Daily Fantasy Basketball 2015: Best NBA DFS DraftKings Lineup for April 14
Tuesday's three-game NBA slate severely lacks star power, leaving little margin for error when submitting a DraftKings lineup.
During the regular season's penultimate evening, a reserve receiving an expanded audition could make all the difference in a shallow player pool—that and picking the right building block or two, few of which exist.
At least most participants are motivated to give a concerted effort. The Indiana Pacers are fighting for postseason inclusion while the Los Angeles Clippers, Toronto Raptors and Boston Celtics can earn higher seeding. Only the Phoenix Suns are eliminated from playoff contention, but they could relish playing spoiler during their season finale.
Locked into the Eastern Conference's No. 5 seed, however, the Washington Wizards won't have much motivation to give their all. Such uncertainty makes their stars inadvisable, but checking to see if they sit starters is essential before locking in a lineup.
Toronto Raptors at Boston Celtics
Stud: SG DeMar DeRozan ($8,100)
Values: PG Evan Turner ($6,300), SG Lou Williams ($5,700), PF Tyler Hansbrough ($4,200), C Tyler Zeller ($4,200), C Kelly Olynyk ($3,800)
On April 4, the Boston Celtics edged out the Toronto Raptors in a 117-116 shootout lengthened by overtime. Ten days later, this matchup contains the most midlevel values.
Starting with a strong outing against Boston, Tyler Hansbrough has enjoyed a seismic shift in playing time. The former college standout has gone from spectator to regular source of 30-plus minutes over the past four games.
| 34.8 | 12.0 | 57.1 | 9.3 | 28.1 |
Meanwhile, Jonas Valanciunas has scored 14 points in 55 minutes since tallying a double-double against Boston. Entering postseason play as the No. 3 or 4 seed doesn't pose a massive difference, so don't bank on him reclaiming his spotlight three days after drawing six fouls through 10 minutes.
DeMar DeRozan scored 38 on Boston last time, while Lou Williams dropped 27. Temper expectations with Kyle Lowry in the fold for a four-quarter game, but shooting guard isn't exactly swimming with high-quality options.
Boston is an infuriating club for DFS gamers to handicap. Somebody in green will make a major dent on Tuesday's action, but head coach Brad Stevens doesn't play favorites with one of the league's most even rosters.
The bold tournament player could hit the jackpot—or go bankrupt—with the always erratic Evan Turner. Big men Tyler Zeller and Kelly Olynyk both boast fairly elevated ceilings against a Toronto defense ranking No. 23 in DraftKings points allowed to centers.
Washington Wizards at Indiana Pacers
Stud: PG George Hill ($7,200)
Values: SG Bradley Beal ($6,500), SF C.J. Miles ($5,400), C Roy Hibbert ($5,000)
Tuesday's top two teams in defensive rating and bottom two in pace, per NBA.com, the Washington Wizards and Indiana Pacers will direct the least friendly fantasy production.
Indiana rosters the two highest-priced small forwards in C.J. Miles and Paul George, but neither is a noteworthy bargain play against a Washington defense that yields the third-fewest DraftKings points to the position.
Logging 14-16 minutes per game since his return, George won't play enough to hit value at a bloated $5,000. Miles requires gamers to pay for significant inflation after an uncharacteristic 30-point, 10-rebound outing Sunday against the Orlando Magic.
Yet his red-hot shooting, courtesy of NBA.com/Stats, will entice many to ride the bandwagon, minimizing the reward if everyone else is also on board:
Generating three straight double-doubles, Roy Hibbert represents a decent choice for anyone who forgoes DeAndre Jordan at center. His stock would skyrocket if the Wizards save Marcin Gortat for the postseason.
As for Washington, keep an eye on its lineup release. Head coach Randy Wittman could rest some starters, transforming the likes of Otto Porter and Drew Gooden into vital starts. If not, Bradley Beal—averaging 20 points through six April contests—warrants a look.
Los Angeles Clippers at Phoenix Suns
Studs: PG Chris Paul ($9,700), PF Blake Griffin ($8,700), C DeAndre Jordan ($8,000)
Values: SF P.J. Tucker (4,800), SG Jamal Crawford ($4,500), SG Archie Goodwin ($3,000)
All the evening's top stars reside on the Clippers. Daily players, particularly those entering 50/50 contests, will want to roster Chris Paul and one of their big men.
By far the night's most expensive choice at $9,700, Paul is a stable option worth the investment, even if he doesn't break the scoreboard. This is the type of slate where subdued tallies could still cash, and Paul is a safe source of 45 DraftKings points against the Suns, who surrender the site's sixth-most fantasy points to point guards.
Jordan holds the better matchup to teammate Blake Griffin, as Phoenix rates No. 2 against power forwards and No. 27 against centers. Recently, however, those averages have evened out.
According to RotoGrinders, the Suns have yielded 46.9 points per game to power forwards and 51.3 to centers over the last three weeks. Griffin has also generated 87 points through three games against Phoenix, so don't rule him out with the positon's other offerings so slim.
The guard-heavy Suns match up poorly with the Clippers, but P.J. Tucker will suffice at small forward. With a desolate batch of options, it's either him, Miles or Matt Barnes, who is getting phased out of the offense with Jamal Crawford's return.
