiet Game 1, Jones has scored in double digits in each of the last four outings, including a series high of 29.3 DK points in Game 4. He should continue to pad his stats by running the floor and finishing at the rim. He is also likely to prosper on home court, where he shot 50.8 percent from the field this season. 

Jonathan Isaac, Magic ($4,200) vs. Cavaliers 

Isaac should continue to benefit from an advantage in the frontcourt against the Cavs' second unit. He is averaging 8.4 points, 4.6 rebounds, 1.0 steals and 1.6 blocks in 21.4 minutes per game in the series and must chip in another valuable contribution to help his team keep their postseason alive. 

The author(s) of this article may play in daily fantasy contests including – but not limited to – games that they have provided recommendations or advice on in this article. In the course of playing in these games using their personal accounts, it's possible that they will use players in their lineups or other strategies that differ from the recommendations they have provided above. The recommendations in this article do not necessarily reflect the views of RotoWire. Dan Bruno plays in daily fantasy contests using the following accounts: FanDuel: duelingdan.
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ABOUT THE AUTHOR
Dan Bruno
Dan has been writing all things NBA for RotoWire since 2014. He is an active fantasy sports player, with a love for DFS. Dan is a certified Coach with the Ontario Basketball Association and is a recreation professional in his home city.
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