The NBA playoffs continue on Wednesday night with three games on the schedule as the Miami Heat, Cleveland Cavaliers and Los Angeles Clippers each look to go up 2-0 in their respective first round series. All three favorites are expected to pull through but that doesn’t necessarily mean there isn’t any strong value plays available in DraftKings NBA Fantasy Leagues. Here is a look at the optimal lineup for Wednesday’s DraftKings tournaments.
PG: Chris Paul, Los Angeles Clippers
Salary: $9,000
Paul should be among the locks that every player in NBA Fantasy Leagues should have in their lineup. The All-Star point guard scored a game-high 28 points with 11 assists, six rebounds, two steals and two three-point shots in the Game 1 win over the Portland Trail Blazers and should be in line for a strong encore performance.
SG: J.R. Smith, Cleveland Cavaliers
Salary: $4,100
Smith was somewhat quiet in the series-opening win over the Detroit Pistons but it wouldn’t surprise anybody if he bounced back with a strong performance in Game 2. The veteran guard was limited to nine points, three rebounds and three assists in Game 1 but would have been in the double-digits in scoring if he did better than hitting just 3-of-9 attempts from the field. Look for Smith’s field goal percentage to go up in Game 2 with his point total rising as well.
SF: LeBron James, Cleveland Cavaliers
Salary: $10,000
LeBron is another player that should be a lock in every DraftKings lineup as he looks to build on a strong performance in Game 1. LeBron scored 22 points with 11 assists, six rebounds, two steals and two blocks and could easily top that stat line with the Cavaliers looking to go up 2-0 on Detroit on Wednesday night. The Cavs cut it close in Game 1 but they should be far more comfortable now that the ice has been broken. Look for them to run away with this one on the strength of a big game from James.
PF: Marvin Williams, Charlotte Hornets
Salary: $5,000
Williams was an absolute disaster in the Hornets’ Game 1 loss to Miami but there are plenty of reasons to expect him to bounce back. Williams averaged 16.8 points and 5.8 rebounds against the heat during the regular season including a season-high 27 points against them back in February. He is still available at a very reasonable $5K and that makes him an excellent choice to slide in to our lineup at the PF spot.
C: Hassan Whiteside, Miami Heat
Salary: $8,700
Whiteside has been a double-double machine all year and that continued in Game 1 versus Charlotte when he scored 21 points with 11 rebounds, three blocks and two steals. Whiteside should be in line for another strong performance as the best available center on the board for Wednesday so we feel good about slotting him in here.
G: Goran Dragic, Miami Heat
Salary: $6,500
Dragic struggled from the field in the opener versus the Hornets when he went just 2-of-8 from the field but he should bounce back with a better performance in Game 2. Dragic still finished with nine points, 10 assists, a steal and a rebound so consider that the absolute floor for him in Game 2 on Wednesday night.
F: Marcus Morris, Detroit Pistons
Salary: $5,100
Morris stepped up in a 106-101 loss to Cleveland with 20 points, five assists, two rebounds and a steal and he should be a lock for another strong game if he plays 40 minutes again. The Pistons will throw everything at they have at the Cavaliers in an effort to earn a split on the road and we like Morris as a decent value option considering his relatively low price tag in NBA fantasy.
UTIL: Jeremy Lin, Charlotte Hornets
Salary: $4,600
Speaking of value options, Lin could definitely fall in to that category if he plays 25 minutes off the bench for Charlotte again in Game 2. Lin only took four shots in Game 1 but if he can find his jumper it could lead to a better point total and a strong NBA fantasy performance after he had nine points, three assists and two rebounds against Miami in the opener.
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