Los Angeles Lakers vs. Dallas Mavericks DFS Start Em’ Sit Em’| April 9th, 2025

Not too many games are left in the NBA season as the playoffs approach, and the Lakers games against the Mavericks could decide how the playoffs are seeded in the West. The Lakers are doing their best to stave off the Nuggets and hold on to their three seed, while the Mavericks are clinging on to hope for a play-in tournament seed. Unfortunately for the Mavericks, it looks like the Lakers are playing their best basketball right now. There are still players on Dallas that should be picked up for DFS, though.

Los Angeles Lakers vs. Dallas Mavericks Start Em’

Jaxson Hayes (Draft Kings Price 4.3K, FanDuel Price 5.1K)

Given the recent performance from Hayes, it’s odd that he would be recommended for DFS. This has entirely to do with the matchup, though. Daniel Gifford is coming back from injury, which means Dereck Lively II will be splitting time with Dwight Powell. Most of their attention would probably be turned onto LeBron if he gets the ball in the paint, which could open up opportunities for Hayes. His season high is 19, so look for him to at least match that.

Klay Thompson (Draft Kings Price 4.9K, FanDuel Price 5.1K)

Now that Klay Thompson is fully healthy, he is showing glimpses of his former self. He scored 14 in the recent loss to the Clippers, but more importantly, he shot 50% from three-point range. As long as he can keep that percentage up, he will be a threat to any team. Anthony Davis also might have trouble in the paint, considering the Lakers’ frontcourt defense, so he might be kicking the ball out to Klay often.

P.J. Washington (Draft Kings Price 7.5K, FanDuel Price 6.7K)

It’s not like Washington scores 30 every night, but he has shown he can score 30, given the right situation. This game could be considered a great situation for Washington; LeBron will probably be guarding Davis, who should be running into trouble in the paint. Rui Hachimura might be out, so a bench player will most likely be guarding Washington most likely. He might not score 30 exactly, but all the ingredients are there for a big game from Washington.

Lakers vs. Mavericks Sit Em’

Anthony Davis (Draft Kings Price 9.8K, FanDuel Price 10.4K)

There will be a couple of complications for Davis going into this game. First of all, he is still coming back from an injury. Secondly, there is a guy named LeBron James who might be defending him, depending on which position he lines up at. It’s not like Davis will have his way in the paint once he gets the ball. Certainly, he can score if someone else switches onto him or he finds himself in a good position, but otherwise, he will probably be feeding Klay Thompson passes.

Spencer Dinwiddie (Draft Kings Price 6.4K, FanDuel Price 6.5K)

It’s fair to say Dinwiddie is in a bit of a slump in this stretch of the season. His high for the last five games has been 18 points. This slump shouldn’t last long; Dinwiddie is still a dual threat who can drive into the paint and shoot from three-point range. He might not recover from that slump in this game; Klay might need to take over to keep up with the Lakers’ offense. So Dinwiddie might not be a good look for this game, but definitely commit that name to memory for later.

Dorian Finney-Smith (Draft Kings Price 4.6K, FanDuel Price 4.4K)

Finney-Smith has been getting into the starting lineup when Rui Hachimura was injured. He isn’t exactly a bad start either; in his last game, he dropped 14 on Oklahoma City. The issue is that he might not get too many looks with the ball. Luka and Lebron will be taking most of the shots, understandably, and they might not give Finney-Smith the ball unless he finds a really good position. Hachimura is a game-time decision, so Finney-Smith might be coming off the bench anyway. Therefore, he might have a decent game, but there are other forwards playing with a better upside.

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Luka Doncic (Draft Kings Price 12.9K, FanDuel Price 11.5K)

The offense that Luka Doncic is producing is frankly crazy. He is almost guaranteed 25 each night, with a couple of duds here and there (keep in mind, a dud for Luka is like scoring 19). Austin Reeves is questionable for this game, and if he doesn’t play, that just means Luka running the pick-and-roll has to happen more often. In fact, Klay Thompson might be guarding Luka, so he should take as many picks as possible to try and get a switch or a bit of room to the basket. Either way, he is practically unguardable and worth the money for any DFS players that can afford him.

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Jordan Goodwin (Draft Kings Price 3.9K, FanDuel Price 4.2K)

Part of the reason why Finney-Smith has been tarting is so that Jordan Goodwin can stay on the bench. Technically, he is next on the depth chart behind the injured Hachimura. Goodwin simply hasn’t shown enough; he has ten points over the past five games. That being said, if he’s open, Goodwin can certainly knock down a three or two.