FanDuel NBA DFS Picks: Friday 4/25/25

If you're looking for a fun way to get in on the NBA playoffs, NBA DFS on FanDuel has you covered.

With NBA DFS, you can put your hoops knowledge to the test and ride with players you think will go off in a given night.

To help you along the way, we've got a bunch of tools here at FanDuel Research. Specifically, our NBA DFS projections update throughout the day to reflect current news.

On top of all that, we'll come at you each day with this NBA DFS primer, which breaks down some of the day's top plays at each position.

Let's dive into today's main slate on FanDuel.

Betting lines via the NBA odds at FanDuel Sportsbook. Projections and betting odds may change after this article is published. All injury news comes from the NBA's official injury report.

NBA DFS Picks for Today's Playoff Games

Guards

Top Priorities

Damian Lillard ($7,500)

If you rostered Damian Lillard on Tuesday, you didn't get what you deserved for the dice roll. Lillard's rust was as present as could be in a 4-for-13 shooting effort despite the minutes (36) you all but dreamed to get. The Milwaukee Bucks kept Game 2 closer, and this series could really turn as Lillard gets his sea legs underneath him. Our NBA DFS projections expect 38.8 FanDuel points (FDP) in 34.9 minutes tonight that will go much further on a slate filled with ugly totals.

Derrick White ($7,300)

Impactful injury news in the playoffs? We'll take it. Jayson Tatum (wrist) is doubtful for Game 3, which bumps the underlying projects for basically all Boston Celtics once again. Though dud potential could come from this matchup and Boston's unusually low team total (101.5), Derrick White can find success at a salary similar to his Game 1 mark. He averaged 39.7 FDP per 36 minutes with Tatum off the floor this season.

Value Plays

Payton Pritchard ($4,800)

Though White could lead the scoring charge, expect Payton Pritchard to make his minutes as the team's sixth man count. He's totaled 38.9 FDP per 36 with Tatum off the floor behind a 2.8-percentage-point increase in usage rate. Pritchard's path to failure seems limited to the exact outcome of Game 2, where he shot 45.5% from the field despite a gaggle of minutes (32). I'm betting on a bounce back.

Kentavious Caldwell-Pope ($4,200)

The gamble with Kentavious Caldwell-Pope remains the same. The defensive stud will garner 34-plus minutes as he did in both games in Boston for the Orlando Magic, but he's a low usage player (10.3% in this series) who needs to light it up from three or vacuum in stocks (steals plus blocks) to return requisite value here. Pritchard's existence makes him a much tougher sell, but you could need both.

Wings

Top Priorities

Franz Wagner ($8,200)

Steady as they come, Franz Wagner should rise to the occasion in a do-or-die Game 3 for Orlando. Behind an elevated 33.3% usage rate, Wagner has mustered at least 23 points, 3 rebounds, 4 assists, 2 stocks, and 38.0 FDP in the first two games of the series despite the Magic averaging just 93.0 points in them. Paolo Banchero has topped 50 FDP in both tilts, but I just have a hard time dedicating a near-five-digit salary to this game's pitiful total (198.0).

Austin Reaves ($7,000)

Few players have underperformed their role more than Austin Reaves in the postseason thus far. Even with both Luka Doncic and LeBron James on the floor this season, he averaged 33.7 FDP per 36 minutes. That, of course, increased with added opportunity as either sits. His usage rate in this two-game sample (19.5%) isn't wildly far off his season average (23.0%). Reaves totaled 42 minutes in the team's Game 2 win, so I'm going to continue to buy low on his salary.

Value Plays

Rui Hachimura ($4,900)

Are we entering the Masked Rui era? Rui Hachimura missed a bit of Game 2 after a shot to the face and will wear a mask -- but otherwise remain unlimited -- in Game 3. Despite the injury, Hachimura tallied 34 minutes. With Jaxson Hayes struggling and Hachimura averaging 27.0 FDP per 36 minutes overall this year, the masked man is one of the better value plays on the slate.

Aaron Nesmith ($4,600)

Pritchard and Hachimura are the elite value plays, but Aaron Nesmith is another option in the next tier. It was encouraging to see 30 minutes in a more competitive Game 2 for the Indiana Pacers, and he entered the postseason topping 16 real-life points in four of six games. We'll see if a scoring binge awaits in Cream City.

Bigs

Top Priorities

Giannis Antetokounmpo ($11,600)

With the Bucks season on the line, I'm finding a way to Giannis Antetokounmpo in single-lineup formats. Any worries about Lillard's return squashing his fantasy upside were dashed by 34 points, 18 rebounds, 7 dimes, and 65.1 FDP in Game 2. While Dame could continue to ascend in the scoring column, this is still a positive shift for Giannis' rebounding as the team's center. They're moving away from Brook Lopez (18.5 minutes per game in the series) in this athletic matchup.

Julius Randle ($7,200)

The Los Angeles Lakers' lack of size is a pronounced issue, and Julius Randle should continue to contribute in this series. He exploded for 27 points in Game 2, and it wasn't some insane hot stretch (52.9 FG%). Rudy Gobert's playoff woes defending the perimeter have finally dawned on Chris Finch, playing the Frenchman just 27.0 minutes per game in this series. Randle will see a boost on the glass if that continues.

Value Plays

Al Horford ($5,500)

While White and Pritchard are the priorities for Boston, Al Horford is another member at a reasonable salary. Orlando's league-best three-point defense this season (31.4 3PA allowed per game) is an especially tough defense for his scoring upside, but he drew 32 minutes with double-digit boards in Game 2. Horford's memorable random explosions in the playoffs always loom as a prospective value play.

Wendell Carter Jr. ($5,000)

I prefer Wendell Carter Jr. in this same game, though. As a role player, Carter Jr. might find a bit more juice on the boards and with putbacks at home. No one on the Magic outside of Banchero and Wagner are doing much of anything at the moment, but his 32 minutes last contest are encouraging as a guy who averaged 10.1 rebounds and 33.1 FDP per 36 minutes in the regular season. He doesn't need to score at $5,000.

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The above author is a FanDuel employee and is not eligible to compete in public daily fantasy contests or place sports betting wagers on FanDuel. The advice provided by the author does not necessarily represent the views of FanDuel. Taking the author’s advice will not guarantee a successful outcome. You should use your own judgment when participating in daily fantasy contests or placing sports wagers.