RADIO
If you missed last night's games, I highly recommend taking the time to watch. It's quite hilarious when narratives from regular and previous season bleed into the playoffs. Truthfully, I believed that the Raptors were one of the best teams and along with the Bucks, would make it to the Conference Finals, but there's a reason why both Brooklyn and Orlando are in the playoffs. They are good teams that can and have beat some of the best teams.
I took a chance on Kyle Lowry last night and once again, we see what has been the case with him for way too long. At this point, this is who Lowry is. Until he proves otherwise, Lowry can't handle the pressure of a playoff series and should be monitored. Tonight there is considerable more value and while Kyrie Irving, James Harden, and Russell Westbrook remain at the top of the top, you might have to roster two of the three if you plan to cash out tonight.
In this article, I will be providing you with my daily fantasy basketball lineup picks for DraftKings on 4/14/19. These DFS lineup picks can vary from higher-priced players and elite options to lower-priced players and value picks on DraftKings. You can also check out today's FanDuel lineup picks. As always, don't set your lineups too early. Be sure to check all the NBA starting lineups and player statuses. If you have any questions or need to talk NBA during the downtime, feel free to find me on Twitter @HalfCourtJester.
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DraftKings DFS Guards
Cory Joseph - PG/SG, at BOS ($4,200)
Initially, I was targeting Aaron Holiday for a super-value pick but it's too risky with two capable guards in front of him. Instead, Cory Joseph should be leading this second-unit offensively and getting extra minutes with the starters because of his defense. All season Joseph has played with consistency and the Celtics lack that backcourt defense to simply shut down opposing guards. So far this season, Joseph has not played particularly well against the Celtics, although every game he seemed to improve his production.
Joseph might be more usefull later in the series, but the Pacers are going to need someone to do the facilitating for the second unit and Joseph has shown success doing that in previous games versus Boston.
Jaylen Brown - SG/SF, vs IND ($4,400)
Jaylen Brown is so generally inconsistent that he only proves value on days he shoots well. Luckily for us, there is no way some of these DFS-sharks can predict that. Meaning that Game 1 is going to be up for grabs. Whichever team can start efficiently scoring first is going to be the team that wins. Efficiency and Jaylen Brown don't go hand-in-hand, but I do expect him to be taking way too many shots as a way to counteract any downside he has. As of right now, Brown is still listed as probably so check his status prior to tip-off.
DraftKings DFS Forwards
Moe Harkless - SF/PF, vs OKC ($4,000)
There are few players I value over Moe Harkless during this time in the season. He started peaking at just the right time and his price will not rise above $5,000. He has improved on his consistency and has been able to hit from the outside with frequency, allowing his teammates to look for him more on the wing and in certain situations. The Thunder are talented defensively and while there are other value picks in this game I like, Harkless continues to have the highest upside of many of these lower-priced picks.
If you do plan to roster Westbrook and Harden, rostering Harkless and a few other value plays can allow you to add either Kyrie Irving or Paul George to that mix.
Markieff Morris - PF/C, vs OKC ($3,100)
When his price is this low, I can't pass on Markieff Morris. While Morris still seems to be lacking in the box score, I always had the underlying assumption that Oklahoma City wanted Morris strictly for the playoffs anyway. He can shoot and while he needs to be hitting to really produce, with a price this low his ceiling already seems incredibly high. Morris only played more than 20 minutes in five games during his time with the Thunder. In those five games he grabbed 10 rebounds in two. One versus the Bucks, the other versus Portland. This series should come down to how well each teams respective wing shooters play. In this case, Jerami Grant, Markieff Morris, Moe Harkless, and Al-Farouq Aminu all have the spotlight.
DraftKings DFS Centers
Rudy Gobert - PF/C, at HOU ($7,700)
Despite nearly losing every game, Rudy Gobert played well versus the Rockets. Since he's a defense-first big man, it's not hard for him to produce against anybody. Going up against Clint Capela is a challenge and trying to help on James Harden will mess up the Jazz defensive rotations, BUT that is not saying that the Rockets will have an easy time trying to stop Gobert. He won't be creating his own offense or anything, but simple mistakes by the Rockets defense and boom, Gobert is at 15-10 and the fourth quarter hasn't even started yet. The Rockets are and should be favored, but if the Jazz team manages to slow this game up, it could be a long series and Gobert will be at the forefront of the production.
