Daily Fantasy Basketball 2015: Best NBA DFS DraftKings Lineup for April 7
NBA teams with one eye on the playoffs can derail daily fantasy lineups during the regular season's final push.
The Golden State Warriors and Atlanta Hawks each have a No. 1 seed wrapped up, leaving them no motivation to give their key cogs a full platter of playing time. Those restrictions saddle a higher coding of risk on Stephen Curry and another prominent players from those clubs.
Teams are also more likely to pull the plug earlier during blowouts. On Sunday, Chris Paul and Blake Griffin took a seat after logging 30 and 31 minutes, respectively, against the lowly Los Angeles Lakers. Despite a golden matchup, they could sit out garbage time again during Tuesday's rematch.
Luckily, other teams are either playing for seeding, pride or their playoff lives. A handful of Tuesday night's best DraftKings plays hail from widely contrasting matchups.
PG Tony Parker ($5,400) at Oklahoma City Thunder
Tony Parker has cooled off from his late-season renaissance, held to 19 combined points though the San Antonio Spurs' last three games. Rather than abandoning ship again, take a chance on the veteran with his price depreciated.
Before an ice-cold open to April, Parker left March averaging 18.2 points per game on 55.5 percent shooting. That includes March 25, when he deposited 21 points an six assists against the Oklahoma City Thunder.
In charge of a clicking San Antonio offense manufacturing 107.9 points per game during its seven-game winning streak, Parker is more than capable of shattering value on a repressed $5,400 price tag. Forced to keep up with Russell Westbrook in a high-scoring affair, take a flier on Parker breaking a three-game snag against Oklahoma City.
Other PG Plays: Chris Paul ($9,800) vs. LAL; Goran Dragic ($6,600) vs. CHA; Ray McCallum ($4,600) vs. MIN
SG Ben McLemore ($4,000) vs. Minnesota Timberwolves
Having teased daily gamers all year with rare bursts of utility, Ben McLemore has finally offered a string of worthwhile fantasy outings. During three April games, the sophomore shooting guard has registered 94.5 combined DraftKings points.
Why trust him after a long record of inconsistency? It's more about not trusting the Minnesota Timberwolves, who rank last in defensive rating and DraftKings points allowed to shooting guards. According to RotoGrinders, opposing 2s tack 23.6 points per contest on Minnesota.
A returning Rudy Gay would take some zest away from McLemore, but he shouldn't vanish altogether. With the Sacramento Kings firmly in the lottery hunt, new head coach George Karl has no reason not to keep feeding the 22-year-old during the final week.
| 34.3 | 17.0 | 56.8 | 2.3 | 2.7 | 4.0 | 2.3 |
Sacramento is making a move on Minnesota's worst defensive rating with 106.3 points allowed per 100 possessions, so Kevin Martin is also a worthwhile shooting guard from this matchup. Points should be plentiful during this contest.
Other SG Plays: Kevin Martin ($6,000) at SAC; Danny Green ($5,400) at OKC; Jamal Crawford vs. LAL ($4,800); Thabo Sefolosha ($3,500) vs. PHO
SF Andrew Wiggins at Sacramento Kings
Remember that part about Sacramento's horrible defense? Over their last 20 games, the Kings have relinquished 106.4 points per game, regressing under Karl's tutelage. Per RotoGrinders, opposing small forwards has averaged 22.3 points per game during the past three years, higher than every team besides Atlanta.
Without Ricky Rubio and Gorgiu Dieng, Andrew Wiggins will continue to assume the bulk of Minnesota's offense. The rookie has averaged 15 shot attempts over the last 10 games while scoring 19.2 points per game since the All-Star break.
He has played at least 40 minutes in both games against the Kings, delivering 29 points in one and 27 during the other. Look for him to once again travel into the 20s during a hectic, poorly defended clash.
Other SF Plays: Kawhi Leonard ($7,800) at OKC; DeMarre Carroll ($5,500) vs. PHO; Wesley Johnson ($5,000) at LAC
PF Brandan Wright ($5,200) at Atlanta Hawks
Alex Len's injury has given Brandan Wright a chance to shine. The 27-year-old has come through with a double-double (16 points, 12 boards) against Golden State and 14 points, four blocks and three steals versus the Memphis Grizzlies.
On his third team this season, the 27-year-old has made a major impact in four starts:
| 34.0 | 16.0 | 67.5 | 8.5 | 3.3 | 1.5 |
Bright Side of the Sun's Kellan Olson went deeper to ascertain his prowess when afforded playing time:
According to AZCentral.com's Paul Coro, Len will not return for Tuesday's bout at Atlanta.
"Suns center Alex Len, out for the past two games with a broken nose, will join the team in the middle of the trip and possibly play as early as Friday night at New Orleans," Coro wrote. "Len is getting a face mask Wednesday to wear during play."
The Hawks surrender the third-most DraftKings points to power forwards, and they'll play without Paul Millsap. Give Wright another go while the opportunity persists.
Other PF Plays: Blake Griffin ($8,800) vs. LAL; Marcus Morris ($5,000) at ATL; Ryan Kelly ($4,000) at LAC; Tarik Black ($3,900) at LAC, Reggie Evans vs. MIN ($3,000)
C DeMarcus Cousins ($10,300) vs. Minnesota Timberwolves
Often a position to uncover cheap value, center is top-heavy on Tuesday night. Between DeMarcus Cousins, DeAndre Jordan and Enes Kanter, rostering a big man is advisable for this particular slate.
Forking up $10,300 for Cousins is the bet bet. He's on a tear, averaging a ridiculous 54.9 DraftKings points over the past 10 games. He even started April with two triple-doubles, generating at least 20 points and boards apiece in both bouts.
As noted by NBA TV, only Wilt Chamberlain and Elgin Baylor accomplished the feat before Boogie:
Nobody should expect another 20-20-10 outing, but 24-12-5 with a couple of blocks? Injuries to Dieng and Nikola Pekovic have debilitated Minnesota's already-weak interior defense. According to RotoGrinders, they have yielded 25.8 points, 15.6 rebounds and 2.4 blocks to centers during the last three weeks.
Combine a rolling superstar with a perfect matchup, and daily gamers shouldn't fade Cousins despite a probably heavy usage rate.
UPDATE: Cousins has been ruled out for tonight's game due to a sore right foot, per the team's official site. Get him out of all lineups, and look to Jordan or Kanter instead. Also consider Reggie Evans, listed at power forward for $3,000, as he'll likely absorb more playing time.
Other C Plays: DeAndre Jordan ($8,200) vs. LAL; Enes Kanter ($7,600) vs. SA; Al Horford ($6,000) vs. PHO; Mike Muscala ($3,900) vs. PHO
