NBA DFS Picks: DraftKings Plays and Strategy for Saturday, April 20

NBA DFS Picks: DraftKings Plays and Strategy for Saturday, April 20

This article is part of our DraftKings NBA series.

Slate Overview

ORL at CLE: Season series tied 2-2 with each team winning once at home.  

PHX at MIN: Suns won season series 3-0, with two wins at home. 

PHI at NYK: Knicks won season series 3-1, winning twice on the road.

LAL at DEN: Nuggets won season series 3-0, winning twice on the road.

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       

CLE - Craig Porter (ankle), Dean Wade (knee): OUT 

PHI - Joel Embiid (knee): Questionable; Robert Covington (knee), De'Anthony Melton (back): OUT 

LAL - Anthony Davis (back), LeBron James (ankle): Probable; Cam Reddish (ankle), Jarred Vanderbilt (foot), Christian Wood (knee): OUT 

Elite Players

Guards

Jamal Murray, Nuggets ($7,600) vs. Lakers 

Murray found his groove after returning from a seven-game absence and averaged 24.0 points, 4.0 rebounds, 4.8 assists, 1.0 steals and 1.2 blocks over the final five games of the season. He was also impressive through four meetings with the Lakers this season, averaging 24.7 points, 5.0 rebounds, 9.3 assists and 1.0 steals per outing. He is likely to thrive again, as the Lakers gave up the league's second-most points per game to opposing point guards this season. 

Devin Booker, Suns ($8,800) at Timberwolves 

Booker delivered high-octane scoring all season and closed averaging 25.4 points, 3.0 rebounds, 7.3 assists and 0.9 steals over the final 10 games. He also thrived against the Timberwolves this season, averaging 22.3 points, 3.7 rebounds, 8.3 assists and 1.3 steals over three encounters. 

Forwards/Centers

LeBron James, Lakers ($9,400) at Nuggets  

James finished with 23 points, nine rebounds, nine assists, three steals and two blocks in the play-in to help lift the Lakers into the seventh playoff spot in the West. He also topped 50 DK points in each of his final five appearances of the season, including a high of 81.8 in the last game. Despite his squad being unable to succeed against the Nuggets this season, James averaged 24.0 points, 7.0 rebounds, 7.0 assists and 1.7 steals across their three meetings.  

Kevin Durant, Suns ($8,600) at Timberwolves 

Durant was the Suns' most consistent contributor and led the team averaging 27.1 points, 6.6 rebounds, 5.0 assists, 0.9 steals and 1.2 blocks on the season. He also averaged 22.7 points, 5.3 rebounds, 4.3 assists and 1.0 steals through three games against the Timberwolves. He is likely to make his mark once again with the ability to shake free from his matchups on the perimeter and create space for his shot or lanes to the basket. 

Joel Embiid, 76ers ($10,600) at Knicks 

Embiid is listed as questionable for action, so his status must be monitored close to game time, but he was able to go in the play-in and came up with 23 points and 15 rebounds in 38 minutes of action. Embiid was dominant with 30 points, 10 rebounds and three blocks in his only encounter with the Knicks this season, and he should find an advantage as they remain shorthanded in the frontcourt. 

Expected Chalk 

Nikola Jokic, Nuggets ($11,600) vs. Lakers

Jokic put together another dominant season and finished on a roll, averaging 28.3 points, 13.0 rebounds, 8.9 assists and 2.0 steals over the final 10 games, including four with more than 70 DK points. He also had great success against the Lakers, averaging 29.3 points, 12.0 rebounds, 9.0 assists and 1.7 blocks over three meetings. He is likely to thrive again, as the Lakers gave up the league's 10th-most points in the paint.

Mid-Range Money 

Darius Garland, Cavaliers ($6,900)  vs. Magic 

Garland did not play in the final game of the season but averaged 15.7 points, 3.3 rebounds, 8.0 assists and 1.6 steals through his last 10 appearances. He is up for an advantageous matchup against the Magic, who gave up the league's eighth-most points per game to opposing point guards. Additionally, Garland averaged 26.7 points, 3.7 rebounds, 8.0 assists and 1.3 steals in three games against the Magic this season. 

Bradley Beal, Suns ($6,400) at Timberwolves 

After a few periods of injury trouble during the season, Beal had a strong finish, averaging 19.3 points, 5.5 rebounds, 4.5 assists, 1.1 steals and 1.2 blocks over the final 10 games, including two with more than 50 DK points. Despite the Timberwolves' generally solid defense, Beal was able to average 25.0 points, 4.5 rebounds, 3.5 assists and 1.0 steals over two games. 

Max Strus, Cavaliers ($5,600) vs. Magic

Strus put together an impressive stretch to close the season, averaging 12.1 points, 5.4 rebounds, 5.3 assists and 1.1 steals over the final 10 games. He topped 25 DK points in 40 of his 70 appearances on the season, including 15 games with at least 35 DK points. He also delivered well-rounded production against the Magic, averaging 12.8 points, 3.8 rebounds, 4.8 assists and 1.0 steals through four meetings during the season.  

Value Picks

Wendell Carter, Magic ($4,900) at Cavaliers 

Carter surpassed 20 DK points in 35 of his 55 appearances on the season, and he averaged 13.2 points, 8.3 rebounds and 1.9 assists through 29 games where he logged at least 25 minutes of playing time. After coming off the bench for the final game of the season, he is expected to be back in the starting lineup, and he will need to step up for his squad to help compete against the tough Cavaliers' frontcourt. 

Moritz Wagner, Magic ($3,600) at Cavaliers 

Wagner averaged 10.4 points and 3.8 rebounds through the final 10 games of the season, including four with more than 20 DK points and a high of 31. He also excelled in four games against the Cavs this season, averaging 14.0 points, 4.3 rebounds and 1.0 steals per outing. Wagner will likely prosper against the Cavs' second unit, which lacks size in the frontcourt. 

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. Dan Bruno plays in daily fantasy contests using the following accounts: FanDuel: duelingdan.
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ABOUT THE AUTHOR
Dan Bruno
Dan has been writing all things NBA for RotoWire since 2014. He is an active fantasy sports player, with a love for DFS. Dan is a certified Coach with the Ontario Basketball Association and is a recreation professional in his home city.
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