Daily Fantasy Basketball 2015: Best NBA DFS DraftKings Lineup for May 10
Sick of this slate yet?
For the fourth time this week, the Cleveland Cavaliers will battle the Chicago Bulls while the Houston Rockets spar against the Los Angeles Clippers. By now daily fantasy players should be familiar with both matchups before firing up the DraftKings lineup page.
Yet as Chris Paul returns to Los Angeles, Pau Gasol may sit out for Chicago. Choosing a superstar also proves tougher, as Blake Griffin had a human outing while LeBron James kept piling on the fantasy points. Paul and James Harden enter Sunday with reduced prices, and gamers must decide if they should welcome Austin Rivers as their new overlord.
| PG | Derrick Rose | vs. CLE | $8,100 |
| SG | J.R. Smith | @ CHI | $4,900 |
| SF | Trevor Ariza | vs. LAC | $5,900 |
| PF | Blake Griffin | @ HOU | $10,700 |
| C | Dwight Howard | vs. LAC | $8,600 |
| G | Iman Shumpert | @ CHI | $4,400 |
| F | Taj Gibson | vs. CLE | $4,100 |
| UTIL | Nikola Mirotic | vs. CLE | $3,300 |
Picking a Superstar
Rostering two of James, Griffin and Harden is possible, but incredibly difficult. Few clearance bargains exist with tightened postseason rotations, so it's best to surround one anchor with second-tier stars (Derrick Rose, Dwight Howard, Jimmy Butler, DeAndre Jordan).
James proved Friday's correct answer, registering 60.5 DraftKings points to Harden's 48.25 and Griffin's 43.5. While Harden has hovered consistently around the 50 range, his two adversaries have procured loftier production.
| LeBron James | $11,300 | 57.9 | 55.9 |
| Blake Griffin | $10,700 | 57.8 | 58.2 |
| James Harden | $9,900 | 49.1 | 47.9 |
Both are great choices, but remember that Griffin only logged 31 minutes during Friday's blowout. Returning to his playoff average of 40 minutes would at least propel him back into the 50s, possibly 60s.
With Love inactive and Irving below full strength, James will get plenty of screen time, but he must maintain his torrid fantasy output to reach value at $11,300. An inactive Gasol would produce cheaper power forwards to clear way for the Cleveland star at small forward, but Griffin remains the preferable choice.
Ride Rivers?
So, about calling Rivers "a mediocre play regardless of Paul's status" on Friday. Whoops. He channeled his inner actual NBA player to score 25 points in 23 minutes. Even with his price jacked up to $4,300, those who used Rivers received a riveting return on investment with 40 DraftKings points.
The 22-year-old unleashed everything in his power to dismantle the coach's son label. As highlighted by his shot chart, via NBA.com/Stats, he was money from all-around the court:
Do the gamers who profited off his unexpected outburst shout "I want to go again!" like a giddy child after riding a roller coaster, or should they quit while they're ahead? Chances are he'll be a popular play, too popular for his own good.
Who would have ever thought that would be a problem regarding Austin Rivers? Despite his recent outburst, this is still someone with a career 7.0 points per game and 39.7 field-goal percentage. Don't overreact to his career night, and instead let everyone else gamble on an unlikely encore.
If No Gasol...
After scoring six points through 23 minutes, Gasol left Friday's bout with a sore left hamstring. According to the Chicago Tribune's K.C. Johnson, Chicago's starting power forward is questionable for Game 4:
Either way, the hampered big man isn't worth using during a subdued stretch. His absence, however, would stamp Taj Gibson and Nikola Mirotic as must-starts.
Gibson, who has averaged 22.3 minutes per postseason game, would slide into the starting lineup, where he averaged 11.8 points, 7.8 rebounds and 1.8 blocks during the season. During the second round, he has compiled 53.45 total DraftKings points in 72 minutes.
Finally freed from reserve purgatory, Mirotic delivered 12 points and eight boards in Game 3 after receiving nine combined minutes the previous two games. With Gasol ailing and Joakim Noah struggling mightily on the offensive end, head coach Tom Thibodeau has no choice but to play the skilled scorer.
For $3,300, gamers are getting a rookie who averaged 20.8 points and 7.6 rebounds in March, the only month he clocked more than 23 minutes a contest.
Bank on Rose
Rivers holds too much hype, but Paul is getting eased back into action. Kyrie Irving is playing through a strained right foot, and the Houston Rockets never found a suitable replacement for Patrick Beverley. Out of default, Derrick Rose is the obvious option at point guard.
Even if stronger alternatives existed, Rose would still serve as a top play. Against Cleveland, he's averaging 23 points, 7.3 assists, 6.3 rebounds and 44.9 DraftKings points per game. Putting the short-rest foibles to rest, he notched a 30-7-7 line in Game 3, including the banked game-winning three.
More importantly, he finally drew foul calls. After the attacker somehow went three straight games without going to the free-throw line, he converted 9-of-10 chances on Friday. Those extra points helped him overcome an inefficient 10-of-26 line from the floor.
When former MVP winners regularly drive to the basket, they typically reel in a few whistles. Expect a healthy and aggressive Rose to keep drawing calls.
