The 2024 NBA season concludes on Sunday. The featured seven-game DraftKings fantasy basketball slate locks at 1 p.m. ET. This is the wildest slate of the season. Playoff seeding is on the line and players sitting is pervasive. Start Sunday with a light DFS NBA read, and get ready for the most intense pre-lock of the DFS NBA season.
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Guard
Studs
Editor’s Note: Cavaliers SG Donovan Mitchell (injury management) has been ruled out for today’s game vs. the Hornets.
Donovan Mitchell, Cleveland Cavaliers at Charlotte Hornets, $9,000 — The second seed is in sight. The Milwaukee Bucks have a tough matchup with the Magic and Giannis Antetokounmpo is out — Damian Lillard likely won’t play either. The Cavs are in the catbird seat with a soft season-ending game with the Hornets. Mitchell scored 55 DKFP in each of the last two games with minutes and usage rates in the thirties. It’s time to seal the deal and steal the second seed from Milwaukee.
Tyrese Haliburton, Indiana Pacers vs. Atlanta Hawks, $9,200 — The Pacers need to win to avoid the play-in game. The Hawks are locked into a play-in game and have nothing to play for. When the Hawks have something to play for, they still don’t play defense. This is a dream NBA DFS matchup. Two up-tempo teams and a bad defense with nothing on the line is DFS NBA gold. Haliburton has scored 47 DKFP or more in five of the last seven games. He should easily reach that floor on Sunday and possibly put on a ceiling show.
Value
Svi Mykhailiuk, Boston Celtics vs. Washington Wizards, $4,000 — This game is irrelevant, but it matters in NBA DFS. The Celtics will sit everyone. Mykhailiuk played 34 minutes on Friday. He only amassed 14.25 DKFP, but it wasn’t for lack of trying. He jacked 11 threes. Only two fell. This style screams ceiling. It’s hard to ignore Mykhailiuk against the Wizards in Game 82. Is Washington really going to play lock-down perimeter defense?
Forward
Studs
Paolo Banchero, Orlando Magic vs. Milwaukee Bucks, $8,600 — The Bucks have a lot on the line, but they will likely be without a lot of their stars. The Magic also have a lot on the line. They need to win to stay out of a play-in. Banchero has stepped up to the occasion. Although the Magic have dropped three in a row, it’s not Banchero’s fault. He scored 54.75 DKFP on Friday, and that was with SF Franz Wagner ($6,500) back on the court. A healthy Bucks defense isn’t great. This isn’t that. Banchero is another stud with boom potential on Sunday.
Deni Avdija, Washington Wizards at Boston Celtics, $7,800 — Not all of the studs have a reason to play on Sunday. Some studs are contracted to play. Avdija doesn’t mind. He’s regulary scored 40 DKFP every night as the season has winded down. His minutes are maxed and his usage rate is near 30%. He’s the Wizards only real NBA player left. The real Celtics are not a team to target in NBA DFS, but this isn’t the real Celtics. Avdija is playing to pad stats and this is an ideal scenario.
Value
Patrick Baldwin Jr., Washington Wizards at Boston Celtics, $3,900 — The Wizards are just running guys out there. Basketball rules require five players to be on the court. Baldwin is helping the Wizards reach this minimum — 34, 38 and 41 minutes in the last three games. He’s actually doing something with the minutes, too. He’s scored 42, 34 and 46 DKFP in those three contests.
Center
Studs
Editor’s Note: 76ers C Joel Embiid (injury management) has been ruled out for today’s game vs. the Nets.
Joel Embiid, Philadelphia 76ers vs. Brooklyn Nets, $10,800 — The final Sunday of the season is typically a snooze. Every star sits. That’s not the case this season. The 76ers need to secure their seed. They’re trying to avoid the play-in tournament. Embiid cannot rest. In fact, he needs to get into shape for a playoff run. He’s close. Embiid’s usage rate has been through the roof since returning, and his minutes are almost back to normal. He scored 73.75 DKFP on Apr. 9 and 62.25 DKFP on Apr. 12. The only fear is that the 76ers boatrace the Nets in the first half and Embiid gets a breather in the second half.
Jarrett Allen, Cleveland Cavaliers at Charlotte Hornets, $8,000 — As mentioned above, the Cavs have a shot at the second seed. A win over the Hornets should come easy. A big afternoon from Allen should come easy. The Hornets front court is weak and is the weakest it’s been all season. C Marques Bolden ($3,600) will likely play at least 20 minutes for Charlotte. That was the case on Friday, and the Hornets lost by 33 points to the Celtics subs.
Value
Tristan Vukcevic, Washington Wizards at Boston Celtics, $4,700 — The Serbian-Swedish second-round pick has been a pleasant surprise. The Wizards planned on Vukcevic spending the season overseas. They were forced to put him into service as their lineup thinned. His minutes are slightly capped, but he is starting and is carrying a surprisingly high usage rate — 22.8, 35.6, 22.9 and 35.4% in his last four starts.
Set your DraftKings fantasy basketball lineups here: NBA $80K Fadeaway [$20K to 1st]
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I am a promoter at DraftKings and am also an avid fan and user (my username is greenflagradio2) and may sometimes play on my personal account in the games that I offer advice on. Although I have expressed my personal view on the games and strategies above, they do not necessarily reflect the view(s) of DraftKings and do not constitute a representation that any particular strategy will guarantee success. All customers should use their own skill and judgment in building lineups. I may also deploy different players and strategies than what I recommend above. I am not an employee of DraftKings and do not have access to any non-public information.
