NBA DFS Expert Survey: Thursday, April 9th

by Justin Bailey (Jbails26) Last Updated 2026-04-09 18:25:01 Premium Content Part of the product NBA DFS

Our panel of experts is here to give you their insights on NBA DFS today for the 4/9 main slate on DraftKings and FanDuel. They’re ready to answer key questions that will assist you in making those crucial lineup-building decisions. Curious to know headChopper’s favorite tournament play? Or perhaps you’re wondering about Noto’s favorite salary saver? Read their thoughts below!

NBA DFS Picks: DraftKings & FanDuel Expert Survey for Thursday, April 9

Who is your favorite player to spend up for in cash games?

tcsmith031: Jayson Tatum
headChopper: Julian Reese (FD) / Jayson Tatum (DK)
Dean78904: Jayson Tatum

What is your preferred tournament format (e.g. large-field, single-entry) to play on this slate? How do you plan to beat that field of opponents? What tactic or strategy will set you apart?

tcsmith031: I’ll play large-field 20-max tournaments. I am terrified about how many Nets are popping in projections, but they’re all cheap, and they only have 9 bodies available. I’m likely to max my exposure at 1-2 Nets per lineup, however, as I don’t think we need to dive that deep on this slate. I’m more comfortable with using some of the cheap value pieces in the high-total CHI/WAS game, while I’m planning to use that salary relief to pay up for stars in the PHI/HOU game. That last game has some sneaky shootout potential, even with Joel Embiid missing from the Philly lineup.

headChopper: I prefer small-field tournaments for this slate. As much as I would like to fade guys who are going to be at least 40% owned, sometimes you have to eat that chalk in the NBA and get different elsewhere. So I will be playing some of this chalk that I deem good, like Julian Reese and Malachi Smith. I am going to eliminate teams from my player pool based on what I think may be spots where they are already in the playoffs and may not care to move up any more in the standings. The Knicks are a team I think could benefit from losing a seed spot. I think the Rockets are perfectly fine not moving up any more, considering they can be no worse than the #5 seed, and that probably means a series against the Lakers in Round 1. Those are teams I am willing to fade.

Dean78904: I focus mostly on single-entry and smaller-field contests. As projections stand as of early afternoon, the top 16 point-per-dollar plays on DK come from Washington, Brooklyn, and Chicago, as rosters are thin and they are in great matchups. This is where you shop for your cheapies to help you spend up for the studs. Projections will almost definitely adjust as we close in on lock, but I want to stress that there is likely a lot of volatility in them. Our projections team does a great job, but really, it’s near impossible to nail down the minutes on teams that are trying to lose with players that rarely play. The point is, I think it’s a good time to be different in tournaments when considering the nonsense create-a-players we’re seeing finish the season.

Who is your favorite play (when considering price, matchup, roster construction, etc.) on the board and why?

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