The two Eastern Conference games on Sunday afternoon are far less competitive than the evening battles between powerhouse teams from the West. I will be surprised if Boston or Brooklyn manage to win even one game before being eliminated by vastly superior opponents.
DraftKings features All-Day contests that close at 3:00 Eastern, Late action at 5:50 spanning three games and Later events at 8:00 — three chances to win.
LeBron James $10600 hasn’t needed to be the King while the Cavaliers cruised through April. He sat out two of the final three games and should be very well rested. Kyrie Irving $7700 and Kevin Love $7200 each played only 18 minutes in the regular-season finale, so all three are fresh and ready. There’s less consistency from J.R. Smith $5000 and Timofey Mozgov $4800, but they are affordable. Only Tristan Thompson $4400 is playable off the bench, as rotations get short at this time of year. I’m not keen on any of the Celtics, though Isaiah Thomas $6400 will probably be their leading scorer as they trail throughout.
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 at 3:00 — the top score earns $5,000 and 5,150 of 24,916 teams will get paid. Or redeem your FREE entry in the $100K Crossover, normally a $27 buy-in. That contest has 877 prizes ($10,000 for first) and a maximum of only 4,225 teams.
Atlanta was also able to get their stars plenty of rest the last couple of weeks. Paul Millsap $7400 (shoulder) is not 100% yet, so Al Horford $7100 and Jeff Teague $6800 will probably lead the way. Kyle Korver $4600 and DeMarre Carroll $5600 are unsung heroes who should not be overlooked. The Nets do have some veterans with playoff experience, and Brook Lopez $8000 had a great second half to get them this far. Their slim hopes depend on how Deron Williams $6800 fares against Teague, and whether Joe Johnson $5500 can raise his game. I’ve played Thaddeus Young $5700 a few times vs. weaker opposition but have less confidence in him against the league’s top power forwards.
Portland at Memphis will almost certainly be the lowest-scoring game. The Blazers are snake-bit by injuries, with Damian Lillard $7900 and LaMarcus Aldridge $8600 the only two reliable choices. Late-season surprise C.J. McCollum $4400 (ankle) is the best bargain play if he’s fully recovered. The Grizzlies also have injury concerns, as Mike Conley $6000 (foot), Jeff Green $5000 (back) and Tony Allen $4600 (hamstring) are all listed as questionable. Zach Randolph $7600 has his hands full with LMA, so Marc Gasol $7500 is likely to exploit his advantages over Robin Lopez $4800 at both ends of the floor.
If you are entering Later contests at 8:00, pick one player from that game and load up on seven guys from the nightcap, which will be wide-open by comparison. Chris Paul $9900 is better than Tony Parker $5500, DeAndre Jordan $8500 can dominate any of the Spurs’ centers and Blake Griffin $9200 vs. Tim Duncan $7400 is a spectacular matchup. Jamal Crawford $4500 is a weapon off the bench for the Clippers. Only Kawhi Leonard $8400 stands out as a must-start for the visitors, who rely on depth and great coaching. San Antonio role players like Manu Ginobili $4100 and Boris Diaw $4000 are potential bargains; Aron Baynes $3300 will probably start and attempt to battle Jordan.
Summing up, there’s a lack of quality at SG, a lack of depth at SF and stellar options at the other three positions. Also scarce are “live” players at rock-bottom prices, making it difficult to build a stars-and-scrubs lineup. By using Kawhi instead of LBJ, I’m able to fill with four decent players in the $4-5000 range instead of a more difficult (and riskier) search for ultra-cheap production.
| Pos | Premium | Midrange | Bargain |
| PG | Chris Paul $9900 | Jeff Teague $6800 | C.J. McCollum $4400 |
| SG | Joe Johnson $5500 | Kyle Korver $4600 | Jamal Crawford $4500 |
| SF | LeBron James $10600 | Kawhi Leonard $8400 | DeMarre Carroll $5600 |
| PF | Blake Griffin $9200 | L. Aldridge $8600 | Boris Diaw $4000 |
| C | DeAndre Jordan $8500 | Marc Gasol $7500 | Aron Baynes $3300 |
The Fantasy Spin features DFS advice every day of the NBA season. Follow Kent Williams @SheridanFantasy for updates.