Sunday went almost as expected, though it wasn’t the greatest basketball. The Cavaliers won ugly (86-84) to regain home-court advantage, then the Rockets made a mockery of their game by sending DeAndre Jordan to the foul line 34 times. It looks good on Kevin McHale that they lost by 33.
Jordan (26 PTS, 17 REB) led all scorers. That dubious, unwatchable “strategy” also meant Chris Paul (hamstring) was able to walk more and run less, and it put Houston on the brink of elimination.
Tonight we have two home underdogs each trying to take a 3-1 stranglehold on their series, and a bunch of players in less than perfect health. Contests at DraftKings close at 7:00 Eastern.
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 prizes ($10,000 for first) and only 3,168 teams.
After a truly spectacular season and a first-round playoff sweep, the Warriors have run into trouble. Memphis is pounding the rock inside with Marc Gasol $8100 and Zach Randolph $7500, while playing excellent defense on Stephen Curry $10300, who is 4-for-21 on 3-point attempts over the last two games. Mike Conley $5800 (face) has been heroic — masked up to protect multiple fractures, stitches popping out, IV fluids needed — and inspirational. He’s worth more in real life than DFS.
Golden State needs Curry to find the range, Klay Thompson $7400 to keep scoring and Draymond Green $8000 to play much better at both ends of the floor. There’s not much fantasy upside for Andrew Bogut $5300, Harrison Barnes $4500 or Andre Iguodala $3800. Slightly better, though defensive-minded, Courtney Lee $4800 and Tony Allen $5600 are at least worth considering, as options in the middle and low price ranges are limited.
Even without John Wall $9000 (wrist) the Wizards are outplaying Atlanta. Paul Millsap $8500 had the flu on Saturday, came off the bench for 23 minutes and was nothing like his usual self; he’s the best PF on the board if fully recovered, but Z-Bo is the safer play. Al Horford $8100 (knee) limped off the court in the fourth quarter of Game Three and while he’s supposedly fine, teams are not as forthcoming about injuries in the postseason. Gasol at the same salary is a better bet, and Marcin Gortat $7000 (not coincidentally) had his best game in Horford’s worst.
DeMarre Carroll $7000 might also be less than 100%; he refused to re-enter the game on Saturday because of some unspecified physical discomfort. Jeff Teague $7000 (ankle) was a bit better (18 PTS, 7 AST, 3 STL) but don’t sleep on his backup Dennis Schroder $4000, who managed 30.5 FPTS in less than 20 minutes. The most interesting guy tonight is Nene Hilario $4200, who took advantage of Millsap’s illness (17 PTS, 7 REB, 4 AST, 1 BLK, 1 STL) after doing absolutely nothing in the first two games. If he can repeat that effort, the Brazilian is a bargain. Ramon Sessions $5000 will start again assuming Wall does not return, but Bradley Beal $7900 will handle the ball more often. Otto Porter $5600 and Paul Pierce $5300 are both SF-eligible; The Truth plays more at PF in small lineups.
My sample lineup today punts PG and uses the two best SG, along with the Memphis big men. If the Hawks all turn out to be 100 % healthy and play their best, they should head back home with the series squared. I’m just not confident that will be the case.
| Pos | Premium | Midrange | Bargain |
| PG | Stephen Curry $10300 | Ramon Sessions $5000 | Dennis Schroder $4000 |
| SG | Bradley Beal $7900 | Klay Thompson $7400 | Courtney Lee $4800 |
| SF | DeMarre Carroll $7000 | Otto Porter $5600 | Paul Pierce $5300 |
| PF | Paul Millsap $8500 | Zach Randolph $7500 | Nene Hilario $4200 |
| C | Marc Gasol $8100 | Al Horford $8100 | Mike Muscala $2100 |
The Fantasy Spin features DFS advice every day of the NBA season. Follow Kent Williams @SheridanFantasy for updates.