This article is part of our FanDuel NBA series.
Two Game 4 contests are on tap for Monday's DFS action, and we've got it all covered for you! The first tip-off is at 7:30 p.m. EDT, and since there aren't any major injury situations to be concerned about, you can reserve early. Set it and forget it.
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.
INJURIES
For all the latest updates, visit RotoWire's NBA Injury News page and our comprehensive NBA Injury Report.
There are injury designations for Anthony Davis, LeBron James and Jimmy Butler, but all three are expected to take the floor. Caleb Martin is a bit of a question mark, but we also expect him to play.
ELITE PLAYERS
For this section, we'll consider players with salaries above the median of $6,667 as elite options.
The Lakers' best recipe for success is to get Anthony Davis ($11,700) involved early and often, and despite the salary inflation, he'll be hard to avoid. When you consider the dearth of options at center on this slate, I think the value differential warrants Davis' usage. At only $10k, you could just stack LeBron James ($10,000) alongside his teammate, but I'd be more inclined to diversify. Stephen Curry ($9,800) seems to be a better second elite option than Jimmy Butler ($10,100), and the slight salary difference would allow us to keep firing above the median with options like RJ Barrett ($7,200), who continues to be a more consistent option than Julius Randle. Although you can't be faulted for taking a chance on Jalen Brunson ($8,700), his salary is slightly inflated and is probably best used as a pivot for Curry in an attempt to find balance elsewhere. If you go that route, you can probably avoid Barrett and hit up Klay Thompson ($6,900) or D'Angelo Russell ($6,600) to find value at the guard positions.
EXPECTED CHALK AND VALUE PLAYS
Josh Hart, NYK ($6,300)
Hart's dual eligibility makes him a viable pick in a critical game for the Knicks. As he showed in Game 2, the potential to go off is there. His secondary numbers are key to his success, and a variation in minutes isn't a factor. He's streaky and can get going quickly .
Andrew Wiggins, GS ($6,200)
Although Wiggins' numbers have jumped around a bit, he's established a stable production floor for the Warriors. Players in the $6k range are ideal when they can beat their 5x value benchmark, and Wiggins has achieved that in three of his last five games.
Caleb Martin, MIA ($5,600)
Unless we get late news about Martin's injury status, he'll take on his customary role, which expanded after Tyler Herro was lost for the season. He's our riskiest endorsement, but we need a player like Martin to pop if we've overspent at the top.
Austin Reaves, LAL ($5,300)
It goes without saying that Reaves has upped his reputation in the playoffs, and he's shrugged off the negative press. It's obvious that LeBron trusts him with the ball, and considering James' role as a ball distributor, Reaves should see plenty of looks.
Kyle Lowry, MIA ($5,500)
This spot will almost always be a toss-up between Lowry and Gabe Vincent, but Lowry has become very comfortable with his shot and is playing like he has nothing to prove. After dealing with injuries and the things that come along with aging players, he's just happy to be on the court. His deft long-range shot is still intact and it's currently serving the Heat well.
Donte DiVincenzo, GS ($4,300)
DiVincenzo's potential rests in the hand of coach Kerr, but it seems like he's a much better fit against the Lakers. He had mostly poor results against the Kings, but he's crossed the 20-minute mark in two consecutive games against LA.
Also consider: Kevin Love, MIA ($4,800)
