NBA Playoffs DFS Lineup Picks & Sleepers – FanDuel Advice for 5/14/15

We've provided our daily picks throughout the year and we'll continue to push hard during this second NBA season. Below are our favorite FanDuel DFS picks for Thursday, May 14th, 2015.

Keep in mind, fantasy basketball is a fickle game when it comes to injured players, so be sure to check all lineups prior to tip-off. If you want to chat about your roster picks, check out the DFS chat room at the bottom of this post.

 

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Worth the Investment

Derrick Rose (Chi, PG) $8,500

It's time for Game 6, and the Chicago Bulls will need their star point guard to have a huge night to stay alive in the series. This bodes well for those who roster Derrick Rose for Thursday’s slate of games, as Rose plays well in more crucial games and at home. This perfect storm of opportunity means that Rose may very well put up a 30-point effort. In the postseason, Rose has averaged 20.9 points, 5.1 rebounds, 6.5 assists, 0.5 blocks and 1.3 steals. His numbers have been particularly great in Chicago during this series, as he scored a combined 61 points in Game 3 and 4 in Chicago. The point guard matchup against the hobbled Kyrie Irving is fairly easy to exploit for the former MVP, as the Cavs are often forced to switch another defender onto Rose or to try hiding Irving on defense from the big men. Don’t worry about any injuries from Rose as Coach Thibodeau has confirmed that Rose is fine. There's no way you could tell Rose to sit out a win-or-go-home game, anyway.

Honorable Mentions: Austin Rivers (LAC, PG), J. J. Redick (LAC, SG)

Blake Griffin (LAC, PF) $11,400

There's plenty of star power on Thursday, and you’re going to have to be selective about which players to go with based on the arc of each series. It seems fairly reasonable to look at this Clippers/Rockets series and predict that Griffin will come out strong in Game 6 in order to finish off this series. Griffin has arguably been the MVP of the entire playoffs thus far, carrying the Clippers in both winning and losing efforts. This postseason, Griffin is averaging 25.2 points, 13.3 rebounds, 6.5 blocks, 1.0 steals and 1.0 blocks. He may be the most expensive power forward option on FanDuel, but the players cheaper than him are aren't worthwhile picks for Thursday. Pau Gasol is still doubtful for Thursday, and Josh Smith has failed to put up consistent enough production to warrant the investment price. This makes Griffin the best pick, simply out of position scarcity. Griffin had a huge Game 5, scoring 30 points and 16 rebounds despite the losing effort. Expect more of the same from Griffin back at home at the Staples Center.

Honorable Mention: Trevor Ariza (Hou, SF)

Joakim Noah (Chi, C) $5,700

It is quite difficult to predict who between Dwight Howard and Deandre Jordan will have the upper hand on Thursday. However, your investment fund is likely running low by the time you pick a center, and you'll need a bargain pick here. Take a look at Joakim Noah for your center slot, as he provides consistent production at home. Noah has the hustle and fight to face Lebron James and the Cavs, so look for him to have a huge game on Thursday. The Bulls simply play better at home. They're better at controlling the pace of the game by slowing down possessions and getting lots of rebounds for their big men. This is evident in Noah’s stat lines in the five games against the Cavs. In Games 3 and 4, Noah grabbed 11 and then 15 rebounds. The scores were lower for the two games in Chicago, and Noah should have himself a nice night in terms of production cleaning the glass.

Honorable Mentions: Deandre Jordan (LAC, C), Dwight Howard (Hou, C)

 

Sleeper Pick

Nikola Mirotic (Chi, PF) $2,000

Unless you somehow optimized your lineup with above-average players at every position, you’re going to need at least one player with a minimal price tag on FanDuel to fill out your roster. In fact, you should probably be looking to roster as many stars as possible in these high-stakes games, so Nikola Mirotic looks to be a great value pick at the power forward position. As I argued earlier, the power forward position is pretty much a wash after Blake Griffin, so Mirotic should be a great pick for your second power forward slot. His price is as low as it can be, and unlike the other $2000 players, he is actually getting minutes in the Bulls rotation. Mirotic scored 12 points and grabbed eight rebounds in Game 3, and then 10 points and two boards in Game 5. After loading up your lineup with stars, definitely have a look at Mirotic to round out your roster as a prime value pick.

Honorable Mentions: Jason Terry (Hou, PG), Spencer Hawes (LAC, C)

 

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