Tuesday's NBA DFS slate delivers three pivotal Game 2 matchups as the 76ers, Trail Blazers, and Rockets all look to avoid falling into an 0-2 series hole. With Kevin Durant questionable, Joel Embiid ruled out, and both Luka Doncic and Austin Reaves sidelined for the Lakers, savvy daily fantasy players have plenty of value angles to exploit on FanDuel. Victor Wembanyama and LeBron James headline the elite tier, while Luke Kennard, Jabari Smith, and Derrick White offer strong fantasy-point-per-dollar upside. Below, we break down the top chalk plays, sleeper values, and injury-driven pivots for tonight's three-game playoff slate.
NBA Games Today
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Listed spreads/totals are from FanDuel Sportsbook and current as of Tuesday, April 21 at 10:30 a.m. ET:
- Philadelphia 76ers at Boston Celtics (-14) (O/U: 216.5)
- Portland Trail Blazers at San Antonio Spurs (-11.5) (O/U: 220.5)
- Houston Rockets (-4.5) at Los Angeles Lakers (O/U: 207.5)
In what is a somewhat unusual development for the postseason, we have a pair of double-digit favorites Tuesday. However, given the stakes at play and the drive for teams to avoid falling into what could be an untenable series deficit, those games could well play out closer than projected, as a pair of underdogs proved Monday night.
NBA Injury Report
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Kevin Durant, HOU (knee): QUESTIONABLE
If Durant can't play through his right knee bruise for a second straight game, the rest of the starting five will naturally be in store for a significant bump in usage, while Josh Okogie could remain on the first unit.
Joel Embiid, PHI (abdomen): OUT
In Embiid's continued absence, Adem Bona and Andre Drummond should handle all the center minutes, while the likes of Paul George and Tyrese Maxey will benefit from extra usage.
Other notable injuries:
Luka Doncic, LAL (hamstring): OUT
Austin Reaves, LAL (oblique): OUT
Elite NBA DFS Players
We have two players with five-figure salaries healthy enough to play on Tuesday's slate – Victor Wembanyama ($12,100) and LeBron James ($10,600).
Wembanyama racked up 44.5 FD points over just 32 minutes in Game 1, seemingly establishing the Trail Blazers have no realistic answer for him.
LeBron totaled 55.1 FD points across 38 minutes in Game 1 while absorbing more usage than usual due to the ongoing absences of Doncic and Reaves, and while he did get plenty of help from the likes of Luke Kennard and Deandre Ayton, he should continue in a very elevated role in Game 2.
Expected NBA DFS Chalk
Other likely chalk plays include:
Deni Avdija, POR ($9,700)
Avdija delivered his usual production in Game 1 despite the Blazers' overall struggles, compiling 53.5 FD points over 39 minutes.
Jayson Tatum, BOS ($9,600)
Tatum continued his stretch-run surge in Game 1 with 53.7 FD points over 32 minutes, which should make him very popular at his salary Tuesday.
Tyrese Maxey, PHI ($9,200)
Maxey turned in a modest 31.2 FD points in 36 minutes during Game 1, but with the Sixers already down a game and Embiid still out, he should remain very popular Tuesday.
Alperen Sengun, HOU ($9,000)
Sengun went off for 40.6 FD points in Game 1 and carries a very reasonable salary for his upside, which should lock in a high roster rate Tuesday.
Jaylen Brown, BOS ($8,800)
Brown has seen a notable salary decrease compared to significant portions of the regular season, and given he posted 39.3 FD points over just 30 minutes in Game 1, he should be in plenty of lineups Tuesday.
Key NBA DFS Values
Jabari Smith, HOU at LAL ($6,200)
Smith stepped up in Durant's absence in Game 1, providing a 16-point, 12-rebound double-double that netted 35.4 FD points while logging a hefty 43 minutes. Durant is questionable for Tuesday's game, but Smith remains a consideration at his same Game 1 salary irrespective of his teammate's availability. Before his Game 1 success, Smith had also averaged 18.7 points, 6.7 rebounds, 1.3 assists and 32.3 FD points across three regular-season games against the Lakers, shooting 53.7 percent in the process. Therefore, his ability to deliver a 5x return or better in this matchup is proven, making him a very viable value play Tuesday.
Derrick White, BOS vs. PHI ($5,900)
White has certainly taken a step back usage-wise since Jayson Tatum debuted in early March and subsequently jumped back into a full-time role, but the veteran guard has seen a corresponding salary decrease. With White now requiring a sub-$6K investment to roster and still capable of delivering 30+ FD points on any given night, he remains a very viable consideration for savings in either cash games or tournaments. White posted 24.6 FD points in 33 minutes in Game 1, and he averaged 28.1 FD points across 33.4 minutes over the last 17 games of the regular season following Tatum's season debut. White also averaged 40 FD points in four regular-season games against Philadelphia – albeit all games that preceded Tatum's season debut – so there's a fruitful body of work we can point to in this matchup.
Luke Kennard, LAL vs. HOU ($5,500)
Kennard has delivered in impressive fashion during Doncic's absence, and his contributions arguably made the difference in the Lakers' Game 1 victory. With LeBron James projected to have to shoulder the majority of offensive responsibility in the absence of Los Angeles' starting backcourt, Kennard turned up his own game several notches and poured in 27 points on blistering 9-for-13 shooting, including 5-for-5 from behind the arc. The performance netted 33.3 FD points, and the performance was preceded by Kennard averaging an even more impressive 37.9 FD points across 31 minutes in the four starts he logged at the end of the regular season in which he played a normal allotment of minutes. Given his body of work in an expanded role to date and his Game 1 success, Kennard could prove the top fantasy-point-per-dollar play on Tuesday's slate due to his still very reasonable salary.
ALSO CONSIDER: Payton Pritchard, BOS vs. PHI ($5,300); Rui Hachimura, LAL vs. HOU ($5,200)
