Daily Fantasy Basketball 2015: NBA DraftKings Strategy for May 22, 23
It would be nice to have one daily NBA slate not clouded by injuries, but don't hold your breath.
DraftKings has combined Friday's Game 2 of the Eastern Conference Finals with Saturday's Western Conference Finals Game 3, producing the two-game minimum necessary for any daily fantasy contest. As is the case with this entire NBA postseason, injury questions run rampant.
Kyrie Irving and DeMarre Carroll both left Wednesday night's game early, creating uncertainty for Game 2. The Cleveland Cavaliers point guard told ESPN's Dave McMenamin that he believes he'll play on Friday night:
Carroll, on the other hand, has a murkier status, per the Atlanta Hawks Twitter page:
Rather than hoping for a healthy return, target their opponents for the two-day slate.
| PG | Jeff Teague, ATL | $7,300 |
| SG | James Harden, HOU | $9,800 |
| SF | LeBron James, CLE | $11,400 |
| PF | Draymond Green, GS | $7,900 |
| C | Andrew Bogut, GS | $4,600 |
| G | Kent Bazemore, ATL | $2,300 |
| F | Andre Iguodala. GS | $4,300 |
| UTIL | Festus Ezeli, GS | $2,300 |
PG Jeff Teague, Atlanta Hawks ($7,300)
Jeff Teague started the second round shooting 29.3 percent (12-of-41) through the first three games. Since then, he has registered a 48.6 field-goal percentage (34-of-70) during the last four bouts.
An aggressive Teague set postseason highs with 27 points on 24 shot attempts. In Game 2, he'll trade a few points for dimes to steer closer to his 7.8 playoff assist average. Either way, his heavy usage should excite onlookers, even if it's not the Hawks' best blueprint to victory.
Between Stephen Curry, James Harden and LeBron James, daily players will have to shun at least one superstar. With Atlanta's point guard back on track, gamers should forgo the MVP to take Teague for $3,200 less.
SG James Harden, Houston Rockets ($9,800)
James Harden's price is going to skyrocket after his two games inside the Oracle Arena.
The runner-up MVP flirted with triple-doubles on both occasions, filling the box score during two old-fashioned Western Conference shootouts.
| 1 | 42 | 28 | 11-20 | 1-3 | 11 | 9 | 4 |
| 2 | 41 | 38 | 13-21 | 3-6 | 10 | 9 | 3 |
Averaging 27.6 points and 8.1 assists per game this postseason, Harden has scored at least 20 points in all 14 games while dishing five or more dimes in all but one. His consistency provides an added boost in cash contests, as 40 DraftKings points is his idea of a bad day.
SF LeBron James, Cleveland Cavaliers ($11,400)
If Carroll can't play, James becomes an essential start in all contests. NBA on ESPN showed Atlanta's difficulty guarding James without its defensive-minded forward:
The Hawks don't have a true small forward on their bench, and Kyle Korver certainly is no match for James. That caused them to try shielding the superstar with an overmatched Paul Millsap, who couldn't keep the former MVP in front of him.
James continued his postseason ball-dominant ways, going 12-of-26 for 31 points during Game 1's victory. He finished with 50 DraftKings points, not a lot given his gaudy price tag, but a reasonable floor rather than peak with Carroll either sidelined or hobbled with a bad knee.
PF Draymond Green, Golden State Warriors ($7,900)
A matchup often makes all the difference. Against the physically imposing Memphis Grizzlies, an erratic Draymond Green averaged 34.2 DraftKings points per game. Although right in line with his yearly production, he fell short of value too many times to trust.
The Rockets, on the hand, cater to the undersized power forward no longer lined up against Zach Randolph. He immediately welcomed the change by tallying 46 DraftKings points during Game 1.
According to RotoGrinders, Houston allows the most DraftKings points per game (47.81) to power forwards entering Thursday night, while Memphis surrenders the seventh-least (42.26).
| Grizzlies | 18.95 | 11.87 | 2.60 | 47.81 |
| Rockets | 22.55 | 12.66 | 3.04 | 42.26 |
After shying away from Green throughout the second round, he's safe to use again during the Western Conference Finals.
C Andrew Bogut, Golden State Warriors ($4,600)
Alongside Green, Bogut also switches to the more favorable matchup. After a quiet conference semifinal depreciated his stock, the center makes a savvy bargain at $4,600.
Feeling under the weather, Bogut played 16 scoreless minutes during Game 1, plunging his price even further. On Thursday, however, he stormed back for 14 points, eight boards and five blocks.
Even if he can't sustain the scoring, Golden State's big man grabbed 34 rebounds during three regular-season games. His defensive presence also makes him a significant factor to stopping Houston, as detailed by ESPN Stats & Info before the series began:
Bogut cost $6,800 to close out the opening round. Even if he doesn't brandish the highest upside, he's a good way to save money for other stars.
