There are no NBA games tonight, but tomorrow’s big-money contests are now open for entries at DraftKings. Friday night features Game Three in the two series we just watched on Monday and Wednesday.
Cleveland won easily last night to draw even as they shift to Chicago; LeBron James $11200 took over (33 PTS, 8 REB, 5 AST, 2 STL, 1 BLK) and Kyrie Irving $8700 outplayed Derrick Rose $7700.
The Cavaliers get J.R. Smith $4600 back from a two-game suspension, so Iman Shumpert $4800 isn’t quite as strong a play. Matthew Dellevedova $2100 will also lose minutes. Rose and Pau Gasol $8500 shot a combined 9-for-28 and Jimmy Butler $8400 was quiet. The only real surprise was James Jones $2000 hitting five 3-pointers.
DK matches your first deposit 100% (up to $600) with bonus funds that convert to cash, plus you get a FREE entry in the $100K Sharpshooter — the top score earns $10,000 and 7,850 of 38,315 teams will get paid. Odds are even better in the $75K Crossover, normally a $27 buy-in. That contest has 630 guaranteed cash prizes ($10,000 for first) and a maximum of only 3,168 teams.
The status of Chris Paul $9600 (hamstring) looms large as the Clippers come home with a split. Last night a mediocre Austin Rivers $4300 played 25 minutes at PG as James Harden $10100 led the Rockets to a hard-fought 115-109 decision at home.
Fortunately, you can adjust your lineups until 8:00 Eastern on Friday. With Patrick Beverley (wrist) out, Houston starts 37-year-old Jason Terry $3500 and brings 38-year-old Pablo Prigioni $3100 off the bench. Obviously, neither is capable of defending CP3 if he’s able to return.
It was actually Jamal Crawford $4900 who picked up extra ball-handling duties in Game Two, though he shot just 6-for-22 in 36 minutes off the bench. He and Matt Barnes $5300 stand out as affordable and productive, especially if Rivers gets another start.
Blake Griffin $10500 and DeAndre Jordan $7800 provide a better 1-2 punch up front than Dwight Howard $8300 and either Josh Smith $6100 or Terrence Jones $4400.
The best bang for the buck might be Trevor Ariza $5700, who logged 45 minutes last night and double-doubled (15 & 13) — he’s capable of contributing in every category.
“Momentum” seldom carries from game to game in the playoffs. If anything, there are dramatic shifts as teams alter matchups and invent new schemes. The venue change and bouncing back from a sub-par effort does favor the Bulls, though I’m not expecting as high a score as the games in Cleveland.
Today’s sample lineup and Short List assumes that CP3 will not play. If we learn that he will, you’ll see a few changes in tomorrow’s Spin.
| Pos | Premium | Midrange | Bargain |
| PG | Kyrie Irving $8700 | Derrick Rose $7700 | M. Dellevadova $2100 |
| SG | James Harden $10100 | Jimmy Butler $8400 | Jamal Crawford $4900 |
| SF | LeBron James $11200 | Trevor Ariza $5700 | Matt Barnes $5300 |
| PF | Blake Griffin $10500 | Pau Gasol $8500 | Terrence Jones $4400 |
| C | Dwight Howard $8300 | DeAndre Jordan $7800 | Joakim Noah $5900 |
The Fantasy Spin features DFS advice every day of the NBA season. Follow Kent Williams @SheridanFantasy for updates.