Last night’s NBA playoff action was thrilling, as all three desperate underdogs played extremely well at home before losing anyway. The best game (worst, if you’re a Pelicans fan) was the Warriors coming back from a huge deficit to win in overtime. It took double-OT for the Bulls to subdue Milwaukee.
This evening, the venues shift for three more series, one of which is already the best of the postseason. The others, not so much. After losing both home games, the Raptors need everyone to play much better in Washington. You might say their backs are to the Wall.
The Mavericks return home down 2-0, but have lost Chandler Parsons (knee) for the year and are apparently finished with Rajon Rondo (back) after his latest personality clash with coach Rick Carlisle. The petulant point guard is out “indefinitely” with the alleged injury, leaving J.J. Barea $4300 to start and Devin Harris $2000 (toe) as a critical bench player. Note that DraftKings has lowered the salary floor from $3000 to $2000, which makes it slightly easier to build a “stars-and-scrubs” lineup.
DK matches your first deposit 100% (up to $600) with bonus funds that convert to cash, plus you get a FREE entry in the $75K Sharpshooter — the top score earns $5,000 and 5,800 of 28,736 teams will get paid. Win even more in the $80K Crossover, a $27 buy-in. That contest has 705 guaranteed cash prizes ($10,000 for first) and a maximum of only 3,380 teams.
Limited by foul trouble in Game 1, Dwight Howard $7800 was tremendous in Game 2 (28 PTS, 12 REB, 2 BLK, 2 AST) and will again be difficult for Tyson Chandler $7100 to handle. Monta Ellis $6700 and Dirk Nowitzki $7300 will have to be at their very best to avoid a third straight defeat. The Rockets don’t need to rely entirely on James Harden $10600 when Howard and Josh Smith $6600 are playing so well; Jason Terry $4300 is also contributing. Trevor Ariza $6000 was brilliant in Game 1, then missed eight of nine shots on Tuesday and was less effective on defense.
Game of the night is in San Antonio, the series tied at 1-1 after an overtime win in L.A. on Wednesday. Tony Parker $5600 (Achilles) is questionable, so Patty Mills $2500 may take on a larger role for the Spurs, but this comes down to Kawhi Leonard $8800, Tim Duncan $8000 and the champions’ depth against three Clippers stars. Chris Paul $10100, Blake Griffin $9900 and DeAndre Jordan $8600 are all red-hot, with J.J. Redick $5400 and/or Jamal Crawford $4700 stretching the floor.
Boris Diaw $4500 is solid value in the F spot; Manu Ginobili $5200 fouled out of Game 2 in 22 minutes and might handle the ball more if Parker doesn’t play. In that scenario, Cory Joseph $2000 also becomes an ultra-cheap possibility.
It’s not an easy time to be a Raptors fan. Kyle Lowry $6900 (shin) was completely outplayed by John Wall $9100 (26 PTS, 17 AST) as the Wizards took a stranglehold on the series with two wins on the road. DeMar DeRozan $8300 and Bradley Beal $7000 were both more efficient in Game 2, while Washington’s big men have been outstanding. Their rebounding advantage (106-76) is a team effort, not just Marcin Gortat $6300 vs. Jonas Valanciunas $5700. In limited minutes, Nene Hilario $4800 has been energetic and the biggest surprise is Otto Porter $4600 becoming a valuable, 35-minute sixth man. For the visitors to avoid getting swept, JV, Amir Johnson $4700 and Patrick Patterson $4000 must crash the boards, and Lou Williams $5800 needs to stay hot. Mostly it depends on Lowry; I am not optimistic.
| Pos | Premium | Midrange | Bargain |
| PG | Chris Paul $10100 | John Wall $9100 | Patty Mills $2500 |
| SG | James Harden $10600 | Bradley Beal $7000 | Jason Terry $4300 |
| SF | Kawhi Leonard $8800 | Josh Smith $6600 | Al-Farouq Aminu $4200 |
| PF | Blake Griffin $9900 | Tim Duncan $8000 | Boris Diaw $4500 |
| C | DeAndre Jordan $8600 | Dwight Howard $7800 | Clint Capela $2500 |
The Fantasy Spin features DFS advice every day of the NBA season. Follow Kent Williams @SheridanFantasy for updates.