NBA DFS Preview - First Look (4/9)

The NBA regular season is coming to a close, and Saturday’s DFS slate leaves a bit to be desired. There are only three games on the main slate, but we still have plenty of news and plenty of players expected to be sidelined.

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NBA Vegas Data for April 9 | NBA DFS First Look

New Orleans Pelicans @ Memphis Grizzlies

MEM -6, total: 229.5
Pace: NOP (20th), MEM (2nd)

Situations to monitor:

Ja Morant has been upgraded to questionable and could return to the lineup.
For New Orleans, Brandon Ingram (hamstring) is listed as questionable.

Golden State Warriors @ San Antonio Spurs

GSW -6, total: 220
Pace: GSW (12th), SAS (4th)

Situations to monitor:

The Spurs will be without Dejounte Murray, Keldon Johnson, Jakob Poeltl and Devin Vassell for this game.

Sacramento Kings @ Los Angeles Clippers

LAC -11.5, total: 224
Pace: SAC (5th), LAC (14th)

Situations to monitor:

De’Aaron Fox and Domantas Sabonis remain sidelined for the Kings.

Matchups to Target | NBA DFS First Look

Jordan Poole vs. San Antonio Spurs

Poole continues to play a huge role for the Warriors with Stephen Curry sidelined. Over the last 15 games, Poole is averaging nearly 83 touches per game, the 12th-most in the NBA during that span. And with Curry off the floor over the course of the season, Poole is sporting a healthy 30.6% usage rate, while averaging 1.14 fantasy points per minute in the split. He is averaging nearly nine more fantasy points per game in contests where Curry is out of the lineup, and he faces a short-handed San Antonio team that has struggled against point guards all season long. In fact, the Spurs are coughing up the seventh-most points per game to the position (23.83), while no team is allowing more points per game to opposing ball handlers out of the pick-and-roll (19.8).

Lonnie Walker vs. Golden State Warriors

San Antonio will be short-handed, as Dejounte Murray, Keldon Johnson, Devin Vassell and Joshua Primo have been ruled out for this game. Walker, meanwhile, missed the team’s last game but is off the injury report for Saturday. He should be in line for plenty of opportunities, too, as he is sporting a 28.5% usage rate with Murray, Johnson and Vassell off the floor this season, while averaging a solid 0.97 fantasy points per minute in the split.

Value Plays | NBA DFS First Look

Joshua Primo vs. GSW — Like Walker, Primo will see more opportunities for San Antonio. He has already started each of the last 10 games but with Murray, Johnson and Vassell sidelined, the rookie will see an uptick in usage and ball-handling duties.