FanDuel NBA Picks and DraftKings NBA Picks - Friday, 4/23/21

This Friday slate features seven games in total, with 14 teams taking the floor. What's fascinating about this slate is how many superstars we have missing. Kawhi Leonard, Trae Young, Shai Gilgeous-Alexander, James Harden, Gordon Hayward, and Jonas Valanciunas have all been ruled out already, and almost all of those absences will play a factor in this article. With that in mind, let's get into it!

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Point Guard

Stephen Curry FD - $10000 DK - $10300
Opponent - DEN
Proj Pts FD - 52.16 DK - 55.55

Curry has had an incredible career, and it's scary to think that he's actually in one of the best stretches of that Hall-of-Fame career. The sharpshooter has at least 52 DraftKings points in 11 of his 12 games since returning from injury, averaging nearly 60 fantasy points per game in that span. It's not like it's some outlier stretch either, with Curry providing similar shooting averages to his absurd career numbers. One of those majestic performances happened to come against this Nuggets defense, with Chef Curry collecting 53 points, six rebounds, and four assists en route to 69 DraftKings points.

John Wall FD - $7800 DK - $7500
Opponent - LAC
Proj Pts FD - 42.28 DK - 43.69

The Rockets are one of the worst teams in the NBA, and it's overshadowed a bounceback season from this former All-Star. The speedy point guard has at least 29 DraftKings points in 33 of his 39 games this season, generating a 38-point average for the year. Both of those numbers are hard to overlook from a sub-$8K player because Wall always produces when he's in the lineup. We'd usually be concerned about him facing this tough Clippers defense, but they're currently missing Kawhi Leonard and Patrick Beverley. We love that with Wall averaging 47 fantasy points per game in his last two meetings with LA. especially with Kevin Porter out as well.

Shooting Guard

Paul George FD - $9400 DK - $9300
Opponent - HOU
Proj Pts FD - 48.57 DK - 50.44

I was severely disappointed when PG13 got ruled out on Wednesday, but we're going right back to the well. All the same things apply, with George running the show right now. He's doing that because Kawhi is out, posting a 35.4 percent usage rate with him sidelined while averaging 1.4 DK points per minute. That stellar rate is no surprise when you see his recent production, with PG scoring at least 46 fantasy points in seven straight games while averaging 56 fantasy points per game in that span. That doesn't consider this superb matchup, with Houston ranked fifth in pace while surrendering the most fantasy points to opposing shooting guards.

Kevin Huerter FD - $5400 DK - $5800
Opponent - MIA
Proj Pts FD - 30.03 DK - 30.56

Lou Williams FD - $5200 DK - $4300
Opponent - MIA
Proj Pts FD - 28.2 DK - 29.11

Injuries have dismantled this roster, and it just got worse on Wednesday. The Hawks are now missing Trae Young, Cam Reddish, De'Andre Hunter, and Danio Gallinari, leaving these two with huge roles. Sweet Lou is actually leading the team with a 27 percent usage rate with those guys off the floor. He's shown at times in the past that he can dominate when given the keys to the car, and we have to believe his usage, minutes, and shot attempts will skyrocket here with Trae out. Huerter is in a great spot, too, filling in the minutes for all of those injured wings. That forced him into 44 minutes on Wednesday, playing 39 minutes a night over his last four fixtures.

Small Forward

Bogdan Bogdanovic FD - $7500 DK - $7800
Opponent - MIA
Proj Pts FD - 35.32 DK - 36.92

We just discussed how many key pieces Atlanta is missing, and it's allowed Bogey to run the show. He was actually the primary ball-handler on Wednesday when Trae went down, and it's no surprise when you see how he's been playing recently. Over his last 13 games, Bogey is averaging 21.6 points, 4.7 rebounds, 4.2 assists, and 1.5 steals per game. That equates to a 38-point average on DraftKings, and we have to believe that's going to be his floor as the primary ball-handler here. We also don't mind that Miami owns a 26th OPRK against opposing shooting guards either.

Michael Porter Jr. FD - $7400 DK - $7700
Opponent - GS
Proj Pts FD - 39.67 DK - 42.33

It's crazy just how much this kid has developed this season. The 22-year-old has at least 30 fantasy points in 22 of his last 23 games played, averaging just shy of 40 DraftKings points per game in that span. That alone is a fantastic number from a guy sitting below $8,000, and he's likely going to do even more now that Jamal Murray is out for the rest of the season. The biggest reason we want to use him today is this matchup, though. Golden State owns a 23rd OPRK against opposing SFs and currently ranks third in pace and 21st in points allowed. In their last meeting two weeks back, MPJ dropped 38 fantasy points if you needed any more incentive.

Power Forward

Jaren Jackson Jr. FD - $5800 DK - $7000
Opponent - POR
Proj Pts FD - 38.73 DK - 35.71

This is a risky pick, but we're going to ride JJJ when he's in this price range. This is a guy who can be $8-9K on both sites when playing a full allotment of minutes, and he's quite the bargain on FanDuel at just $5,800. He showed some of those flashes in his season debut on Wednesday, scoring 34 DraftKings points in just 18 minutes of playing time. We have to believe he'll get above 20 minutes here, and if he provides a similar rate, we could be looking at one of the best bargains of the day. A matchup like this caters to a monster game, with Portland sitting 29th in defensive efficiency while surrendering the third-most fantasy points to opposing PFs.

Aleksej Pokuševski FD - $4800 DK - $5500
Opponent - WAS
Proj Pts FD - 25.24 DK - 25.57

Poku posted a dud in his most recent game because of an illness, but that's a fluke in an otherwise impressive stretch. The thing that's made him good is this increased role, with Shai Gilgeous-Alexander and Al Horford both sidelined. That doesn't even include the laundry list of players they rest on a nightly basis, with Poku averaging nearly 30 DraftKings points per game across 29 minutes of action over his last 13 games played. That even includes a game where he played eight injury-shortened minutes, which would bring his average north of 30 in that span. The simple fact is, they're going to ride this kid in what's turned into a rebuilding season. We love all of that in a matchup like this, with Washington ranked 28th in points allowed while playing at the fastest pace in the NBA.

Center

Nikola Jokic FD - $11300 DK - $10900
Opponent - GS
Proj Pts FD - 59.97 DK - 62.82

Joker was already a fantasy freak before Murray got injured, but it should seal his MVP consideration. Nikola has a 34 percent usage rate with Jamal off the floor while averaging a ridiculous 1.7 DK points per minute. That crazy rate is no surprise when you see Joker's 59-point average, scoring at least 41 fantasy points in all but three games this year. That's awful news for Golden State's putrid defense that we mentioned earlier, especially with Jokic averaging 61.3 DK points per game in their two meetings this season. If you want a guaranteed 60 fantasy points, ride the Joker!

Jusuf Nurkic FD - $5800 DK - $5200
Opponent - MEM
Proj Pts FD - 31.42 DK - 30.95

Haha! I can't believe we have a picture of Nurkic with the leprechaun hair-doo. That's fantastic! In any case, he was rocking this har when he was injured, but he's back to starting center duties now. While it's been a slow ramp-up, we have to believe he's getting close to a full workload. He played a season-high 29 minutes in the most recent game, and if we continue to get that, Nurk will be $1,000 more on each site in a matter of no time. He's actually averaging 27 DK points per game in 22 minutes a night since returning, which is obviously a stupendous rate from a guy on the uptick. Not to mention, Memphis is missing JV, and Nurk should have an easier matchup because of that.

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