Wake up! The NBA postseason begins at 12:30 Eastern, and with it some terrific DFS action at DraftKings. My detailed analysis of player values appeared in yesterday’s Spin. If you happen to miss the deadline for all-day events, fear not. There are Afternoon contests that close at 3:30, spanning three games, and Late play at 7:00 on the two evening tilts.
That’s two chances to win if you are as bullish on Stephen Curry as I am, and three opportunities to use James Harden — the Late pools are extremely tempting.
DK will match your first deposit 100% (up to $600) with bonus funds that convert to cash, plus you get a FREE entry in the $65K Sharpshooter — the top score earns $5,000 and 5,150 of 24,916 teams will cash. Or redeem your FREE entry in the $100K Playoff Special, normally a $20 buy-in. That contest has 1,150 cash prizes ($10,000 for first) and a maximum of 5,725 teams.
There’s no significant news to alter my picks from Friday’s column. Chandler Parsons $6900 (knee) intends to play, and SF is by far the weakest position, but with one practice under his belt after missing two weeks, it’s hard to recommend him with confidence. His return does move Richard Jefferson $3500 down the list of possible bargains.
Here in my home town of Toronto, thousands of crazed fans are gathering at 8:00 a.m. for a huge outdoor rally in a public square near the Air Canada Centre. It has an official name, but we like to call it Jurassic Park. Last year, Raptors GM Masai Ujiri drove the crowd into a frenzy by closing his speech with “F–k Brooklyn!” What he has planned for an encore this year will be interesting.
Paul Pierce is the common denominator as a villain. He won that series for the Nets last year with a blocked shot in crunch time and is already trash talking in public. As a future Hall-of-Famer who is still capable of backing it up on the court, he’s really trying to inspire the Wizards. Expect him to play more minutes, with more intensity, than in a typical regular-season game.
Joakim Noah (hamstring), Derrick Rose (knee) and Taj Gibson (shoulder) were all full participants in practice for Chicago, so they are playable. Two cautions: the Bulls might have a substantial lead and they might not have to play big minutes.
| Pos | Premium | Midrange | Bargain |
| PG | Stephen Curry $10100 | Kyle Lowry $7500 | Aaron Brooks $5000 |
| SG | James Harden $10500 | Jimmy Butler $7400 | O.J. Mayo $4000 |
| SF | Josh Smith $6400 | Paul Pierce $4500 | Terrence Ross $3200 |
| PF | Anthony Davis $11000 | Pau Gasol $8400 | A. Stoudemire $3600 |
| C | Dwight Howard $6800 | Tyson Chandler $6000 | Andrew Bogut $5000 |
The Fantasy Spin features DFS advice every day of the NBA season. Follow Kent Williams @SheridanFantasy for updates.