The opening round series between the Houston Rockets and Oklahoma City Thunder has been absolutely electric to this point with James Harden and Russell Westbrook leading the way. While we would love to have both of those two in our DraftKings lineup for Tuesday, we will lean towards Westbrook as the top option with Oklahoma City facing elimination. Here is a look at the optimal lineup for Tuesday’s DraftKings NBA fantasy leagues.
PG: Russell Westbrook, Oklahoma City
Salary: $14,200
Westbrook is the most expensive player available in DraftKings competitions for a reason. The All-Star point guard has averaged 35.0 points, 11.8 rebounds, 11.3 assists, 3.0 steals and 2.0 three-point shots per game in the playoffs. We fully expect him to match his averages in game five with the Thunder facing elimination in Houston.
It’s interesting to note that entering Monday, Oklahoma City had led for more minutes than any other team in the first round of the playoffs. However, they are trailing 3-1. It doesn’t look good for them as the Rockets haven’t even played their best and they are still on the brink of closing it out. One of the all-time greatest seasons in NBA fantasy history could be coming to an end on Tuesday.
SG: Lou Williams, Houston
Salary: $5,200
While the temptation is to lock in Harden here, Williams give us a little more flexibility in terms of cap space. Williams is available at half the price and his production throughout the series has been very consistent. Williams has averaged 18.0 points, 4.0 rebounds and 1.8 three-point shots per game in this series so he is good value in this spot.
SF: Raymond Felton, LA Clippers
Salary: $3,000
The Blake Griffin injury opens the door for Raymond Felton to get more playing time. At just $3K, he is an excellent value pick that we can plug in to the small forward position. Felton had 11 points, three steals and two three-point shots in game four so we are comfortable rolling wit him in this spot.
PF: Taj Gibson, Oklahoma City
Salary: $4,000
Gibson flashed his ability in game three with 20 points, two rebounds and an assist. It should be no surprise that Oklahoma City won that game. The Thunder will need another strong performance from Gibson when they face elimination on Tuesday night so we will take a chance on him here at an excellent price.
C: Clint Capela, Houston
Salary: $4,600
Capela’s point totals have been inconsistent throughout the series but his line is decent enough for us to give him another chance here as a value pick at the center position. Capela has averaged 7.5 points, 6.0 rebounds, 2.3 blocks and 1.0 assist per game so far in the playoffs. He has done just enough to convince us to use him in this spot for Tuesday’s NBA fantasy competitions.
G: Patrick Beverley, Houston
Salary: $5,000
Beverley has struggled offensively in each of the last two games for Houston. However, he did average 18.0 points and 8.0 rebounds in games one and two at home and that makes him an intriguing pick with the series shifted back to Houston for game five. The Rockets need Beverley to step up and help them clinch the series and at $5K he is worth taking a chance on here.
F: Vince Carter, Memphis
Salary: $3,700
Carter has remained a contributor in the Grizzlies’ first round series. The veteran forward has averaged 8.3 points, 2.8 rebounds, 1.3 assists and 1.3 three-point shots per game. The threes are particularly valuable. We know that the Grizzlies lack in that area and rely on him for that. It would be great if he could hit two or more for us on Tuesday. At $3.7K, Carter will leave us with exactly the amount of money we need to make a bold entry in our FLEX position.
UTIL: Chris Paul, LA Clippers
Salary: $10,300
After passing on Harden and loading up with strong value picks, we have just enough money left over to lock in Paul at the FLEX position. The veteran point guard has averaged 26.8 points, 10.8 assists, 6.0 rebounds and 1.8 three-point shots per game so far for the Clippers. With Griffin out, Paul becomes even more important at both ends of the floor. With exactly $10.3K left over to address our FLEX position, Paul is a no brainer in this spot for Tuesday’s NBA fantasy competitions.
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