NBA DFS Picks: DraftKings Plays and Strategy for Saturday, April 27

NBA DFS Picks: DraftKings Plays and Strategy for Saturday, April 27

This article is part of our DraftKings NBA series.

Slate Overview

CLE at ORL: Cavs lead series 2-1 

OKC at NOP: Thunder lead series 2-0

BOS at MIA: Series tied at 1-1

DEN at LAL: Nuggets lead series 3-0

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 - Dean Wade (knee): OUT

NOP - Zion Williamson (hamstring): OUT
Naji Marshall, Trey Murphy and Larry Nance get a boost.  

MIA - Delon Wright (personal): Questionable; Jimmy Butler (knee), Terry Rozier (neck): OUT
Caleb Martin and Nikola Jovic are up for another start. Duncan Robinson must step up off the bench.  

DEN - Reggie Jackson (ankle): Questionable
Christian Braun may get more opportunity. 

LAL - LeBron James (ankle): Probable; Anthony Davis (back), Christian Wood (knee): Questionable; Cam Reddish (ankle), Jarred Vanderbilt (foot): OUT
Taurean Prince is in line to get a boost. 

Elite Players

Guards

Jamal Murray, Nuggets ($8,200) at Lakers 

Murray reached the 20-point mark in each of the first three games of the series, including a high of 50 DK points in Game 1. He is shooting just 37.7 percent from the field so far in the postseason, but continues to come up clutch when it matters most to help his side come out on top. He is likely to continue to shine against the Lakers, who conceded the league's second-most points per game to opposing point guards this season. 

Tyler Herro, Heat ($8,100) vs. Celtics  

After a quiet Game 1, Herro stepped up with 24 points, five rebounds, 14 assists and a steal, for a total of 56.3 DK points to help the Heat steal Game 2 in Boston. With Butler remaining sidelined, Herro must look to bring another major effort in order to help carry his squad's offense. He also has the benefit of being back on home court, where he shot 4.8 percent better during the regular season, compared to when playing on the road. 

Forwards/Centers

Jayson Tatum, Celtics ($9,200) at Heat 

Tatum delivered two strong performances to start the series, averaging 25.5 points, 9.0 rebounds, 6.5 assists and 1.0 steals over two games. He continues to face an advantageous matchup in the absence of Butler, and should continue to stand out as one of the most dominant players on the court. Tatum actually shot and scored at a slightly better rate when on the road this season, which means he should have no trouble making a splash in Miami. 

Paolo Banchero, Magic ($8,300) vs. Cavaliers 

Banchero topped 20 points in each of the first two games of the series in Cleveland, but he took his play to another level upon returning to home court, as he amassed 61.5 DK points, with 31 points, 14 rebounds, five assists and a steal, in Game 3. Banchero shot a significantly better field-goal percentage at home, compared to on the road during the regular season and has another opportunity to shine in Orlando, in Game 4. He should also continue to thrive in his positional matchup as the Cavs gave up the league's eighth-most points per game to opposing power forwards. 

Bam Adebayo, Heat ($8,000) vs. Celtics 

Adebayo has yet to deliver a stand-out performance this series but reached 35 DK points in Games 1 and 2, helping secure the road win in Game 2. He will remain a critical part of the Heat's success on both ends of the floor and must continue to look to step up offensively in the absence of Butler. Adebayo is likely to prosper again versus the Celtics, who gave up the league's fourth-most offensive rebounds per game during the regular season. 

Expected Chalk 

Nikola Jokic, Nuggets ($11,200) at Lakers 

Jokic produced 58.3 DK points in the Nuggets' Game 3 win in L.A., which marked his lowest DK total of the series, while he is averaging 27.7 points, 15.7 rebounds, 8.7 assists and 1.7 steal, over the last three games. He has been dominant against the Lakers through a total of six meetings this season and will likely bring his best effort in order to attempt to close out the first-round series in four games. 

Mid-Range Money 

Franz Wagner, Magic ($6,800) vs. Cavaliers 

Wagner topped 30 DK points in all three games of the first-round series by provided well-rounded contributions across the stat sheet. He is averaging 17.3 points, 6.3 rebounds, 4.3 assists and 1.3 blocks across the three outings and has a good opportunity to excel at home in Game 4, after he shot almost five percent better at home, as opposed to on the road this season. He is also likely to pas his stats at the foul line after the Cavs gave up the league's third-most free throws per game to opposing small forwards this season. 

Aaron Gordon, Nuggets ($6,300) at Lakers 

After two solid performances to start the series, Gordon turned up his play in Game 3, where he tallied a stellar stat line with 29 points, 15 rebounds, three assists and a steal, in 41 minutes of action. He should continue to pad his stats against the Lakers' shorthanded frontcourt, as they are giving up the second-most rebounds among current playoff teams. 

Jonas Valanciunas, Pelicans ($6,000) vs. Thunder 

Valanciunas has done a solid job stepping up in the absence of Williamson in the Pelicans' frontcourt. He came up with a whopping 20 rebounds in Game 1, and he turned up his scoring with 19 points in Game 2. Regardless of the final result, Valanciunas is likely to continue to prosper against the Thunder's frontcourt, as they gave up the league's third-most rebounds to opposing centers during the regular season. 

Value Picks

Caris LeVert, Cavaliers ($4,900) at Magic 

LeVert was relatively quiet in Games 1 and 2, but brought a better effort in Game 3, where he totaled 23.5 DK points in 29 minutes of action. The Cavs need another stand-out performance from their sixth man, as they look to avoid returning home back at square one, with the series tied. LeVert also showed better shooting percentages and point totals on the road, compared to at home during the regular season. 

Duncan Robinson, Heat ($3,300) vs. Celtics 

Robinson has yet to top 15 DK points in the series, while he is shooting just 33.3 percent from the field over the two games. Nonetheless, he has a great opportunity to reset his rhythm on home court, where he shot 45.4 percent from the field, including 38.3 percent from deep during the regular season. He will also continue to pick up added playing time while his squad remains shorthanded. 

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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