Looking for the best NBA DFS picks and lineup advice for Tuesday, April 7? Tonight's six-game FanDuel slate offers plenty of opportunity, headlined by a Bulls-Wizards showdown with a massive 250.5-point total. With key stars like Anthony Edwards, Giannis Antetokounmpo and Trae Young ruled out, value plays and injury replacements will be critical to building a winning lineup. From elite options like Jayson Tatum and Scottie Barnes to high-upside sleepers like Bones Hyland and Will Riley, we break down the top plays, injury impacts and optimal strategies to help you dominate your NBA DFS contests tonight.
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Slate Overview
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.
Listed spreads/totals are from FanDuel Sportsbook and current as of Tuesday, April 7 at 12:00 p.m. ET:
- Chicago Bulls (-6) at Washington Wizards (O/U: 250.5)
- Minnesota Timberwolves (-12.5) at Indiana Pacers (O/U: 231.5)
- Miami Heat at Toronto Raptors (-1) (O/U: 240.5)
- Milwaukee Bucks (-2) at Brooklyn Nets (O/U: 220.5)
- Utah Jazz at New Orleans Pelicans (-11.5) (O/U: 241.5)
- Charlotte Hornets at Boston Celtics (-4.5) (O/U: 220.5)
As is often the case in the final days of the season, there is a mixed bag in terms of betting metrics, and some of the current numbers could certainly shift to an extent as the dust settles on injury news throughout the day. For the moment, there's little question the Bulls-Wizards game will be one of the premium spots for DFS players given the astronomical total and defensive deficiencies, and the Heat-Raptors game isn't far behind. Additionally, while the Jazz-Pelicans matchup does carry one of the two double-digit spreads for the night, that game could well play out closer than what that number implies.
Injury Situations to Monitor
For all the latest updates, visit RotoWire's NBA Injury News page and our comprehensive NBA Injury Report.
Josh Giddey, CHI (hamstring): OUT
In Giddey's absence, Rob Dillingham and Collin Sexton should see the majority of minutes at point guard, while the rest of the starting five will see a bump in usage.
Anthony Edwards, MIN (knee): OUT
In Edwards' absence, Bones Hyland should once again be a primary beneficiary, while Julius Randle will see even more usage than usual.
Pascal Siakam, IND (ankle): OUT
In Siakam's absence, Obi Toppin and Kobe Brown are likely to absorb the majority of minutes at power forward while the rest of the starting five sees increased opportunity.
Trey Murphy, NOP (ankle): OUT
With Murphy sidelined, Jeremiah Fears could draw a spot start and the likes of Zion Williamson and Saddiq Bey should be among the biggest beneficiaries in terms of usage bumps.
Matas Buzelis, CHI (illness): OUT
With Buzelis out of action, Patrick Williams and Leonard Miller should see the majority of minutes at power forward.
Other notable injuries:
Giannis Antetokounmpo, MIL (knee): OUT
Trae Young, WAS (quadriceps): OUT
Ryan Rollins, MIL (hip): OUT
Andrew Nembhard, IND (back): OUT
Lauri Markkanen, UTA (hip): OUT
Keyonte George, UTA (hamstring): OUT
Alex Sarr, WAS (toe): OUT
Jaden McDaniels, MIN (knee): OUT
Bobby Portis, MIL (wrist): OUT
Kevin Porter, MIL (knee): OUT
Kyle Kuzma, MIL (Achilles): OUT
Noah Clowney, BKN (ankle): OUT
Nic Claxton, BKN (finger): OUT
Collin Murray-Boyles, TOR (quadriceps): QUESTIONABLE
Immanuel Quickley, TOR (foot): QUESTIONABLE
Ace Bailey, UTA (knee): QUESTIONABLE
Dejounte Murray, NOP (hand): QUESTIONABLE
Kyle Filipowski, UTA (back): QUESTIONABLE
Justin Champagnie, WAS (knee): QUESTIONABLE
Bilal Coulibaly, WAS (heel): QUESTIONABLE
Collin Sexton, CHI (finger): PROBABLE
Norman Powell, MIA (illness): PROBABLE
Tyler Herro, MIA (foot): PROBABLE
Elite Players
We have two players with five-figure salaries on Tuesday's slate – Jayson Tatum ($10,700) and Jaylen Brown ($10,100).
Tatum already looks back to full health less than a month after his season debut, averaging 54.4 FD points over his last six games while scoring under 50 in that span just once. He also has a hot hand from deep at the moment, shooting 39.2 percent from three-point range in the sample.
Brown has been under 40 FD points in the last two games after eclipsing that mark in six straight, but he's still averaging 49.3 FD points over the entirety of that eight-game span and has amply proven capable of above-average production even with Tatum thriving alongside him.
Expected Chalk
Other likely chalk plays include:
Scottie Barnes, TOR ($9,700)
Barnes' production has seen some fluctuation recently, but he draws a strong matchup against the Heat in a game that should be one of the most popular ones to stack Tuesday.
Bam Adebayo, MIA ($9,300)
Adebayo should be a popular play on the other side of the Heat-Raptors matchup after eclipsing 41 FD points in four of the last six games.
LaMelo Ball, CHA ($9,100)
Ball has been over 41 FD points in each of his last two games and should be due for a solid workload in a marquee matchup against the Celtics.
Julius Randle, MIN ($8,400)
Randle will once again take the floor without Anthony Edwards on Tuesday and has scored 21 to 27 actual points in five of the last six games.
Key Values
Will Riley, WAS vs. CHI ($6,400)
The Wizards will take the floor with a short-handed rotation again Tuesday, and Alex Sarr is already confirmed out for Washington's frontcourt. Tristan Vukcevic and Justin Champagnie could join him on the sidelines as well, but Riley is a favorable option under any circumstance. The rookie is averaging 34.4 FD points over his last seven games on the strength of 22.0 points, 4.0 rebounds, 3.1 assists and 1.4 steals across 31 minutes per contest. Riley is draining an impressive 55.6 percent of his attempts from the floor during that span as well, and over the last two games, he's been to the line a robust 18 times while converting 14 of those opportunities into points. The Bulls make for an excellent target, given their own thin frontcourt and the fact they're already allowing the second-most FD points per game to power forwards on the season (50.1). The fact this game also carries a projected total north of 250 points only makes Riley's prospects all the brighter.
Collin Sexton, CHI at WAS ($6,200)
Given the expected game environment for the Bulls-Wizards clash, throwing in a second value option is certainly a consideration. Leonard Miller is one very intriguing sub-$6K option for Chicago that's listed in the Also Consider section below, but Sexton deserves mention in his own right due to recent performance and matchup. The veteran continues to prove a seamless fit in the Bulls' now injury-hampered backcourt, averaging 31.3 FD points over his last 12 games while shooting 50.6 percent, including 50.0 percent from beyond the arc. Sexton has eclipsed 30 FD points on eight occasions during that span, and Tuesday, he'll take the floor against a fast-paced and vulnerable Wizards squad without Josh Giddey, Matas Buzelis and Nick Richards available. Sexton is averaging 41.7 FD points per 36 minutes without that trio on the floor, boosting his already strong outlook.
Bones Hyland, MIN at IND ($5,700)
Hyland is another guard poised to benefit from injuries on his squad Tuesday, as Anthony Edwards' absence will either grant the former a spot start or a bump in minutes. Hyland already checks in on an upward trend, having scored 36.5 and 41.2 FD points in his last two games with respective allotments of 29 and 30 minutes off the bench. Zooming out to the last 10 games, the veteran guard is putting up a solid-for-his-salary 25.4 FD points per contest over 26.2 minutes per contest, certainly an encouraging clip. He's now carrying a 20.8 percent usage rate and average of 38.8 FD points per 36 minutes with Edwards and Jaden McDaniels off the floor, and the Pacers also come in surrendering the fifth-most FD points per contest to shooting guards in the last 15 games (46.5). Moreover, Indiana is giving up the 48.0 percent shooting and the sixth-highest offensive efficiency rating to second-unit players (47.5), two more metrics in Hyland's favor if he comes off the bench.
ALSO CONSIDER: Leonard Miller, CHI at WAS ($5,600); Ja'Kobe Walter, TOR vs. MIA ($5,200)
