The NBA playoffs are up and running in Orlando. DraftKings is hosting massive DFS contests every day and we have another big slate of action on Tuesday.
Set your DraftKings lineups here: NBA $700K Playoff Shootaround [$150K to 1st]
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POINT GUARD
Stud
Damian Lillard, POR vs. LAL ($11,400) — I don’t think the Trail Blazers have much of a chance to beat the Lakers in a playoff series. The Blazers don’t have nearly enough defense to compete in my opinion. If they do keep games close, it is almost certainly going to have to come because of Dame’s offense. In the bubble, he’s playing a massive workload to put Portland in position to make a title run. Lillard is averaging 42.1 minutes and 61.17 DKFP per game in Orando.
Value
Markelle Fultz, ORL vs. MIL ($4,200) — The Magic have officially announced that Fultz will start at point guard in the playoffs. Even though the matchup isn’t ideal, the price is too cheap relative to his production as a starter. In 60 starts for the Magic this season, Fultz averaged 26.88 DKFP, and I think he might be safe from a blowout. Even if the Bucks run away with this game against the Magic, there is a good chance that Fultz plays in garbage time.
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SHOOTING GUARD
Stud
James Harden, HOU vs. OKC ($11,700) — If I could only choose one of the many studs to play on this slate, Harden would be my choice. The public might flock to Dame due to his recent performances, but Harden has been the better fantasy player over the course of the season. He averages 59.87 DKFP compared to Dame’s average of 51.28 DKFP. We also need to consider that Harden is getting a massive usage bump since Russell Westbrook is out today.
Value
Danny Green, LAL vs. POR ($3,200) — I am willing to look past Green’s poor play in the bubble because of how cheap his price is. Playing alongside superstars in the Lakers’ offense, Green is never going to be a high usage player, but this normal for him. He’s played on championship teams in Toronto and San Antonio while averaging around 20 DKFP during playoff runs. Due to his veteran experience, my hunch is that Green could see an uptick in playing time in the playoffs. This is especially true since Avery Bradley opted out and Rajon Rondo is still injured.
SMALL FORWARD
Stud
LeBron James, LAL vs. POR ($10,700) — LeBron makes for an interesting pivot off of guys like Harden and Lillard. While LeBron’s play in the bubble has been underwhelming, we have to remember that these final games meant nothing for the Lakers. They were essentially guaranteed the one seed when coming to Orlando. Now that the games count, I expect we James play at the level we are accustomed to seeing. In addition, the matchup certainly doesn’t hurt. The Blazers have the worst defensive efficiency of any team in the playoffs.
Value
James Ennis, ORL vs. MIL ($3,400) — Ennis isn’t a great play, although nobody really stands out as a great value at small forward. What he has going for him is that Aaron Gordon ($6,700) is questionable to play because of a hamstring injury. If he’s out, look for Ennis to play an increased workload. He’s scored at least 20 DKFP in six consecutive games.
POWER FORWARD
Stud
Giannis Antetokounmpo, MIL vs. ORL ($10,500) — It’s tough to know what to do with Giannis. In a vacuum, he’s a good play at this price. Nobody averaged more DKFP per minutes this season than the Greek Freak. Here’s the issue: we have a number of other superstars on this slate who are in better matchups with less blowout risk. While Giannis is clearly the top high end power forward, the Bucks are 12-point favorites and starters might not play the final frame. Giannis is viable, but studs like Harden take precedence.
Value
Jae Crowder, MIA vs. IND ($3,900) — When the Heat traded for Crowder and Andre Iguodala ($3,300) at the deadline, the move made big news. However, Iggy was viewed as the headliner. So far, this looks like it shouldn’t have been the case. While the Heat got value out of the deal, it’s been Crowder who is producing. As a starter for the Heat, he’s averaging 24.66 DKFP.
CENTER
Stud
Anthony Davis, LAL vs. POR ($10,400) — I think AD should dominate the Blazers’ frontcourt in this series. Portland allowed more DKFP to power forwards than any other team in the league this year and Zach Collins is out. This leaves Portland a bit thin in the frontcourt. Assuming Carmelo Anthony ($5,800) slides over and plays more power forward minutes, this means Melo is going to be forced to guard Davis for stretches of the game. I can’t imagine this will work in favor of the Blazers.
Value
Brook Lopez, MIL vs. ORL ($4,700) — This is a really favorable price tag for Lopez. Playing limited minutes in the bubble, he’s averaged 34.29 DKFP. Now that the games matter, he figures to push for over 30 minutes. Since he scores about a DKFP per minute for the season, the price tag looks much too cheap.
Set your DraftKings lineups here: NBA $700K Playoff Shootaround [$150K to 1st]
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