The urgency is set to ramp up again in the NBA second round series’ this weekend, including Game 4 between the Chicago Bulls and Cleveland Cavaliers as well as the Houston Rockets and Los Angeles Clippers. By this point, there is really nothing that should catch us by surprise in terms of fantasy performances and that makes it a littler easier to find the perfect balance between elite talent and bargain plays. Here is a look at the optimal lineup for Sunday’s NBA DraftKings Daily Fantasy Leagues.
PG: Kyrie Irving, Cleveland
Salary: $8,700
Even if Chris Paul plays in Game 4 for the Clippers, his lingering injury makes him too much of a risk to spend that much money on in this spot. That leaves Irving as the best point guard on the board for Sunday’s action. Irving has averaged 24.0 points, 4.3 assists, 3.7 rebounds and 1.7 three-point shots per game for Cleveland in the playoffs and he could be trusted to have another big performance in Game 4. Remember, he had zero assists in Game 3 and he’s probably going to be amped up to make sure that doesn’t happen again.
SG: Jamal Crawford, Los Angeles
Salary: $4,900
Paul is expected to start but it still makes sense to go with Crawford here for his potential to play big minutes for the Clippers in Game 4. Crawford has averaged 13.6 points in 27.7 minutes per game in these playoffs and you can see his points and assist production have gone up since Paul was injured. Over the last four games, Crawford is averaging 17.0 points per game, 3.8 assists, 2.3 steals and 1.8 threes.
SF: Mike Dunleavy, Chicago
Salary: $4,900
LeBron James is obviously the best option on the board for the SF spot but he is also more than double the price that Dunleavy. We feel more comfortable taking the Bulls small forward here at home and spending the extra money somewhere else. Dunleavy has averaged 10.6 points, 4.4 rebounds, 2.5 assists and 1.6 three-point shots per game in these playoffs and his ability to score from beyond the arc will be important for Chicago in this game.
PF: Blake Griffin, Los Angeles
Salary: $10,500
The money saved by taking Dunleavy instead of LeBron will allow us to plug the best two players on the board in to the next two positions beginning with Griffin as our PF. Griffin has been an absolute beast throughout these playoffs and with Paul limited, he will be needed to step up even more at home against Houston in Game 4. Griffin has averaged 25.4 points, 13.4 rebounds, 7.7 assists, 1.3 steals and 1.2 blocks per game in these playoffs and those numbers should serve as a benchmark for what he is capable of putting up in Game 4 on Sunday.
C: DeAndre Jordan, Los Angeles
Salary: $7,800
Jordan is actually the second-most expensive center option behind Dwight Howard but he owns the best fantasy point per game number for the year. We love his upside at home in a game the Clippers absolutely must have in this series. Jordan has averaged 12.7 points and 13.1 rebounds as well as 2.7 blocks per game in this postseason and he will undoubtedly have another strong fantasy stat line in this contest as our pick for the best center on the board.
G: J.J. Redick, Los Angeles
Salary: $5,000
Our run on Clippers players continues with them holding home court for Game 4 in what should be the higher scoring game of the two on Sunday. With Paul’s iffy, it makes sense to continue to plug in their guards. Redick has averaged 13.9 points, 2.0 rebounds, 1.4 assists and 2.0 three-point shots per game in these playoffs and he’s coming off a career playoff high of 31 points in Game 3. With the Rockets providing no resistance defensively, he could have another strong game so we feel comfortable plugging him here for $5,000.
F: Taj Gibson, Chicago
Salary: $3,900
We only have so much salary left to play with for the F spot after taking Irving, Griffin and Jordan as our big three but Gibson fits in as a player that could have a strong game at a reasonable price tag. Gibson has averaged 7.8 points, 5.3 rebounds, 1.1 assists and 1.1 three-point shots per game while averaging just over 22 minutes per game. It’s important to note here that Pau Gasol is banged up and is questionable Game 4.
FLEX: Austin Rivers, Los Angeles
Salary: $4,300
It seemed much more reasonable when we were plugging in Rivers at less than $3,000 in salary costs but his expanded role and corresponding production since the Paul injury has him up at over $4,000. That said, his confidence is sky-high right now and he is still the best option with the highest upside left.
