NBA DFS Picks: FanDuel Lineup Plays and Strategy for Tuesday, April 23

NBA DFS Picks: FanDuel Lineup Plays and Strategy for Tuesday, April 23

This article is part of our FanDuel NBA series.

After an exciting Monday night playoff slate, we're primed for another trio of Game 2 clashes in series that all saw the home team draw first blood over the weekend. We have a fairly light injury report, but there are a couple of very big names on it that have poor prospects of being able to suit up. 

Slate Overview

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Listed spreads/totals are from FanDuel Sportsbook and current as of Tuesday, April 23 @  a.m. ET:    

Phoenix Suns at Minnesota Timberwolves (-3) (O/U: 212.0)

Indiana Pacers at Milwaukee Bucks (-1) (O/U: 223.5)

Dallas Mavericks (-2) at Los Angeles Clippers (O/U: 216.0)

Despite some lopsided Game 1 results in each of these series, we're primed for what appears to be much closer Game 2 matchups if oddsmakers are even reasonably accurate. However, totals are understandably modest, due to both the way defenses typically tighten up in the postseason and the fact there could be two major stars out of action.

Injury Situations to Monitor   

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

Giannis Antetokounmpo, MIL (calf): DOUBTFUL

In Antetokounmpo's likely absence, Bobby Portis is likely to draw another start at power forward, while Damian Lillard should be set for another night of massive usage after a very busy Game 1.

Kawhi Leonard, LAC (knee): QUESTIONABLE 

If Leonard sits out again, Amir Coffey will likely remain in the starting five, while the likes of James Harden and Paul George will be set for even more usage than usual.

Other notable injuries:

Grayson Allen, PHO (ankle): QUESTIONABLE

Kyle Anderson, MIN (hip): QUESTIONABLE

Elite Players

We have two players with five-figure salaries on Tuesday's slate – Luka Doncic ($12,300) and Giannis Antetokounmpo ($11,200).

Doncic unsurprisingly put together a double-double in Game 1 that netted 56.6 FD points, and given the stakes at play and the lack of offensive support he received outside of that provided by Kyrie Irving, he should once again enjoy massive usage Tuesday.

Antetokounmpo is highly unlikely to take the floor Tuesday, and he would undoubtedly be limited if he unexpectedly were able to suit up. 

Expected Chalk

Other likely chalk plays include:

Anthony Edwards, MIN ($9,800)

Edwards broke out for 52.8 FD points in Game 1, his best game against the Suns since the start of the regular season. 

Kyrie Irving, DAL ($9,700)

Irving was the only other member of the Mavericks besides Doncic to make an impact in Game 1, posting 50.4 FD points across 39 minutes.

Damian Lillard, MIL ($9,500)

Lillard should once again take the floor without Giannis Antetokounmpo, a scenario in which he scored 43.7 FD points in Game 1.

Kevin Durant, PHO ($9,400)

Durant posted 41.9 FD points across 38 minutes in Game 1 and should once again be highly rostered at his salary.

James Harden, LAC ($8,700)

Harden may be taking the floor without Kawhi Leonard again, and he put up 47.4 FD points in 39 minutes in Game 1 without his teammate on the floor.

Other likely chalk plays: Paul George, LAC ($8,500); Pascal Siakam, IND ($8,300); Bobby Portis, MIL ($7,300)

Key Values  

Brook Lopez, MIL vs. IND ($5,800)

Lopez tallied 28.3 FD points in Game 1 without Giannis in the frontcourt, and at a sub-$6K salary Tuesday, he should once again make for a very viable play Tuesday. Lopez is averaging 37.1 FD points per 36 minutes without Antetokounmpo since the start of the regular season, and the Pacers come in surrendering the sixth-most FD points to centers in the last 15 games (60.3). Indiana also has yielded 37.1 percent three-point shooting in the last three games, particularly relevant when considering Lopez's floor-spacing ability.

Russell Westbrook, LAC vs. DAL ($5,500) 

Westbrook carries a very reasonable salary and got the series off to a good start in Game 1, tallying 25.8 FD points across 23 minutes while going an efficient 5-for-8 from the field. The talented veteran should once again enjoy a secure role off the bench and checks in having eclipsed 25 FD points in all four meetings with the Mavericks since the start of the regular season. Dallas also surrendered the sixth-highest offensive efficiency rating to second-unit players during the regular season (44.9), along with 47.5 percent shooting.

Terance Mann, LAC vs. DAL ($5,300)

Mann played a key complementary role in Game 1, producing 25.8 FD points and coming just a rebound short of a double-double while shooting 50.0 percent from the field. Mann is averaging a solid 26.6 FD points per 36 minutes with Kawhi Leonard off the floor since the start of the regular season, and he's now shot a blistering 75.0 percent, including 66.7 percent from three-point range, over the last seven contests overall dating back to April 5. With the Mavs also giving up 45.6 FD points per contest to two-guards in the last seven games, Mann makes for a very viable tournament option.

ALSO CONSIDER: Patrick Beverley, MIL vs. IND ($5,600)

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. Juan Carlos Blanco plays in daily fantasy contests using the following accounts: DraftKings: jcblanco22, FanDuel: jc_blanco22, DraftPot: jc_blanco22, FantasyDraft: jc_blanco22, OwnThePlay: jcblanco22.
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ABOUT THE AUTHOR
Juan Carlos Blanco
Winner of the FSWA 2016 Newcomer of the Year Award, Juan Carlos Blanco has been playing fantasy sports for over 20 years and covers NBA, MLB, NFL, CFL and Arena Football for Rotowire.com, including serving as the beat writer for teams in multiple sports. He has previously written for KFFL.com and remains an avid season-long and daily fantasy player in multiple sports as well.
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