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The price tag on LaMarcus Aldridge has risen since yesterday, with the Portland Trail Blazers forward going from $18,940 to $19,421. That’s what’ll happen when an astounding 52 percent of the entrants in DraftStreet’s two-day playoff fantasy tournament snatch up the player who had the most productive Game 1 of any NBA player.
Aldridge went off for 46 points and 18 rebounds in Portland’s Game 1 overtime victory over Houston, and a majority of players in the two-day, $22 entry tournament that I have joined will be hoping for more of the same tonight.
What’ll make the difference, for me and for others, is how our other picks do. For those of you who took my advice on Luis Scola yesterday, congratulations. The Argentine forward produced 26.75 DraftStreet points in Game 2 by scoring 20 points and grabbing seven rebounds as Indiana bounced back and tied the series 1-1.
With Roy Hibbert continuing to struggle, I am doubling down on Scola in the Wednesday-Thursday $11 league that I have entered. His price is a mere $6,515 — the same number it was heading into Game 2.
Before we look at tonight’s plays, an update on the team that I entered yesterday in the $22 tournament, which has a first prize of $1,200 and a second prize of $800, with the Top 25 getting rewarded with cash prizes ranging from $1,200 to $40. I did well not only with Scola, but also with Mason Plumlee of the Nets at a price of $10,577.
If I get what I expect from James Harden, Aldridge, Tim Duncan and Damian Lillard, I should be in contention for that $1,200 first prize:
Of course, the performances of Devin Harris and Samuel Dalembert of the Mavericks will likely make or break me, as I have a lot of company with Lillard (37 percent of entrants chose him), Duncan (27 percent) and Harden (16 percent).
Dalembert runs especially hot and cold, and I can only hope that is not the case with Harris, who came off the bench to score a team-high 19 points with five assists in 32 minutes in Game 1. I figure it will take 275-280 DS points to win, so I am hoping for a big first quarter from Dalembert in which he stays out of foul trouble and is aggressive on the boards as the Mavs will likely stick with the same game plan and use single coverage on Duncan while staying home on San Antonio’s 3-point shooters.
For those who are new to DraftStreet’s fantasy basketball games, a primer:
You pick three guards, three forwards, one center and one utility player using a salary cap of $100,000, and then you root for them to fill up the box score. You can sign up here, or by clicking the banner at the top of this post.
Here is your primer for tonight and tomorrow, a.k.a the Wednesday/Thursday fantasy leagues (I am playing in the $11 entry fee league, with 500 players and a first prize of $1,000. DS also has tournaments with entry fees of $1, $55 and $109.)
| DraftStreet | Price |
| Stars | Over $15,000 |
| Kevin Durant | $21,448 |
| LeBron James | $20,823 |
| LaMarcus Aldridge | $19,921 |
| James Harden | $19,426 |
| Blake Griffin | $19,016 |
| Value Plays | Under $9,000 |
| Vince Carter | $8,963 |
| Evan Turner | $8,896 |
| Andre Iguodala | $8,840 |
| Chris Andersen | $7,747 |
| Luis Scola | $6,515 |
As I wrote in yesterday’s post, I want no part of Al Jefferson and his plantar fasciitis. In fact, I expect Chris Andersen to play him to a standstill, using his blocked shot prowess to accumulate a significant number of DS points with blocks worth 2 points apiece. So I have drafted Birdman at $7,747. (I am not going to completely tip my hand, but y’all know that I have Birdman and Scola, and I’ll also tell you that I have seven starters filling out my lineup, including Harden, Damian Lillard and Wes Mathews from the Houston-Portland game, which has an over/under line of 214.5 — a half-point lower than the over/under on Thursday’s Clippers-Warriors Game 3. For all the latest odds, check out www.allpro.eu).
You will notice that Roy Hibbert is not listed among the value plays despite his $8,174 salary.
That is because I have given up on the Pacers big man, and I would counsel y’all to do the same. He is simply not the same player he was over the first half of the season when he made the All-Star team over Jefferson (hard to believe, eh?).
One thing I have learned while playing DraftStreet every night: Stay away from slumping players. You really need to have eight productive guys in order to cash, and it kills you when seven of your guys produce and one guy does not.
I had the misfortune of picking Hibbert in my $11 entry Tuesday-Wednesday contest, but he was not the only player who let me down. Deron Williams produced only 15.75 points, Klay Thompson produced 14 points, and Iguodala produced a paltry 9.75 points. All three of those guys have bounce-back potential, and Iguodala has the lowest price of the three as he returns to Oakland for Game 3 after two very unproductive games. I am not using him in my Wednesday-Thursday entry, but I may grab him tomorrow for the Thursday-Friday contest.
Here is the lineup that won the $1,000 first prize in the Tuesday-Wednesday $11 entry contest:
As you can see, Amir Johnson was the key pick — a guy I touted on Monday as a huge value play. I should have taken my own advice.
So good luck to all of you tonight, and as the playoffs continue. Also, DraftStreet offers daily action on baseball, too. And for golf fans, you can enter four-day PGA Tour tournaments. There are a pair this weekend with $10,000 prize pools. Again, this is your link for signing up.