Daily Fantasy Basketball 2015: NBA DraftKings Studs and Duds for April 22
The Brooklyn Nets may very well get swept by the top-seeded Atlanta Hawks in the first round of the NBA playoffs, but you can believe in Brook Lopez as a fantasy stud for as long as the series lasts.
In Game 1, Lopez had 17 points and 14 rebounds in a losing cause. His day was good for 40 fantasy points. There's no reason to believe Lopez won't have another strong performance on Wednesday.
The Atlanta Hawks don't have a true center to match up against Lopez, and the Hawks' Al Horford, who will draw the assignment, is battling a dislocated finger. Per Chris Vivlamore of The Atlanta Journal-Constitution, Horford will play.
It doesn't matter much. Lopez has to be considered the Nets' top offensive option, and he's had less than 30 fantasy points in just two of his last 10 games. He's not exactly a value at $7,800, but he'll be worth the investment. Here's two more fantasy studs to keep an eye on.
Blake Griffin ($9,100) vs. San Antonio Spurs
Game 1 of the Los Angeles Clippers vs. San Antonio Spurs wasn't as close as many expected. One major reason for that was Blake Griffin's monster performance. Griffin played like a man possessed as he tallied 26 points, 12 rebounds, six assists and three blocks. It was good for a whopping 63 fantasy points.
San Antonio Spurs head coach Gregg Popovich gets a lot of credit for being a genius on the sidelines, but he's yet to find an answer for Griffin. In four games against the Spurs, Blake Superior has averaged 51.8 FPPG.
He's too quick for every potential defensive matchup, and he has an extremely active body over the last month. Don't be shocked if Griffin goes off for another huge performance on Wednesday. If there's one guy to make sure you have in the lineup, it should be Griffin.
Chris Paul ($9,900) vs. San Antonio Spurs
Part of the reason Griffin was so deadly was because of the way Chris Paul broke down the Spurs defense.
Paul's 32-point, seven-rebound, six-assist and two-steal performance was almost as good as Griffin's game. Paul put up 53.8 fantasy points, and he's also a good bet to feast on the Spurs again.
Paul isn't being made to work hard on defense because Spurs point guard Tony Parker doesn't appear to be himself.
Parker shot just 4-of-11 from the field in 29 minutes of action. He's still hampered by ankle and thigh injuries, per Michael C. Wright of ESPN.com, but Parker will play on Wednesday.
Consider that good news for anyone considering drafting CP3. He'll victimize Parker and the Spurs again with another strong fantasy performance.
Duds
Tony Parker ($5,500) at L.A. Clippers
Parker is a champion, and he's got a lot of pride, but you can't trust him with a lineup slot on Wednesday—not even for $5,500. He's battling injuries, playing on the road and against one of the best point guards in the NBA who also seems to be playing inspired basketball.
In Parker's last 10 games, he's had just as many single-digit fantasy outputs as he has 30-point fantasy performances.
On the road this season, he's averaging just 21.8 FPPG and 29.2 against the Spurs. The latter number isn't horrible for his salary range, but I have zero confidence he reaches that mark on Wednesday.
Find another low-cost option at guard or utility, like the Hawks' Dennis Schroeder for $4,100, if you want to take Griffin, Paul and Lopez.
Joe Johnson ($5,900) at Atlanta Hawks
In Game 1, Joe Johnson managed 37.5 fantasy points against his old team, but he wasn't impressive. He made just 6-of-17 shots and was 0-of-6 from beyond the arc.
Johnson's fantasy production was helped because he had six rebounds and six assists. He's been very inconsistent in April. His last two games have produced 35-plus fantasy point outputs but prior to those games, Johnson didn't crack the 20-point mark in two straight contests.
He's been just average against the Hawks all year. His 28.7 FPPG average against them is nothing that screams, "Draft me." Brooklyn's offense should be run from inside out with Lopez, and that may stymie Johnson's production in Game 2.
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