If you’ve never played daily fantasy basketball before, it’s time to start. Unlike traditional leagues, you’re able to select the players you want on that specific day only, giving you a different squad to root for each and every NBA night.
And while there are many platforms to play daily fantasy basketball on, one of our favorites is from our partners over at DraftKings.com. Never played over there before? It’s time for that to change. Sign up now and use our optimal lineups here at numberFire.com to crush the competition. You won’t regret it.
As for today's lineups -- those can be found here. The information below is to help you understand why particular players are being picked, because we don't want you going into the night completely blind. We want to help you. Keep in mind, however, that things often change up until tip-off, so make sure you're refreshing the optimal lineups as close to the start of games as possible.
Note: Players mentioned here may not be part of some of our daily lineups because of particular sites' cost analysis. Always look at our optimized lineups to see what our algorithms say.
The Best of the Best
Stephen Curry - Curry was tough to play in the tail end of the regular season due to his inconsistent playing time with Golden State having already locked up the number one seed in the West so early. But now that the playoffs have started, the Warriors' MVP candidate will play his full compliment of minutes once again. Curry is coming off of 34-point, 5-assist, 4-rebound, 3-steal in 40 minutes of action in Game 1 and should see a similar workload tonight. Look for the Warriors' star to have another outstanding performance tonight in front of the raucous crowd at Oracle Arena en route to another big win for the Dubs.
Anthony Davis - Although it was in a losing effort, Davis posted his own impressive line of his own in Game 1 against Golden State. The Brow scored 35 points to go along with 7 rebounds, 4 blocks, an assist and a steal in 40 minutes as the Pelicans lost a hard-fought game in the Bay Area. Although he struggled early in his first career playoff game, the Pelicans' star was outstanding in the fourth quarter, scoring 20 points with 6 rebounds in the final frame, showing all of us what he is capable of when he plays his best. With his first game out of his system, the playoff jitters should now be behind him. Expect Davis to come out hot tonight against a Warriors team who allowed the eighth most fantasy points per game to opposing power forwards this season. Davis is our highest overall projected player on the board tonight.
Top Mid-Range Values
Andrew Bogut - Bogut is another player who was tough to consistently roster during the regular season due to his lack of consistent minutes. However, much like his teammate Curry, Bogut looked spectacular in an expanded role in Game 1 on Saturday. The big Aussie center scored 12 points to go along with 14 boards, 5 assists, 2 steals and 2 blocks in 30 minutes against the Pelicans in Game 1 and there is little reason to believe he won't see 30-plus minutes again tonight. New Orleans allowed the tenth most fantasy points per game to opposing power forwards last season and Bogut is an incredibly talented player when healthy, as he is now. The Warriors' center should have another strong outing tonight as the Warriors continue their quest for an NBA title.
Derrick Rose - Many people were surprised to even see Rose return to the Bulls' lineup this season following his latest knee injury, let alone see him once again perform at an elite level. Rose silenced his doubters in Game 1 against Milwaukee, pouring in 23 points with 7 assists, 2 steals and a block in 27 minutes of action. Although it's hard to imagine him playing any more than 25-30 minutes, Rose will be able to get to the rim at will and should reach value with relative ease at just $6,100 on FanDuel and $6,700 on DraftKings. Do not hesitate to plug him into your lineups in all formats tonight.
Basement Ballers
Quincy Pondexter - Pondexter is actually coming off of one of the best games of his entire career. In Game 1 against the Warriors, Pondexter scored 20 points with 9 rebounds, 6 assists and 2 steals in a whopping 37 minutes of action. Much of the reason for his huge workload in the Pelicans' first playoff game was due to the fact that Tyreke Evans -- who is questionable for tonight's game -- was banged up for virtually the entire game, but Pondexter will start at small forward tonight regardless of whether Evans is able to play or not and should see 30-plus minutes either way. Golden State has struggled to defend the wing as of late, allowing the third most fantasy points per game to opposing small forwards over the past three weeks, and Pondexter should be able to take advantage. The Pelicans' forward is an absolute steal at just $4,200 on FanDuel and $4,800 on DraftKings.
Ersan Ilyasova - The Bucks did not look great in their Game 1 matchup with the Bulls, but Ilyasova was one of their few bright spots. The Bucks' forward scored 15 points with 3 rebounds, 3 assists and 2 steals in 32 minutes and should continue to see minutes in the 30s tonight. Ilyasova has the skill-set to take advantage of the Bulls in the paint, but will need to be more of a physical presence if he expects to have a big game tonight. That said, the Bucks' big man costs just $5,400 on FanDuel and $5,600 on DraftKings and with very few value plays on the board tonight that makes him a viable option at power forward for tonight's two game slate.