Daily Fantasy Basketball 2015: Best Last-Minute NBA DraftKings Picks for May 14
With their season on the line, the Chicago Bulls desperately need a healthy Pau Gasol back. While the power forward will return on Thursday night, there's no guarantee about the healthy part.
Per ESPNChicago.com's Nick Friedell, Gasol will suit up after missing the last two games with a hamstring injury. Yet he also offered a caveat that should steer daily fantasy gamers away from pushing him back into their DraftKings lineups:
As his team enters an elimination game, Gasol is unlikely anywhere close to 100 percent. Falling for societal pressures for athletes to brave through pain, an ailing Gasol is of little value to DFS players. Instead, go cheap with bigs to save money for smaller superstars.
PG Chris Paul ($8,600) vs. Houston Rockets
Despite playing 35 strong minutes on Tuesday night, Chris Paul's price once again dipped. After missing the first two games and easing into the next two, the star point guard will now receive regular playing time, according to ESPN's Arash Markazi:
Showing little signs of injury, Paul is shooting 48.9 percent against the Houston Rockets, averaging 16.7 points and 9.7 assists through 28 minutes. With a chance to finish the series and afford him more rest before the Western Conference Finals, he's poised to receive another 35 minutes at home.
For Game 7 of the Clippers' epic first-round battle with the San Antonio Spurs, Paul cost $10,000 on DraftKings. After proving he's fine with consecutive double-doubles, exceeding 40 DraftKings points in both bouts, he remains an affordable $8,600.
For the first time this round, he's a cheaper and more appealing play than Derrick Rose.
SG Jimmy Butler ($8,200) vs. Cleveland Cavaliers
With all eyes fixated on Rose, Jimmy Butler has averaged 40.1 DraftKings points against the Cleveland Cavaliers, playing 42 minutes per game. Taking out a lopsided Game 2—the series' only double-digit margin—the regular-season leader in minutes per game has averaged 43.5 minutes, playing at least 41 during each of the four close calls.
In a win-or-go-home game, the Bulls will go down swinging regardless of the score. Given the Bulls' 94.8 points per game this series, a blowout in their favor isn't in the cards.
The NBA's Most Improved Player has registered 23.2 points, 5.6 rebounds and 2.5 steals this postseason, fortifying a bid for a max contract this summer. Even if he doesn't produce a monster game, Butler's heavy workload gives him a higher floor than any other star.
SF LeBron James ($11,400) at Chicago Bulls
Earlier in these series' slates, Blake Griffin excelled far too much to fade. Yet the more he carries a hobbled team on his back, the more LeBron James looks worth the hefty price tag.
Against Chicago, James is averaging a Westbrook-esque 28.4 points, 11.4 boards, 8.4 assists, 2.0 steals and 1.6 blocks. Game 5's 38-point outburst led him to 76 DraftKings points, showing what he can do when actually scoring effectively.
| 41 | 38 | 14-24 | 1-5 | 12 | 6 | 3 | 3 |
Shooting an absurd 26 shots per game against the Bulls, James is back to his old one-man team ways. Yet he works best when engineering in an unselfish offense, as noted by ESPN's Tom Haberstroh:
Just imagine if he wasn't 3-of-24 from three-point range, a colossal funk bound to pass eventually. The good news? His price tag couldn't rise much more after Game 5's massive outing, and King James is special enough to deliver a series-clinching encore.
PF Tristan Thompson ($5,300) at Chicago Bulls
Stepping in for Kevin Love, Tristan Thompson has generated 8.6 points and 10.0 boards through 36.2 minutes against Chicago, maximizing his limited touches with a 60.7 field-goal percentage (17-of-28).
The 24-year-old has earned an important fan in James, courtesy of CBS Sports NBA:
Griffin isn't reasonable with James and another star in the fold. A diminished Gasol will play limited minutes, not enough to look his way but enough to impede Taj Gibson and Nikola Mirotic.
Terrence Jones has done very little this series, and playing an inactive Love probably isn't the smartest choice. Although Thompson isn't cheap, significant playing time makes him a solid play for anyone fading Griffin.
C Spencer Hawes ($2,600) vs. Houston Rockets
In order to afford all these luxurious options, scroll down the center (or utility) catalog for Spencer Hawes, who has resurfaced against Houston.
After scoring a whopping two points during 12 minutes against the Spurs, Hawes has averaged 7.0 points through 13.3 minutes. As boring as that sounds, his 16.25 DraftKings points average justifies a clearance cost of $2,600.
| 3 | 11 | 2 | 1-1 | 0-0 | 3 | 4 | 12.75 |
| 4 | 9 | 8 | 2-2 | 2-2 | 1 | 2 | 15.25 |
| 5 | 20 | 11 | 5-7 | 1-2 | 5 | 4 | 20.75 |
That average puts him at a $160 cost per point. For comparison's sake, Dwight Howard chimes in at $199.06 per point while DeAndre Jordan carries a fee of $197.50 per point. Both are decent enough values to consider for someone playing a mid-level shooting guard over Butler.
Per NBA.com, the Clippers hoist a plus-4.7 playoff net rating with Hawes on the court. As the Rockets intentionally foul Jordan ad nauseam, Hawes becomes more vital to Los Angeles' rotation.
