Daily Fantasy Basketball 2015: Last-Minute NBA DraftKings Picks for April 18
It's time for the lead Splash Brother to make playoff waves. After a 67-win regular season and an individual performance that could very well lead to the Most Valuable Player award, the Golden State Warriors' Stephen Curry should come out on fire in Game 1 of his team's first-round series against the New Orleans Pelicans.
Curry and his teammates have plenty to prove, so there's no questioning the level of effort we'll see from him.
Throughout the regular season, the Pels haven't had an answer for Curry. He's lit them afire to the tune of 48 fantasy points per game in four meetings. Whether it's been scoring (23.5 points) or passing (9.5 assists) Curry has victimized New Orleans whenever he's played them this season.
Because he has excelled as a scorer and playmaker, Curry is the safest high-priced player ($10,100) to draft in your DraftKings lineup. He's the right guy to anchor your squad on Saturday night. Here are the rest of the players I'd consider to make up the optimal DK lineup for opening night of the NBA playoffs:
| PG | Stephen Curry | New Orleans | $10,100 |
| SG | Eric Gordon | Golden State | $4,700 |
| SF | Harrison Barnes | New Orleans | $4,700 |
| PF | Pau Gasol | Milwaukee | $8,400 |
| C | Dwight Howard | Dallas | $6,800 |
| G | Derrick Rose | Milwaukee | $6,600 |
| F | Paul Pierce | Toronto | $4,500 |
| UTIL | Corey Brewer | Dallas | $4,000 |
Pau Gasol ($8,400) vs. Milwaukee Bucks
Everything about Pau Gasol screams draft the heck out of me on Saturday. During the regular season, Gasol led the NBA in double-doubles with 54. He averaged 43.1 FPPG for the season, 42.4 in his last five games and 46.4 against the Milwaukee Bucks over four games. That includes a career-high 46 points against Milwaukee back in January.
Gasol should be just as automatic of a selection—if not more—than Curry. Because Gasol is a big man, and his fantasy production is somewhat immune to poor shooting nights because of his size and rebounding, he's probably the safest draft pick you can make.
Derrick Rose ($6,600) vs. Milwaukee Bucks
Saturday's game will be the first postseason appearance Derrick Rose has had since he tore his ACL in 2012. There's little doubt he'll be amped to return to the big stage. There are obvious concerns about his health. Those were augmented when he missed the second half of the Chicago Bulls' regular-season finale on Wednesday with soreness in his left knee.
Rose and head coach Tom Thibodeau downplayed the event, according to K.C. Johnson of the Chicago Tribune (via Sports Illustrated):
Judging by Rose's demeanor on the bench during the second half of the game, I'm inclined to believe them. Before sitting down, and during the two previous games before the finale, Rose had the best movement and body language he's exhibited all year.
He was attacking the basket, setting up teammates and speaking with younger players, like Nikola Mirotic, in the way a leader of a basketball team should.
Is he about to explode like the Rose who won MVP in the 2010-11 season? Maybe not, but for just $6,600, Rose is a solid value. A 20-point, eight-assist night is a logical expectation for what will be a fired-up Bulls team with a lot to prove.
Top Few Value Plays for the Day
Paul Pierce ($4,500) at Toronto Raptors
The Washington Wizards wanted Paul Pierce primarily for the second season. That time has come and Pierce is a good bet to do well for his reasonable salary.
During the season, Pierce averaged a solid 26.2 FPPG against the Raptors. Last year, while playing for the Brooklyn Nets, he averaged 13.4 points and 4.2 rebounds against the Raptors in an epic seven-game series.
A 40-fantasy-point game is a stretch, but something between 28 and 35 is very possible.
Eric Gordon ($4,700) at Golden State Warriors
Many people forget that Eric Gordon has the ability to be an explosive scorer. While Anthony Davis has deserved and garnered much of the attention during the Pels' late-season run that led to a playoff berth, Gordon has been a consistent scorer as a starter and off the bench.
In his last 10 games, he's produced less than 20 fantasy points just once. Heading into a head-to-head matchup with the Warriors' Klay Thompson, Gordon should take this series as a personal challenge. He has the shooting ability to keep the floor spread for Davis, and he plays 33.1 minutes per game.
Even without a huge game, it's unlikely he represents a dead spot in your lineup.
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