Cleveland Cavaliers wasted little time taking care of business in their Eastern Conference semifinals series with the Atlanta Hawks, sweeping them in four games. They’re the first team to book a spot in the conference final, which means the Cavaliers will have plenty of time to rest and prepare for the next round. It also means we are left with only one game on the schedule for Tuesday night for NBA fantasy purpsoes as the Oklahoma City Thunder clash with the San Antonio Spurs. Oklahoma City rallied for a 111-97 win in Game 4 at home to even the series at 2-2. Now one team will take a 3-2 series lead and push the other team to the brink of elimination in a pivotal Game 5 in San Antonio. If you’re playing the Tuesday-Wednesday DraftKings NBA fantasy leagues, here are some good options to choose from on Tuesday.
PG: Russell Westbrook, Oklahoma City
Salary: $10,900
Westbrook has been an absolute force in these playoffs to the point where we would have him in our lineup even if there were four games on the schedule for Tuesday night. Westbrook has averaged a ridiculous 24.2 points, 10.9 assists, 6.8 rebounds, 1.8 steals and 1.8 three-point shots so far this postseason, so even at $10.9K he should be a lock in every NBA fantasy tournament lineup for Tuesday night.
SG: Dion Waiters, Oklahoma City
Salary: $3,500
The Thunder will only go as far as Westbrook and Kevin Durant will take them, but they have received some strong contributions from other players as well. One of those guys is Waiters. The young guard scored 17 points with three rebounds, three assists, one steal and two three-point shots in Oklahoma City’s Game 4 win and at just $3.5K, he is the perfect counterbalance to Westbrook in our lineup.
SF: Kevin Durant, Oklahoma City
Salary: $10,000
The fact that we begin our lineup with three straight Thunder picks has a lot more to do with the fact that Waiters is such an excellent value pick to complement two locks in Durant and Westbrook more than anything else. Durant is coming off an exceptional Game 4 performance in which he scored 41 points with five rebounds, four assists and three three-point shots and we are banking on another productive night in a crucial Game 5 on the road.
PF: LaMarcus Aldridge, San Antonio
Salary: $8,900
It took us long enough to get to a star from the Spurs and we feel Aldridge is the best of them when it comes to NBA fantasy picks for Tuesday night’s action. Aldridge has averaged 22.6 points, 7.5 rebounds and 1.5 blocks per game so far this postseason and he is clearly the best option on the board at this position.
C: Steven Adams, Oklahoma City
Salary: $4,900
Adams is another underrated player that has been excellent for the Thunder so far in the playoffs, averaging 9.4 points, 9.7 rebounds and nearly one block per game. Adams had 16 points, 11 rebounds and two blocks in Oklahoma City’s Game 4 win and if he can even come close to matching that production in Game 5 then he will be an excellent value option at this position.
G: Tony Parker, San Antonio
Salary: $4,700
The veteran point guard has stepped up his production over the last two games. Parker averaged 20.5 points, 4.0 assists, 4.0 rebounds and 1.5 three-point shots in those two contests. San Antonio should be in a favorable position at home for Game 5 and if Parker can hit those averages on Tuesday night then he will be an excellent pick for this spot in our fantasy lineup.
F: Boris Diaw, San Antonio
Salary: $3,300
We can’t load up with Westbrook, Durant, Aldridge, Adams and Parker without taking a shot on a sleeper play somewhere and that is what we have here in Diaw. The veteran big man had 11 points with three rebounds and one three-point shot in Game 4, but he was held to a single point in Game 3 two nights earlier and has been inconsistent throughout these playoffs. At $3.3K, it’s worth taking a chance on him in this spot with the hope that he can deliver a strong performance as a decent value option that allows us to spend big at the other positions.
FLEX: Patty Mills, San Antonio
Salary: $3,500
Mills has really been limited throughout this series but like Diaw he is a necessary risk in order for us to load up at the other positions. Mills has averaged 7.1 points, 2.0 assists, 1.3 rebounds and 1.5 three-point shots so far this postseason and if he can even match those averages on Tuesday night then he will be worth having in our lineup as another sleeper play that could pay off since he allows us to spend big on the star players from the night’s lone game on the schedule.
