Daily Fantasy Basketball 2015: NBA DraftKings Studs and Duds for April 29
Role players generally play better at home in the playoffs. There are exceptions here and there, but when you look over most of the series in this year's NBA postseason, things look to be holding true to that concept.
Based partially on that theme and the short history of the two series that will resume on Wednesday night, there are two low-cost-high-value players DraftKings owners will want to target.
Dennis Schroeder ($3,600) vs. Brooklyn Nets
In Games 3 and 4 in Brooklyn, the Atlanta Hawks' Dennis Schroeder has looked like a man just recently introduced to basketball. He averaged just 9.375 fantasy points per game during that span. That's a stark contrast from what he did off the bench for Atlanta in Games 1 and 2.
Schroeder scored 12.5 points per game and accounted for 25.75 FPPG. For a player with a salary below $4,000, that's about all you can ask of him.
With the games shifting back to Atlanta for Game 5, Schroeder will rediscover his confidence and his ability to light it up off the Hawks' bench. Anything less than 22 fantasy points from Schroeder would be a surprise.
Beno Udrih ($3,800) vs. Portland Trail Blazers
After exploding for a near triple-double in Game 1 of the Memphis Grizzlies' series against the Portland Trail Blazers, Beno Udrih has been just mediocre in the other two games of the series he's played.
Udrih injured his ankle and missed Game 3 of the series. He played in Game 4, but he didn't look to be at his best. He had limited movement, but after resting on Tuesday and returning to Memphis for Game 5, Udrih seems like a good bet to make good on the minimal investment it takes to draft him.
Through the regular season, Udrih was slightly better at home than he was on the road (16.1 FPPG to 14.7).
On Wednesday, expect him to rise to the occasion in a close-out game for the Grizzlies on their home floor.
Higher-Priced Stud
Damian Lillard ($8,000) at Memphis Grizzlies
There are a few reasons to believe the Blazers' Damian Lillard will play well on Wednesday night. For one, he's raised his scoring total in each game this series. In Game 4, Lillard scored 32 and tallied a total of 46.5 fantasy points.
That would suggest he's trending upward.
Another reason, and perhaps the biggest factor in choosing Lillard, should be the unknown status of Grizzlies' point guard Mike Conley.
Conley missed Game 4 because of a facial injury he suffered in Memphis' Game 3 win. The result was Lillard having his best game of the series in Game 4. Mark Gunnels of Football Insiders noticed the dynamic and results:
With Conley awaiting swelling in his face to reduce before being evaluated for a return, per Adrian Wojnarowski of Yahoo Sports, Lillard looks to be set up for another strong game against the less-than-Conley-like defense left to try to slow him down.
Look for Lillard to take advantage of an absent or less-than-100-percent Conley in Game 5.
The Duds
Deron Williams ($6,300) at Atlanta Hawks
In Game 4, Deron Williams exploded for a game-high 35 points. His 60.3 fantasy points were more than his combined totals from Games 2 and 3.
In essence. he looked like the old D-Will. Because of that, it's tempting to try t ride him in Game 5 as the Nets have clearly snatched the momentum in the series. Williams battled through "severe" knee tendinitis in Game 4, per Rod Boone of Newsday, but he still came up huge for his team.
Do you believe he can put up that type of performance again in Game 5 on the road? It's possible, but drafting him wouldn't be a smart investment. Lillard is a much better pick at point guard. Williams' performance in Game 4 was as much about heart and pride as anything else.
That'll only take him so far before the injury slows him down again.
Bojan Bogdanovic ($4,900) at Atlanta Hawks
Through Games 1 and 2, Bojan Bogdanovic was missing in action. He didn't crack double figures in scoring or the 20-fantasy-point mark in either game. In Games 3 and 4 in Brooklyn, Bogdanovic found his confidence and shooting stroke.
He averaged 17 points per game and 29.8 FPPG. The Nets would love if they could get a third-straight strong performance from Bogdanovic, but it won't happen. Bogdanovic's performance throughout the season was significantly less productive on the road than at home (17.5 FPPG to 12.8).
The Hawks' Kyle Korver is a slightly more expensive ($6,100), but better option as he returns home for the pivotal Game 5 in this series.
Salaries and Stats per DraftKings
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