This article is part of our DraftKings NBA series.
Today's NBA DFS playoff slate features four Game 4 showdowns packed with DraftKings value, from LeBron James and the Lakers looking to complete a first-round sweep in Houston to Jayson Tatum and the Celtics battling Tyrese Maxey and the 76ers in Philadelphia. With elimination pressure mounting for some and pivotal swing games for others, identifying the right elite plays, mid-range options and value picks is critical to building a winning DraftKings lineup. Our NBA DFS picks break down the top guards, forwards and centers based on matchups, recent production, injury news and home-court trends. Whether you're chasing GPP upside or locking in cash-game floor, these expert plays will help you navigate tonight's playoff slate with confidence and maximize your DraftKings ROI.
Slate Overview
CLE at TOR: The Cavaliers lead this series, 2-1.
SAS at POR: The Spurs lead this series, 2-1.
BOS at PHI: The Celtics lead this series, 2-1.
LAL at HOU: The Lakers are looking to complete a 4-0 sweep here.
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.
TOR - Immanuel Quickley (hamstring)
CLE - NONE
SAS - Victor Wembanyama (concussion)
POR - Damian Lillard (Achilles)
BOS - NONE
PHI - Joel Embiid (appendectomy)
HOU - Kevin Durant (ankle)
LAL - Luka Doncic (hamstring), Austin Reaves (oblique)
Elite Players
Guards
Tyrese Maxey, Sixers ($9,100) vs. Celtics
It looks like Embiid will miss another game, and Maxey is a menace in those circumstances. What makes him so scary is his bump in usage, posting a 31 percent usage rate with the former MVP off the floor. His averages are amazing too, averaging 29.4 points, 3.9 rebounds, 5.9 assists and 1.9 steals per game. That's in line with his 48-point average, and we might see Maxey play 45 minutes in this must-win Game 4 after trailing 2-1. Not to mention, Maxey has 53 DraftKings points in the last two games of this series, despite struggling with his shot.
Jrue Holiday, Trail Blazers ($7,000) vs. Spurs
Holiday is the veteran of this young Blazers team, and he's been their most valuable player in this series. The former champ has at least 32 DraftKings points in nine of his last 10 outings. Holiday also has 54 and 40 DK points in the two most recent games. That form makes it hard to believe that Holiday is hovering around $7K, especially since he's playing 40 minutes a night right now. We also can't overlook the fact that Holiday has at least 31 fantasy points in all four matchups with the Spurs this season.
Forwards/Centers
Deni Avdija, Trail Blazers ($8,900) vs. Spurs
You can always tell a great player by their bad games. Avdija just had one of his worst outings in the Game 3 defeat, but he still finished with 40 DraftKings points. That shows just how valuable Avdija is to this team, averaging 24.3 points, 6.9 rebounds and 6.7 assists per game. That stat-stuffing is why he was one of the best players during the regular season, and you know Avdija will be as aggressive as ever since Portland is trailing 2-1 in this series.
Evan Mobley, Cavaliers ($7,500) at Raptors
It was really surprising to see Mobley at just $7,500. His upside is limited due to Donovan Mitchell and James Harden, but we're talking about a guy who's averaging 40 DraftKings points per game. Most players with that type of average are above $8,000, and Mobley might see more minutes in this critical Game 4. What makes it even more bizarre is that Mobley has at least 39 DK points in the last two games of this series. The lack of frontcourt size for Toronto should allow these big men to feast for Cleveland, and we'll talk about that a bit more in the mid-range section.
Expected Chalk
LeBron James, Lakers ($9,700) at Rockets
How wild is it that this 41-year-old is the expected chalk on this slate? That's a testament to how special this superstar is, with LeBron averaging 42 DraftKings points per game during the regular season. He's been asked to do even more with Doncic and Reaves sidelined, averaging 25.4 points, 8.0 rebounds, 10 assists and 2.3 steals across his last seven outings. That's flirting with a 60-point average on DK, and James is notorious for going off in closeout games. In 54 career closeout games, James is averaging 28.3 points, 9.2 rebounds, 7.0 assists, 1.6 steals and 1.0 blocks per game.
Mid-Range Money
Derrick White, Celtics ($6,300) at Sixers
There's no question that White's production has fallen since Jayson Tatum returned, but seeing him at $6,300 is quite the bargain. This guard averaged over 35 DraftKings points per game during the regular season. That's why he was flirting with $8K all year, and seeing this much of a dip makes White a worthy risk when looking at the players around him. There are six players above him with a lower average, and nobody below him in salary has a higher average. That's an easy way to tell that White is just too cheap.
Jarrett Allen, Cavaliers ($5,600) at Raptors
Much like Mobley, Allen should thrive in this matchup. This big man has scored at least 28 DraftKings points in 21 of the last 22 games he's finished while posting a 37-point average in that span. Those are absurd numbers from a $5,600 player, and not many guys have the floor of Allen with his rebounding abilities. We've also seen Toronto bench Jakob Poeltl at times in this series, which should allow Allen to feast even more with how small the Raptors are playing right now.
Value Picks
Jamal Shead, Raptors ($4,600) vs. Cavaliers
The Quickley injury is unfortunate for Toronto, but it's been massive for Shead's fantasy value. He's been starting at PG whenever IQ has been sidelined, averaging 32 minutes a night in this series. He's not a great fantasy producer, but anybody south of $5K getting 30-plus minutes needs to be considered. All you need is 25 fantasy points for Shead to be a value, and he's averaging 27 DK points per game across 33 minutes in the 15 games he's played at least 29 minutes.
Andre Drummond, Sixers ($4,600) vs. Celtics
Here we are with another injury fill-in. Drummond has started at center for most of the season when Embiid has been sidelined, and he's always a worthy DFS player when given an opportunity. This big man is averaging 22 DK points per game across 20 minutes a night. That's really encouraging since Drum has played at least 26 minutes in five of his last seven outings. If you look at the 17 games Drum has played over 26 minutes, he's averaging 37 DraftKings points per game!
Robert Williams, Trail Blazers ($4,500) vs. Spurs
This guy got the nickname "Time Lord" because of his absurd per-minute averages in Boston, and we're seeing glimpses of that in this series. Williams has 34 and 30 DK points in the last two games of this San Antonio series while playing at least 23 minutes in both of those. This per-minute stud only needs 20 minutes to perform at a $6K level, and it appears Portland has been saving him for this postseason run.
